Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Itchin'

Building a potential palette for Kava's quilt
I've been itchin' to get going on this project. It's one of two baby quilts I'm making for my godkid's babies to come, both due in June. Except, one of the babes decided mid-April was a better time to arrive. Ack! I was thinking I'd have a hard enough time making a sometime-in-June deadline and I hadn't even pulled fabrics when the announcement came. Because the baby was early, he's spending extra time in the hospital (everything ok - just needs to grow a bit before they'll let him go home) so I've got a little breathing space. . .

When I saw this quilt in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine (Nov/Dec 2015 issue), I was drawn to the color palette (the rich golds and teal blues I love) and its manipulation of a standard block to provide a more interesting and asymmetrical design. The maker used ombre fabrics but I could see no reason why my hand-dyes wouldn't work in a similar way. At least, that's the challenge I've set for myself since I will be saving time by not coming up with a design of my own. Why not? Not everything I make has to be an original design (she reminds herself because truly, she sometimes feels guilty when she doesn't).

I would have started on this sooner, such was my excitement about it, but I had those other earlier deadlines of ArtWalk and Slice Quilt and some other things to tend to. And actually, I should work on another small piece for ArtWalk (which hangs mid June). But I am letting my heart have its way for now. The fabrics have been pulled and the cutting has begun!

5 comments:

The Inside Stori said...

Fabulous color selection……this should be a fun project!

Christine Staver said...

I love blue and yellow quilts. Your fabrics are beautiful and the pattern is a fun one. Can't wait to see it when it is pieced so get to work!!!!!

Living to work - working to live said...

Really liking those sunny colours! The seaside I think - all that sand and sea.

Anyway why not use a pattern. A nice simple block. The recipient isn't going to go all quilt police on you is he!

I haven't made a baby quilt for donkeys! The last one I did had appliqué teddies all over it. I wonder if they still have it (the baby must be about 8 now) or if it has been rehomed.

Thanks for your emails btw. Only just getting back into the swing of things and even then I would not say that normal service has been resumed!

xxx

Sherrie Spangler said...

Bright and cheerful! Love it!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Oh, I'm glad you all like these colors. I was a little hesitant, wondering if they were appropriate for a baby quilt. If Sherrie says they are bright and cheerful, then they must surely be!

Hilary - sea and sand, yes that's it! These fabrics do have that feel, and I immediately thought of baby big enough for his first outing to the beach, sitting with his bucket and using a little shovel to fill it with sand. I haven't had the opportunity to make many baby quilts for a long time either and really am out of the loop as to what may be currently popular. Well, this isn't a popularity contest and no - no quilt police should be involved. If nothing else, the quilt will say "me".