I'm guest posting over at my friend's place, Aunt Spicy, if you want to go read some more randomness!

I did finish the LOVE quilt last week, but I'm working on a dust ruffle and stuff, so I thought it would be fun to show it all together, when it's ALL finished.  Plus, I got an amazing baby quilt in the mail and I just had to show off its gorgeous craftsmanship!  And when I say craftsmanship, I mean it!

I had a very good mail day last Friday. Monica of Happy Zombie sent me a panel of her Gnoma Clauses -ADORABLE!! I got some fabric for my quilting bee and one of my finished blocks back (I'll be showing those soon.)  But there was a mystery package in there from one of my blogging friends who owns a quilting business.  I thought, huh? What is she sending me?

Then I opened up the package.  There was a small quilt inside - I could see it had my two favorite blues and greens in it!
I pulled out the card and it said, "Open the tissue first".  So I did.  And look at this adorable-ness!

I was thinking, "Wow!  Natalia is so nice to make this for the baby!  And I only met her in real life last January!  Aren't my blogging friends the best?"

And then I read the card.  And started to tear up.  The card was signed by 5 of my dear blogging friends.  They had all worked together using each of their unique talents to put this together for me. 

Candy, of Candied Fabrics, dyed the beautiful fabrics. (She dyes all of the fabric she sews with.  A real artist!)

Vicki, of Sew Inspired, made half the blocks and pieced the back. (Amazing sewing, all around.  Quilts, garments, you name it, she does it well!)

Rita, of Mochi Studios, did the adorable applique. (She makes awesome plushies!)

Amy, of Amy's Creative Side, pieced half the blocks and the quilt top. (You know her well - founder of the Blogger's Quilt Festival and soon to be published author!)

Natalia, of Piece N Quilt, quilted and bound it! (Moda Bakeshop member, longarm quilter and designer extraordinaire!)

If you click on each of the links above it will take you to a post they've written about their piece in this lovely cherished quilt!  The cool thing too is that the colors really blend well with the Amy Butler quilt!  Smart, smart girls.  They heard a rumor (or read it on my blog) somewhere that I love aqua and lime!

I'm pretty sure Maggie loves it already too.  She liked hanging out on it for the photoshoot today!


I know I've said this before - I love our little world here!  And thanks again ladies for such a thoughtful gift.

“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Remember that.  The time you take to do/make something for someone else is more valuable than any gift you could purchase.

Now for the gift of motivation. . .  
What sewing project did you finish this week?

Guess what?  I think I may be getting back to normal.  Do you need some evidence?

1.  I've ordered some fabric and have a plan.
How about this lovely stack I got in the mail the other day?


Yes, some LOVE-ly Amy Butler, and NICE-y Jane by Heather Bailey.  I'm working on bedding for Magpie and another dress for Miss Alison.  I'm using that same Simplicity pattern that I made the other dress out of.  But using several different prints.  I'm excited to show it to you!

2.  I actually finished the LOVE quilt!  YAY!! It's so cute, but I'm going to wait to show it to you.  I have a surprise!

3. I went kayaking last night with a bunch of ladies from church.  It was awesome.  North Carolina beaches rock!  I didn't actually get a picture of the water though, didn't want to risk dropping the camera in the water!

4.  I'm writing a post that isn't for sew & tell.  PLUS, I'm actually visitng AND commenting on blogs!  It's still hard sometimes when I'm on the computer and nursing or holding the baby.  It's hard to type one-handed, but I'm getting pretty good at it!

Now if I could just get my house put together so it looks like some organized grown up people live here.  Oh wait. . . did I say organized? . . .

We have a new linky tool this week! I saw it over on my friend V.'s blog and liked that you can have a thumbnail picture with the link! We'll have to see how it goes today.


Hello Everyone, it's e from pinksuedeshoe. I'm helping Amy out with Sew&Tell today by sharing a few old projects and one new project. I started sewing for real when I found out I was expecting a little girl who we call Creamie. I started by making her bedding (pictures posted here) before she was born and that is when I realized how much I love to sew. My sewing machine has been living on my dining room table for almost two years now. And my newest favorite is making little dresses. They are fast and easy and she just looks so cute. Which makes it hard to resist making yet another little dress.

The first dress I made was for her blessing. And it was not fast or easy. But I am so glad that I (with a lot of help from my mom) got it finished. I made this one out of batiste. My grandma (who died the year before Creamie was born) would make beautiful handkerchiefs out of batiste and trim them with pretty lace to give to everyone she knew. She was also a wonderful seamstress and everything she made was gorgeous inside and out. I made this dress like she would have, with all the inside seams covered and all the trim sewn on by hand. On the front it has a few pintucks and three pearly buttons. And then a few more buttons in the back as well. I gave the job of sewing on the buttons to my husband. I decided it was important that he was a part of this dress.
My sister in law Stephanie knit her these cute little Mary Jane's to wear on her special day. They fit her long skinny feet perfectly and I am still dying over the little pearl buttons. So so cute!

