Finishing the quilt on the car ride. As one does.

Quick note: We’ve posted a new page with the booklists we recommend — it’s under “Library Project” and hooray for having them all in one place!

 

So yes, I was quilting in the car. Luckily I had hours before my turn at the wheel came.

And I didn’t actually finish, but had to put in those last stitches while we were there, while chatting and enjoying the visit before the baptism.

 

Have thread, will travel!

 

This baby quilt concept is brought to you courtesy of the committee of two, myself and Aunt Bridget. She has finally semi-resigned herself, when she’s home, to being dragged on fabric-shopping trips and fulfilling the role of consultant. She definitely helped me tie in the fabrics I loved — the whimsical print (see the little animals??) and the backing.

Good thing she was there, or I would still be swirling around in the maelstrom of fabric choices.

My aim in quilts for kids (my own and my grandchildren and even the occasional non-family member for whom I can muster up the wherewithal to make a quilt, behind as I am — and I wish I could make one for each and every child!) is to make it somewhat portable.

A child should have a quilt that can be thrown on the floor for family movie night in the den —  or over him while he convalesces on the sofa. It could be part of the bedding but also his own little comfort zone wherever he may be.

In theory, it could go to college too, although probably little animals, zoos, cowboys, and cars won’t be choice decor for a dorm, but I simply can’t commit to making a quilt for each stage in the child’s life, because that would be crazy. Right?

FX’s turned out a wee bit larger than this, due to my inability to count up squares. Still, I think it could be dragged.

PJ’s is more suitable for a stroller ride and, of course, covering him in bed if he so chooses. I don’t like to impose decorating choices on people, which is part of what takes me so long to make a quilt!

As usual, and as you might be able to predict based on these complicated musings, my process was not linear.

I wanted the print with the animals to be featured as panels, going right across the quilt top, but got confused when I moved from Plan A to Plan B with the triangles, based on how many I had — because of course I just bought material and THEN figured out what to do with it, since calculating beforehand “takes too much time.”

So I originally planned to have three panels in front, but the eventual evolution of a pinwheel arrangement of the half-square triangles, which I thought was so cute, dwindled the panels down to two, unbeknownst to me.

Yes, the patches have a will of their own.

Thus, left with a stray panel, I decided to migrate it to the back. Which actually, I like.

 

I used red pearl embroidery thread to quilt. That goes fast, which is nice, and looks handsome. (I talk about this kind of quilting in this post about Molly’s baby quilt.)

 

Of course, it’s maybe not making sense on the back, but that’s how that cookie crumbles.

Just two more grandchildren to go, quiltwise! Although you know the flaw in that thinking! Never mind, It’s all good.

Have you made anything lately?