East Coast Swing

Did you know that the East Coast Swing is a really fun dance? I actually took a dance history class in college and loved it so much.  Now I can barely put one foot infront of the other without falling on my face.  Those were the days....

My grandpa with the girls.  He earned a Purple Heart in Iwo Jima.  It really was an emotional day.

Anyhoo, we took an amazing trip to the East Coast to watch my hero of a brother retire from the Army after 22 years of service.  He has been to Afghanistan and a whole host of other countries.  He's had quite a career as a soldier and the ceremony was befitting of that.

After that we thought it'd be a great idea to wake everyone up at 4am and hop on a train to NYC to visit Tracy.  After 18 months of emails and sharing experiences about our two girls and baby boys, we finally FINALLY got to hug and have a glass of wine on the quilt I made for baby Brody.

It was a great day.  There was wall-to-wall sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, the kids got along perfectly, the husbands did their job of hanging out and allowing the mamas to laugh, cry, and drink a little extra wine.  (Thanks, S and J.)   Everyone was so friendly - NYC felt like a dream come true.   We only had a few hours there before we took the train back to DC but every moment was savored and stored up in our hearts until next time.

Picnic, coloring, playing ... Love.
Thank you so much, Tracy for the warm NYC welcome.  It could not have been better.  It left us excited for the next trip and more time together.

Back at home I finished up a hip rag quilt for Amanda:

The back of the quilt:

Big girl admires her ring from the Tooth Fairy.  I wasn't really sure if we were going to do the whole Tooth Fairy thing but she had heard about it from another little girl and seemed so excited.  I guess that makes me a sucker!

Her tooth was so wiggly all summer and I kept wanting to do a blog post about Summerteeth.  But it didn't happen until we got to NYC.  Yep, she lost her very first tooth on a crisp autumn day in Central Park.  I don't know any correlating songs about that but it's a pretty cool memory.

Happy Autumn to you!  Hope you're keeping warm with your loved ones and handmade quilts.  :)

Super Hip Rag Quilt

And now, a word from my non-sponsor...

Ever since I started making quilts, I have used the blue painter's tape for basting.  You know, taping the back onto the floor then poking a gazillion pins in the top to keep all the layers together. 

Well I have recently been quite um...unhappy... with the results.  It *may* have had something to do with the fact that I paid like 4 cents for a roll of the blue stuff.  But NOW!  Now GREEN is the new blue.  I found some Frog Tape (quite spendy) but it worked like a charm. 

Especially if you're using it on chenille, flannel, or right infront of the AC vent where the air just keeps blowing the tape to smitherines.  I heart Frog Tape.  Now if I could just get paid for that little bit...

 My latest commissioned quilt was this super hip 'n funky rag quilt.  It's for a baby girl but you can't tell.  And that's cool.  Because if baby girl gets a baby brother someday... no need to pack up the quilt.  And that is what every quilt-maker wants - lots of usage. 

So I started the usage train with my own baby perched atop. 

I just love this color combination.  So unexpected (for me!).  Very bright and happy. 
I feel like these are the kinds of quilts that make sewing and quilting cool.  Because, you know, some people think it's not. 

Some might think I take too many pictures of my baby on quilts.

 Including the baby. 

 But isn't that what babies are for?

 Taking close-ups of adorable wrist-rolls and tiny toes?

Yeah, I thought so.