The Quest

So my sister-in-law posted her "Project du Jour" up today about a very nice necklace that she made, which looks awesome and is just as nice as the original, but better because it cost her 90% less to make. So I decided to let you all in on a project I myself decided to do last week. (Well I decided to do it last week, but then thinking about it made me stressed out, but I've decided that I still want to go through with it.) It all started when my momma-in-law, Linda, offered to buy unborn baby James a "Pack N Play." She saw a really cute one, but waited to get it in case I already had a theme going for baby's nursery. I told her I hadn't picked a theme because 1.) at that time we were still planning on moving to Las Vegas and getting a one-bedroom apartment (meaning the baby wouldn't have his own room, and I really didn't want our own room to be taken over by sailboats or baseballs, or however they decorate baby boy's rooms.) and 2.) I honestly just hadn't thought about it. So I told her to go ahead and get the one she had her eye on...and here it is...



The Graco Pack N Play Tango in the Tongo...(which, as you can see, has hippos, elephants, rhinos, lions, the works)
So a little over a week ago we realized that us going to Las Vegas wasn't going to work, hence the reason why Stephen got a job here in Provo. This means we'll be staying in our current two-bedroom apartment and James can have a nursery after all. So then I started thinking about themes... Well we had recently joined this group on-line called Freecycle, where people give away their stuff for free because they just don't want to deal with having to sell it. So I put up a wanted post for a baby carseat/base/stroller. Someone replied and we went and picked it up last Saturday and guess what? It too had rhinos, lions, elephants, giraffes, the works on the carseat and the stroller. So as you might have guessed it, the theme is "the jungle" or "safari." So here's the "my project" part of it, I decided to make a quilt. My sister Megan made a quilt for her first daughter (funny because her first child was a boy, and then she had a girl) for her final Young Women's project. It had bunnies and carrots on it. So I thought that it would be sweet to make a quilt for my baby boy, a jungle quilt. (That's why I was hesitant, I've helped my mom make quilts when I was little, but never done it on my own) So I looked on-line for some ideas on how I wanted the quilt to look for my little Tarzan-man, and here are some that I found...







I like the first two a lot, but they seem just a bit beyond my sewing abilities, so I think I'll go with making my quilt look like this last one. So I better get started...anyone have any jungle/safari quilt patterns? :)

I told my mom about my little project idea last week and so when she came up for my baby shower on Saturday she brought with her this huge box full of quilting scraps and quilt patterns. For those of you who don't know, my mom is a huge fan of quilting, and has made many a quilt in her day(s). So lucky me, going through her fabric scraps I found plenty to use that I might not even have to buy any fabric at all. Not just for the quilt, but for yet another nursery project I have in mind. As I was going through her huge box of scraps and quilt patterns I came across these...







Patterns to make stuffed jungle animals. Aren't they cute? They're called "Rumpled Quilt Skins." My mom bought them long ago to make for grandkids, but then she never got around to using them. So I asked her if I could try, and she said "yes" but warned me they were a bit difficult, so if I needed her help (aka just ask her to finish them for me) she could "help." I'm really excited and scared, especially since my sewing projects in the past have had a tendency to be left undone. But this time I'm determined to see it through, especially since I'm home all day with not a lot to do. The great thing about these things is that by making them for him there is more sentimental value to it. By the time baby James has his own kids, or grandkids, he can pass them on and say, "Did you know Grandma Melinda Taylor made these for me when I was a baby?" I just hope I can finish all four in time before August 1st, so...everyone keep your fingers crossed.