In which I talk about things unrelated to my offspring

I don't really consider myself "creative", although I suspect anyone who knows me might disagree with that assessment, given the amount of time I spend doing handwork. I started cross-stitching at six, did various forms of embroidery in high school, picked up crochet a few years ago, and have knitted enthusiastically for two years. I've been sewing a good bit lately, with my beautiful and wondrous new Janome, and started learning to spin a month ago. I do some form of fiber work nearly every night, and almost always have a project within arm's reach.

Yesterday, "fiber creep" took a whole new direction. I signed up for a beginning quilting class, and started cutting and piecing some fabric left over from a tote I made last week. I'm assembling a stacked coin pattern, although I haven't much idea what I will do with it once the piecing is done. I want to make a quilt and bumper set for the Lagniappe's crib, but I can't use this fabric (hot pink floral and stripes, although I'm going to add some brown and either lime or blue) unless it proves to be a girl in a few weeks. Possibly I'll make doll quilts for the girls instead, or pillowcases.

Quilting is an odd thing for me to pick up, in some ways. My personal style, such as it is, trends to the minimalist, not "rustic" in any way. I'm terribly perfectionistic, and I don't like for my finished pieces to look charmingly handmade. Nor am I an art quilter in the making -- I am good at adapting and executing rather than conception, engineering rather than design. Other than the impulse to decorate for the new baby, I'm not sure why I feel like I need to learn to do it. But clearly, I do, so there's nothing for it but to sign up for classes and start fiddling around at home.

If you should be wondering how I'm going to find the time to knit or crochet a blanket and some hats for the Lagniappe, make a quilt and bumper set for it, decorate its nursery, sew myself the maternity skirt I bought fabric for, do a couple A-line dresses for the girls, finish the two pairs of socks and the shawl I'm currently making, and progress on the Christmas knitting (set to include a beaded lace shaw for my MIL), LA LA LA NOT LISTENING.