Prepping for the Little Chicklet

The past couple weeks, months even, I've been crafting away so that when the new baby decides to make her appearance (due date's tomorrow, yet no sign of baby) she'll be greeted into the world with a healthy bounty of handmade goodies.

Sixth Time's a Charm Quilt



While I know babies don't use quilts on their cribs (Alice still doesn't use more than a muslin blanket and she's approaching two!), I can't imagine not making a quilt for the little baby chicklet.

When I made Alice's quilt, I conformed to the overall color scheme for her room. This time, I let myself loose with colors. I figure the chicklet will most often use the quilt during tummy time or any time she's on the floor and I don't want her covered in dog hair and what baby doesn't love bright, fun patterns during playtime? So, I settled on some fabrics from Michael Miller's Hedgehog and the Big E collections and some coordinating Kona Cottons.



In line with my recent AMH obsession, I opted for a quilt pattern in her most recent book, Handmade Beginnings. LOVE this book! Shocking, right?



Love the pattern, although I have to admit my one pain point was wasting so much fabric. I'm not sure it's possible to avoid doing so, but I now have a stack of pieced fabric leftover. Of course, I could make the scraps into other smaller projects, but more likely they'll just sit collecting dust amongst the rest of my fabric stash. If I had to go back, I would still make the quilt so I guess I have no place to complain.

Fabric: A mix of Michael Miller's Hedgehog and the Big E, Kona Cotton in Lime, Ash, and Plumberry.
Pattern: Sixth Time's a Charm found in Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner.

Polka Dot Mobile

When I saw this tutorial, I knew this would be the little chicklet's mobile. I loved the unlimited possibilities for color and fabrics and the chance to incorporate some beading techniques. And of course, spraypaint. Who doesn't love spraypaint?



I tried to keep to a somewhat limited color palette of magenta, sky blue, olive green, gold, red and cream and used fabric scraps from Heather Ross, Amy Butler, Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, and Anna Maria Horner. And the spray paint is "hot pink" although not at all what I'd consider hot pink. More of a bubble gum pink. Not only was this project a great way to use up scraps that I thought would sit in my scrap bin until I eventually pitched them in a freak cleaning spree, but it was also a fun archive of previous sewing projects. Like a look down memory lane.





Many more baby things in progress or recently completed! Hopefully, I'll have time to blog about them before the baby arrives. Otherwise, all bets are off and I'll see you in 2011. Kidding. Sort of.