I have written up the instructions for making Amelia’s Quilt, and made it into a PDF file. There are lots and lots of pictures showing each step of the way. If you’d like to make your own baby quilt, you can get your own copy of the pattern for $5.00 by clicking here.
OH! and quilts always look better with a baby!
Sorry, I can’t provide the cute baby, you gotta do that yourself. But doesn’t the quilt look so much sweeter with Miss Amelia sleeping on it?
Yesterday when I was in Kanab, I found this old curtain panel in an antique shop for $4.00.
Today I made this dress for Amelia. The bodice is lined and it has an underskirt, both made with a piece of fabric I got in 2002 in a thrift shop in Forsyth, Georgia. There used to be an Arrow Shirt Factory there, and this fabric was once used for making expensive men’s dress shirts. I think I paid about 5o cents for a yard of it. It was just right for this dress.
Here is a close up of the bodice. I used a piece of lace around the neckline because the sheer fabric showed the seams in an ugly way.
I still have to finish the hem and put on a button on the back, but I am so happy with the way this project turned out. And I can’t wait to see a pic of Amelia modeling her dress.
Remember this? Well, today we added more to it. We got up very early to go to Kanab, Utah. It’s an 85 mile drive, with a one hour time difference once you cross the Utah border. We wanted to get there by 8:00 a.m. Utah time because we were having work done on the truck. So, we left about 5:50 (Arizona time), went to pick up Gaelyn of Geogypsy, and took off.
Early morning in the Kaibab National Forest, just outside the gates of the Grand Canyon National Park, is always interesting. You might see deer, turkeys, a coyote, or a buffalo out there. Today we saw this beautiful sky.
We got to the auto shop just at 8:00, and dropped off the truck. They gave us a loaner vehicle so we wouldn’t have to sit around there all day. We went to Houston’s Trails End Restaurant for breakfast, then headed about a mile or so north of town to the private campground where our friends, Marcie and Jim, and Chris, are staying while they are workamping in Kanab. I didn’t think about taking pictures while I was there, but that campground has some wonderful scenery around it.
Marcie and Chris are going to be staffing a booth at The Kane County Farmers Market, which will be held every Saturday from the last weekend in May through the middle of October, beginning at 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Chris makes some really cute “tea bag wallets”, which are big enough to hold 4-6 tea bags for hot tea. What a great idea! Marcie makes crocheted items, which I unfortunately did not see. But, if you find yourself in Kanab on a Saturday morning this summer, go on over and check out our stuff. They are going to be selling some of my things, too. Thank you so much, girls! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
When we left their place, we went over to the Family Dollar store, where I picked up some packing tape and another cute dress for Amelia. (yeah, I know, I have it bad, hehehe). There just happened to be a thrift shop next door, so we went in to see what they had. I picked up a luggage carrier for a good price to use to take my laundry to the laundry room. By then, it was almost time for my hair appointment.
Since the post office is right behind the hair salon, we parked there and I finished packing up the things I had to mail out. Heads up to all my kids, I sent gifts out to all the grandkids today. They should get them soon. Got the hair cut and made an appointment for a pedicure in two weeks, and another hair cut in 5 weeks. Yay!
We went to another thrift shop, the one for the hospital auxiliary, where they had these cute fabrics for 50 cents a piece, for 1/2 yards!
I also picked up all this lace trim, for practically nothing!
The best bargain of the day, though, was this fabulous thread bin, full of thread, for $15! Some of that thread is silk. And all of the spools are wooden, which I haven’t seen in years. OH, I am just loving this!
And last, here is a lovely piece of fabric, all pink and flowery. It is actually an 84″ X 26″ curtain panel, that I picked up for $4.00 in Deja Vu Antiques. I am planning to use it to make a fluffy dress for Amelia. Yes, like Scarlett O’Hara, she will be wearing the drapes before she is old enough to walk. Hahahaha. But, don’t you think that is just soooo pretty?
