Photobucket Photobucket  photo M1_zpsmeajs2i9.png  photo hs_zpsjdypdbbd.png Photobucket

9.08.2014

A Velveteen/Linen Blend Quilt and 'Hazel' on a Canvas

We started homeschooling again last week.  With Hazel 'waking up' and starting to get quite fussy, let's just say things were pretty intense, even with Iris in preschool two mornings a week and Tia in half-day kindergarten.

hazel and me

It's been awhile since I've had kids in preschool, so I may have gotten a little carried away in my daydreaming (romanticizing, really) about how things were going to go.


hazel

I had visions of nursing the baby on the couch while coaching my two big kids through math in a quiet house.  I went so far as to envision cutting out a pattern or two while the baby peacefully slept and Jude and Indigo diligently worked, breaking their concentration only to sharpen their pencils.

ind and hazel

Yeah.   It went nothing at all like that.

ind and hazel 

 The truth is, though, if there's one thing I've learned from being a parent it's that everything goes so much better when we make our way through our days without expectations, allowing things to unfold as they will.  I was dreaming more than expecting.

biggest-littlest biggest-littlest biggest-littlest
biggest-littlest

And speaking of things I was not expecting, I was so thrilled/surprised/grateful to receive this, Hazel's name embroidered and sewn onto a canvas, by the amazing and talented Lucinda!

'hazel' by lucinda :) 

Isn't it so cool (and special)?  Lucinda is just the best!  Not only do I adore her style, but I also feel a special connection with her as we are both adoptive parents.  Thanks again, so much, Lucinda!

While I didn't do any sewing this week, I did want to share a project I finished before Hazel was born.  It just so happens to be one of my favorite things to give as a gift (and one of my favorite things, period) - a whole cloth velveteen quilt.

AMH velveteen quilt

This one went to my acupuncturist who had previously been my midwife when I was pregnant with both Indigo and Iris.  She retired from midwifery and started an acupuncturist practice at the hospital where my midwives practice.

1A2A5239

She only works with pregnant and postpartum women with the explicit desire to make acupuncture affordable to all women.  So she charges significantly less than the other acupuncturists in town and caps women's payments at 4 visits, so they never pay more than the cost of four sessions, even though she will continue to see them.  Isn't that amazing?

hand tied velveteen quilt 

Also she's the only acupuncturist in our area who carries the insurance to be able to do acupuncture for induction.  It's not an 'induction' in the Western medical sense of the word, but helps to get the body moving in the direction of labor.  Though as it turned out, she was able to get me into labor after several sessions... and bringing out the big guns - her electric stimulation machine.  It's actually the second time acupuncture with electric stim has put me into labor, where I literally started contracting on the table.  But both times I was 41 1/2 weeks pregnant and this time my midwife also did a (what Dan would call medieval) technique which also got things going, but I'll spare you the details on that one.

essex linen/velveteen quilt

I made this quilt even before my acupuncturist got me into labor, though, because I feel what she's doing is so incredible.

velveteen quilt - hand tied 

This is Anna Maria Horner's velveteen with this Kaufman Essex linen-cotton blend in Leathered as the backing.  I hand tied it with pearl cotton embroidery thread using a surgeon's knot  and then bound it using this zig-zag technique (which I love).

velveteen/linen essex quilt

8 comments:

  1. wow, Rachel. simply, wow.

    so I was already drooling over the beautiful photos of Hazel with the kids and commiserating with your experience of reality/dreams not always matching (quick aside - had great plans the last week of summer vacation to make it a "girls" week and do a big craft project together. Totally thought it would be a bonding time with just the girls, laughing and enjoying the experience. Well, our paper mache hot air balloons did get finished, but it's a good thing the camera didn't capture much of the frustration, sulking and general bad attitudes that went along with it. That's reality!). And there I am scrolling down your post when I come to the photo of Hazel with the name canvas - and my heart did a little skip! You are so sweet to post that, and of course your photo of it with Hazel is pretty much perfect. It was a delight for me to do, and I'm so glad you are enjoying it:) I feel the same way about our connection!
    The quilt is gorgeous, and I'm pretty sure your acupuncturist is feeling very blessed by receiving it. Loved reading her story and her selfless attitude. People like that make our lives so rich!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aw, thanks so much, Lucinda. You really are the best! <3<3<3 And oh yes, I have totally been there with crafting + bad attitudes. Boo! It's even worse than math with bad attitudes, because the set up and clean up is more intensive. ;)
    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, wow, that is gorgeous. What a lovely gift! I just want to wrap myself up in it!

    Newborns are so predictably unpredictable. So are all kids, actually, but especially newborns. They just seem to sense that you have plans, and then, God-like, laugh at them. You just have to roll with the punches - this is not easy for me, all the letting go and rolling with the punches! But yeah, you're not given a lot of choice in matter, are you? Big hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh it's such a sweet quilt (i love whole cloth and that zigzag tute of rachel's is awesome). Newborns, man. So cute, but SO DISRUPTIVE!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Plans? Yeah, I gave up on those along time ago. :). I know that you'll get into your groove though....once Hazel gets into hers.
    Oh and that velveteen quilt must feel so lovely! Its really beautiful and such a thoughtful gift!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a sweet keepsake from Lucinda.....I want to backtrack and make a similar one for my nieces RIGHT NOW!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a gift that acupuncturist is to your area. Wow! I'm glad to know that acupuncture is helpful for starting labor. Seems like it helps with everything =) Literally.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rachel, these pics of your kids... Just amazing! It strikes me how much Indigo and Hazel look alike.
    And the quilt is just stunning. Lucky acupuncturist!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I generally respond to comments via email. If your profile does not link to your email account, I try to respond here. :)