Monday, April 7, 2014

Easy as A-B-C Alphabet Baby Blanket

We interrupt all regularly scheduled sewing/quilting/crafting projects for a quick little Alphabet Baby Blanket.



I was going to make a couple of flannel receiving blankets for a family friend who is due soon, but couldn't find anything that appealed to me for a baby boy. I ended up buying something I've never worked with before ... a pre-quilted printed panel. The front is an adorable alphabet print and the back is the border fabric shown on the front. Inside is a light-weight polyester batting, perfect for Phoenix.

Also purchased a yard of light/dark green gingham checked fabric to make my own binding and some dark olive thread. I'm deciding whether I want to round the corners and make the binding on the diagonal or just leave it straight. Either way, this is so cute and so simple. More to come after binding ...

So many projects, never enough time ...

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

New Beginnings - A Wedding and a Signature Quilt

Our baby girl married her sweetheart recently in a beautiful ceremony in our back yard. It was an intimate gathering of 38, including the bride and groom. 



They had a mid-morning ceremony with a brunch reception that included some lovely personal touches provided by family and friends. It was a wonderful day with continuous celebrations in the days before and after.

Rather than have a traditional guest book, we had each guest sign a quilt block that will be made into a signature quilt to commemorate the day. The quilt will be in their wedding colors of ivory and green. I'm planning a king size quilt with a simple layout created in the Quilt Studio app on my iPad. It will be made of 8-1/2" blocks in three fabrics that will resemble a large plaid quilt top.



The medium and dark green fabrics …



The lightest fabric is a solid ivory that each guest signed with a black Pigma Micron 05 pen. I pre-washed the fabric to remove the sizing and help ensure that the signatures are permanent.

We set up a spot on the dining room table where guests could sit and sign. I did write up a set of instructions and included a piece of 8-1/2" card stock to place the fabric block on as well as a piece of card stock with a window cut out to lay over the top. This was to ensure that no one wrote in the seam allowances. Extra fabric squares were provided just in case and a practice square so they could get a feel for the pen. There was also a large piece of cardboard underneath it all to protect the table top.



Here are a few of the personalized blocks …





and one from the youngest attendee …



As I write this, the green fabrics are being pre-washed. I am looking forward to completing this quilt and presenting it to the newlyweds -- eventually -- ready to snuggle under.

A couple more photos taken by my photographer sister …


The Momma and the Baby Girl


The Daddy with the Newlyweds

Love … Love … Love!

So many projects, never enough time ...