By Daisy

Happy ho-ho-holidays!

2011-12-23T10:15:00.002Z

One year later...

2011-11-04T08:18:00.000Z

Baby H. crib quilt is finished!!! And just in time for Blogger's Quilt Festival! (Don't forget to check out all the other amazing entries out there!)

I started thinking about this quilt and buying fabrics (online because I was in bed rest) in September of 2010 after discovering the sex of the baby I had on the way. During the months of October and November, exactly one year ago, whenever I could master some strenghts I would cut fabrics, but never got to piece them together. It was physically too much for me to sit in front of my sewing machine and however much I missed sewing I always thought to myself: "More important than sewing this baby quilt is keeping the baby it's meant for SAFE". Three days after my doctor finally said I could get out of bed... she was born!
As a first-time-around-recent-mommy, free time was little and mostly used to sleep. Then work got in the way. But every little chance I had I would make some progress on the quilt.
Yesterday I took a day off and finally cut the binding and decided to try to sew it on by machine, for the first time, because this is always the most time consuming part and I was already so "late" in finishing the quilt that I couldn't wait any longer to have it finally done. And in no time I finished it!!!
It turned out ok, not perfect, but the alternative was so... undesirable and unappealing that i don't mind at all living with my flaws. After all, one lesson i will someday teach my daughter is the capacity to live imperfect lives.

So, without further ado, here is my latest accomplishment (and probably my favourite quilt, second only to the "Good News Quilt", which is also hers): the "My Precious Butterfly Quilt"!

At first I had decided on a disappearing 9-patch top but wasn't totally sure, so I ended up changing to this pattern, which I don't know if it has a name or who has already done it (but someone I'm sure).
And I had though of a Dream Dot back but then had a change of heart and went with Flower Shower instead.
Also, the binding wasn't meant to be Kona Cotton Peony, but a yellow dot fabric whose name I can't recall and that it turned out I hadn't in as much quantity as I thought and needed.
Finally, I decided to quilt it 3/4 inch into all the white parts in a pink 100% cotton thread, but maybe because of being so sleep-deprived it turned out pretty wonky. I can always blame it on the baby ahahaha!
So all this goes to show that surprises and hick-ups and obstacles and changes can be a good thing. I actually love this quilt even more because of all its history.

I still have some more things I would like to make for her bedroom, but the main thing was the curtains (check) and this quilt (check). Yeiii me!!!

Customs

2011-10-26T09:49:00.003+01:00

Well, I do most of my fabric shopping online on Sew Mama Sew or other US shops. It's cheaper, even after paying for the shipping costs, and there is a lot more variety and novelty. Some fabrics are not available in Portugal or they take a few weeks to get here.
Until today, everything worked out for me. But now, with the new government policies, for the first time I had to pay a customs fee. Just to think that someone was opening my package - I know it's just fabrics but even so - is really upsetting to me. And then having to pay a tax on top of what I have already paid... I mean... C'mon!!!
So, sad and upset and frustrated, from now on I'll be looking for an online shop in the UK, so that it's considered an import from within the European Union market and it doesn't go through customs. Anyone has any ideas?

Another thing: I went on macculloch-wallis' shop site and tried to order fabric but... in the Cotton menu alone I had like a gazillion types of fabric to choose from: puppytooth crepon, swiss cotton jacquard, birdseye pique, scoured cambric, warp stripe herringborne, floral lawn, regency stripe... just to name a few. I'm so confused!!!

Seal of approval

2011-10-23T23:18:00.003+01:00

For all those cat owners out there... here goes to show that my lab also enjoys the batting stage :)

(Baby H. quilt is finally coming together!!! More pics coming soon!)

Date night

2011-10-21T20:16:00.002+01:00

We are leaving baby H. with my parents and going to have dinner and a movie. A date night!!! And the fact that i haven't been to the movies in over a year (due to bedrest and then because of nursing the baby) makes it all the more special.

Time

2011-10-21T08:35:00.003+01:00

I've had a project in mind - it's a gift for my friend - and it implies finding out each member's favourite colour. I'm finally going to start on it on Monday and I remembered that when I had the idea I wrote her an email asking her for the inside information... 2 years ago.

So, I've been thinking about doing this for 2 years and only now will I have the chance to finally do it.

Isn't this crazy???

Friendship

2011-10-20T12:57:00.007+01:00

When I was pregnant and confined to a bed, I spent most of my time online in a site for pregnant women to share experiences. There I met a bunch of girls who were all going to have their babies in March like me. We used to complain about the normal pregnancy aches, share ideas to decorate the baby's room, tell each other our daily adventures, the problems with the husband or the mother in law or the boss... Everyday, for the main part of my day, these girls kept me company and we formed a very beautiful friendship.
Now our babies are out in the world and although time is more limited we still talk to each other on a daily basis. Now it's "what vegetables to put in the baby's soup", "diapers are on sale on the supermarket", "my baby is already teething", "look how my baby is already crawling" and typical proudest-mom-ever stuff like that.
We consider each other's babies are our nieces and nephews, we are worried when one of them is ill and proud when one of them achieves a new development stage. We live across the whole country and some of us are even living abroad but we managed to have a national meeting in the summer and several local meetings have also been held.
This group of friends means a lot to me. I talk to them about stuff that I don't tell my other friends, either because they don't have babies yet or because their children are older than mine or because I don't want to bother them about the same subject. With these girls that is not a problem, all we talk about is our babies!!!

One of them has sent me an amazing gift by mail and she has been ill, so to think that she took the time to send me this has even more meaning. I can't thank her enough... You know how I feel about buttons!!!
See, like my group of "Moms of March" with whom I talk about baby stuff, YOU are my group of friends with whom I talk about sewing stuff. Noone else would get my buttons crush... So, thank you for your friendship as well (and I'm sorry if lately I've been so out).

(doesn't it look like CANDY??? hehehe)

Never forget

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000+01:00

I wish I were...

2011-09-07T21:40:00.003+01:00

Less head in the clouds.
If there is one thing I would like to change is to be a more attentive and thoughtful person. Of course that the kind of exhaustion I've been experiencing lately doesn't help, but my poor memory really is a trace of personality since the beginning of times...
I finally finished a quilt - a gift for my husband's goddaughter - and I forgot to take pictures of it before giving it away. Is this just plain dumbness or what???

Était une fois...

2011-07-31T00:16:00.001+01:00

Lamps, cats, friends, art... What could be better? Check out this awesome project: Était une fois.

Check out my birthday presents!

2011-07-28T22:45:00.005+01:00

So, every year I buy myself a present for my birthday. This year it was this custom made wallet, the perfect wallet I should say! I really needed a new wallet now that I'm not in bed anymore and I'm out there spending money again. I wanted one where I could have money and cards but it couldn't be too big or too small or too something, you know?
This one is perfect and it's handmade and I got to choose all the details. And I'm very happy with it.
The lady who made it for me is very nice and talented. Check out her site here and her facebook page here.

I have known since November that my other present is a ticket to next Sunday's concert. The Bon Jovi concert, that is. OBVIOUSLY. My ticket is special because I will be up front very close to the stage. I'll be going alone, as all my friends bought cheaper tickets and will be far away. I'm not richer than my friends, I'm just a bigger fan. My husband doesn't mind.

As for my parents gift, I'm very delighted to introduce you to "Chiquinho", my new best friend who feeds on dog fur, which is something we have plenty of around here.

Pathetic

2011-07-15T01:34:00.003+01:00

So my maternity leave is close to an end and little sewing has been done around here. I've finished the nursery curtains and have a baby quilt missing only the binding, but apart from that... nothing else to show! (and the quilt is not even for Helena, but for my husband's goddaughter)
And why? Because I've spent the last 3 months either translating books (I'm actually in the middle of the third one) or nursing or sleeping.
I don't know when I'll have the time to go back to sewing, to be honest, but I miss it a lot. And I miss blogging about it too.
I'm happy, but a little overwhelmed until I find my bearings. Going back to work, turning 29 and starting feeding her solids all in one week promises to be quite a challenge as far as bearings go, so... I'll try to keep you posted more often.

Until then, an updated photo of my little butterfly!

Oh this pouting face will be the end of me...

2011-06-11T17:56:00.001+01:00

Busy bee

2011-06-09T13:57:00.001+01:00

Once a friend of mine told me that after becoming a mother never again did she have the time to just sit down and read a book.
Well, for the past month I've been not only reading a book but actually TRANSLATING one, which pretty much means I don't have time for anything else.
No sewing, no sleeping, no blogging, no meeting friends, no cleaning the house, nothing. (It's not like I miss cleaning the house hehehe) Just baby H. and this book.
I wake up at 6 am, I take care of the baby until the hubby gets home and his "shift" starts (around 7 pm because he has to walk the dogs first) and then I sit in front of the computer and work up until 1 or 2 am, depending...
Just a few more weeks stuck inside these four walls is nothing, right? Tell me about it :( Revenge will be so sweet!!!

Because i DID dream Helena into life...

2011-05-25T00:12:00.003+01:00

"Martini smile"

2011-05-11T13:11:00.000+01:00

Everything is slowly coming together...

2011-05-10T22:41:00.002+01:00

Quite nicely I might add.

