Our extended family had a new addition not too long ago. My second cousin and his wife had a little girl in May, finishing up a series of cousin births that happened within just a few months. I wish I had sent gifts to all of them, but, well, you know how time flies by, and the best intentions fly out the window with the clock and the calendar.
But this cousin, well, this one is attached to us in a different way. It was just over two years ago that my husband donated a kidney to this, my second cousin, being a perfect match. So the birth of their little girl brought us much joy, as my cousin said to my husband, “you had a lot to do with this.”
They recently visited, and we got to hold this sweet baby girl and share their joy. And I got to, finally, give them the blanket I made. Yes, I could have mailed it, but for some reason, me getting to the post office is like Prince Charming battling the thorns to get to Sleeping Beauty. And sometimes I just give up. But they drove the 500 miles to come pick up the blanket. Oh, and to visit.
So, the blanket is now in their hands, and I can share what I made (mostly for me, and partly to show my daughter-who-lives-very-far-away the colors).
The mama of this baby girl had one big request – no pink. So the choosing of the fabric presented a little challenge – something feminine without looking girly. The local fabric shop came to the rescue. One side is a buttery soft voile, the other a cozy and warm flannel. Stitched with right sides together, turned and then stitched the hole closed. It was as easy as a sewing project can be, which is what I needed, but oh, so soft and warm. And look. No pink.