Scallops

Earlier this year - I don't even remember when - I made this quilt top. I was inspired by this picture from this blog post by Rachel of Stitched In Color. I absolutely fell in love with her idea and had to try my hand at piecing some scallops. She was offering an online curves class that featured this pattern, but I was too poor to join so I decided to wing it on my own. I hesitated to post about this quilt because I didn't want to show a "borrowed" idea that someone was selling, but I finally wrote Rachel the other day and she has very graciously given me her blessing to share these photos.

 

Piecing curves wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, although a pattern and some instruction would have been nice! I love working with all solids and I am now more than a little obsessed with scallops. I especially love Rachel's modern take on them. There will definitely be more scallops in my future. The fabric kind, that is.

(Quilt-Holder Fatigue. It could happen to anyone, but seems more prevalent among husbands and sons.)

I love echo quilting. And these lines turned out rainbow-ish - even better!

By the way, in 7.5 years of quilting this is the very first quilt I have completed for myself. It's already gotten lots of use - perfect for playing Candy Crush, or napping, or watching tv studying. And I won't mention the tiny holes that my bunny bit into it with his sharp teeth and affinity for tasting everything... because everyone knows he can do no wrong.

Huckleberry

Back in July, my husband accidentally mowed over a rabbit nest. One of the kits died and we dutifully put the other one back in its shallow hole so its mother could take care of it.

But then I started to worry. What if she abandons it because of the incident and the fact that we touched it? All evening long, and all day the next day, I worried about that poor little baby out there all alone and what if, what if, what if. I finally just couldn't stand it anymore so I did some googling about how to tell if a kit is abandoned. I went out and checked its skin for tenting/dehydration... but honestly, I couldn't tell. Then I started to worry about the fact that I'd touched it again and what if she abandons it now? Plus, the ants were biting it... I was so conflicted that I finally just went out and got the poor thing and brought it inside.

 

And thus began the crumbling of our stubborn determination to never want a pet. We were quickly and forcefully smitten and the next two weeks consisted of research, pet stores, kitten formula, droppers, teensy bottles, kitchen scales, heat lamps - and yes, even 2 and 4am feedings. By this time we had read that it is so very rare for wild bunnies to survive if taken away from their mother; but against all odds, he started to fill out, grow fluffy clean fur, and explore his surroundings.

 

He was so tiny! I would sit and snuggle him against my skin for hours while he slept. Below is my very favorite picture of him, sleeping so deeply that I rolled him over onto his back and he didn't even stir.

 

A day or two later he got sick. We did everything we could for days but he eventually died. I couldn't believe how sad I felt! But he'd opened a door in our hearts - and my birthday was coming up - so the decision to become official pet owners was made.

 

(Eeeeeeee!!!)

 This is Huckleberry:) Although, more often than not, he's called Hucklebunny, Stinkleberry, Hucks, or some other such variation. He is almost 5 months old now and so full of personality and quirks!

 

Just look at that big nose, deep frown, and huge foot! He did not like being held like this and he let me know it with a loud thump of his hind leg when I put him down.

 

I could seriously just die of cuteness. I love him so much!

October

October was hard. Glad it's over.

I'm looking forward to November, though, because the weather is finally getting cool and I love Fall.

And also... because it's not October.

My husband made these costumes for the boys. He even learned to sew just so he could make the one on top. It was very cute to see him sitting at my sewing machine, stitching away. That is, until I wanted to sew... and then it wasn't so cute.

I did manage to make this Fall pillow. I suppose October wasn't all bad.