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so, I didn't make a baby blanket....

Like I was supposed to....for my dear friend who is about to have a sweet little boy in September (I'm trying to get ahead -- I'm horrible at on-time baby gifts!)....but I took the birdie fabric from the collection of baby-boy-blanket materials.

So I started with these two fabrics -- a green paisley chosen on purpose for making a shirt, and the blue birdies that were really intended for the baby blanket.



And I had bought this pattern back in February or March, thinking about using elements of it with a different fabric.



It took a while to cut out all the pattern pieces, then to lay them out and cut them a second time with the fabric. That was as far as I got on day 1. Day 1 was Sunday night. I was watching the Gamecocks not score and not score and not score until the bottom of the ninth. It was pretty intense. I was glad to have the distraction of cutting the pattern pieces.



Day 2, Monday, I started putting the pieces together. And I got as far as wanting to put the zipper in, when I realized that it really did need something between the two fabrics to tie them together. And to cover up a funny looking gather under the bust.

So instead of going to walmart to pick up some ribbon or something, I put on a bathing suit and sat on the dock for a few hours. I took a dip in the waterway and read a book. I peeled some peaches and did some laundry. I did not go to the store.



Day 3, I decided to head to the store first thing. This is more of a challenge than it should be, since at home there are multiple fabric and craft stores within 20 minutes of my house, while here at the beach, there are not. The nearest Joann's is about an hour away. And I don't have the GPS here, either -- it was not going to be pretty. I don't love shopping at walmart's fabric section, either, because the quality always seems to be off. On the drive down to the beach, I had noticed a sign for a quilt shop about 30 minutes away....So I decided to give it a try.

It was great. It was a small shop, obviously locally owned, and though the owner didn't seem to have much as far as "trim" goes -- no ric-rac or ribbon -- the quilt fabric with its small print in many different colors was easy to match with my green and blue. Plus, I love supporting local businesses -- and at the beach, within 30 minutes of the house can count as local.

So I came home and did some laundry -- must pre-shrink the cotton, you know -- and then I started sewing. I think I watched 15 episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" while I was working.

I had a few set-backs with the zipper. I took it back off at least three times before it was satisfactorily lined up. And my machine started having tension issues again -- I think it just doesn't like to be used so much.

But here it is -- the final product. A little tight getting on and off, but I think it looks nice on. And even if it doesn't, I plan to wear it anyway. Because I made it. And I like wearing things I've made. So there.







And here's one more that didn't work quite the way I intended....but was funny enough to make me laugh!

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