This is the baby quilt I made for Cameron.
It was during my green & blue stage. I was so drawn to chartreuse when I was pregnant with him. I found the pattern at an adorable quilt shop in Brigham City. I was in love as soon as I saw it. I didn't know what I was having yet, but I knew I would be using this pattern for sure.
After I had an ultrasound and learned we were having a boy, I began to collect fabric. I was very particular while choosing and I remember putting so much thought into every piece. I added the sashing and corner squares, they weren't part of the original pattern. And speaking of the pattern, I clearly remember cursing the ultra-lame instructions that weren't very good. This was definitely NOT a beginner quilt. I had to totally modify the yellow starburst pieces to make the block work. No offense to the pattern creator, but this was truly one of the WORST patterns I had ever tried to work with. And when it was all said and done, probably the second-most difficult and time consuming quilt I have ever made. Sixty degree angles are a you-know-what! I finished the top before Cameron was born and began to hand quilt it.
Stupidest decision ever.
After quilting about a third of the quilt, (which took me over a year....) I finally came to my senses, took out the hand quilting and begged Kellie (actually, she had been offering all along....I was just reluctant to tear out all my hard work!) to machine quilt it for me so I could actually finish it before Cameron's high school graduation. Within just days, the quilting was done, and the quilt was bound and finished. Cameron was about two years old. I was expecting Connor within just a couple months and was determined to not have a baby quilt back log. I can't honestly say it is Cameron's favorite quilt and he drags it around everywhere, but he does use it and even now, I just love looking at it and feel a sense of real accomplishment at having persevered until it was completed. So. I ask you now. Was I justified in screaming obscenities and having a crying fit that almost mad me puke when i saw...............
THIS:
I went downstairs to switch over laundry and smelled something horribly wrong.
Bleach.
I don't even use chlorine bleach in my regular laundry. I had pulled it out to make a sanitizing solution to combat the blight on my brand-new Mother's Day tree (that's another story....) and asked one of the kids to put the bottle back downstairs under the folding table.
I have NO IDEA how the bleach leaked onto the floor.
I have NO IDEA how the quilt made it's way 15 feet from the laundry pile to it's fateful spot behind the chair that sits next to the folding table.
I have NO IDEA WHY of all the laundry down in the pile the ONE THING that would make me the most ILL at having been RUINED is the ONLY THING that soaked up two cups of STRAIGHT BLEACH!!!!!!!
I was devastated. My kids were utterly shocked and confused at my reaction. I won't even blame it on my hormonal state. My mourning was legit. It didn't help that Jason treated me like I was crying over burnt cookies, but that is neither here nor there. My kids did spend the rest of the night trying to console me as best they could.
So. Now I am left with a decision:
Do I leave the quilt as is and hope that my pain will fade over time (it won't....) so that every time I look at it I don't relive the horrible moment when reality sunk in?
OR:
Do I pack the quilt away so my devastation is not relived on a daily basis? Only to come across it at a later date and begin my mourning anew?
OR:
Do I painstakingly pick apart the beautiful quilting and relive the frustration of piecing a nightmare to replace the two and a half ruined blocks, along with the sashing, two borders and binding, then prevail upon my friend to re-quilt just so I can have peace of mind?
What say you?
Watched some flame-throwing. (how do those balloons not burn?)
Enjoyed lift-off.
Got excited about lift-off.
Looked up. A lot.
Got tired. And hungry. (Apparently waking up at five makes you think you have to eat breakfast at 6:45)
Learned that size does matter.
Baked a cake.
Finally saw Star Trek. (It. Was. The. BEST!)
Talked someone into taking my picture.
Saw some star spangled sprinkles.
Slid down a slide.
Got a little Dutch with the ovens.
Got a wedgie.
Held hands.
All the way down.
Had some alone time.
Formed some flaggy fruit.
Took a ride in a wagon.
Met some new friends.
Laughed with some old friends.
Ate the cake.
I'm not even really sure.......
Created art.
And lived it up at the light show.