The lessons of motherhood

2011-05-09T11:18:00.002+01:00

Almost two months in, i've figured out some truths:
- That time DOES fly and babies DO grow up really fast
- That you never ever get tired of just staring at this beautiful baby of yours
- That everyday is filled with new findings, new achievements, new precious moments and you want to take it all in and remember forever
- That even if you are sleepy or hungry or in pain, it all just comes back to you AFTER you've taken care of the baby (and then it hits you really hard)
- That to the visitors you are pretty much invisible, up to the moment they turn to ask if you are breastfeeding (which everyone does sooner or later)
- Yeah, that's another thing: your body now belongs to the world because everyone wants to discuss your private parts and then they aren't so private anymore, right? I've had to talk over and over again about my boobs, my c-section scar and even the muscles of my va-jay-jay with my MIL's neighbour, which gave a new definition to the word "weird" (which part of c-section didn't she get???)
- Another subject of conversation is poop. Everyone is really interested in Helena's poop, lack of poop, consistency and texture and colour of poop. And also the little farts and the little burps... (Not so little by the way.) Why is my daughter's digestive system of such importance to them beats me.
- Speaking of poop, now let's talk pee. How thankful am I right now for having had a baby girl instead of a boy? A lot. Helena must think it's fun to pee during the diaper change or after the bath, which has taught me that it's useful to have extra absorvent paper and an extra bath towel always at hand.

And the last lesson: her smile when I pick her from the crib makes my day, the look she has like I'm the most special person to her makes my day, her warmth and smell when I'm holding her in my arms makes my day. I'm pretty much in love with her...

Sleeping Beauty

2011-04-21T19:25:00.004+01:00

And so a month has gone by...

2011-04-19T17:32:00.000+01:00

And I'm still me. I still love the same things, think the same way, have the same needs. I'm just happier.

At last, all the pieces come together...

2011-04-14T17:35:00.003+01:00

And at last this book is in my hands! I've been waiting for it ever since it was announced, more than 2 years ago I think, so you can imagine how happy I was when the postman came today! Baby or no baby, I'll be finishing this one off in no time. Good thing my hubbie is still on paternity leave and can take care of H. for me, because I plan to disappear from the face of the earth hehehe

Back in the game

2011-04-02T20:08:00.002+01:00

Today I heard one of the sweetest sounds possible. No, it's not the laughter of my child. No, it's not the snorring of my dogs. It's my sewing machine working again! Oh how we've missed each other!!! After so many months inside her suitcase stuck in a closet, with only some small stash of fabrics and sewing suplies left behind to make her company (everything else was taken to my sewing room in the attic, where I won't be able to go for at least another month), my dear Aurora got to see daylight and be switched on again. I woke up at 8 am to take care of the baby and afterwards, while she and my husband slept some more, I spent the whole morning sewing. Needless to say, I'm happy happy happy! Also, H. is 2 weeks old today and it was the first time we took her out for something other than a doctor's appointment. The weather has been great these last few days but today of all days it was raining. However, we had promised my husband's granny that we would go to the weekly family lunch (my husband kept on attending but due to my bedrest it was my first family lunch in months), so we went for it anyway. And I'm glad we did because we made one great-granny very happy! She got to see H. awake and hold her, for the first time. My husband is the older son of granny's older son, and H. is the first baby in the family, so you all an imagine how she is spoiled. Everyone is in line to hold her (good thing I'm not selfish about that) and even her poop is celebrated hehehehe

It turns out...

2011-03-30T17:22:00.007+01:00

My baby decided not to wait for the scheduled c-section (March 21st). My waters broke on March 19th at 9 am and she was out some minutes before noon. Everything happened very fast because the doctors had to perform an emergency c-section. I don't mind at all that things turn out this way, because it felt very awkward to me that we had scheduled her birth. And March 19th is Father's Day, so she came as a present to my husband. A few days later, when the baby and I were already at home, he celebrated his birthday, so it was like double jackpot.

These first few days were very tiresome, as expected. She is an angel and sleeps 4 hours straight, I'm luck that way, but the constant phone calls and the guests visiting all the time and the fact that I'm unable to just relax (i'm always on full alert) took its toll. But now it's safe to say that we've found a routine, things are settling down and my husband and I finally had some quality time with our baby just us (and the dogs). As for my recovery, it's going way better than I had antecipated, I almost forget I had a surgery and that's actually not a very good idea, I tend to do more than I should around the house, instead of just resting a little bit. The thing is... I'm so sick of staying in bed all day hehehe

I now leave you with some pictures of our bundle of joy, and I much appreciate if you respect them and not use them for any means.

Just a few minutes after being born

On my lap

On daddy's lap

In her new home

11 days old :)

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-20T19:27:00.001Z

EVERYONE is waiting for you, sweet baby!

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-19T18:45:00.000Z

The iconic picture I longed for...

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-18T17:36:00.000Z

Forget the hour-glass silhouette, THIS is the real deal!

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-17T15:42:00.001Z

Meet one very big belly!!!

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-16T11:38:00.000Z

The first present Helena got was given by her godmother who didn't even know she was going to be asked that very same day

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-15T01:35:00.002Z

My main occupation for the whole pregnancy...

7 days, 7 pictures...

2011-03-14T11:33:00.000Z

Good reading habits since the beginning...

Funny enough, it just started raining...

2011-03-10T17:47:00.000Z

Handmade details

2011-02-21T18:12:00.013Z

Even though I haven't been able yet to sew everything I wanted to make for the nursery (i know i complain a lot about that, sorry), that doesn't mean there won't be wonderful handmade little things to welcome my baby into this family, all thanks to my mother and my sister-in-law. I love everything so much that I can't help but brag about it...

These two crochet blankets were made by my mother. The pink and white one she had made for my brother's baby, who didn't survive, and she asked me if i didn't minda to which I answered of course i don't, i see it as a tribute actually. The second one is quite large, it fits the 140cm x70cm bed and was meant to match the colours I chose for the nursery. There is a third blanket, which was knitted, and the colour is the mint green from the walls. I didn't take pictures of that one yet...

These are 2 of the 4 paintings my sister-in-law painted for us, inspired by Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies books from 1923. The first one is Spring (daisies, OF COURSE, and from all the 4 my absolute favourite) and the second one is Summer (Bird's-foot Trefoil). She is still painting the Winter and Autumm fairies and hopefully she will finish them before the baby is born, because I will only hang the paintings after having the 4 of them in order to best determine their placement in the wall.

Then my sister-in-law surprised us all with this mobile. She had never tried to make anything like this (she doesn't sew) and it turned out so great, it matches the whole butterfly theme pretty well.

On the dresser there is now this "flower" arrangement, made with fabric and paper, that she had originally made as a centerpiece for the babyshower and now adapted it at my request. The little satin bow fell off but it's nothing that a stitch won't fix.

Finally, she also made an amazing baby's book that I have yet to take pictures of.

Also, I still don't have pictures of the knitted clothes my mother and I have been making. That will be a whole different post...

But what I did take pictures of was this bedside table lamp, which is store bought, actually online, since I can't exactly go to baby shops. I don't I need to tell you all why I love this lamp... So much so, that my mother decided she would give it to ME as a Xmas present, but of course she knew it was for the baby's room.

No news, good news!

2011-02-13T11:52:00.004Z

Yep, she's still in the oven!!! (And, yes, it looks like she will have big full lips like mommy...)
I'm so proud of my warrior baby and of myself too, actually, because I've been a good girl, always staying in bed, doing my best to keep her from being born too soon.
And recently we've found out that she is sitting, so not in the right position for the birth to happen naturally, and we will have to schedule a c-section. The thing is... I can't wrap my mind around the thought of CHOOSING A DATE!!!
So far, almost everyone is voting for the 21st March, because of the beggining of Spring, but in case you didn't know in some years spring begins on the 20th, so there goes our reason... Suggestions are more than welcome at this point. Out of question is 19th, 20th and 23rd and it has to be between 14th and 24th.

In the crafts front, no sewing obviously, because I don't handsew anything if I can avoid it hehehe Only Knitting. I've yet to take pictures of the dress and matching jacket and of the top I've knitted, as well as several (many many many) wool baby boots. And today I'll begin a new project (yeiiii) which will be an overall but for the mid-season weather, so it's not in wool it's in ... (I don't know the name in english, sorry).

Wish me luck!!!

B is for babyshower

2011-02-06T12:59:00.000Z

And here are some photos of yesterday's babyshower, which was so much fun (and I really needed it)!

I had an amazing "diaper-cake" as is tradition.

And the dining room table was full of yummy things, which I couldn't eat because I was going to have my blood tested for diabetis...

Almost all of my girlfriends came to spoil me.

And I made several of these goofy faces while opening my presents because I was really really having fun (you know I'm having fun when I start publicizing tooth paste).