Somewhere in there, we went grocery shopping, and ate some lunch at Escobar’s. Finally, around 4:00 p.m, they got finished with the truck. They added a Banks Intercooler under the hood. See all those new manly pipes! FabGrandpa is in “guy heaven”.
And FabGrandpa finally got to add the Banks sticker to our truck. One on each side. He says they only cost $1100, each.
So I was working ay the entrance station the other day, and this kidney infection came to visit. He seems to be one of those long term guests who overstay their welcome, as if there was any welcome to start with. I was in some pain and having a hard time walking by the time I got off work. Fortunately, one of my co-workers came through and told me the name of a doctor in Kanab to go to. I looked up the number and called to make an appointment for the next day.
Driving 85 miles to a doctor appointment when you don’t feel good is not so much fun. Finally got there, got seen, got a prescription and got home. I’ve been alternating from sofa to bed and back since then. And percocet has been my special friend. I’m hoping to be feeling better soon. And back to writing here on a more regular basis. Hope that is real soon.
She just gets prettier as the days go by! And look, she is sleeping on the quilt I made for her!
I’m including this in Everything Etsy’s “I Made It!” blog party just because I am so in love with Amelia!
Until today, I had four grandchildren–Michael, Sarah, Spencer, and Owen. Three Fab Grandsons, and one Fab Granddaughter. Every time one of my children and their spouse announced that they would be having a new baby, I always said, “You know if you have a girl, you will have to name her after me!” I never really expected that to happen, but a grandma can ask, right?
This morning, at 12:45 a.m., in a hospital in Maryland, Amelia Summer Gail Parson entered the world. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 13 oz. She is the pride and joy of my son, Seth and his lovely wife, Sarah. And, she shares MY birthday. They called me last night to tell me they were on the way to the hospital. The last time I talked to them was at about 11:45 p.m. Maryland time. Sarah said she was only dilated to 5 cm, so they didn’t expect the baby to arrive any time soon. I told them I had to get up early to go to work, and asked that they just text me, so I would know when I got up whether or not she had been born.
This morning, I called, and Sarah told me Miss Amelia was born just an hour after I last talked to her. She told me there were pictures posted on Facebook, so while I was talking to her, I signed on to look. And that is when I discovered that they HAD named this baby after me. I got so choked up I could barely speak. And my eyes started leaking. My son said that since she was born on my birthday, she had to have my name. Her “middle middle ” name, Gail is my middle name. What a wonderful birthday surprise–not only does she share my birthdate, she shares my name as well!
I have been friends online with Marcie for quite some time. I found out over the winter that she and her husband were going to be working in Kanab, Utah this summer. So, the first time we went down there, I stopped in one of the places that hires workampers and inquired if she worked there, since I couldn’t remember exactly where they would be working.
They didn’t work at that particular location, but the woman who did knew her, because all the workampers who work in Kanab stay at the same RV park. So, I left my business card, and asked that Marcie call me. The next week, she did–they were coming up to the North Rim to see the Grand Canyon, and we made arrangements for them to meet me at my duty station.
It is always so fun to meet the faces behind the online names, and this time was no exception. Marcie was fun, and nice, and just what I expected her to be. She brought along Chris, who I had run into online some, too. She was just as nice and friendly as Marcie. What a treat on a workday to meet such nice people in person!
Before we left Alabama last month, we bought a case of catfish filets to bring with us to the North Rim. I was going to have a fish fry for our friends, but that has not worked out, since we don’t have a place big enough to cook and serve to 15 people. So, I have been making catfish for us about once a week.
I didn’t want to eat fried fish that often (ok, I gained too much weight eating fried catfish 4 times a week over the winter!), so I came up with this recipe:
4 medium catfish filets (any firm white fish will work)
2 bell peppers, sliced up
2 onions,cut in fourths and sliced
2 closed garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add peppers, onion, and garlic, and sautee until they are done to your liking. Add salt and pepper. Move the sauteed veggies to the side. Put the fish filets in the pan, cover with cooked veggies. Turn the heat down, cover the skillet. Cook on medium low heat about 12 mintues, until fish is done. Serve with rice or potatoes.
