A Rainbow Quilt for Livers

I've been working on a quilt for Livers on and off for a couple of weeks, and this afternoon I got the top finished. She enjoys rainbows like I do, so I decided to make something special for her (and get some quilting practice in to boot) using 4" x 4" squares from eBay that I had stocked up on a while back. My original intention was to use them in the quilt I'm making for myself later this year, but the fabric quality of the squares was less than that of the fat quarters I've been purchasing, and I didn't want to mix them.

With the whopping two quilts that I've worked on I've never used a pattern I've found but instead have come up with something that would work with the materials that I had. I would've preferred that her quilt had more color squares, but I didn't have enough of them available that I really liked, so this is what I came up with.

Overall I'm pleased with how it is looking. It definitely has its imperfections. I incorrectly measured the sashing between the block rows and had to trim off of the ends of the edge blocks, so all of the ones around the border are smaller than they need to be. I'd like to say it gives it character :) I'm cutting myself slack, because this is only my second quilt and I have to learn somewhere.

I worried that the blocks would be a little dull, but once I added the white sashing I became very pleased with how bright and cheery it looks. Livers definitely likes it. She has been going up to the different squares while I've been working and telling me that this one is her "favorite," though they change every time. It has been driving her mad not to touch it, either, because she's very tactile and must get into everything!

Since she is going to use this as a blanket in her crib I wanted to back it with something very comfortable, so I chose a light blue flannel. I pulled out the batting for it today, and it was so amazingly soft and thick. I can't wait for her to enjoy it! The binding for it is black with small white polka dots. I really enjoy the contrast of white and black with the bright colors.


I wanted to take her picture next to the quilt, but as soon as I asked her to stand she decided she must have her camera to take pictures of it, too. She uses my old beat up one that I had before my Panasonic. Almost everything she takes turns out blurry, but she absolutely loves to try and take pictures.

A New Skill Set

I don't have a DSLR. I wish I did. Hopefully one day.

A big reason why I would like one is because the macro lenses on those bad boys are awesome, and I love to be able to take really detailed close up shots. Unfortunately, point and shoots have their limitations. Last summer I bought a newer point and shoot, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. I absolutely love the camera, and it takes great pictures, but I've been stumped on how to take awesome close-up shots.

Today, however, I think I had a breakthrough. I went with Livers and my parents to Highlands, NC, for a day trip, and I was in awe of the flowers they have planted everywhere. I was in photographers' heaven at the opportunities to partake in photographic goodness, but I just could NOT get a decent close up (and I mean within a few centimeters of closeness) picture. I kept zooming in and zooming in, but my camera never could focus correctly or it would focus on something behind the shot instead. I then tried unzooming and just getting my lens as close to the flowers as possible, and voila! I finally started taking amazing shots. I would love to find a place near here with beautiful gardens to make sure that today was not a fluke and to test out my new skill.

Here are some of the products of my handi(lens)work:

A Return, and a New Direction?

For the longest time I've really not had the desire...or the time...to do anything with my blog. I haven't felt that there was anything I truly wanted to say and I didn't want to force myself to come up with something that my heart wasn't into. Those few times that the writing bug tried to bite, things like watching all three seasons of Heroes in the span of a month, working on a quilt for Livers and a skirt for me, going to the beach, and general life happenings sprayed their bug spray all over my ideas and ambitions and sent them running.

I feel that the bug might be coming back if I can work on my time management skills. Last night I changed my blog layout to get the dust off of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and in hopes of producing some ideas. I somewhat feel like taking this blog in a new direction--perhaps more crafting and photography, two of my great loves--but I am not quite sure. At the very least I want to incorporate these two passions of mine more readily into my writing, especially since I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head. In any case, I'm not exactly sure where my blog is going, but hopefully into wonderful places and to possibly new, unchartered territory.