N is for nursery

2011-01-31T12:02:00.000Z

This weekend, the 4 grandparents and the baby-dad were putting together evertyhing in the nursery (under my supervision OF COURSE) because my babyshower had to be held at our home, so that it's not (too) tiresome for me and my friends wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of taking a peek. It worked out as an excellent excuse to have everything ready, because it was stressing me out knowing that the baby could come at any time and the room wasn't ready to welcome her.
It's still not completely ready: my sister in law has to finish the 4 paintings collection she started and I haven't made the curtains and the bedding like I so very much wanted. But... let it go... breathe in breathe out... I'll get to it when possible. Ok, I'm back.
Despite the bathtub and the chair where she will eat being out of place and ruining the decoration, this is how the nursery looks now.

Beginnings

2011-01-03T13:00:00.002Z

Just like a blank notebook in the beginning of a school year, I love the first days of the new year. I always feel so nostalgic about the year that has just ended and so full of plans and dreams for all the days and weeks and months ahead of me.
This time I have no resolutions and no goals. Just one thing on my mind: this is the year my daughter will be born. Either it will happen in it's due time or a little while before, but she will come to this world and she will change my life forever.
I will stay at home to take care of her for at least half of the year, then I'll have to seriously consider finding to a new job because my current boss has moved the offices to really far away from home and it will be hard to spend about 4 hours per day commuting with a baby at home.
So many things I know will happen and so many more things will surprise me. One thing is for sure: this is going to be a great happy wonderful year!!!

Family and food and surprises

2010-12-26T13:31:00.003Z

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Living in a catholic country where at least the younger generations aren't so religious after all, Christmas has become more and more about running around like crazy shopping for presents than about the birth of Jesus. I think i'm in the middle. I'm spiritual but not religious and I'm married to someone who is neither, so we don't embrace the original meaning of this holiday, but we love the family gathering, the typical food of the seaon, the antecipation and joy of exchanging gifts. Personally, I love the decorations too, and in my parents house this was always so under appreciated that now that i get to spend Christmas with my inlaws I finally found the Christmas decorations paradise. My MIL is so crazy about Christmas, every year she adds new decorations (notice the "add") and her house truly is a cozy home filled with lots and lots of loud people, it's the best!

This year, I ate from a tray in my lap on the sofa, my presents and my daughter's had to be brought to me and i needed help everytime i wanted to get up and basically go to the toilet (as I don't get up for anything else). So, this year, my three favourites - family, food and surprises (gifts) - were appreciated in a different, but nonetheless very special, way.

Last Christmas I was sad because I wasn't pregnant yet, this year I have my baby on the way and all I want is for her to come in her due time, instead of too early (Like the doctor predicted and warned me about), so I truly am happy and feel loved and blessed... by whoever, wherever, I don't care. I just feel what I actually do consider to be the spirit of the season. I'm as happy as can be!!!

And the winners are...

2010-12-19T12:00:00.002Z

So, it's mid sunday here and I think it's a good time as any to end the giveaway given that noone has joined in in more than 12 hours.
If I had had 1000 or so like in some of the giveaways I entered (no wonder I didn't win any) of course I would have learned how to use the random generator thing, but, with only 31 people and lots and lots of time in my hands, what I did was write down all the names, cut into pieces and put them in a bowl.
(You have to believe me on this one because I didn't take pictures of this. Asking my husband for pen, paper, scissors and a bowl was borderline with his morning bad temper, let alone if I asked for him to bring me the camera, wait through the process and then connect the camera to the pc, that would be a stretch, and I've got to think that in an hour or two I need him in a good mood to bring me lunch. uff!!!)
Then I was thinking that because I had three prizes, how would I choose a winner for each? Three different drawings? Putting just the names of the people who asked for a specific item on that specific drawing and then have like a miscellanous bowl? I mean, I'm new at this and I had to figure out every detail. Ultimately I decided to draw three papers, period. If the people had showed preferences fine, if not fine too. If two people wanted the same item, the first name to be drawed would get it. I think when it comes to rules you have to keep it simple and fair.
Luckily, the three names had all said what they prefered to win, so everyone's happy!!! And without more talk talk talk, here are the winners:

For the sewing supplies: Quilt n Queen, who is a fan of "Grey's Anatomy", a show I've watched from episode 1 until episode I don't know what of the current season (and believe me, I've watched them more than once) and "Dirty Dancing", which along with "ET" is probably the film of my childhood (and teenager years and adulthood, every few months I watch it again and I have all the lines memorized by now). Congratulations, it's funny to find something in common with you and I'll email you asking for your address.

For the fabric: Jolanda, who was the first to participate (see, in my giveaway being the first is not bad) and recommended me "Notting Hill" and "Grey's Anatomy", which shows she has good taste because it's one of the movies I've watched more often and I've already said I'm a fan of the twisted sisters (specially Christina, love that character). Parabéns JOlanda, vou já mandar um email a pedir a morada!!!

And for the selvedges, which I thought would be up for grabs for anyone else since it didn't conquer that much entushiasm, faith would have it that one person who actually wanted it got it (really I thought it was an amazing coincidence): Racheldaisy, who mentioned "Mad Men", a series I've been interested in start seeing because so many people say it's great. And who doesn't enjoy 60's fashion??? hehehe Congratulations my fellow daisy, I'll be emailing you also.

This was so much fun and I wished I had more prizes to give. I think it was a good way to keep me busy, entertained and take my mind off the fact that I've still got 3 more months of bed rest until I give birth, so before Helena comes to this world I will definetely have another giveaway. It won't be anything handmade because I can't make much (or maybe I'll knit something) so keep visitng the blog and watch out for more sewing supplies/fabrics/etc. (who would have guesseed ric rac was such a success among you? the things we learn from giveaways...)

The giveaway is still open!

2010-12-17T23:44:00.004Z

My giveaway will stay open for a little longer because I only post it near the end of it, besides I don't know exactly when the 17th ends for all of you in the US, so... better stay open longer than cutting it too short. And noone can call me a cheater either because i'm not even on the Sew Mama Sew list anyway so... I make my rules eheeh
I will announce a winner during the weekend, that's for sure. Thank you all so much for your suggestions, my list of tv series and movies is growing and I'm hoping I won't feel bored again until at least the end of 2010 heehhehe

Giveaway Day... and I almost missed it!

2010-12-16T18:13:00.007Z

I can't believe this time of all times I almost missed Giveaway Day! Here I am, lying in this bed for so many weeks, complaining about how slow time passes by and how bored I am... and instead I could have been discovering new blogs and reading your funny comments!!! Well, better late than never. Here is my giveaway:

One lucky winner will win these sewing supplies: ric rac, 100% cotton thread and some zippers.

Another lucky winner will win these random fabrics. Some are fat quarters, other are just 20 cm or 30 cm pieces.

Another lucky winner will win a year's worth of selvedge.

I know, I know, it's not much but it's up for grabs and I will ship internationally (actually someone else will do it for me as I can't get up from this bed...). All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favourite movie/tv series and why, because I really am bored and could use some tips on what to watch next. Please tell me which of the prizes you would prefer to win and make sure I have a way to contact you. I will choose the winner randomly, either finally learning how to work with Mr Thingy or doing it the old fashion pen and paper way.

Comment away!!!

I think a simple "thank you" is in order

2010-12-09T18:55:00.003Z

Today the door bell rang and it was the mail man with my latest order from Sew Mama Sew onnline shop. Noone else came to visit, noone called (except my mom) and nothing special happened to me during the whole day, so please understand that this was the highlight of my day (getting new fabrics is always nice, anyway). Even the dogs spent the day sleeping in their beds not caring if I was feeling lonely and depressed or not. Thank god for the internet, I chat everyday with other pregnant women on bed rest and exchange book suggestions and game cheats hehehe
Anyway, call it boredom or just too much free time to think about small things, I found myself writing a "thank you" email to the Sew Mama Sew staff. I mean, the fabrics are always very neatly cut, the package always presented in such a lovely way, it arrives so fast and man do those guys manage to fit lots of fabric in one flat rate envelope! That's the best part! Today I got like 5 yards or so and a pattern, how can I not be amazed and thankful?

Birthing a quilt

2010-11-30T11:45:00.000Z

I had never heard of this technique until recently but it seems a great idea for people who see the binding stage as the scary monster (such as myself). It's really simple and I'm frustrated for not having thought about it on my own sooner... Check it out here.

I'm in love...

2010-11-29T01:38:00.000Z

I saw at Cluck Cluck Sew a mini quilt inspired by this one. It's hard to say which is prettier! And because the original post includes a tutorial now I know that I will have no excuse not to make one too. Just when I decided Helena's crib quilt would be a disappearing nine patch design...

Aurora*

2010-11-28T01:51:00.005Z

I miss my grandmother. She died 15 years ago today and is still such a big influence on my mother and me. Now that a new female member of the family is on the way and we are busy knitting and sewing, she is constantly on our minds because if she was here my baby would have even lovelier things, because she would teach us and push us beyond our limited abilities... or she would make things herself :)
That's how gifted she was. A strong stubborn woman, a busy bee and home fairy, an obsessive cleaner who always smelled of bleech and the most perfect chubby grandmother one could ask for, so full of patience and joy (up until my grandfather died and the grief ultimately led to her death too).
She taught me how to read and write using recipes, she hanged all my drawings in the kitchen wall and made me fresh orange juice everyday for lunch. I still have a sweet tooth after meals and an utter dislike of cheese because of her. I still always thinks of her first when I say "grandmother", even though my father's mother was also a great woman and I had ten more years beside her.
But my grandmother Aurora was the real deal. If I had to choose just one person to see again in the after life it would be her. I wished so very bad that she had lived enough to meet my husband, see me in my wedding day and meet Helena in a few months...

