Baby Blankets

I recently made a couple baby blankets for baby shower gifts.

I found the idea for this blanket here.

I absolutely LOVE the look, weight, and feel of blankets made this way.

This one was for a baby boy - his parents are from Africa!

I added this bib to the gift.  This was the last one I had left from the event last September. 

The biggest trick to making this blanket is this cool little tool that I have for my machine.  It's a quiltering tool.  I had never used it and really didn't even know I had it.  When I read the post I got the idea from, the author mentioned that she had a seam gauge that hooked to her machine that made it easy.  I got to thinking that my machine SURELY had something like that!

So I dug out my manual and got to looking and sure enough - I did.  Awesome.

It slides on through a small hole made for it and you adjust it however far from the needle you want your stitching to be.  After the first line of stitching is made you use the guide to place your next line of stitching. 

There are four layers to this blanket.  The top 3 layers get cut between the stitching. 

You wash and dry it after you do the stitching and cutting.

You can find the well written tutorial for this here.  This is the one I followed and it was very easy to do.

Close-up of the edges.  I think binding the edges would be neat too but I was too lazy to make binding to match the blanket.

I have an idea for using this technique for something else.

I will show you when I get to it - it's gonna be a rather big project!

So what do YOU think?  Like it?  Love it?  Hate it?  Are you a 'raw-edge' person or do you like things all neatly stitched, serged, and finished?? ( I am really into raw edges right now!!)

Christmas Pageant

My girls and my niece and nephew performed a Christmas Pageant for us.  It was quite cute and quite amusing.  Doncha just love where the quilt landed??!!

There were plenty of giggles:)

They really did a great job and it was delightful to watch.  They even have a curtain made out of a rope and shower curtains that they talked their Grandpa into putting up for them last year when they did this.  Amazing what Grandparents will do:)  So thankful their Grandparents are so involved in their lives and enjoy spending time with them.

I'd share more pics here but as you can probably tell my camera is not getting any better.  And santa didn't drop a new one off here.  If I can get any more of my photos edited to the point they are viewable I will try to post more.  But now I'm off to spend time with my Sister while I can!

My Brother left today:(  Sniff Sniff.  I miss him already.

"Away in a Manger no crib for a bed.  The Little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head!"

Worshipping at the Manger

We worship Him in a manger because we know we can worship Him as a 12 year old lad who astonished doctors and lawyers with His questions and answers. We worship Him in a manger because we know we can worship Him as a young minister who did and spoke things as no other man ever spoke or did. We worship Him in a manger because we know we can bow before Him on a rugged cross where we are ashamed because His suffering and shame were ours. We worship Him in a manger because we know we can worship Him victoriously standing outside His opened tomb. We worship Him in a manger because we know we can worship Him 24/7 on His throne right beside His Father's throne.

                                                                                         -by PJK (that would be my Dad)

Babysitting.

do these kids have to hold me?????

help!

please! get me out of here!

can anyone hear me????

Mom, where are you? Why did you leave me here??

i have sooo had it.

ah. finally, an adult is holding me. think i'll go to sleep!

Christmas purse.

Baby Meg's mother has told me not to give Meg anything else, but I just couldn't resist doing this. (I don't listen well anyway!) I found this cute felt purse in Joann Fabric's dollar bin and as soon as I saw it I thought "how cute would that look with an 'M' on it" So that is what I did. Every little girl needs a purse, right?!? I thought so. Now I need to go see her again and take it to her.

The Reason for the Season.

I bought my Fontanini starter set about 7 years ago and I've never regretted the almost $200 price tag. The detail on these 7 1/2 inch figures is amazing. Absolutely beautiful. The wise men, drummer boy, donkey, and 2 shepherdesses were gifts over the years from my Mother. I still have several pieces I'd like to add someday, but there is always next year. (and if there isn't next year it won't matter anyway!)

One reason I picked this size was because the baby Jesus actually had clothes on instead of just a strip of cloth across him. Also I really like the way the baby comes out of the manger. The stuff the figures are made of isn't breakable so my children can handle it without Mom saying "don't break it!" When we first set it up it is hard to keep it all on the cupboard, someone is always playing with it.

The Shepherdess with the goose, 'Deborah' is a favorite. She has actually been in some display in my house since I got her for my birthday last may. Isn't she beautiful? I doubt she will get stored away in tissue when the others do, I just have to keep her where I can see her. That is 'Miriam' behind her with a sheep in her basket.

Three wise men and the drummer boy. I've loved the 'Little Drummer Boy' song ever since the high school students sang it at our school Christmas program when I was just a little girl.

Triplets!

I just had to share my pictures of the triplets who share Baby Meg's (from the post below) birthday! Their parents thought they were having twins and ended up with triplets!!!!!! What a wonderful surprise, I think God was smiling and laughing with all of us! And I'm sure he chuckled at every ultrasound 'mommy' had and they could only see 2:-) Aren't they just precious?