Baby Quilt Friday!: Elementary!

Yes--it's yet another edition of Baby Quilt Friday. On Sunday. Sorry.

This week's look at quilts from The Little Box of Baby Quilts turns to my quilt called "Elementary!," here:

 
From The Little Box of Baby Quilts, copyright 2007 Jenny Wilding Cardon/That Patchwork Place. Machine quilted by Cheryl Brown.

I gave away the original "Elementary!" quilt in a post a few months ago to celebrate my one-year blogiversary. As you can see here, she went to the perfect home. I'm so darned happy about that.

As with several of the quilts in the "little box," I had a quick-and-easy theme in mind for this quilt. Why? Because I've been there. You get the baby-shower invite in the mail. "How wonderful!" you think to yourself. "I'll make a quilt for that fabulous baby on the way." The shower is in three weeks. No problem, you chuckle to yourself--baby quilts are teeny. Just a few blocks. Not like a twin or a queen, or even a throw. Easy peasy, George and Weezy. Right?

Fast forward two weeks. You picked out some fantastic fabrics from your stash. You added to those fabrics during your weekly stock-up trip at the quilt shop last week. Still, not a selvage cut, not a seam sewn. Pop machine quilting into the mix and you're down to two options. Find a super-simple pattern and GET GOING. Or make that trip to Babies 'R Us to buy what so many babies already have. Nothing wrong with option two. But you wanted to do something special.

Quilt in a week, quilt in a day (c'mon, WHAT?). You're wishing quilt in an hour and quilt in a minute had been invented. Option two is looking like the easy way out. But you press on (and cut on, and sew on) to achieve the nearly impossible. When all is said and done, you DID finish it. The baby soon to be born WILL have that cuddly, cozy, something very special from you. But do you think Baby really wanted your blood, sweat, and tears all over that quilt--literally? You breathe a sigh of relief about making the deadline and vow that next time, you'll give yourself more time.

Yep, I've been through it. Done it. Hated it. That's why there are so many rated-"E"-for-easy quilts in the "little box." Not sayin' you can go from first cut in the fabric to last stitch on the binding in one day. Nope. But a week or two? No problem.

"Elementary!" is just about as easy as they come. Four colors, strip piecing, iron-on lettering. And the quilt will last that baby until kindergarden at least, both in theme and in size. Unless, of course, it gets loved to shreds first. Which is what any quilter really wants, isn't it?

You can see more quilts from the "little box" here, watch a video about it here, and read more about each quilt here.

I have no idea which quilt I'm posting about this Friday--yes, this FRIDAY, I hope. Please excuse me while I go and catch up on my life. I am running quite a bit behind.