* A female name with Latin origin, meaning the break of dawn, not used nowadays. Except for my sewing machine and Sleeping Beauty...

I hope my husband is ready for this...

2010-11-25T12:38:00.001Z

How did I not know this?

2010-11-19T23:17:00.000Z

A knitted quilt

2010-11-18T11:07:00.000Z

This isn't the first time I have to stay in bed for a long time. I celebrated my 20th birthday eating from a tray in my lap after a knee surgery gone bad that left me temporarily paraplegic. A second surgery and many months of intense physical therapy later I started walking again, but during a dark time in my life I needed help with everything, I couldn't go to the toilet on my own or have a quiet simple shower. My parents (specially my mother) and my husband (then boyfriend) were by my side the whole time and I'm very thankful for that. I also met some amazing people and learnt lots of lessons in the process. So now that I'm in bed again I've caught myself looking back on those months and how I'm a better, stronger person for it. I KNOW that now that i'm older and expecting a child this bed rest thing is a piece of cake compared to that.

Anyway, this isn't meant to be a self-pity post, I just wanted to show you the patchwork blanket my mother and I knitted during those months. I was always so tired and in pain that knitting was pretty much all I felt like doing (can you believe that i didn't read a single book that whole time???) and she spent so many hours in the waiting room while I did my treatments that all the blue squares came to life pretty quickly.

Blue has always been my favourite colour and I have always loved patchwork, but at the time I didn't know a thing about sewing and quilting, so this was the closest thing I could come up with. When I got married we decided to add more squares to make it a king size "knitted quilt". It's hard for me to go back to this project, so my mother has been doing the recent squares.

We added a border, which is like a giant scarf, in nvy blue to match all the different blues of the "quilt top". In the back there is a lavander fabric that has some foam stiched to it (I'm sory but Ii don't have pictures and it's the best way I find to describe it) which gives the idea of batting and quilting.

I love this blanket despite everything. I know that one day when my mother is no longer by my side this blanket will always remind me of her. The way the smell of bleech reminds me of my grandmother Aurora (my mother's mother).

Progress on the baby front

2010-11-14T21:52:00.002Z

My mother and I have been busy. I finished the bibs she started and knitted the yellow and the pink boots, she knitted the white and pink boots. The yellow boots will have matching scarf and hat. The cutest!!! But wait until you see the blanket she's knitting! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Anyone interested in a swap???

2010-11-12T15:17:00.005Z

I don't have many readers, so I'm not sure if this will even be possible to accomplish. But we have a saying about how if you never try you never succeed, so...
A good friend of mine (to whom I've made this and this and this) has a nearly 2 year old - oh the terrible twos - who is currently obsessed with pandas. I promised to make something with pandas in it, something simple like a bib or a pillow I don't know yet, but the thing is... I have fabric with mouses, cats, dogs, owls, rabbits, frogs, octopus, turtles, sheeps, bears, penguins, girafes, elephants, tigers, lions, zebras, monkeys, rinos, hippos, alligators and... guess what? NO PANDAS!!!
If anyone has a fat-quarter with pandas, please swap with me! I would prefer to give away some cats, just because I have more of it and it's a fat-quarter (some of the other animals are mixed together in the same fabric and I have only 20 or 30 cm "slices" instead of a nice and square fat-quarter). But I'm open to other options, as long as I get me some panda love :)

Open for debate

2010-11-08T15:54:00.003Z

So I'm planning the whole decoration of the nursery, right?

I'm in bed all day, searching the internet, buying stuff online...

And I'm thinking about the curtains and the crib quilt, etc etc etc. Now that I know it's a girl, I've got the right fabrics and... I'm missing a quilt pattern. I'm all for squares, always have been and always will be, but besides squares, there are other patterns I like. I just don't know if Ii like them enough for such a high stakes thing. I mean, it's my first (and probably only, by the look of things) baby and I want it to be perfect. Am I being foolish to put such pressure in this? I know that I'll be making her other crib quilts eventually, maybe not curtains - those I plan to use for a long time - but why oh why is it so hard for me to decide which pattern to go with? Should I just do a sampler quilt? I like squares, bento-box, circles, disappearing 9 patch, bricks, I like a lot of things... I don't particularly like stars and pinwheels but... there're OK too.

Because of my limitations (both physical and experience-wise) I was just thinking of keeping it simple, but then my mom and my husband bullied me a bit into something more out of my comfort zone and then my sister in law said something that also got me thinking... I mean, I'm so confused and I haven't even started anything.

So... since everyone around me is already throwing their ideas at me even if I don't ask for them, at least YOU could give me your ideas. Yes... I'm asking...

What should I do???

A very special stroller quilt

2010-11-03T14:37:00.018Z

(If you are here because of the Blogger's Quilt Festival, welcome! Please stop by more often and leave a comment. Here is my entry.)

Finally, I present you with the most special stroller quilt ever! My baby's obviously!!!

One thing you don't know about me is that I love naming everything, from dolls, to pets, to new recipes. I've decided to call this quilt "The Good News Quilt". I started it soon after knowing I was pregnant and because I didn't know if I was expecting a boy or a girl I wanted it to be colourful and gender-free. I meant to finish it before knowing the sex of the baby, so that then I would be free to start a crib quilt in blue or pink, depending. (That crib quilt is still just in my head, because I've unable to sit down at the sewing machine in these last weeks due to my pregancy complications.) Also, I wanted a bullet-proof quilt, that will be used outside, will get dirty, will be washed lots, and survives, hence the colours. And also, who can resist the simplicity of squares? No matter what i do, it's always my favourite design!

Cutting and piecing 300 squares of just 5 cm was quite time consuming but we have a portuguese saying that is: running because you like it doesn't make you tired. It's so true! I had lots of fun with this quilt.

I've talked about this quilt previously as a sort of the "making of" (at the time I didn't want to disclose who it was for), but here goes a detail of the flannel in the back and how I chose to quilt it, which was also opened for debate, but then I decided on straight lines every 3 squares, forming a 9 patch grid.
I know I said I wanted a quilt that could be either for boy or girl, but I used some squares in pink and actually the pale pink polka dot square you can see in this picture was what started the whole thing. I went through my scraps and this was one of the tiniest bits I found so I cut the rest of it in the same size. So I'm proud to say that this quilt is entirely made out of scraps I saved since I started quilting something like one year ago.

This was all done in a week I think, but then, as always, here came the binding... or the scary monster I should say. Well, this time around I knew I didn't need to hurry, so i really took my time and I've just finished this weekend, because this was something I could do from bed. I chose a solid yellow to match the quilting and because it popped out some of the quilt top colours.

As all pet owners already know, our dear furry friends always want to be in the picture so while taking these pictures my dog Sushi decided to appear (actually, it's my fault because that corner is his favourite place to be sunbathing and I was the one who went to take pictures there while he was gone, then he came back).
He is usually pretty shy but I have to show you these "backstage pictures" because it's just too cute to be true. Remember we are talking about a really small baby quilt, righ? And Sushi is quite big, he weighs 45 kg and measures 120 cm from head to butt (not counting the tail). But out of the blue he decided to lie down on the quilt. Yes, LIE DOWN really curled up like a ball. First he looked to both sides checking if anyone was watching and then slowly he did his thing. I was trying to guess what he would do, but he surprised even me! I laughed so much!!!

July 31st

2010-11-02T21:06:00.005Z

(If you are here because of the Blogger's Quilt Festival, welcome! Please stop by more often and leave a comment. Here is my entry.)

I know that righ now it feels like a gazillion days away, but I'm already counting. On July 31 st, I'll be one year older, I'll be a mom... and I'll be singing at the top of my lungs at a Bon Jovi concert! Yep, can't even believe that after more than 10 years waiting since the last time they came to Portugal suddenly I got to see them last year and now again next year. I sent my dad out for tickets today and he was joking on the phone saying there weren't any tickets left (now, isn't that a mean thing to do to a pregnant woman???) but the truth is I was probably the first one to get a ticket hehehe He all but camped out at the store, he got there before all the employees. eheheh

I'm happy happy happy! I've been a fan (like a HUGE fan) for twenty years now and when JBJ will be 60 years old I will still think his voice is amazing! I'm happy happy happy happy happy!!!

Cultural (or generation) gap

2010-11-01T22:38:00.005Z

(If you are here because of the Blogger's Quilt Festival, welcome! Please stop by more often and leave a comment. Here is my entry.)

I remember when I met my husband, ten years ago, his mother teased me about my habit of celebrating Halloween with my high school friends. I had been doing so since I was 13 and one of my friends hosted the most amazing Halloween party ever, turning her parents' house into a haunted mansion (it was an old house full of strange noises) and naming food with the strangest names (bolognese was monkey's brain and such). Every year the party was at a different house, one year I was the proud hostess, decorating everything and thinking of every detail trying to live up to that first and amazing party.

