Sun Spots

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Spring sunshine. It's so nice. We had such a nice weekend! Short but very sweet. Amelia adores her grandparents who held and played with her non-stop for three days straight. So sweet. Andy made corned beef and cabbage for us. He's the most non-Irish Irish person I know. We listen to Irish music the entire month of March. There is a lot of Pogues and Flogging Molly playing. He makes corned beef and cabbage in my dad's old cast-iron pot every year. He buys us all shamrock swag. I love how much he loves things.

Remember the quilt I started for Amelia a few weeks back? I had it finished by BumbleBee Quilting and picked it up on Saturday morning. I absolutely love it! The way I did this was ridiculously easy. I bought many (I'd have to count how many, but maybe thirty or more?) 1/8 yard pieces of random fabrics from several different local fabric stores. I just picked stuff that I liked. I had no particular color scheme in mind, but I wanted it to feel sweet and subtle and mellow and pretty. My colors wound up being peaches, pinks, inky blues like her eyes, pale grays, vanilla creams, aquas, a few saffron yellows, a few nutmeg browns, an orchid. Most of the prints are tiny calicos, small polka dots, tiny ginghams, and a few baby animals mixed in. To make it, I trimmed the 1/8-yard strips to 4" wide, trimmed off the selvedges, and then cut the strips randomly into rectangles. The rectangle lengths weren't measured. Then I started sewing the short ends of the rectangles together until I had a pieced strip that was vaguely 54" long (I put two pieces of tape on my sewing table, which is just a bit longer than 54", and just laid the strip out between the tape pieces to measure it). I sewed the strips together until the quilt top was about 54" across, and then I trimmed the pieced edges until they were all even. It was so fast. Only half the measuring. I am definitely going to make another one for her bed with the leftoever fabric (this one is more of a throw). Rectangles go so much faster than squares. I don't have much time to do stuff like this anymore, so fast is key! And I also think the rectangles let the fabric print show better, which I've always wanted in my quilts. There are so many beautiful fabrics out there. If the pieces are too small you just can't see the fabric prints, you know? I love looking at the individual patches in quilts, picking out favorites. I love how dated the patches get, timestamping the quilt even without a label.

My darling peachy-pink girl! I love how she loves everything, too. She just loves everything. She inspires me. Every moment. She's teaching me.

132 comments

I've recently started reading your lovely blog after finding a link to one of your embroidery kits on Pinterest. You have such a gorgeous baby and as a fellow Knitter with a daughter, you have inspired me to make more knitted objects for her. Thanks for sharing your beautiful life! :)

You have a spring-blooming tree outside your window - oh!

Very pretty quilt.

Really pretty quilt, Alicia, the rectangle idea intrigues and inspires; thank you. I'm taking care of a little guy who is almost as old as Amelia (Nov 29th) and it is so amazing to see him every day and watch him grow and all that. It's remarkable, isn't it? The gappy grins, the burps, the diaper changes when he laughs aloud... all of it is so fantastic. Amelia is just a teeny bit ahead of him developmentally so I can see what;s coming in a few weeks for me. It's great !~! Thanks for all the loovely photos.

Oh, thank you for telling us right off that you sent out the quilt for finishing! Though to tell you the truth I wasn't THAT surprised that you may have whipped that one together :)

The quilt is luscious, the baby too. I love when baby feet look like little pillows with tiny peas attached.

It's such a beautiful quilt Alicia! I agree with the size making the lovely prints stand out more - as Amelia grows, she will come to study the different patterns and colours and love favourite pieces - I remember doing this as a wee thing myself, and then my girl did it too. And that spring flowering tree outside your window - so pretty! Wishing you lots of spring.

"I love how she loves everything" That is so sweet, I feel that about my little Clementine, too.

What a gorgeous quilt. I am feeling an itch to try at quilting again, I haven't since I want in high school. It makes my heart melt that you added a little message and the date is valentine's day. too sweet.

Linda in Waterloo says: March 12, 2013 at 08:15 PM

You know, Miss Clover looks younger, more refreshed somehow. Being a Nanny Dog certainly agrees with her! Lovely post as always. A pleasure to see a full house and full lives.

