Halloween WIP

Last year, when Baby M was only a few months old, I decided that I needed to make him a Halloween quilt. I had just recently taken up quilting, and, frankly, had very little experience but a lot of enthusiasm. I had gotten a baby quilting book  out of the library, and the attic windows quilt in the book caught my eye. I had never done anything with triangles, and thought, how hard can it be?

It really wasn't too hard, but it would have been a lot easier (and a lot more accurate!) if I sewed accurate, straight 1/4 inch seam allowances. Still, the blocks turned out pretty well...

The thing is, I never managed to baste and quilt Baby M's Halloween quilt. I blame it on teething, as our little monkey stopped sleeping through the night around the time I completed piecing it, but the truth is, I just lost steam and I really don't love my fabric selection. It's got... well, just too much going on. But there's another part of me that is emotionally attached to this quilt top. After all, I managed to cut and piece it with a newborn at home. And even if I don't love the fabrics I chose, I did choose them with lots of love. Plus, there's the fact that it's the very first quilt top I made for Baby M. And so, rather than let it sit in a shelf, forgotten and collecting dust, I have decided that it will be basted, quilted, and bound in time for Halloween '09. Hold me to it, ok?

I hope to report on progress soon... and also hope that the new projects I've got simmering in the back of my mind won't get me sidetracked. Must stay focused!!

I've got Fall on my mind

I can hardly believe it's already Labor Day. I'm not 100% sure where this year has gone... It seems every day is long: early rise with Baby M, and, inevitably, late to bed every night. Yet when I look back on my week, it seems to have just sped by. So I find it a little strange to be looking forward with such anticipation when I feel like summer (and spring!) is such a blur. And yet here I am, looking forward to another Fall. I am going to blame it partly on the cool, rainy weather we had here in Seattle today. But the fact is that the weather is definitely cooling down. I've been getting back into the groove of running in the mornings (more about that another time), and I find myself wishing I had worn my long sleeved running shirt almost every morning. Of course, it only takes a few minutes to warm up and remember why I didn't.

Still, I've got Fall on my mind. The cooler weather and gray skies, the rain, the steaming coffee in the mornings, they're all getting me excited about what's to come: the foliage, the sweater weather, the hot cocoa, the pumpkins, and, most of all, Halloween.

I was looking back at old photos, and found a photo of this collage I made two years ago. My style has changed quite a bit since then, but it still makes me smile. More than anything, it makes me itch to get to crafting something fun for this Halloween; something Baby M can play with and enjoy. I've got some ideas brewing, and hope to get to them soon, so that I may share.

In the meantime, I plan to take advantage of every sunny, dry moment we have left this summer, spending hours at the park and the wading pool with Baby M. I hope to be back soon with lots to share. For now, hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend, and enjoy the last weeks of summer.