big blocks | a quilt for Zachary

Our friends welcomed their second baby boy over a year ago and I started a quilt for him when his mom Elena was pregnant with him. It wasn't turning out how I wanted it to and I got stuck which doesn't usually happen for me. I usually know what I want to make but this quilt just wasn't working. I put it aside and as the months passed I felt worse and worse that he didn't have a quilt. A couple months ago I found this cute fabric on sale that I thought would make a nice back for a little boy and that helped me get started again. I scrapped the old quilt entirely and pulled new fabrics from my stash based on the backing fabric. I sort of copied a piece of modern art to make the design for the front. It's really simple, just a bunch of blocks, but I liked how I didn't have to cut up the fish print. The top came together quickly and since I already had a backing I was able to finish it up right away. I dropped it off at their house and now Zachary has a quilt so he doesn't have to steal his big brother Benjamin's! 

 

#scrappysummerqal2020 | a quilt for Eliana

I saw this cute quilt some Instagram friends were making this summer and decided to join in. Quilt alongs are always good for me because they keep me on schedule and push me outside of my comfort zone. I loved fussy cutting so many fun fabrics for the centers of the plus sign blocks and I used up tons of low volume scraps for the background. My only regret is that I used an unknown fuchsia solid and it must not have been my usual Kona cotton because it bled in the wash even though I used a color catcher in two separate washes. One of my first quilting friends commented a few times throughout the QAL that she loved the quilt and that made it easy for me to decide who to give it to because she had just had her second baby girl. I know Carole Ann was happy to receive it and Eliana will spend the winter snuggled up!  

tiny tiles II | a quilt for Cecelia

I love this free pattern from Purl Soho and have made it three time so far and I have more squares cut out so I can make a fourth! I'm a little disappointed in this quilt because I didn't realize I used two different whites. Bummer. At least the backing is perfect! 

 

a quilt for Louie

Our friends Jess and Chad were about to welcome their second child and I still hadn't figured out what to make for him. I asked Jess to send some inspo and she told me the room was travel themed. Not much to go on. Luckily, she's not picky and tells me all the time how much she loves every quilt I've ever made so I wasn't worried. I chose a bunch of fabrics, pulling the colors from the Cotton + Steel arrow print, and matched them in pairs. Then I sewed strips and chopped them up and sewed them back together. It was like a big puzzle to make it all fit together, and I ended up making some extra strips at the end because, as usual, the top turned out smaller than I thought it would. I backed it in stars and gingham, quilted a random straight line grid, and made a scrappy binding. I have to admit that I wasn't loving this quilt at first and it took me  a while to feel like it was going to turn out okay. I had actually started making it for a different baby months ago but it felt wrong for him to so I stopped working on it. Once I decided to reimagine it for Jess's baby I was excited about the project and now I'm really happy with how it came out. And the best part is Jess loves it! She even brought it along to their family photos. 

 

treasure jars | a quilt for Emily and Steve

I started making this quilt about four years ago. I individually selected and cut each fabric. Pieced the top. Thought about who I wanted to give it to. Chose the perfect backing fabric for that person (a field of wildflowers reminiscent of the field behind her great uncle's house where she wants to get married some day), and I made the binding. Got stuck because it's such a big quilt and I didn't want to quilt it on my home machine. Also sometimes I feel like I need a reason to give someone a quilt (false! - quilts are always good to give, even if it's just a regular Tuesday) and I didn't have the perfect reason yet. Years pass. Intended recipient meets future husband. I have a reason! Finally figure out how I want to quilt it and actually do it. Decide when I want to give quilt to recipient, now recipients. Intended recipient marries husband. Self-imposed deadline has now passed, alas. Sew the binding on. Decide I don't like the label I made and rip it out. Begin new hand embroidered label. Next self-imposed deadline passes. Finally finish label. Wash and dry quilt so it's squishy and snuggly. Give quilt to my dear friends on a regular Sunday for no reason other than my love for them.