Next year, my mother in law bought underwear with ghosts and pumpkins to all of her offspring and I sensed things were starting to change. Still she insisted Halloween was just an american tradition that we were absorbing like everything else (Coca Cola, Walt Disney, Eminem). She said our tradition was Carnival and that reminded me of all those years of bad disguises because my mother had no imagination or patience for more. But if Carnival was still 100% portuguese, why do we see fat and lousy samba dancers shivering in next to no clothes in the middle of February pretending they are in Rio de Janeiro?

Anyway, with highschool long gone, my friends went their separate ways, which in some cases included Germany, England, Sweden... and my Halloween years ended. Every year I get a little bit sad when the day comes and I'm reminded that I have nowhere to go to (and noone to go with), but I suppose that now that I'm a grown-up, that's just life.

But yesterday... something happened that really showed me times have changed. A bunch of witches and pirates and vampires showed up at my door trick or treating. That was a first! I was so excited I got out of bed just to see their costumes. Alas, in our house the only treats we have are for our dogs... and we had nothing more than healthy fiber cookies to give them (remember I'm pregnant and addicted to chocolate so one more reason not to have sweets around). I felt so embarassed... I mean, here they are, knocking on someone's door, someone who actually enjoys Halloween, someone who would gladly give them treats more than anyone else, and all they get is healthy cookies??? With fiber and zero addiction of sugar? C'mon!!!

You'll see. Next year I'll be ready. And in some years, I'll be making my daughter the best Halloween costume ever and taking her treat or tricking too. Just you wait and see! hehehe

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2010-10-31T15:32:00.015Z

It's that time of year again! Our dear Amy from Amy's Creative Side is hosting the Blogger's Quilt Festival. Whether you came here just to see my entry or you are one of my usal readers, welcome! Leave a comment, come back again, you know the drill!!!

This is the second baby quilt I made. Like the first one, it was meant as a gift to my friend's baby (who then became my husband's godchild incidentally) and it was used on the day she came home from the hospital.

I was inexperienced and felt more comfortable with a simple design, so I chose a brick pattern. Also, the father of the baby is a civil engineer (hence the bricks) and the mother is a lawyer, so the idea of books also crossed my mind.

I took pictures of every step of the way, because when doing my first baby quilt I didn't take a single picture and I learned my lesson!

It's called the "Bubblegum quilt! because of the shades of pink. This quilt was very special to me for one simple reason: I had been trying to conceive a child since before knowing my friend was pregnant and time was passing by and still no baby. I was by my friend's side every step of the way through her pregnancy and by the time her baby was born I still hadn't gotten pregnant. While making this quilt I cried at times, not out of envy or anything like that, but because I loved her unborn child that in some ways replaced the one I wished to have. I made sure that every stitch was full of love and in the end it was almost like therapy. I must confess that I saved a piece of my favourite fabric (the one with birds and flowers by Robert Kaufman) hoping to use it one day in a baby quilt of my own... and guess what? Now I'm expecting a baby girl!

The daydreaming continues...

2010-10-28T20:57:00.004+01:00

(photo @ Vertbaudet)

Besides the crib quilt, which is yet to have a design, I'm planing on making the curtains, inspired by the photo above (I can't tell anymore if I had the idea and then saw this photo or if I saw this photo and decided to make something similar), using some of the quilt's fabrics for the pockets and making different shapes of pockets, not just square ones.

(photo @ IKEA)
Also, I want to make the crib bumper (I think that's the name in english), but I'll probably make it in a solid colour so that it matches all the sheets and different quilts I may make after this first one. The crib is 70x140 cm, which is bigger than usual, because it will turn into a toddler's bed, that's why all the sheets and quilts will have to be customed made... by me eheeheh
And then I thought I will also need those pannels to hang in the crib's side to put stuff in them, and while you're at it, why not matching it with everything else, right? So.. I'm thinking I need a lot of fabric. And you know what else I need? I need to get out of this bed!!!! I'm seriously going mental here... last day of freedom was September 13th (Bella Swan's "birthday" funny enough).

Change of heart

2010-10-26T17:43:00.004+01:00

Well... thanks to all your wonderful suggestions I went in pursuit of the best price to buy as much Dream dot as I oculd find... but then I came across Erin McMorris' Flower Shower in gold at the amazing price of 3.99 (it's a sale on Above All Fabric, go check it out). ialready had 3 fatquarters of the Wildwood collection - this exact one, the popsicle trees (unfortunately not the green version) and another one - and was planning on using them in my princess' baby quilt. These fabrics are actually the reason why I got so into the pink-green-yellow colourway in the first place. So it's only fair that I choose it for the backing. And with the money I saved, I can buy some Dream dot for the quilt top (and some other fabrics too, one can never have enough).

I'm happy happy happy about my very smart purchase. Now I just need to get better and leave this damn bed so I can start sewing. I'm 18 weeks pregnant and had my first contractions some days ago, the doctor said if I has any I had to stay in bed so that's not very good news for me and my sewing machine. But, as I said, I'm happy happy happy and I can be in denial until my next doctor's appointment :)

Nicey Jane

2010-10-23T13:23:00.006+01:00

I'm still not able to sit down and sew, but that doesn't mean my mind can't wonder around. I'm planning a crib quilt for my princess so I'm gathering all my pink-green-yellow stash. I have come across a problem though: the fabric I want to use in the back is Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane Dream Dot, either in clementine or celery. I thought I had more than I do... and ayway I reallyy need a lot. The piece I had I'm almost sure I ordered from Sew Mama Sew around my birthday, but now I can't seem to find it, Fabritopia doesn't have it, I've never tried to order from other stores and I don't know if Heather Bailey's shop ships internationally, so I'm running out of ideas. Can anyone help me?

Finally!

2010-10-09T14:05:00.001+01:00

I had to wait 6 months, but Ii finally have photos of my first baby quilt. This should teach me never to give away a quilt before taking a picture...

De cama até Novembro / Bedrest until November

2010-10-08T13:41:00.003+01:00

Aparentemente, o pior já passou e este mês que passei de repouso ajudou a ultrapassar os problemas que tive. No entanto, para jogar pelo seguro e uma vez que continuo com muitas dores de barriga a ponto de me impossibilitarem de levar uma vida normal, o médico quer que continue de cama até Novembro, pelo menos. Sim, ele acrescentou essa cláusula...
om a bebé - sim, em princípio é uma menina!!! - está tudo bem, a nível de desenvolvimento, de tamanho, etc. Ufff, pelo menos isso.
O Outono já se instalou definitivamente e tem-me dado vontade de voltar a pegar nas agulhas de tricot. Isso é algo que posso fazer na cama, ao contrário dos projectos de costura que tinha em mente para o enxoval, e acho que é um bom sinal sentir vontade de produzir algo. De resto, tenho lido, comecei ontem o 3º volume da trilogia Millennium do Stieg Larsson, voltei a ver todos os episódios da "Anatomia de Grey" desde o início, vou hoje começar a 5ª temporada, e tenho andado viciada no "Solitário". Alguma coisa tenho que fazer para passar o tempo, né?

So it seems that the worst is over and that this last month in bedrest helped me recover from the problems I was having with my pregnancy. But, just to be sure, and since I'm still in a lot of pain to the point of not being able to lead a normal life, my doctor wants me to stay in bed at least until the end of November. Emphasis on the "at least".
The baby is growing and developing just fine (what a relief let me tell you!!!) and it will most likely be... a girl!!!
In other news, Autumm has definetely arrived and I've been feeling a knitting vibe. That I can do from bed, not like sewing, and I think it's a good sign to want to produce something. Other than that, I've been reading, just started the third volume of Stieg Larsson's Millennium collection, I've been watching "Grey's Anatomy" from the beggining, today I start season 5, and I've been addicted to playing "Solitaire": Hey, a girl's got to do something with her time, right?

Motivos de força maior / Bigger than me

2010-09-25T16:57:00.003+01:00

O que me tem impedido de actualizar mais o blog e até de costurar é na verdade uma coisa boa: estou (finalmente) grávida, mas é uma gravidez de alto risco que me obriga a estar de repouso absoluto na cama (tirando as aventuras no hospital, ja la vão quatro).
Espero ter boas notícias sobre mim e a minha muito desejada Helena, por agora resta-me fazer a minha parte para que ela venha ao mundo só lá para a primavera...

What's been keeping me away from the blog and the sewing machine is actually a good thing: I'm (finally) pregnant, but it's what the doctors call "a high risk pregnancy), which forces me to be in bedrest the whole time (except for my little adventures in the ER - four times already, and counting).
I hope to have good news soon about me and my much awaited Helena, for now I'll do my part to make sure she only arrives next spring...

I wonder why...

2010-09-06T15:50:00.002+01:00

Ultimamente ando cheia de "um dia vou fazer isto" e "um dia ainda hei-de fazer aquilo" e costurar que é bom nada. Não me apetece, não me sinto inspirada. E quando é assim não forço. Qual seria a lógica? Mas não deixo de me questionar: porque será?

Lately I've been full of "someday I'll do this" and "someday I'll make that" but I have no sewing to show for it. I'm not in the mood for sewing, I don't feel inspired. And when this happens I don't push it. What would be the logic in that? But, still, I wonder: why is that?

Someday...

