6 month deadline!!!
 

My sister told me today that she's expecting baby #2!!! Then put in a request with an obvious time limit.

I've got to make a quilt for the new baby, and one for her little boy, so that he won't feel so left out when the new baby arrives. She would also like some little crochet jackets, a knitted blanket, a knitted onesie, a quilted onesie/sleep suit...!

There are currently 12 tabs open on my intenet brower, and every colour that could be used for a baby's quilt is on my kitchen table!

She is going to find out the sex, so that will make my colour choices easier - rather than just your neutral purple, green and yellow! She finds out in March, so that leaves me with only 5 months - so I'll have to make sure I have some patterns ready on hand to begin the evening she finds out!

Oh my! That's alot of sewing/knitting/crocheting! At least you could start on the one for the little boy while waiting to find out gender of baby #2. If you have neutral yarn on hand, I think I'd start with the blankets/onsies as well while waiting.

She manipulates you, doesn't she? What a list of demands! Make one quilt for the new baby. Kids need to learn that they are not always the center of attention. Unless you really want to fill her list of "wants". Yawn.

sandy

I am with Sandygirl - Do what you can or what you want to make. The request/list seems a bit overwhelming. Most new Moms would be ecstatic to receive just one of those items. When I do a baby quilt and there is an older sibling, while I agree that the older child needs to learn it is not always about them, I always include a book for the older child.

I have the same kind of problem. My son got engaged in Nov but they don't plan to get married until 2016. My neice got engaged at Christmas but we just found out yesterday that she is getting married THISDecember.

There are several new babies coming in my family this year. Of course all the moms expects a baby quilt. I like making baby quilts so no problem. I have several on hand just needs the boy or girl binding colors. I don't ask for color choices or preference. I make the Bonnie Hunter type baby quilts. They aren't paying me to make them so I don't pay attention to demands. I make the Bonnie Hunter type baby quilts.

I make what I want to make and explain that it is a "tummy time" quilt so it doesn't have to match nursery decor. One group prefers a panel with minimal borders - so I oblige.

The good thing is you have some time. Not a lot but some. If you plan to make the sibling a quilt you could go ahead and start that. IMHO I would not do an intricate pattern but something quick and simple. Also you may want to suggest that she ask others to do some of the other things or you would be happy to teach her. Good luck. I know you feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

I have to agree with Sandygirl, make a quilt OR something for the new baby but don't feel that you have to make EVERYTHING your sister wants.

goodness you are going to be busy with the list of things she asked for from you.

What a nice complement that she knows you do beautiful work.

My niece married a man who had a 6 yr old son. I made one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QbBbg7sny8

for him to open at the shower.
It was easy and it sounds like it was well received.
His situation was a little different, I just wanted him to feel welcome to our family.

You are a very nice sister! This is just my opinion, but I feel like the gendered color theme for girls and boys is a bit tired and heavy handed. Parents get so much of it, and really there are so many great colors for babies.

Yay... a new baby to make a quilt for! I would make what I wanted to make. All the knitting and crochet is time consuming so I might pass on that. An I Spy quilt for the big brother would be great, but if you don't want to do two quilts you could always just bring him a little toy as a gift when you present the baby quilt.

I wonder if you could find a cute panel and work from there. They generally have several colors in the picture part and you could put small blocks around the edges. Or....you could start on the boy's first.

I agree, I've seen some fabulous quilts for babies that didn't have a speck of pink, or blue. There are a lot of contemporary, baby quilt designs that are very easy piecing and offer up some fresh palettes.

~ C

Do what you can at your pace and when you're in the mood to do it.

An easy blanket would be a soft fleece square with hand blanket stitch all around the edges. Made one for my great grandson and his mother loves it. It was light blue ground with white and Aqua circles.

I really don't mind that she's asked me to make these things. My sister's creativity doesn't venture into the world of needle and thread. Her art is confined to paints - she's an amazing artist, but is all fingers and thumbs when it comes my art.

I'm definately liking the idea of an i spy for her eldest.

When the last baby in the family was born, the gender was left as a surprise. By the time she came I was soooo sick of neutral colours! :) So it would be nice this time to get to play with colour.

I made a whole heap of little crochet jackets for her son, but as with babies, they don't wear well. That, and I didn't use pure wool, only because my sister would simply throw them in the washing machine. A pure wool one wouldn't have fitted a doll after that sort of treatment! But the jackets are super easy, only take a few hours to put one together.

I've roped our mother into helping - she's going to attempt to knit the blanket, or pass it across to her neighbour who knits beautifully.

So now its just deciding on patterns for a quilt...

I agree! Make what YOU want to make for the new baby. Maybe make some of the knitted items now, then make the quilts for Christmas or birthdays.

