Baby Quilt "Friday!": Checkerboard Game Quilt

Hey, it's "Friday!" Time for another story about a quilt from The Little Box of Baby Quilts. Last "Friday" I posted about the quilt "Sad Days, Hippie Days." I reread my post a few days later and noticed that I shared almost nothing about the quilt. I just shared a whole bunch of stuff about my husband. Funny how quilts, once they are made, become less about how you made them and more about the people who inspired them. I think that's what makes quilts so unique. The stitched-in stories. 

But for our purposes this week, I'll get back to telling a "story" about how this quilt came about, called "Checkerboard Game Quilt."

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

Truth be told, the idea for this quilt was stolen by me from my sister-in-law. Kind of. She had received a knitted blanket featuring a checkerboard pattern as a Christmas gift. I wanted to make a baby quilt that also had a function for older children. The idea fit right into my quest.

The quilt design itself is nothing new; a simple checkerboard pattern in contrasting colors. (Although machine quilter Cheryl Brown did a wonderful job of quilting the word "CHECKERS" on each blue border. So cool.) It's the checkerboard game pieces that are kind of different and fun. Rice and buttons and a bit of raw-edge sewing. Surprisingly durable. And, with the four-year-old at the helm, surprisingly versatile. We used them for a hula-hoop toss game at Jack's birthday party. And we regularly employ them in counting, stacking, and patterning games, and as general mess makers that are easy to clean up. And as indoor flying saucers. 

Oh, yes, I almost forgot--we are learning to use them as checkers, too.

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

Next "Friday" comes the most traditional quilt in the bunch of 20 from the "little box." It's called "Hugs and Kisses." Once I finished it, I realized how much easier I could have made it. Pooh. Me and tradition aren't the best of friends. We're more like awkward coworkers who wander into the same corner at the same time at the annual Christmas party. We've seen each other around, but beyond that there ain't much to say. 

I think I really need to find her cubicle. You know, for next time. Head on over, say hi, introduce myself. Start a friendly conversation. Charm her. Try to get her to remember me. So next time I won't end up feeling like a quilting idiot.

Yes yes yes. It's settled. I must properly meet her. I'll put it on my to-do list.