Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Baby Quilts and Other Thoughts

I've just finished sandwiching two baby quilts. I hope I can get them quilted in the next few days. I've learned some things in making these two quilts.
  • Most of my friends are past the baby stage in their lives. I'm out of practice making baby quilts.
  • I can't wait to get back to making small fiber collages. Piecing is effective, but for me... BORING.
  • I am a sloppy piecer. I don't care one bit about matching corners or straight seams. (I don't think baby's do either.)
  • There is such a thing as too many fabrics and borders in a baby quilt.
  • Baby quilts should be no wider than 40 inches so I don't have to piece the backing.
  • I hate piecing the backing.
  • I'm trying not to buy new fabric unless it's really neccessary.
  • I don't have enough larger enough scraps to piece backings.
  • According to Benjamin, spray basting is sticky AND stinky.
  • If a quilt has a mind of it's own and grows beyond it's own borders, you can use the left over blocks to make a sweet, small tiny lap quilt that seems much more likeable.
  • Spray basting feels really cold as I press the layers down. Why? This freaks me out a bit.
  • I like babies and baby quilts, but next time I'm going to make one of these.

You'll see pictures of these quilts in a few weeks. (You know, the new moms might be reading.)

And in other news...

Have you heard about the controversy over the American Girl bracelet? You can read about it here. It's also in the latest issue of Newsweek.

Well, I thought this was so ridiculous and misdirected that I wanted to protest the protest. I went and bought 13 bracelets! (Why 13? Because that's how many I could lump together without raising the shipping costs.) I love the "I Can" promise and I want to share it with my daughter.

“I can be myself, follow my dreams, and always do my best. I can reach for the stars, lend a hand to others, and be a good friend. I can make a difference! I promise to try.”

Those bracelets will be added to every birthday gift we give and every Christmas box we send to out to girl friends... until they run out.

And then I might buy more. And so can you.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up. I just ordered a pile of bracelets for my daughter to give to her friends for christmas. Along with some other things - they have some wonderful books.

This one looks perfect for my 9 year old:
The Care and Keeeping of You


As an avid piecer I agree with you - matching points and seems and using patterns and rulers is boring and tedious.

Fortunately I can piece and not do any of those things!

Diane Perin said...

Thanks for the info about American Girl! Positive role models are so subversive, aren't they? I went and ordered a whole bunch of these bracelets too.

Anonymous said...

Hi Deborah, We sure are living in scary times when self confidence and pride in positive, thinking, well educated, role models for our young women comes under question. I saw a piece on-line about the Kansas attempt to teach an alternative theory to evolution and make it a law. I think that we should send someone there and ask for their statehood back.It boggles the mind. Some days you can't make up how stupid people are. Dee

Terry Grant said...

Two baby quilts! I am powering my way through one (the shower is this Saturday) and agree on all points. Thank goodness for HGTV--it is getting me through the piecing and machine stitch in the ditch tedium. I only make baby quilts for VERY special people.

I had not heard about the bracelet controversy--no little girls in my house, but I may buy some just to show support! And I like the promise--works for all ages, IMO.

Joanne S said...

No baby quilts-but I am making 5 pieced placemats for my daughter. She and her co-workers are putting together a Thanksgiving Basket for family of five. My daughter wanted the family to have something nice for the table. I'm quilting them now and had to piece the backing. What I do for my kid and won't do for myself!!!!

Have people always been afraid of evolution? Seven days or seventy million years--it's still a miracle we exist.

Gerrie said...

Well, you know I am going to have to order some of these! the Political Rant Grandma!!

gabrielle said...

Amazing what the world picks to make an issue of...especially in times like this...can't we just enjoy and celebrate something. Aside from that, I am exhausted just reading your list of things to do....makes me feel like a slug.

Elle said...

That's so silly! American Girl and Girls Inc. are positive forces for young girls! To try to boycott them is just stupid.