I made this baby quilt from a book panel. There are a lot of panels there that would work for a baby quilt with various settings (alternate with 9 patch, etc.). You could pick one for boy or girl when you find out, or gender neutral theme like animals or alphabet but select complimentary girl or boy fabrics to go with it. This turns out cute but doesn't take much time. Fabric.com has a lot of panels to choose from. I will say, from experience, I never wash panels before I use them, because they frequently are off kilter after being washed and dried, and then are hard to put into a setting like this.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t197496.html

I agree! All could learn a lesson by doing only what you WANT to do. Unless you want to be the doormat for this manipulative-seeming sister. A cute book about a new baby in the family would seem a great choice for the older sibling. Good luck!

Teacup, your Pokey Little Puppy Warm Wishes is such a brilliant idea. The fabric choices are great! I love using soft book panels for quilts.

Sister is a bit needy, isn't she?

You don't OWE her all those things. I would be thrilled to get one of them! Do what you can and forget the rest.

Teacup, your quilt is great and has given me an idea to use 43 neck scarves from the groomer. Retired Pastor/wife have been saving the scarves and I have them to make a quilt and this is just what I will do with all of them. Have been in a dither as to what pattern to use but love making the WW pattern.
Thank you so much for showing your quilt, now I can start making their quilt.

I just don't get why girls get only pink and boys get only blue. I would definitely make something that has all the colors in. The baby doesn't know the difference. It's only for the parents (and other adults) that certain colors are used.

Boy, sister's list of wants sounds a lot like the list my SIL tried to give to me. Her daughter is having baby #2 and she wants me to make a quilt to her specifics, plus many other items....not going to happen. She will get a quilt and some bibs and burppads...not going insane like SIL would like me to. My niece owns her own business and is not hurting for money...besides, what I make her may not be good enough. I had given her something for her first child and she dumped it before leaving the craft show because she didn't like it.

I don't think quilting gem's sister is manipulative or needy and to assume that she is just wrong. We don't know what their relationship is with each other. My guess is quilting gem and her sister get along just fine. My DIL and I are like that, she knows I love to sew and embroider and I welcome her requests for handmade things for herself or the kids. Yes, if I make something for one child I make something for the rest of them. They know they are not the center of the universe and it's not about them. The smile on their faces, the hugs and kisses are all worth it. Besides this is my hobby and I enjoy doing it. Yes, I make items and donate them to different charities but family comes first. I'm always honored when a family member wants me to make something.

WOW. While asking for a baby quilt for baby #2 is not unreasonable, asking for one for her little boy wouldn't be so bad, however, why would you make all her other requests? I know she's your sister, and while you love her, she's expecting far too much from you. I know you want to please your sister, but only do what YOU feel you can and definitely do something simple and easy, especially for the little boy who might just drag it around with him, play with it, and to me that's what I make when I make a baby quilt - I'm not making an heirloom just something to cuddle and use. Does your sister even realize that she's making an unreasonable request of you? Just do what you feel is right for you.

If I were you I would tell her I would do the baby quilt and tell her to get yarn and a crochet hook and come over to learn how to crochet, so she can get the other things she wants done. Let her know you love her, but you are not Montgomery wards who takes a slew of orders. hat is unless you like being put on the spot for all of these things. Also you could give her sewing lessons.

I agree with this recommendation. Your fingers are going to be going nonstop till the baby gets here.

I never make baby quilts out of boy/girl colors. Usually they're scrappy and just squares. And I make they large enough to use for a lap quilt.

Sandygirl, you hit on one of my pet peeves. Since when do all the kids in the family get a gift when one does! We are raising self important kids with no sense of self or self control!!

Wow, your sister is really booking your time. Hope you didn't have anything else planned on your to-do list during this time. I don't know whether I'd be able to put everything else on hold to fulfill her requests. You are a wonderful sister and aunt.

I would be willing to bet that she has given you that list, so you would have a number of choices as to what to make. If you feel you have to do the entire list just start at the top and work your way down. Enjoy the process and truly enjoy your new niece or nephew

SHE WANTS????????? Go for it if you're tough enough. Otherwise give her 2 or 3 choices and that's it.

Adorable---------thanks for the idea!

I know I am going against the tide here, but I'd make a quilt for the older child ONLY. There will be all sorts of baby gifts arriving and nothing will be for him. Not sure of his age, but if an I Spy would entertain him, he's pretty young. *We* know that everything isn't about him, but at his age, all the attention to the baby will be hard to take. Not only that, I'd buy a nice blanket for the young one and let big brother know he gets a quilt because he's bigger. He'll have something special to show when the admiring relatives show up to see the baby.

And I wouldn't be fulfilling any wish lists, either, unless I really wanted to. Aren't the onesies inexpensive to buy, compared to the time to make them? And they are outgrown so quickly.

hugs,
Charlotte

I agree 100%. If she needs that many thing, she ought to be making them herself or shopping for the items. Your time is valuable. Please let her know it gently.