#24

If I hadn't decided to get fancy, this post would have happened weeks ago.
But alas, I have finally hemmed the bedroom curtains.  Check!  I didn't cut any length off the bottom, but instead I decided to just fold it under to make a wide hem.  This worked out great, because it created a 4 or 5 inch band at the bottom which looked really nice.  I also decided that I would finish the look with a double seam, so it ended up looking like this.

As pleased as I was with the look, this was the sole reason that this project took me so long.  Seriously...isn't this a pattern around here?  I started the second panel, and successfully completed the first seam.  Then, a few inches into the second seam, I RAN OUT OF THREAD!

What?  My first thought was that this is just a few inches from the floor.  Would anyone besides me notice?  No, they wouldn't.  But I would know, and it would bug me.  Okay, I thought to myself.  I'm sure I have some more thread.  So I dug through my thread collection, and would you believe it?  I couldn't find tan.  Not even anything close.
So a few weeks went by (I partially blame Mason) before I could make it to JoAnn to get more thread.  But I finally made it.  I sewed the second seam.  And now one more item is checked of my list.

Pieces

A project that has been in the works for awhile now is a quilt for my sweet baby.  In the six short weeks of motherhood I've experienced, I have learned that quilts are a very valuable tool to have in my toolkit.  When I lay the quilt on the floor for Mason to lay on, they stop spit up from making its way through to the rug, as opposed to blankets, which just soak through.  Of course being a spit up catcher is not the only reason I love quilts.  I also love them just because.  And I wanted to make one for my boy so he had something made with love from his mama.

I chose the color palette from stash fabrics and settled on blues and greens with some linen fabric added in to balance it out.  I wanted the pattern to be simple, but I knew I wanted to follow an actual pattern rather than just making a random quilt like last time.  After sketching out a few ideas, I decided on a simple brick pattern.
I cut my pieces 6.5 in x 3 in, which was somewhat based on research and somewhat on a whim.  Ultimately, I don't think it really matters what size the pieces are for this quilt as long as I liked them and they were uniform.
So after I cut and cut and cut and cut and cut, I finally have all my pieces cut and am ready to start piecing the top.  As long as I can find the time for it while juggling caring for a newborn, this step should go pretty quickly, and it is also probably the most gratifying too (next to finishing) because the pattern really starts to come alive.  I can't wait!

Because these fabrics were mostly chosen from my stash, I love the stories that are connected to each piece.  Several of these came from my grandmother's stash, are leftovers from projects I have done in the past, or even projects that never were.  My favorite story in this quilt, though, is that one of the fabrics (unfortunately it isn't pictured in any of the photos) came from one of Mason's grandpa's shirts!  I just think that is such a fun part of this.  When Mason is older, I can tell him all about what went into this quilt.

The Big Deal Around Here

I made another small update to our home.  But it's a big statement.  I have been a fan of Lindsay for a long time, and I love the creative ideas that she always comes up with for her prints.  I read about this print that she made for her son, and when she offered it in her shop, I knew I had to have it.
There was just one problem.  The cost.  The print itself was only $25, but shipping from Canada to the US was also going to be $25.  I was just too cheap to shell out $50 for it.  For some reason, I checked her shop randomly a few weeks ago, and she was running a 'Buy 1 Get 1 Free' sale.  And on top of it, there was a smaller version (8 x 10 instead of 13 x 19) of the print that was not only cheaper, but the shipping cost was cheaper, too.  Score!  I could get two prints (one for me and one for Mason's grandma) for only $19.  They were in my cart so fast.
And then they arrived.  And something amazing happened.  Instead of receiving the smaller prints, I actually received the larger prints.  I feel guilty that this mistake happened, but it would have been more expensive to send it back and get the smaller version anyway, so I am just counting myself lucky.
A few short weeks later, we finally got the masterpiece hung on the wall, and here it is.

I hung it in our hallway right around the corner from our dining area.  You can see it as you come through our laundry room.  Here are some before and after pictures for context.

And yes, we DO think Mason is kind of a big deal around here!

Six Dollars and Six Minutes

Remember when I declared my 2011 resolution to be all about organization?  Well here is a quick update that I had been wanting to do for a long time yet finally got around to.  Do you recognize this?

Well, the ironing board hanging from the bottom probably gives it away.  Yep - it's a contraption to store your iron and ironing board.  I had always just put our iron high up on a shelf in this closet and shoved the ironing board in it wherever it would stay put.  Now there is a designated place!  We picked up this contraption (what would you call it?) at Target for around six dollars, and like my post title says, we put it up in about six minutes.  Easy peasy.  The contraption came with the screws to hang it, but because Byron is very cautious about hanging things, we used some wall anchors that we had on hand.  You can see the screws in the picture above, and we really just eyeballed it.  That is a big step for me, because I measure EVERYTHING!  Once we had the anchors and screws in the wall, we just hung the ironing board as you've seen, and then the iron.

Not only was this a really quick and cheap fix, but there was an added bonus in that I gained back some space in the closet.  Now everything (including the vacuum - yay!) fits in much more easily.  I even have room to acquire new junk to store!  Just kidding.

Have any of you done any really quick and simple projects lately?  They aren't life changing or anything, but you gotta love the instant gratification they bring!

Pinterest Challenge

I added my crayon monogram project to the Pinterest Challenge hosted by Sherry, Katie, Lana, and Emily.  Stop by to check out what everyone else did.

August Goals

And now for the monthly report on my July goals.  Big things happened, my friends!
1.  Have a baby.  I did it!  And we couldn't be happier to have Mason here after a full 9 months of waiting.  Although the late night feedings are still something that I don't believe I will ever get used to, everything else about him is amazing. We love him so much.

2.  Read 50 pages in "Through Painted Deserts".  Done!  And then some.
3.  Go on 15 walks.  Once again, this didn't go well.  I think I maybe went on two.  If that.  But truly my reasoning for going on the walks was to force myself into labor, and since we accomplished that anyway, I'm not too bent out of shape about it.
4.  Finish cutting out quilt pieces.  I made progress on this, but I didn't get the pieces finished.  I am on my last piece of fabric before I start the rough layout, so hopefully there isn't much work ahead of me.  I blame Mason for not being able to finish this!
5.  Finish thank you notes.  I am finished...sort of.  I am finished with all of the thank you notes from my four showers. I am not finished with thank you notes from any meals or gifts that have come in at the hospital or afterward.  The original goal was accomplished though.
So where does that leave me for August?  Ah, can my goal be to sleep every night and shower every, er, every other day?  Just kidding.  I honestly don't really know what I want to try to tackle this month, but because people say caring for a newborn does get easier, here are a few that I have.
1.  Read at least 50 pages.  The next book I have planned to start is "The Shack".  I have heard good things, so I hope I feel the same way.  If so, this will go quickly.
2.  Finish organizing Mason's nursery.  Can anyone help me with the best way to store baby pants?  Especially the ones that are a part of a matching outfit?  It has me boggled.
3.  Cross two items off my 30 before 30 list.  I think I am at risk of not completing it!  Fortunately there are a few projects in the works, so I think this should be manageable.
There you have it people.  Three goals.  I want to set myself up for success, not failure, which is why the few goals, but over the next few months, I plan to work back up to a more respectable amount.  If any of you have monthly goals, I wish you the best and I'll see you back here next month!