On the same day as I started a baby quilt for a friend who is expecting, my mother in law came over with a glorious bounty from her garden.
The baby's gender shall remain a mystery until the blessed day, which of course sends us baby quilt making people into a tizzy, does it not? For me, when a friend announces that she is with child, the first thing that swirls around my head is a baby quilt! We wait with bated breath until that 4 month ultrasound reveals the gender and then as soon as we know, we head off to the quilt shop with boy fabric or girl fabric in our heads. It literally makes me giddy. I love making little baby quilts. I get to indulge in the sweetest, pinkest, girliest fabric on the planet. Or with just teeniest less enthusiasm, I am on the hunt for vintage train or stripes, or Jack Russell Terrier fabric for the boy. So when I realize that gender neutral is the way to go, I am a deer in the headlights. Polka dots? Too girly for a boy? Blue/green, to boyish for a girl? Yellow, too obvious? Purple, too kooky? If there is a print that has a hint of even magenta and the baby turns out a male, will the father secretly fear for the boys masculinity? Such are the worries of the baby quilt maker. I love making them just the same. Especially since I make purses all the time, it is such a treat to stop and indulge in my favorite craft of all. A baby quilt is small, manageable, instantly satisfying and I can usually piece the top in one afternoon. This particular quilt I started at noon, and had it basted by Liv's bedtime. I will show the final product when it is complete, but here is a pic of the fabrics all together. Oh, and it is gender neutral. I hope.
The main print is by Kaffe Fassett, and it's called "Planets" I beleive. They remind me of oblong Everlasting Gobstoppers. The background is dark plum. I am now wishing I incorporated orange in my coordinating fabrics, but I was kind of overwhelmed and overly influenced by the nice quilt shop lady (who by that point was sick of me wandering around the shop muttering to myself, and pulling every other bolt of fabric from the shelves.)
So with the thought of babies swirling around my head, my Mother in Law arrives with beautiful fresh peas from her garden. Here she is with Liv shelling them on the back deck. How perfect. Liv is delighted by a pod bearing a motherlode of 9 peas.
Understandably, I couldn't get this crazy image out of my head.
love quilts! about time you got involved with crafting. does your daughter generally over-react like that?
Posted by: crafty jeff | July 10, 2008 at 11:29 AM
awww babies, I am so clucky. You would think 3 is enough but no, there are more quilts to be made lol Can't wait to see your finished baby quilt!
Posted by: Katie | July 10, 2008 at 02:22 PM
I can't wait to see what you do with these fabrics -- and I am SO impressed that you accomplished so much in so little time.
Okay, I thought I was the only one who wandered endlessly in the fabric store! Everyone else comes and goes and I'm still thinking. Really . . .
Posted by: Jana | July 10, 2008 at 06:00 PM
ummmm fresh peas. I bet they had a ball shelling them. Those fabrics will make a gorgeous (gender neutral) baby quilt. Can't wait to see it finished.
Posted by: Cora | July 13, 2008 at 04:53 AM
Looking forward to seeing what you do with that great selection of fabrics!
Posted by: Wendy | July 15, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Oh how pretty!! You are so kind to do that for expecting moms!!! Do you make and sell?? I am an expecting mom and am interested!!! :)
Posted by: Alicia McElrath | July 15, 2008 at 02:54 PM
Oh how pretty!! You are so kind to do that for expecting moms!!! Do you make and sell?? I am an expecting mom and am interested!!! :)
Posted by: Alicia McElrath | July 15, 2008 at 02:54 PM
That photo of your daughter in awe of the peas is hilarious! Aren't Anne Geddes photos weird? I used to think they were so much fun when I was a kid, now seeing them again makes me wonder how she can get all those babies to sit still without going crazy! haha...Can't wait to see your quilt!
Posted by: elliebelle | July 16, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Making baby quilts is my favorite too! I love you fabric choices!!! I've had people tell me that they make some up ahead of time so they have the "right" sex colors, but I love making one just for the particular baby who is on the way. and that pea picture is wonderful!
Posted by: Mare | July 25, 2008 at 06:32 AM
I too love to make baby quilts for the expecting mothers in my life. Good luck with the color choices!
Posted by: perched on a whim | July 28, 2008 at 06:21 AM
i love quilts too! those fabrics look great together, i'm sure the finished quilt will be beautiful!
Posted by: Karin | August 01, 2008 at 12:26 AM
I have 3 baby quilts in my immediate future, and only 1 baby's gender is known. I'm beyond a tozzy, having to make 2 gender neutral quilts at once! but I'm inspired by you!
Posted by: Samantha | August 01, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Wow!! You've so eloquently summarized the thoughts that swirl through my mind whenever I hear that a friend or relative is having a baby. My family thinks I'm nuts to fret so much about every baby quilt I make, but they're such special projects! I counted down the days until my SIL's sonogram, then happily placed a big order with Sew Mama Sew as soon as I heard the news. (It's a boy. I went with Cake Rock Beach.)
Posted by: Amy | August 05, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Fresh peas are the best! Looking at that photo brings back lots of good memories of picking peas with my family.
Posted by: munchkinsandmusic | August 07, 2008 at 06:48 PM
nice web
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nice web
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Posted by: JuLo | September 02, 2008 at 11:49 PM
This gives me quite a few ideas, thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Agnis Franklin | October 26, 2009 at 11:04 AM