Pears!

I'm working on this fabulous project. I can't share all the details in case my friend is reading this. But....a bunch of us have joined together to make a quilt. I've never claimed to be a quilter, but at least I'm fairly crafty & can sew. All I have to do is make a square.

Ever have a day when you're ready to work on a project but you don't have the right stuff, but you forge ahead anyway. That was me. I really needed some fusible interfacing. But it was midnight and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow when I could get to the fabric store. So I taped my fabrics together & sewed. Yes, tape. I know some of you are gasping in horror. Remember I never claimed to be a quilter! It worked though.

Here's my square. Its not finished yet, but I'll let you look.


I'd like to sign it with my name & bumble bee. I just need to figure out how....so I'm off to Google it.


Here's the finished square!

I used a brown fabric pen to trace my bee & name. I'd printed a piece of paper & slid it under the fabric. It was thin enough I could see it just fine.

Update - Here's the finished quilt - another gal put it together...this is way beyond my skills! A group of us made squares to give to a friend who'd had a baby that died at birth. I know she'll treasure it forever!

Sad two weeks and 3 death stories

Sad things happen. I know this. But three in one week is just too much for me right now. I lost a second-cousin to a terrible, tragic accident. A man had driven a car into a shopping mall where she was working. She was in her early 20's and in school. She lives out of state (my dad's family is mainly in CO still) so I didn't know her well. I remember her very clearly as a little girl of about 7 years old or so. Her funeral was last weekend.

Then I found out my great-aunt was dying (she's on the other side of my dad's family). She'd lived a fabulous life and was very active & alert right up until the last 24 hours in her 98 year life. Yes, she was 98! Aunt Bonnie was my great-grandma's little sister. I remember Aunt Bonnie coming to visit at my grandma's house...she'd play the piano over & over for me. Then she'd sit patiently as I played (terribly, I might add). Aunt Bonnie used to do hair...she gave me the prettiest braids a 7 year old has ever seen for my aunt & uncle's wedding. It took forever - I thought she'd never finish...but she braided a teal ribbon down the back of my hair. I'd show you all a photo but they're at my parents' house. Her funeral is also in CO and is this weekend. Thankfully, my dad is there visiting & he'll be able to go. And I was there just about two years ago to see Aunt Bonnie.

Here's Aunt Bonnie (in the center) with my Aunt Mildred and Uncle Bill.



The latest was the death of my friend's infant. The baby, Ellie, died during childbirth. The cord was wrapped tightly around her neck and there was meconium in her lungs. It was the kind of thing that couldn't have been prevented. My heart breaks for my friend, her husband & their little 3.5 year old. He couldn't understand why his sis wouldn't open her eyes to see his toy he'd brought for her. Or why she was living with Jesus, and not with him. Keep her in your prayers especially, she has a past history of anxiety & PPD like I do. I can't imagine how hard this would be for anyone without the postpartum depression history.

My cousin is a midwife, and found me a great website that I thought I'd share. http://www.glowinthewoods.com/ If you know anyone who's lost an infant share this site & read it yourself. This is one of those things no one talks about but maybe they should.

Pray for these families, pray for my dad's cousin & the loss of their daughter, pray for my dad's cousin & the loss of her mother, pray for my friend & the loss of her baby.

A funeral is so much easier when its a celebration of a long happy life that was lived compared to a child taken away from their parents. Please pray for me too...this is so heart breaking. I'm doing what I can to make sure this doesn't trigger an anxiety attack.

Skirts, jeans & aprons!

What have you been up to this summer? We have a new baby on the way at our house...and I'm exhausted! I've fallen behind on blogging & on sewing...But I have such good plans!
For instance...I wear the same skirt nearly every day. Its just so comfortable. I love wearing it more than shorts. I'd like to make a similar one out of a nylon material...like the stuff hiking pants are made of. Columbia always has great looking ones, but I know I can do it for less than the $40 they try to charge me in a store!


I should be able to do it no problem...its whether or not I really want to that is the question!

With the last baby (who's now 3 1/2) I made maternity jeans...they're fabulous! I took a pair of regular jeans & cut off the waist, added elastic & there you go!



This is the only photo I can find right now...that bit of paisley is the fabric I covered the elastic in. Its part of the jeans! However...here's the tutorial I based mine off of! Mine are not a full coverage, but the idea is the same. http://patchworkprincess.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-to-tuesday-maternity-jeans.html




And here's the latest apron I finished! Be sure to come find me on Facebook...I update there much more often than I do the blog! BumbleBaby Mommy

Missed me? I've been busy sewing, selling Sensaria & keeping up with the kids! My husband & I are on a debt reducing mission...thanks to Dave Ramsey!
The girls & I colored Easter eggs today...check out these colors! We used the Neon food coloring drops and brown eggs.

We forgot to color the eggs with white crayon...so only half were done with writing & patterns. Here's Emma coloring. Look at those gorgeous brown eggs!

And here they both are putting them in the dye. We did the old school vinegar & food coloring dye. Who needs expensive egg kits around here?! Not us!!

The other thing I'm all hyped up on is organizing my pantry. I found this great site a couple of days ago where they show you how to make a can rotater. You know, its a gadget that holds your cans of soup (or whatever) and lets them drop down one at a time.

The original post is here: but the PDF and the instructions are at Food Storage Made Easy at this link.
I'm going to try to make some this weekend. I'll post photos once I have it done.
Oh, and I've been making new aprons. Check these out! I've done some in denim.
And some in a flirty retro style & lots of color!





Have a great Easter!