B/W Baby Back

 

The backing fabric I chose for the black/white baby quilt is this great alphabet flannel.

But unfortunately the quilt turned out to be more than a couple inches too wide for the flannel which shrunk up a lot after being washed and dried. I think it was just barely going to work before I preached everything. I always forget how much flannel shrinks.

That meant it was time to do some cutting and rearranging. This is what I came up with. I had four extra HST from the front. I sewed those together and then added a square from the layer cake assortment to the top and bottom. I think it works out pretty well visually. Sure the letters are going two different directions, but that couldn't be helped. I can also write the label on the white part of the HST. I like how the busy black/white print blends in so well with the alphabet flannel.

Now to do some quilt sandwiching.

Sleep, Sleep Through The Night

Here's another recent gift I've made, this time for my newest niece Charlotte!  It's a double flannel blanket, started out at about 1yard and 1/4.  I received one like this and it was one of my favorite gifts I ever received as a new mom.  Just such a handy size and shape for all sorts of situations.  It will get softer and softer every time it gets washed.  I thought this donut hole print was fun and lively.

I was going to stitch words all around the edge, but it felt a little too stiff, so I just stuck to the first part of a e line of a song I used to always sing my boys to sleep with.  "Sleep, Sleep Through The Night".  Nope, they don't remember me singing it to them, so I did when I was asking them and they liked it.

MLK by U2
Sleep, Sleep Through the Night
And may your dreams be realized
If the thundercloud passes rain
So let it rain
Let it rain
Rain on me
So let it be
So let it be

In case you've never heard the song, give a listen, it is not your usual U2 song, and it starts out very very quietly.

First Quilt Finished of 2009

Last year I made my niece a big ol' bed quilt, which was backed with flannel in various colors. Those very colorful flannel scraps were lurking on top of the giant pile on my worktable that was stopping me from starting in on anything new.

I swear they were mocking me and teasing me.

So I sewed them all together and made a quilt out of them.

Hah! So there!
The plaid flannel is from something else, but was also in the same scrap heap. I thought it made a good contrast to the solid-ish colors. The quilt ended up 30x38".

I like how it turned out. Maybe she can drag this one around the house and have the big one on her bed now?

I free-motion quilted it using these new gizmos, Quilt Sew Easy Discs. They work pretty well. Not that much better than my old rubber dotted knit gardening gloves, but somewhat easier than taking gloves on and off to fool with the thread. I'll be trying them again.