2010-09-03T12:48:00.000+01:00

I'll make a fabric mobile too!

I have a dream, a silly dream, but a dream

2010-08-28T18:12:00.000+01:00

Someday all these jars that I'm saving will be full of buttons!!! And from what I've seen, I don't think I'm the only one with an obsession for buttons...

Os meus novos quadros / My new paintings

2010-08-26T18:49:00.009+01:00

Quando se tem uma cunhada que pinta, as paredes nunca estão vazias. Tenho tantos quadros que quando me apaixono por um novo, o marido pergunta sempre: e onde é que o poríamos?
Pois bem, apaixonei-me por uma colecção que retrata os bairros de Lisboa, é uma impressão em tela feita a partir de foto-montagens. Eu adooooro recortes e foto-montagens e alguns destes quadros partem de postais antigos e depois juntam alguns elementos característicos de cada bairro. Eu comprei o da "Baixa-Chiado" porque é a minha zona preferida em Lisboa. Depois nos anos ofereceram-me o do "Bairro Alto e Princípe Real", que era o meu segundo preferido. Depois voltei à feira de artesanato e comprei o de "Campo de Ourique e Estrela e Lapa" porque é também uma zona lindíssima e desde que trabalhei em Campo de Ourique fiquei-lhe com um carinho especial. Agora só me falta dois bairros e depois vou pendurar todos na cozinha - a única divisão até agora imaculada!!!

When you have a sister-in-law that paints, your walls are never naked. I have so many paintings that every time I fall in love with a new one, my husband asks: and where would we hang it?
Well, I fell in love with a collection of paintings portraying the neighbourhoods in Lisbon, it's a printing on canvas made out of pictures and scraping. I love that kind of thing and some of these paintings have in the background old postcards and then the typical elements of the neighbourhood are added. I bought "Baixa-Chiado" because it is my favourite place in Lisbon. Then on my birthday my friends gave me "Bairro Alto and Princípe Real", which was my second favourite painting. Then I went back to the crafts fair and bought "Campo de Ourique and Estrela and Lapa" because it's also a beautiful part of the city and ever since I worked in Campo de Ourique I hold it in my heart. Now there are only two paintings left and then I'll be hanging them in the kitchen - the only room in the house that was still paintings-free!!!

A minha contribuição / My contribution

2010-08-26T18:42:00.004+01:00

Para o 1º Encontro de Patchwork em Portugal.
Achei que, já que quase ninguém gosta de roxo (não percebo porquê), bem que podia representar um pouco esta cor. Além disso, dois dos tecidos utilizados (o do centro e a moldura em roxo) foram-me oferecidos por uma das minhas parceiras na International Fat Quarter Swap de há uns meses, portanto achei que faria sentido doar o que me foi dado.
Fiz um bloco misto de log-cabin (a minha 1ª tentativa) e bricks, fiquei contente com o resultado!!!

For the first Patchwork Meeting in Portugal.
I figured that since almost noone likes purple (don't know why that is), I might as well represent some of that colour. Besides, two of the fabrics I used (the one in the center and the purple border) were given to me by one of my International Fat Quarter Swap partners, so it was only logical to give what had been given to me.
My block is a mix between log-cabin (my first attempt) and bricks, I'm happy with the result!

One of these days...

2010-08-24T17:49:00.000+01:00

This will become a pillow.

This will be the perfect journal cover.

And this will be a toilettries bag.

Ric rac

2010-08-19T18:14:00.001+01:00

I have recently inherited several meters of ric rac. It's vintage. Believe me, it belonged to the grandmother of someone old enough to be my grandmother. And I was its lucky recipient.

My favourite one is the yellow, because it's the brightest of them all, but of course that's the one I have less quantity of. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the other colours are pale green, navy blue, dark brown and deep burgundy (you can't imagine how many times I have wanted to say "deep burgundy", it sounds so much lovelier than "grená" or "cor de vinho" ahahah). There is also a pale pink one, which is not exactly ric rac, it's more like crochet, and it would look lovely in a little girl's dress, for example.
In the spirit of sharing, does anyone want me to send them some of this ric rac? If so, please tell me how much and of which colour(s). I'm also considering having another giveaway, in which I could include this and also some selvedges I have been saving.

Parenthood...

2010-08-17T12:01:00.003+01:00

A work in (relatively fast) progress

2010-08-16T21:14:00.006+01:00

This is the new baby quilt I was telling you about. Before piecing it...

And after piecing it.

I found that all these squares made a too square quilt (does that even make any sense?) so I had to add 4 more rows. So now there's a total of 300 squares of 5 cm, that have 4 cm after piecing, of course. Without the binding it now measures 60 cm x 76 cm. Is it too small to be used in a stroller? I have no idea...

I have already chose a flannel for the backing (something appropriately called "Bundle of Joy")and I'm using a leftover of bamboo batting. Now it's just waiting to be quilted. The question is:

how to quilt it?

If I make little X's, I'll probably end up with a very busy quilt, what with all the colours and patterns and all. The sames goes for free motion quilting, which by the way is lovely and fun but is it just me or the quilts loose some of that soft feeling to them? I have never been successful at stiching in the ditch, which seems ideal to me in this quilt, but man there's a lot of ditches around here... It scares me crazy! And I can't go with my usual quilting (1/4 inch to both sides of the ditch) because then the lines would be too close together, because the squares are kind of tiny (ish).

So, any suggestions?

I'm taking my time with this one (I started roughly a week ago) and having lots of fun. My mother has already seen it and liked it so much she even praised it to her guests on saturday (that was a first, the praise, not the guests), so I'm feel AOK with this. And of course I'm uber excited about finishing it, like I always am. Boy do I love some finished project!!!

Back on track

2010-08-11T17:17:00.003+01:00

Estou de volta! Regressámos mais cedo do Algarve e agora temos estado aqui por casa sem fazer nada de especial, porque está demasiado calor para mexermos mais do que os olhos...
No entanto, confesso que tenho mexido um pouco mais do que isso porque arregacei as mangas e comecei uma nova baby quilt. Vai consistir em quadrados de 5 cm todos saídos do meu monte de restinhos. Neste momento já cortei 208 quadrados e tenho um calo na mão. O meu cortador rotativo precisa de uma nova lâmina (o que contribuiu para a formação do dito calo) e tenciono ir em breve À Dotquilts adquiri-la, aproveitando para comprar flanela para as costas da manta e levar o meu bloco para a iniciativa "Patch Solidário". Ainda não fiz o bloco, mas isso é só um pormenor... Fotos em breve!!!

I'm back! We returned from the algarve sooner and now we are just wandering around the house not doing anything, because it's too hot to move more than our eyes...
However, I have to confess that I've been doing a bit more than moving my eyes because I went straight to work and started a new baby quilt. It will be made of 5 cm squares entirely out of my scraps. So far I've cut 208 of them and got myself a blister in my hand. My rotary cutter needs a new blade (hence the blister) and i plan on buying it at Dotquilts, where I also need to buy flannel for the back and hand in my block for the charity that it's being organised. I haven't made the block yet, but that's just a little detail... Photos will follow soon!!!

Summer holidays

2010-07-30T15:36:00.000+01:00

We (as in me, my husband and our crazy dogs) will go enjoy our summer holidays at my parent's summer house in Algarve.
Here are some pictures to show you what this region where I've spent all my holidays since I was born means to me. I just wish these photos were mine, they are really nice, right?

(Image by Angelo Stramasso @Olhares)

(Image by Fernando Salgueiro @Olhares)

(Image by Joana Duarte @Olhares)

(Image by Luis Filipe Costa @Olhares)

(Image by Nuno Abreu @Olhares)

(Image by José Barreiro @Olhares)

(Image by Fernando Oliveira @Olhares)

(Image by Cristina Matos @Olhares)

(Image by Atilio Francisco Pinho @Olhares)

I don't think I'll have internet access, so no posting during the next fortnight. But I'll be back with lots of photos and hopefully some sewing done. Yes, even surrounded by all this beauty, I think I'll be taking my sewing machine and some projects with me :)

I will definetely make a quilt...

2010-07-28T15:09:00.001+01:00

Inspired by this one. L-O-V-E it!!! Check all about it here and here.
(Image from Cherry)

I got a feeling...

2010-07-27T09:35:00.000+01:00

Pick yourself up and try again

2010-07-26T10:52:00.001+01:00

I have been reading some posts lately about quilting without obbligation and expressing ourselves instead of losing ourselves trying to meet other people's expectations and likes and dislikes.
I have always thought of myself as a very independent, confident and strong person, with enough self-knowledge and self-esteem to not cave under other people's points of view. I stand by me, even if noone else does (which is not the case because if there is someone who believes even more in myself that I do that person is my husband).
But everyone makes mistakes, everyone has regrets, everyone changes their minds. I'm not perfect, and I'm no exception.
Having said that, meet my "ugly quilt", the one quilt that has been unfinished for some time because from the begining I was not 100% sure of it. I chose colours outside my comfort zone and I didn't exactly plan a pattern, instead I just followed along someone else's instructions. (A quick note is due here: I was making this quilt in my quilting class with someone whose opinions and knowledge I deeply respect. I was not forced into anything, it was all my doing, and I didn't share with her my doubts about this project. I understand now that I was inexperienced and didn't know what I wanted or what I liked and I take full responsability for this project's unsuccess).

