February 18, 2016

There will be love and warmth


I made this quilt for our friends' baby. I thought it would be finished and arrive on their doorstep weeks before he was due, but he couldn't wait to see the world and arrived much earlier than expected. Now I hope he will be home before the quilt gets there.

My design for this quilt was inspired by the fanfare baby blanket that I somehow discovered via Made By Rae. It is a simple design, but a chance to choose fun fabrics and colors. Unlike a quilt for a larger bed, a baby quilt doesn't have to have a timeless pattern or last forever. The design can be simple or more detailed because is it is a very manageable size. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get point of each triangle perfectly shaped and I didn't, but I am still happy with the way the quilt turned out. I especially love the lines of hand quilting in between the sections of triangles.



It means a lot to me to give things that have been handmade with care, even if every corner is not completely perfect. Baby quilts will be dragged around, washed repeatedly, and, hopefully, loved until they are worn and threadbare. I can't help but think of the way this is connected to parenting: you do your best, it won't be perfect, but there will be abundant love and warmth.

The quilt I made for Amos before he was born was used as a play mat for several months. He's slept  under it most nights for the past year or more. I have mended the frayed seams and I look forward to making him another quilt when he needs one to cover a bigger bed. Now, I am searching for inspiration or a pattern that I am excited about because I need to make another quilt very soon for our baby who will be here in a couple of months.




2 comments:

  1. I think this quilt is absolutely gorgeous, Anna. Any imperfections only add to the charm and I can't help but feel a little in awe as quilting continues to intimidate me. Out of all the handmade items given to a child there is something so beautiful and special and intimate about gifting a quilt. As you say, it gets played upon, carried around, cuddled for comfort and slept beneath for warmth. It really is a gift of love xo

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    1. Thanks Xan! I hope you don't feel intimidated by quilting for too long. I mostly make it up as I go along and since you have plenty of hand stitching experience, hand quilting might be fun, too!

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