Quilt

Every year I forget the first day of spring feels just like another day of winter. I think it’s worse this year because I”m on mat leave so I am out experiencing the winter day after day with the baby so that i don’t go nuts in my house. Dressing and undressing, stuffing the baby into layer after layer. Salt in the dog’s paws. Mittens, boots and hats. I’m done.

In the absence of a Robin, I’ll take the sure melting of snow as a sign that if i’m patient, the warmer weather of spring will arrive. It’s all got me thinking about new beginnings and all the babies of friends and family who are due this spring.

I’ve just finished crib-sized quilt for a baby boy who will be arriving in June. After greedily making item after item in girlie prints, I have to say I was super excited about doing a project for a little boy. I love these prints from Birch Fabrics and couldn’t wait for an excuse to buy them.

This ended up being a super fast project and i’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I am still struggling with my backing shifting during quilting despite pinning the damn thing up like armor. I think it’s time to try that spray baste stuff that I thought was only for serious quilters. Turns out it might just be for people who don’t want to swear at their work with every pass down the fabric.

Here’s how it turned out:

I like things simple and beautiful. I love colour and texture. I love the feel of washed and dried cotton that has shrunk just a little bit, making quilts feel wonderful. I admire the powerful motor of my little sewing machine. I’m not afraid to take on a big project (or 3 ) while sitting in front of it. I know when I’ve produced a finished product I should be proud of. And I definitely find it difficult to accept a compliment.

It is perhaps this last point that has led me to start this blog. I needed a place to showcase all of the work that I’ve done- the good, the bad, and the “wow-that-is-never-going-to-fit” work. I need this space not for other people ( although I welcome feedback and comments of course!) but for myself. I’ve always been an over-achiever and rarely take time to reflect back on all that I accomplish-and when I do, I usually find myself down-playing its significance.

Using this blog, I will document the work I do ( primarily for my little shop named Fawn and Joey), and try to celebrate all the richness these finished products bring to my life.