This was supposed to be a lap quilt for me and the colours are in harmony with my living room decoration. But the fabrics don't go well together, the pattern is too busy and I has this sort of "old lady" feel to it. I hate it! I don't like anything about it.
But I'm not giving up so easily. Thankfully, I hadn't pieced it yet and I still have some of the fabrics, so it's time to start over. I'm taking this with me on my summer holidays and the seam ripper will be my best friend. When I return from holidays I will think of another way to piece it, a way that I will love.

I have learned my lesson. Don't be too hard on yourselves, don't expect to love everything you make. If you are having second thoughts about something, if you are not enjoying the process of making it, take a break, think it through and if that's the case start over. It's good to take inspiration and learn from other people, but at the end of the day we have to be the ones who live with our decisions. So I choose to listen to my heart.
I'll keep you posted!

Rotina / routine

2010-07-25T21:35:00.001+01:00

Sinto uma rotina a instalar-se.
Na 6ª feira à tarde, visto que saio do emprego às 13h, dedico-me a preparar os projectos do fim de semana, incluindo escolher tecidos, designs, etc. Se tenho alguma coisa para levantar ou mandar por correio é também a altura que me dá mais jeito fazê-lo.
No sábado à tarde costuro. No domingo à tarde também. Dependendo do projecto, sábado é dia de o fazer e domingo é dia de o terminar e fotografar.
Durante os dias que se seguem não tenho tempo para costurar, a não ser ao serão, o que só faço se tiver algum tipo de prazo a cumprir, porque de facto prefiro ter luz natural.
E na 6ª seguinte o ciclo repete-se.

I feel a routine settling in.
On friday afternoon, given that I leave work at 1 p.m., I prepare the weekend's projects, including choosing fabrics, designs, etc. If I have something to pick up at the post office or send someone, it's also the ideal time for doing so.
On saturday afternoon I sew. On sunday afternoon too. Depending on the project, saturday is when I'm actually sewing it and sunday I finish and photograph it.
During the week I don't have time to sew except in the evening, which I don't like doing because I rather have sunlight instead of artificial light. Unless I have a deadline to meet.
And when friday comes, it all starts again.

A giveaway search engine

2010-07-25T18:50:00.004+01:00

It has come to my attention that there is a website called the Giveaway Scout, which is like a search engine that you can subscribe if you want to be told about giveaways that are happening. Isn't it cool? And even though I don't have giveaways usually (I'm hoping to have another one soon) my blog has been added. I feel very... "professional" right now. ahahaha!!!

"Open Sesame!"

2010-07-24T21:28:00.001+01:00

I've been a good girl and cleaned my fabric cabinet, folded all the fabrics nicely and put them back sorted by boy colours and girl colours and prints and solids. Now I feel like saying: "Open Sesame!"
(I also feel like buying more fabric because I don't think I have that much...)

My birthday gifts

2010-07-24T18:36:00.016+01:00

The two books that I had asked for and a third one that was a pleasant surprise. It's title could be translated to "Fashion Patterns step by step" and it's about tailloring. It differs from the traditional sewing books, that have beautiful pictures and cute little projects. As you can see from the interior pages, it's mostly theoritical, but it's very useful because it explains the proportions, how to draw patterns, etc. It's very professional!

(One funny thing: the book is written in spanish but also translated into italian and portuguese. My sister-in-law didn't notice this, but she didn't worry because she knows I speak spanish. Only after giving it to me did she realise it was also in portuguese!)

The patterns that I had ordered from Sew Mama Sew and that had arrived some time ago, but that only now I was allowed to open.

And Eva, whom y'all already know!

Besides Eva, my parents also bought me buttons and gave me money to order some fabrics. I bought these in the Sew Mama Sew sale.

So now I have books to learn from, patterns to cut from, a model always at my service and fabrics to turn into clothes!

I had other presents, but these were the sewing related ones. One last surprise was in store for me, also from my sister-in-law:

In her last semester at the arts university she learnt how to make books, or just the book cover if one wants to put in a book they already have. And she made this one (in blue, of course) just for me! I tell you: it's perfect!!! She meant it as a notebook for my sewing lessons or for taking notes while making stuff, but it's so precious that I feel like I would have to be careful with my handwriting so I won't ruin it. I love handmade gifts and this was just an amazing surprise!

Very very VERY useful information

2010-07-23T12:38:00.003+01:00

About presser feet.
About sewing machine needles.

Happy birthday...

2010-07-21T10:29:00.002+01:00

(Image from here)

To me! Just to let you know that I'm turning 28 today, so I expect some nice comments below :)
The last year has been a crazy ride, with some ups but also some really downs, and I'm trying to be at peace with that. I hope this new year of my life brings me that peace. If I may so, I think I deserve it :)

Lately...

2010-07-20T12:30:00.007+01:00

Julho é o mês dos aniversários das amigas (e o meu, já amanhã!).
July is my friend's (and mine, tomorrow!) birthday month.

Fiz um porta-chaves para a minha colega Catarina, que andava com as chaves do escritório metidas num mosquetão de plástico que me causava arrepios.
I made a key-chain for Catarina, my co-worker, because she carried the office keys in a plastic kind of hook that gave me the creeps.

Fiz mais uma capa para proteger livros para a minha amiga Débora, que foi das primeiras pessoas a quem, precisamente há um ano, ofereci uma prenda feita à mão. Adoro as cores deste tecido, é tão... girlie girl!!! Como ela tem um filhote pequeno, só tem tempo para ler à hora de almoço, no jardim ao pé do emprego. Assim ninguém tem de saber o que ela anda a ler!!!
I made another one of my book covers for my friend Débora, who was one of the first people to ever receive a handmade gift by me, precisely one year ago. I love the colours of this fabric, it's so... girlie girl!!! She has a young son, so the only the time she has to read is at lunchtime, in the garden near her workplace. This way noone has to know what she is reading!!!

E, apesar de o aniversário da minha amiga Vanessa ter sido em Dezembro e de já nessa altura ela me ter "encomendado" um porta-comandos para pendurar no braço do sofá, só agora é que o terminei e lho ofereci. Ela tinha-me deixado à vontade em relação ao modelo, apenas tinha indicado as medidas do sofá e as cores da sala (as mesmas que a minha sala: laranja, castanho, creme). Mas eu ainda não tinha resolvido o problema de como prender o porta-comandos dentro do sofá, porque aquele que eu tenho possui um peso, que equilibra o peso dos comandos, mas não sabia onde comprar um peso. Dei tantas voltas à cabeça... considerei areia... dois cubinhos de chumbo em cada ponta... eu sei lá! Depois, de repente, tive um "aha moment": velcro, daqueles de colar!!! Cola-se uma tira ao porta-comandos, cola-se a outra no próprio braço do sofá, do lado de dentro, escondida pela almofada. Só depois de ter resolvido esse problema é que me senti com pica para comprar os tecidos e conceber o modelo. A partir daí foi canja, fiz tudo numa tarde! Gostava de ter tirado mais fotos do processo (tenho algumas, que posso publicar em breve), mas pelo menos aqui fica o produto final. Talvez não dê para ver muito bem, mas na parte do tecido com as flores há três bolsas para os comandos.

And, even though my friend Vanessa's birthday was in December and she "requested" back then a remote-control holder to hang on her couch, only now did I finish it and gave it to her. She had given me a green light about the design, she only gave me the couch measurements and told me her living room colours (the same as mine: orange, brown, beige). But I hadn't figured out the problem of how to keep the piece in place, hanging on the couch arm, because the remote-control holder I have has a metal bar in it that weighs enough to balance the remotes's own weight. I thought and thought... I considered sand... two small pieces of led in each corner... I don't know what else! Then, out of the blue, I had an "aha moment": velcro, the type that you can stick (not sew) to the fabric!!! One strip gets "glued" to the remote-control holder, the other one goes in the couch's arm, in the inside, concealed by the couch's seat. Only after solving this problema did I feel motivated to buy the fabrics and imagine the design. From that moment one, it was a piece of cake, I made it in one single afternoon! I wish I had taken more photos of the process (I have more, which I can post soon), but at least I leave you with the final product. Maybe you can't really tell, but in the flowers fabric there are three pockets for the remotes.

And maybe some dots too...

2010-07-19T14:26:00.000+01:00

Gotta love those dots!!!

Ok, so maybe a few new fabrics are allowed...

2010-07-18T11:24:00.000+01:00

Who could resist these?

Scraps only!

2010-07-17T21:23:00.000+01:00

A pillowcase swap and a quilt-along

2010-07-16T15:30:00.002+01:00

Head over to That's Sew Mandy! if you are interested in a easy-peasy pillowcase swap.

And to Blue is Bleu if you want to participate in Audrie's fabulous new quilt-along.

I'll be in on both, or so I hope!!!