Lovely girl and a lovely quilt! I wonder if you've seen this http://www.heirloomcreations.net/sewing-tips/the-jelly-roll-1600/ It's a super fast way to sew a quilt top together. I've used this method with wider width fabric (4 to 7 inches)to put together 5 quilt tops so far! It's fun to see what fabric ends up beside each other. Have a wonderful Spring.

She is just so precious.
Love and inspired by your constant work.
It amazes me how much you are able to do in a day.
I am currently working on purging my studio so I can get back to sewing and quilting. Summer heat will soon be here and I will be trapped in the house. Sewing and crocheting helps the summer pass.
Thanks for the inspiration
Amy

St. Patrick's Day is a huge holiday for us. My hubby's family is Irish American and my MIL throws a big party every year. We all look forward to it because not one of us can make corned beef and cabbage like hers! Amelia is just so sweet. Her rosy cheeks are killing me over here!! She is going to be so thankful you have all of these images of her when she grows up. They really are precious.

Also, just so you know, I got my maggie kit last week and, after a few stumbles, am well on the way to getting it finished. I cannot begin to tell you how adorable she is and how stunned my family is when they see what I made. LOL You know how people in families have a "role"? Well, mine is not being known as a cook or a seamstress, in spite of my mother being incredibly talented at both of those things. My mom was quite impressed so, thank you for making this project in such a way that even a complete and total novice such as myself could take it on. :) I would love to either know where you got your felt or order more from you so I can make more bunnies for my nieces. I went searching for some locally today but all we have around here are the acrylic craft sheets. Nothing as lovely as the felt in the kit.

That view out your window is so pretty. The blooms on that tree just sing Spring to me!

Will lovely Amelia get a quilt each year on Valentine's day?
It is wonderful, I love it...especially where you stitched a note to her.

Amelia's special quilt is gorgeous. :) Such a wonderful gift that she will treasure forever!!!! An idea I saw once made a quilt for a daughter's wedding, from pieces cut from her clothing over the years, starting with some of her baby clothes. Cool idea? samm

it's another beautiful quilt hand-wrought by you. i'm always happy to see the finished project. it gives me hope that i may one day... i'm easily distracted by all the pretty books around me. did you decide on the pattern for the finishing? spring arrives on the 20th and we in omaha just had about 9 inches of new snow. 50's in a few days. spring is good!

Oh, wow. That quilt is incredible. You did a beautiful job. I absolutely love the view of that flowering tree through your triple windows. Stunning.

Beautifully done!

So many wonderful photos! I really love the one of Amelia reading the book. She's so focused. That child has a great wardrobe, what a lucky little girl. :)

I always called my babies my little peachy-pink things, too <3

The quilt came out lovely! Amelia seems to have sprouted overnight. It's so wonderful to see you all so happy ♥

Seeing the dedication on the quilt made me touch my heart with my hand. 'Mommy'. I don't know you except through your blog, but I'm still so happy for you, Alicia. And I always will be.

Take care.

What a charming and cheerful quilt, I love quilts. It's wonderful to see beautiful Amelia grow and change before our eyes. Thank you for sharing.

Ooh I'm so inspired. I always thought until now that I had to do the whole quilting thing without assistance - not sure why? Now I'm going sew and send it away too. The flowers are beautiful, I'm glad for your blooming tree and Andy's parents visit. Happy Spring days ahead, Katie x

I love the quilt . . . it makes me feel inspired to try. My mom quilted but I have never tried.

I also liked hearing that you listen to Irish music and that Andy made corned beef in your dads cast iron pot . . . And that he "loves things!"

You have the "sweetest, bestest" posts . . . Tongue discovery is such fun!

Sona Jacob says: March 12, 2013 at 10:45 PM

The quilt is lovely. And Amelia is adorable. She looks really contented and happy. I am sure you are, too.

Oh, Amelia's love for her Illinois grandparents is just a fraction ofvwhat we feel for her! She is grace, beauty, peace, JOY, completely beyond words! To hold her is to taste heaven! The love and trust in her deep blue/grey eyes is divine. She is a blessing and is blessed every moment of every day! The world is a better place because she is in it- bringing such love, smiles, and joy to those who are lucky enough to hold her, kiss her all over hervsweetbface!

Dang those typos!

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About Alicia Paulson

About

My name is Alicia Paulson
and I love to make things. I live with my husband and daughter in Portland, Oregon, and design sewing, embroidery, knitting, and crochet patterns. See more about me at aliciapaulson.com

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