The Brown Rock: I'm not an old lady, I just do old lady things...

I had a little bit of a rough year this year, was not feeling so hot this past winter (oh shit, it's almost winter again) I ended up spending a lot of time curled up on my couch. Not my style! I like to be out and busy and with people... all the time.

Busy bee...

So, bored, on the couch, in a ball, I decided I wanted to make a gift for my soon to be born new nephew. I discovered that I LOVE to sew during a visit to Chris and Gail's for New years. Not machine tactactactac your project is done, you blew an ear drum you have to put the machine away sew. But slow, sit on the couch hand sew, imperfect stitch projects. LOVE IT. Not sure why.

My first project was Mr. Hippo, yes I know he's a Rhino not a Hippo. And yes, I find that funny, please stop judging my sense of humor.

Mr. Hippo

Completing this little guy by hand with nothing more than scissors, a needle and some tread gave me so much satisfactions. I wanted to find a bigger project that would allow me to sew, by hand, and cut fabric and make something!

What better excuse than a baby to take on grandma project? A quilt, the ultimate grandmother project, the holy grail of hand sewing, couch sitting, fabric cutting endeavors.

I had not realized that I would need a math degree to complete this project. This was suppose to be mindless! Ha.. should of paid attention in school (actually I did but I just dint understand what they were saying)

Baby Rocco came early. I blame him for not having the quilt ready for his birth...(took months longer than expected, even if he would of been born two months late I would not have been done)

During the making of this blanket.... because in the end that's all it really is. I came to understand the beauty of mass produced goods. We can buy the most beautiful things of the highest quality for next to nothing! I appreciate that now. I'm being completely serious. I LOVE the quilt I made. Love that it took me months of tedious work. Love the callouses on my fingers that remind me of my accomplishment. Love that I set out to do something I knew nothing about and accomplished it (Thank you utube), rather well. I love that I'm now being asked to teach others how to make quilts. Love that Rocco inspired me even before he was born. I loved having a project to see me through the hard winter, realizing I actually can do math and math has practical real world applications. Overall I loved this project, a lot. But... I also see the value of mass production.

The finished quilt

This is my finished quilt. Pretty right! Here is where mass production fails. This is not just blanket. There are no others like it. So we give it more value. We are satisfied with just one blanket. Having everything so easily takes away the satisfaction of having it. Make something that takes six months to make and tell me if you like it better than something you bought at Winners.

HAHAHHA I even sounds like an old lady now! Anyhoo, this is my first quilt here are a few more pictures.