Baby quilt top
Before you think I'm totally slacking off, let me state that I am indeed working diligently on a term paper this week, not sewing. I actually did this piecing and sewing within days of this quilt kit arriving in the mail back in February, but I wasn't able to photograph it in my dark winter house. Now that spring is here, I realized I could pull out the quilt top, hang it on the line, and show it (off) to you! 
It took me a few tries to arrange the squares in a pleasing way. The kit included 64 cut squares, which I spread out and moved around and around and around. I'm happy with the outcome, expecially because this is my first attempt at making a quilt. With all the squares involving white, pink, and/or red, it was not always easy for me to decide on a square's "value"; in general, I tried to alternate light and dark. Now that I look at it all put together, I can see two or three squares that I'd like to move, but I think it works overall. 
I only swapped out two of the squares, since the fabrics included were pretty awesome. But years ago I'd thrifted a piece of really fun pink fabric with a print of little boys and girls baking, and I thought, what better place to use some of it than in a baby quilt? So I cut two squares of it and replaced two kit squares that I wasn't in love with. The quilt back is a piece of pink-and-white striped cotton, and the binding is red with tiny white polka dots. I'm planning to machine quilt, just because when I get around to working on it, I'll be impatient. (Although looking at the purl bee tutorials comparing hand- and machine-quilting -- part 1: cutting, part 2: piecing, part 3: quilting -- is actually tempting me to do it by hand.)
In case I didn't explain this before, I'm not making this baby quilt for any particular baby; I just thought it would be a good, manageable size for a first quilt, and I like the colours and fabrics.
I read so many blog posts over the weekend praising the sunshine! It's so great to feel this huge collective love of spring, from all of us who have been waiting for it for sooo long. It's 23 degrees here today, and the forecast is for 24! (This means that I'm very happy, and I have nothing to wear.)
20 comments:
You beat me to the quilting punch! I am hoping that my fabric stash reorg will inspire quilting as I have many ideas in that direction. Thanks for the pretty pictures and the kick in the butt!
Oh that is SO sweet. I think you need to make a La Brainy sized quilt next so I can quilt vicariously.
That is a pretty quilt. And it is nice that you have been bitten by the quilting bug. And if you want to hand quilt it, you can use a perle cotton in a pale or dark pink and make it look like a homespun style. This way your stitches will not matter that they are not all the same size. And it is the perfect size for Mookie.
Small is such a good size to start with. When I get some time, those quilting books on my shelf are going to replace the school books.
Your little quilt looks great! Isn't the spring weather so uplifting - I am loving the sun as well. :)
Very cute!
Oh, the cute. I have big plans for this sort of thing once my dissertation is completed at the end of May. If I have any brain cells left.
What a darling quilt! I have some lovely fabric and some great quilting books, but no time at all to sit and sew. Perhaps this summer. And perhaps i can remember how to spell my name this time. ;)
That looks great, is it hard to do?
That turned out so beautifully! I think you did a wonderful job sorting out the squares -- that would be tough!
looks good dude!
I think you did a great job! Enjoy the weather - if you can write outside, that is. ;)
oh, it's beautiful, Alison! well done :) pink & red is such a brilliant combination, isn't it?!
Quilting?! I never knew! I love the colors, and the clean and simple squares. Very elegant.
Your quilt top looks gorgeous! I love the red/pink combo.
Good luck with the term paper.
That is very very cool!
Cute quilt! I love the colors and the way you arranged them. Finally got me to delurk ;)
Ooooh. It's boo-ful. And I've seen enough first quilts to know that yours is incredibly, amazingly square. Most I've seen are pretty wonky. I'm told that making the squares all add up to one big square is REALLY hard. So triple congrats. It's so beautiful, I'd consider having another baby just to get it as a gift. HA! Love the quilt, but love sanity more. I'll just come look at the picture now and again.
It's just darling! I love the way you placed your pieces - it works!
Great colors and I love the scrappy look. I wish we had your sunshine. Last night we had a thunderstorm w/snow, rain, sleet mix which coated everything with a layer of ice and made a nice base for the 8-10" of snow that have fallen today (w/high winds causing whiteout and 2-3 ft drifts). Ahh- springtime in the Colorado Rockies!!
PS- Make 2 more small (4 patch) blocks. You can hand quilt one and machine the other and see which you like better, then use your samples as hot pads.
Post a Comment