Theo at 4 and a 1/2 months...

I've been a bit absent from the blog for the last couple of weeks while I've settled back in to life in Scotland after the Christmas break so time for a much overdue catch-up.

Wonderfully we are now over halfway through Jim's deployment and with the evenings getting lighter and the Scottish winter staying unseasonably mild, I'm feeling pretty positive about getting through the second half of the tour. However being distracted from this space has meant it's been 6 weeks since I posted any baby photos and I know I'll regret not keeping track of Theo's development later, so I best get it down in a post...

Over the Christmas break Theo got his first two teeth, which was a bit of a surprise as they popped up without much warning and only a bit of increased dribbling and putting fingers in his mouth! Taking this as my cue, I've started introducing him to solids with just a little baby porridge each day. I must say I'm reluctant to leave milk behind though, it is so quick, simple and clean in comparison!

Theo is now weighing just over 16 pounds, nearly twice his birth weight and representing a pretty steady weight gain of half a pound a week. No sign of him sitting up on his own yet, so we've bought him a beanbag which he enjoys as a change from being on the playmat. I know bumbo seats are extremely popular at this age, but with apologies to my friends who all have them (sorry!) I have to admit I just cannot stand the look of them, so T will have to do without!

Our two trips down south to see family mean that Theo has now taken 4 flights in the first 4 months of his life, with at least another two more to come before his first birthday - although thank heavens Jim will be back for those. None of the flights themselves have been particularly difficult, it's just the length of time involved in traveling to the airport, checking in and flying, combined with maneuvering a luggage trolly and buggy through the airport on my own that hasn't been particularly brilliant. Though lots of complete strangers have offered to help which has been a plus!

It really is amazing how much T's changed over the last few months. He was a pretty dependent demanding baby when Jim left in October and we as new parents were still struggling to find our feet and get him into a routine, and now he's a cheeky funny interactive individual. I cannot wait to see what his daddy makes of him when he gets back!

WIP Wednesday (11th Jan 2012)

First WIP Wednesday of the year and I'm going to use this one to kickstart my quilting after a month long break, and also to talk about my love of Kona solids...



Last month I bought myself a Christmas present of a Kona colour chart. I'd been put off buying one because they are (1) Really hard to find in the UK and (2) Quite pricey. However when it arrived I realised exactly why they charge what they do for them! It's huge (each fold-out side is A4) and all those colours are not printed on to the card, but are actual fabric swatches!

It's been a revelation and I am so glad I bought it. I do most of my fabric shopping online and matching fabrics as been nigh on impossible, but now I can do it precisely. First job with the colour card was to match the fabric at the centre of my triple dresden to a Kona solid, which I did exactly, it's Kona Raisin!



So, I'll be getting on with this later in the week...

Then I was able to turn my attention to a new quilt. My parents have two quilts on their sofa and want a third (it's a BIG sofa!) Using the colour card I matched colours from both quilts and their curtains and I'm going to use them to make Oh Fransson's New Wave quilt. This is what I have so far...



For any Kona solids fanatics out there, that's School Bus, Sage, Blue & Pond. The orange does look a little random in that pile, but I also have Paprika and Lemon on order... It'll all make sense in the end... I hope!

And one last thing, another quilting purchase. Have you seen the Gypsy Grippers that you can buy to hold your ruler steady? I thought they were great, but (certainly round our way) kind of pricey, until my brilliant dad pointed out that a double dent puller would do the same thing! It was a FIFTH of the price! You could also use a bath support handle which are slightly smaller and less industrial looking...


As always I'm linking up today with other quilters via Freshly Pieced...