Sunday, January 22, 2012

A Paris-themed quilt



Victoria's bedroom is decorated in pink and black and has a Parisian theme. I wanted to make her a soft, fluffy throw for Christmas so she could take it with her when she goes to college, something that would remind her of home.

I got the fabrics a bit at a time, just cottons that made me think of the theme, and finally found a Michael Miller pink fabric with Eiffel towers that was what tied it all together. I pieced the top in a fairly simple way. All rectangles are 6x12", and I staggered them while keeping the order constant (I am going to have to branch out and do a random pattern one day, but I am just scared of randomness!).



Once I had the top put togheter, and I found the fluffy fabric that I wanted to use for the backing, I sent it all to Linda at Long Arm Quilting and she did the rest. She searched for an Eiffel Tower quilting pattern and made the whole thing look just perfect. The throw was quilted with no batting, to keep it from getting stiff. It is beautiful, and it drapes so well.

Victoria has mentioned that the throw is a bit on the small side. I think when she goes to live in the dorms she will appreciate its compact size. I know its nice and warm just the way I wanted it. I hope she will grow to love it too.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The littlest farmer is two!




Our newest addition to the smallest farm may have been a surprise, but we can't imagine life without him now! I can't believe he is already two years old! We celebrated with friends and neighbors, and then we celebrated some more at day care with all his peers. As you can tell by the picture, the boy loves cake, and the more colorful the frosting, the better!



We got him a Thomas the train cake from Harris Teeter, the obvious choice, which made him very happy. Not only did he get to admire the cake and eat it, he got a train and a caboose to play for. Can't argue with that deal.

It didn't take him long at all to understand that all the fuss was about his birthday, and he was a most gracious host for the most part. He even shared his new toys with all of his friends. Of the toys he got he really didn't seem able to pick a favorite. The Thomas tent was a big hit (and it's thankfully not hard to fold at all, because it sure is big and bulky!). Rocking Elmo was, well, rocking! It is really amazing that Elmo can recognize his instruments and pretty much carry a conversation. And the doctor's kit that he received means that now instead of calling him Mr. Daniel we will have to call him Dr. Daniel. Not bad for a guy who is just two years old!