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Ok, I know I shouldn't really be taking on any new projects right now, but I couldn't resist cutting into a certain jelly roll that I've been saving for a while.  I have a beautiful and (hopefully) quick baby quilt in mind, but I'm gonna wait to show it to you.  

However I was taking pictures of the colourful trimmings and I was inspired to change my blog header.  Maybe it's springtime - but I feel the need for some bright colours!  

What do you think?

Cross stitch mania!

And by mania I mean it's driving me crazy!  

Every time I do a cross stitch project, I tell myself it's the last time!  And yet, here I am again.

When I was at home in March I found an adorable birth record at Joann's in Buffalo (by Dimensions).  I love that it looks like a kid drew the animals!

So far I've got the pig and the lamb done.  

I did each animal in one day, but it probably took 5-6 hours for each animal.  Ugh!  The thing I hate about cross stitch is the counting.  I am much more a "wing it" type of girl.  I make quilts without too much calculating, I paint paintings without know where I'll end up, and I've even made clothes without patterns.  

Last week when I was at my LQS stocking up on Aurifil, I saw this cute little giraffe and decided we needed it.  I came with a little booklet and some floss to cross stitch something in his bib.  I decided to use some monochromatic pinks I already had and to do something more than just a little flower.

Giraffe accomplished!

I've also done the first of two hooded towels.  I just have to add "Olivia's bath time" underneath.   

Cute huh?  I guess it was worth the aggravation.  But as soon as I get the second towel and this bloody birth record done - that's IT for me and cross stitch!

WIP Wednesday

The bento box quilt top is finally finished!  I had neglected this past week in favour of a few other baby-related projects that I will be filling you in on soon.  

I really like it, and I think with the grey minky back it's going to be lovely, although from what I've read on other quilting blogs, I am a little worried the minky's going to be hard to work with.  Cross your fingers!

Weekend update

I know, I know, it's Tuesday already, but yesterday I was suffering from low blood pressure, so all I did was minimal housework and tv watching!  Sue me - I'm 7 months pregnant!

So this weekend I finished my kitchen curtains and we hung them up.  What do you think?

I used Alexander Henry's Heath on the top half and then various prints from his Rivoli for the bottom.  I LOVE Alexander Henry!  

I know they look like a lot of curtain for just the kitchen, but the window faces west so for a good part of the afternoon we have blinding sun rays and I wanted something I can close.  

This is the view of our little front yard.  Hubs put in the begonias along the front walk just before I came home from Canada as a little surprise for me!  Awww...

I have also finished cutting up and resewing the bento box blocks.  I have a nice piece of grey minky I'm going to use on the back.  The quilt is a bit bigger than your standard baby quilt, but with this type of block I didn't want to make them any smaller.  The middle square is 4", the whole block is 14".

I really wish I'd been able to do the whole nursery in grey and yellow - it's a colour combination I adore!  But the hubs didn't want grey in his baby girl's room.  Gotta let him win a few battles.  (emphasis on "few"!)

We also went crib shopping this weekend, but ended up only buying the mattress and the change table pad.  I remembered I'd seen the crib I wanted online, for almost 100 euros cheaper than in the stores!

But at least now I can start planning the fitted sheets and the pad covers.  

I still shake my head in disbelief as I walk past the mattress and think "There's a CRIB MATTRESS in my house!"  I don't think it will really be REAL until she's born.  

Happiness is...

A (homemade) Chai tea latte and last night's Mad Men!

An evening project

Since the clock is ticking and I have less than three months to go, I have to make every minute count.  So I've started a little project to do in front of the tv in the evenings: a baby log cabin knit blanket.  I think it'll turn out nice - I just HATE picking up stitches!  

I bought some of my favourite Patons Canadiana in the nursery colours before I came home, and this is what I've got so far: 

My husband says it looks like a flag for some Middle Eastern country!  

I told him I doubt there's a country in the Middle East with hot pink in its flag!

P.s. this is how the dogs make the most of their evening time.

Back home and entering the nesting phase!

See that stack of fabric on the cutting board?  That's about half of what I brought home from Canada!  I stocked up on all the fabric I thought I would need for the nursery, and this week I intend to get to making her curtains, and curtains for the kitchen.  I also have to recover the cushions from the rocking chair we bought second hand, which are currently this horrible flowery fabric.  

So this is the colour palette I have decided on for the nursery: pink, hot pink, lime, and black & white.  It's really hard to settle on a certain colour combination when there are so many beautiful possibilities.  I wanted it to be feminine, but modern and not too babyish.  I'm also thinking about doing a polka dot wall, if it won't be too busy.

Before I went home, I had started cutting for a bento box baby quilt, using the same Thursday's Gang fabrics I used for my neighbors quilt, but in the dusk colourway (yellow and grey).  So I couldn't help immediately doing up one of the blocks to make sure my calculations were correct.  

...with Ginger

...with Nina.

YOU try taking a picture of something on the floor with two curious chihuahuas!

I have been in love with Traceyjay's bento box quilt (here below) since I first saw it, so I'm really excited about finally making one of my own.  

I also spent an afternoon emptying my suitcases and putting all of the baby's clothes into the armoire!  I never knew spending money on clothes for someone other than yourself could be so much fun!

For posterity's sake, I'll overcome my shyness and show you how big I'm getting.  I still really can't believe there's a kid in there - even though she is kicking like crazy all day every day.  This was after a long day of cooking for and then entertaining my in-laws for Easter - please forgive the tired look on my face.  We forgot to get a pic in the morning when I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

P.s. behind me is that ugly rocking chair!