Sunday, September 21, 2014

Preparing...

 My baby's official due date was the 17th, but as I have been told first babies are often late and our little one is no exception. This past week I have kept busy with last minute cleaning and preparations, even though I have been ready for about a month now! : ) I always seem to find one extra thing to sew or organize.
The photo above is our baby's room. If only you could have seen how this room looked a year ago, even less than a year ago, you would be surprised. When Adam purchased our house and began renovations he discovered that many of the old plaster walls were crumbling. This room was truly the worse! Adam spent countless hours re-plastering the walls and ceiling of our baby's room, then painting, insulating the ceiling and he even had the old window replaced. I am so pleased with the end results.
 Last month my sister Rachel hosted a perfectly fabulous baby shower for me. The day following the shower I had so much fun washing the little clothes and tucking them into the drawers.
 Here is the view from the baby room window. I sewed the curtains from some lovely lace I found last year. The lace pattern is flowers and butterflies.
 One of my recent projects has been to hem piece of flannel and make receiving/swaddling blankets. After quickly hemming the edges of the pink blanket I decided to add a little embroidery. I had been given some vintage baby iron-on transfers and thought they would be just perfect!
Another way I have been preparing is by praying for our baby and collecting scripture verses to take with me the day I go into labor. Here are some wonderful resources I found: 14 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Unborn Baby and Preparing for Childbirth: 12 Scriptures of Comfort & Encouragement

Another way I have been preparing is by trying to eat healthy, take my vitamins, walk and drink red raspberry leaf tea. Here is a link to an article I found very interesting: Red Raspberry Leaf Tea ~ Danger Or Help?
 
 Isn't this fabric adorable! I have always loved the artwork of Beatrix Potter, so when I found this fabric I could not resist! It is a simple cotton that I decided to quilt. I like the extra texture the quilting adds.
You may have noticed the little rocking chair in the first photo. It is a barn sale find that Adam and I purchased quite awhile ago for $5. It sat in the garage for about a year in need of some repairs. Adam did a great job fixing the loose arms, cleaning the wood and giving it a good polish. Once I found the Beatrix Potter fabric I knew that would make the perfect seat cushions. : )
And to close this post a photo my sister Hannah took the day of the baby shower.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."  Psalm 127:3




Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater

Recently I completed this little baby sweater.I found the pattern through Pinterest and was delighted to discover it was being offered for free! Here is a link to the pattern: Seamless Yoked Cardigan
The pattern was easy to follow and I really enjoyed the "seamless" design. I did however, have to do a little stitching under each arm, which I believe is normal for the raglan design.
I loved the decorative stitch pattern, and how easy it was to achieve! The yarn I used to knit this sweater was from Patons, their Beehive Baby Sport collection. Unfortunately the fiber content is acrylic and nylon (I had hoped to use natural yarns for baby clothes), but it was irresistibly soft, and pink! : )
A photo of the back. The sweater is knitted on straight needles from the top down. The sleeves stitches were saved out on stitch holders then worked with double pointed needles
Although the size I knitted was newborn, I think it will be too big for the first couple months. Better too big than too small though!
I found the buttons at a Mennonite fabric shop over the summer; they were made in Germany. First thing I saw these buttons I knew they would be perfect!


Friday, September 5, 2014

Lilacs in September

The other evening when Adam I were returning from a walk we discovered that one of our lilac bushes was in bloom! We were very surprised to smell the beautiful fragrance of spring on a September evening.

The following day I decided I should take a couple pictures and pick one of the lilacs to press in a book.

Never before have I seen a lilac blooming in September, but it was a delightful surprise!