Upgrade

2010-07-15T10:13:00.001+01:00

Então decidi dar outra vez mais uns retoques no blog. Agora tenho um slideshow do Flickr, mudei os botões de sítio, criei o meu próprio botão (estou tão orgulhosa por ter conseguido fazer isto) e acrescentei ainda mais links de blogs que gosto de visitar. Alguém notou a diferença? Não sei, mas eu gosto do meu blog e pronto.
Só não estou a achar piada nenhuma às fotos que teimam em desaparecer sem motivo aparente. Qual é a panca???

So I decided to do some little improvements on my blog again. Now I have a Flickr photo slideshow, I put the blog's buttons further down and created my own (I'm so proud for being able to do that) and I've added more interesting links to the list of blogs I like to visit. Did anyone notice the difference? I don't know, but I like my blog and that's it.
I'm just not finding it funny that some photos keep disappearing for no good reason. What's up with that???

It's official

2010-07-14T23:07:00.000+01:00

I hate Picasa, Flickr and Blogger. I hate that my photos disappear and then I put them again (which is hard work given that some are on my laptop, others are on my computer at the office, others are from the Internet)... only to see them all disappear again!!! How frustrating is THAT? And of course they don't disappear all at the same time. One day it's 2 or 3, then the next day it's a different set... Urghhhh!!!

Do your blog's photos keep mysteriously disappearing...?

2010-07-14T09:27:00.002+01:00

Oh Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!

2010-07-14T00:11:00.000+01:00

In the beggining...

And then...

And now...

In theory...

2010-07-13T09:58:00.003+01:00

My current favourite band, Muse, and my beloved Twilight Series belong together. But just in theory... I don't think I like this music that much :(

1º Encontro de Patchwork em Portugal

2010-07-10T12:00:00.002+01:00

Está a ser organizado pela Dotquilts, a loja onde costumo comprar tecidos e frequentar aulas de patchwork. É uma iniciativa muito gira e com fins solidários, portanto fiquei imediatamente entusiasmada e pretendo participar. Mais informações aqui. (As inscrições são até dia 30 de Julho, portanto despachem-se!).

Organized by Dotquilts, the shop where I usually buy fabrics and go to classes, the First Patchwork in Portugal Meeting will be a fun event for charity purposes. I am very excited to be participating. More info here (in portuguese).

Moldes / Patterns

2010-07-09T09:23:00.009+01:00

Tenho andado a pensar na questão dos moldes...
Tenho um molde para um avental, outro para uma mala e outro para uma bolsa, são todos da Amy Butler e adoro-os. Vou também receber como prenda de anos moldes para fazer vestidos, t-shirts e saias (escolhi-os, encomendei-os, é por isso que sei que vou recebê-los ehehe). Mas a maior parte das vezes faço uma peça do zero, ou seja, sem molde. Parece-me algo tão óbvio e natural, talvez porque sempre tenha visto a minha avó Aurora e a minha mãe a fazer o mesmo. (Lembrem-me de um dia contar a história da minha avó Aurora). Elas simplesmente olhariam para uma peça terminada, imaginavam como tinha sido feita - mais ou menos como a engenharia reversa -, e depois simplesmente faziam a peça. E eu faço o mesmo. Vocês não? E isso é considerado seguir um molde? Serei a única que não percebe a necessidade absolutamente imperiosa de ter um molde?

(photos from Amy Butler's website)

So, I was thinking about patterns...
I have a pattern for an apron, another for a bag and another for a purse, all from Amy Butler and I love them. I'm also going to be getting patterns for dress, top and skirts as a birthday gift (I chose them, I ordered them, that's why I know I'm getting them heeheh). But most of the time I do something out of scratch, without any pattern that is. It seems really obvious and natural to me, maybe because that's how I've always seen my gran and my mother do it. (Remind me of telling the story of my grandma Aurora one of these days). They would just look at something already made and imagine how it had been made - pretty much like reverse engineering -, then they would just make it. And I do it like that too. Don't you? And could that fit into the pattern category? Am I the only one who doesn't think a pattern is an absolute necessity?

And the winner is...

2010-07-08T00:19:00.001+01:00

I did this the old fashion way. First I gathered all the materials I was going to need.

After writing all the names down in a sheet of paper (counting more than one entry when applied), I cut them into equal pieces.

Then I mixed it in a bowl. I was specially careful not to let a piece of paper fall on the floor because my all-too-willing-to-eat-anything dog was on watch.

Then I asked my husband to take one piece of paper without looking. That part wasn't difficult because he was playing some videogame which required him to shoot some bad guys and he was too afraid to get killed so he didn't even take his eyes off the computer screen.

And the lucky winner was...

Kelly!!!

And her comment was:

"That is such a lovely book cover! And it would be very helpful to keep your books in nice condition while they are being read.
It is hard to pick favourite books, as I'm sure any avid reader would tell you, however I'll tell you three books I have read which I loved!
- A Painted House by John Grisham. Not his usual style at all, but an excellent story!
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. If you have seen the movie and have therefore judged the book based on this, erase that judgement from your mind! The book is far superior, with a richer storyline and a different ending. This book made me think a lot and cry buckets.
- The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Since you live in Portugal I'll assume you haven't heard of the Australian author Bryce Courtenay. All of his books are great stories, but The Power of One was my favourite of all. You won't be disappointed!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win!"

Congratulations, Kelly! You have won my first ever book cover! I really hope you like it. I'll be sending you an email asking for your address.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Your book suggestions were really interesting and I can't wait to put together a list and go shopping on Amazon. This giveaway was so much fun, I'm inclined to do this more often :) I hope those of you who are new around here and found my blog because of the giveaway will eventually enjoy what you can read here and visit me again.

The giveaway is now closed. I will announce the winner shortly!

2010-07-08T00:02:00.000+01:00

The easiest crowd to please!

2010-07-07T11:18:00.000+01:00

This is contagious

2010-07-06T18:34:00.005+01:00

There are always some giveaways going on, including mine :)
But I just had to tell you all about the one Teresa is having... It's about books, of course!!! And she has always been such a sweet blogger friend ever since we "met" some months ago, you have no idea!

You just have to head over here and choose which one you would like (except "I am Huterite", that one is not included).

Comentários / Comments

2010-07-06T16:14:00.005+01:00

UPDATE: Everything appears to be back to normal!

Deve estar a ocorrer algum erro com os comentários, porque recebo por email comentários que depois não aparecem no blog. Quem participou no giveaway que não se preocupe porque pelo sim pelo não vou contabilizar os comentários que recebi (e respondi) através do email. All righty?

There must be an error of some sort regarding the comments, because I keep getting them in my email but they don't show up in the blog. Those of you who participated on my giveaway should not worry, because just in case I'll count the comments I received (and answered) via email. All righty?

Only one day left...

2010-07-06T15:03:00.001+01:00

...to participate in my giveaway. I want to remind you that it will be closed on July 7th at 23:59 (Greenwich Time). Good luck!

Latest additions

2010-07-05T10:11:00.002+01:00

Sempre que aparecem tecidos com letras vou logo a correr comprar. Neste caso, o primeiro é um tecido que andava há muito tempo à espera que ficasse disponível cá e o segundo foi uma enorme surpresa, mas fiquei tão apaixonada por ele que comprei 1 metro! Tenho grandes planos para ele!

Every time there's a fabric with letters printed on it I run to buy it. In this case, the first fabric is one I have been waiting for a long time to be available here and the other one was a complete surprise, but I fell in love with it so that I bought 1 meter! I have big plans for it!

PS - O giveaway está a chegar ao fim, não se esqueçam de participar!

PS - The giveaway will be closing soon, so don't forget to participate!

Uh oh!

2010-07-03T19:52:00.007+01:00

No outro dia, depois de ler um post da Crystal pus-me a pensar. A minha máquina andava a portar-se um bocado mal ultimamente (especialmente quando estava a fazer a prenda do giveaway), portanto decidi espreitar e isto foi o que descobri:

Just the other day, this post from Crystal got me thinking. My sewing machine was giving me a hard time lately (particularly when I was making the prize of the giveaway), so I decided to take a look and this is what I found:

Xiii!!! E isto é só ao fim de um ano de costura! Penso que a foto ficou desfocada porque a minha mão até tremeu com o susto! Aproveitei para também pôr um pouco de óleo, embora ainda não tivesse aparecido o aviso no visor, e notei de imediato que o barulho da máquina já está, digamos, menos barulhento! Há quanto tempo não limpam e põe óleo na vossa máquina?
Num abrir e fechar de olhos, a febre da manutenção estendeu-se à arrumação e tirei tudo do meu armário cá para fora para poder fazer uma triagem e reorganizar tudo melhor. Dobrei todos os tecidos melhor, dividi-os por mais prateleiras... Estou feliz com o resultado!

Yikes!!! And this is only one year of sewing! I think the photo is out of focus because my hands were shaking with the shock. I took the opportunity to also put some oil, even though the oil signal wasn't on the screen yet, and I immediately noticed that the noise of the machine was, well, less noisy! How long it's been since you last cleaned and oiled your machine?
In a blink of an eye, the maintenance fever became an organising fever and I took everything out of my closet in order to make some triage and reorganisation. I refolded all my fabrics and divided them into differente shelves... I'm happy how it turned out!

PS - Não se esqueçam de participar no meu giveaway!!!

PS - Make sure you don't forget to participate in my giveaway!!!