Last June my little sister got married and I made little polka dot dresses for Creamie and my two nieces. I don't have a good picture of the three of them, but I loved this little dress. And she wore it for a good six months, which was also awesome.
This next one is not really a dress, but one of my very favorite things I've sewn for her. For Halloween last year I was Rainbow Brite. My mom and sister made this costume a few years ago. And I turned Creamie into my cute puffy sidekick Twink, complete with rainbow striped tights and star antennae.

I had high hopes for a Christmas dress, but it didn't happen. But by March I had myself pulled together enough to make Creamie an Easter dress from a thrift store sheet.
And just a few weeks ago I made her a new 4th of July dress using this pattern from dana at made. I added the big deep pockets for her to stow her rocks and crayons in. And so far only one rock and one yellow crayon have made it through the wash. But thankfully not the dryer.

And my finish for this week is another dress using this same pattern. This is the-not-quite-so-purple,-but-more -lavender turtle dress.
I bought this fabric months and months ago. But I couldn't make the dress until she grew into the matching shoes, which I found on clearance for $3 sometime last year.

Putting in the sleeves was a little tricky, seeing as how they aren't a part of the pattern, but I only had to unpick them once. Which makes the whole thing very successful in my mind!


What sewing project did you finish this week?

Hey! Do you want to hear some great news?  Baby is sleeping from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.!!  Do you know what this means?  It means my brain is starting to function on the closer side of normal.  I actually sewed this week!  It's the first sewing I've done in almost 3 months!  Unfortunately, I didn't quite finish it.  But I should have it finished for next Friday - it's the Amy Butler LOVE quilt I've been working on for the baby.  I'll make it her, I'm-sleeping-through-the-night gift.  I just ordered the rest of the fabric for her bedding too, so I'm excited to get all that put together!  Now, if I could just figure out what beds to get the older kids so that I can put her in the crib instead of the pack-n-play...

So, because I don't have anything of my own (again), and I forgot to coordinate with Leslie who was going to guest post for me (she's been with us since the beginning and always has fun things to share.  Sorry Leslie!), I have another item to feature that I received as a baby gift.

If you've been reading here for a bit you might have heard why I named my blog what I did.  My dear neighbor is a VERY creative person and excellent knitter.  I had no words when I opened her gift.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS??? I LOVE IT!! The Amylouwho family tree immortalized in knit! I assume most people are familiar with Dr. Seuss and his Whos.  She patterned this picture after one of the illustrations in Horton Hears a Who. 

She knit the blanket and the figures and then appliqued them to the blanket.  Seriously! The talent!

I still get giggles and fall in love with it even more every time I look at it!  Thank you Ellen!!


What sewing project did you finish this week?

Can you believe she got these cute fabrics at Joann's?  I'm still impressed with the improvement in their selection.  (I read this interesting article about why things are better over there.)

I love the yo-yo detail!  Yo-yos are so cute!!!


And it's crazy how much she wants to help now!  Every night - "mom can I help you with dinner!?"  If an apron is all it takes I'm going to make sure she has one for every chore!  :)

Thanks Aunt Laura for the cutest apron ever!  And for being so excited about sewing! (I should add that Laura has just started sewing and she made this apron up from something she saw - no pattern!  You go girl!!)


What sewing project did you finish this week?

So, it's not sewing, but it involves needles and yarn, which is sort of like thread - so I'm counting it!  I didn't make it either, but I got it in the mail this week. . . If you knew the weekend/week I've had - you'd know why I didn't get anything done.  Just to give you an idea - 5 hour drive to see family, a 2 year old with hand foot and mouth, sleeping in the same room with all 3 kids, 100+ heat at an amusement park, husband with the flu, fighting something off myself, and boxes to still go through. . .


My lovely sister-in-law Megan, who lives too far away from me, sent me this darling package this week - made my day!  The humidity and insufferable heat are one thing making me wish for cooler temps, and now I have these adorable hand knit duds to make me yearn for the crisp days of fall! 


My two older kids were to squirmy too model for me today.  Plus the not sleeping all night thing is turning me into a VERY impatient mother photographer.  But look who was so cooperative!


This little fair isle number is killing me with cuteness!  I can't imagine how many times she had to change yarn colors, not to mention just keeping her place in the pattern.

And what about a little cable poncho and hat combo?? OH boy, this is too much!!  Peanut had her 2 month checkup this week and she weighed in at a healthy 11 1/2 pounds, 23 inches.  Plus that blue Captain America bandaid is evidence of the torturous shots they gave her - why did I have to see that?  Broke my heart.


I'm so blessed to be surrounded by and related to so much talent!  I hope one day I'll be able to knit like this!


What sewing project did you finish this week?