A Birthday Quilt

I spent the better part of yesterday sewing a beautiful quilt for baby Isabel’s first birthday.

Colorful and full of whimsy, I kept the project simple by machine stitching precut 2.5” x 40” strips of fabric together.

The quilt is crafted from my all time favorite Wonderland fabrics and backed in a vintage inspired flannel which her father selected.

For added interest, I finished the top with faux stippling. I was able to quickly accomplish the stippling effect by utilizing a decorative scallop stitch and meandering a long and winding trail across the quilt.

I hope Isabel will enjoy the quilt for years to come!

Confession of an unprepared mother…

Yesterday, we decided to go to Fair Oaks Mall and buy the baby her fall wardrobe. I was looking forward to the trip all day. Shortly after we arrived, my 7 year old announced she was hungry. To appease her, I said we would get something to eat after we shopped, although, I had not planned on dining out.

With glee in my heart, we proceeded to the destination of my choice, the Baby Gap. Shortly after we arrived, the baby started to get restless in her stroller. The aforementioned sister tries to help, but actually compounds the problem by repeatedly suggesting she take the baby out of the stroller.

Now feeling rushed and no longer enjoying myself, I quickly make my final selections and head to the checkout with a stack of clothes that I would have preferred to spend more time picking out.

Obviously disappointed from being denied the pleasure of shopping at my leisure (and hungry myself) we decide to eat dinner at a nearby French bakery.

While my husband orders our food, I attempt to find a semi-private table where I can feel comfortable nursing the baby. Situated, I reach into my bag for my nursing cover-up and wish I had bothered to pack a jar of baby food for her to eat. Distracted by the new environment, she wasn’t too interested in nursing, so I asked my husband to order her a yogurt to eat instead.

When our food arrives, the baby’s yogurt is actually a parfait with strawberries, blueberries and granola --- all mixed together. So, I spend the next half hour trying to separate the fruit from the granola which she refused to eat. Before long, there is yogurt smeared all over her face, the chair and the table top.

Now, I am really wishing I would have packed her high chair cover, bib and a baby spoon. At this point, the only thing going for me is the fact that I have a bag full of baby clothes and I can at least change her outfit.

In short, the contents of my diaper bag consisted of two diapers, a package of wipes and a nursing cover up. What was I thinking? After all, I do have four children and I have access to a multiplicity of awesome diaper bags. To make matters worse, when I got home, I realized I bought two pairs of the same blue and pink polka dot leggings!

So---from this point forward—I, Andrea Chapman, hereby vow to maintain a well stocked Watermelon Wishes diaper bag, which will be ready to go on a moment’s notice and contain the following essentials:

• 3 diapers
• 10 – 15 wipes
• 3 to 4 small toys
• 1 change of clothes
• 1 nursing cover
• 1 burp cloth or small blanket
• 1 bib
• 1 spoon
• 1 jar of food
• Dry snacks
• A water bottle
• Sippy cup (that doesn’t leak!)

Back to School is a great time to get organized

Traditionally, I usher out summer by organizing my household filing system. With three of our four children back in school, September promises a whirlwind of paperwork, requests and other important information that will need to be referenced at a later date.

Several years ago, I allotted each child a file folder to hold their respective papers. This year, I am upgrading every member of the family to a Watermelon Wishes fabric accordion file organizer with coordinating three ring binder cover. These products are great because they come in more than 40 fabric options, so everyone can have a different theme/color palette. Staying organized has never been so fun, or fashionable!