Baby Quilt "Friday!": Flotton!

Baby quilt "Friday" has alluded me for the past several weeks. Since March 13, to be exact. A DIY home project, out-of-town visitors, birthdays, and the very-welcome bustle of springtime have all contributed to the slowdown. But there's just two quilts from The Little Box of Baby Quilts to go on this little journal-journey of mine. Let's see if I can complete the journey before 2010.

Quilt #19. A fun little guy that could easily become a fun little girl with the right color choices. This one's called "Flotton!":

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

As with a few other quilts in the "little box," I tried to make this quilt more complicated than it needed to be. I sketched it 7 or 8 different times before realizing I didn't really need to sketch it at all. Obviously, the blocks are as simple as quilt blocks get--three rectangles. The twist is in the skinny center rectangle. It's not quilter's cotton, it's fleece. So baby gets a little extra-puffy softness in his or her blankee.

There are a few quilts in the collection that are just right for sewing in time for the baby shower--this one and this one come to mind. Oh, and also this one and this one. And I forgot about this one! And then there's "Flotton!"

Hmm. Guess there are quite a few quick quilts in the bunch. When you're making 20 quilts in nine months to the cadence of a fast-approaching deadline, all of the quilts seem "quick." They have to be. Looking back, though, I notice that I kinda dabbled in a little of everything--from fast machine sewing to hand applique; from chain piecing to matching a gazillion points; from silly quilts for the baby to sweeter quilts for the mom. Quite a hodge-podge to choose from.

It's been two years since the "little box" was released. And I think, just now, looking through the quilts posted here, I realized something. Geez. I think I just might have done good.

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

One last quilt to share with you next "Friday." Hope to see you then (whether it's 2009 or 2010).

One year.

This weekend we celebrated Charlie's first birthday. Our closest family, a few pizzas, and a gorgeous star-studded cake (and a smasher cake, too!) made by Charlie's Aunt Nini. All day long I found myself glancing at the clock, trying to remember what was happening exactly one year ago--now I was having mild contractions, now I was having horrible contractions, now I was crying through my contractions, now you were born, now you were two hours, six hours, ten hours old.

And now you are one year old. My sweet Charlie-Barley. One year.

I'm your mama, Charlie. And out of the small circle of people you have gotten to know, I would guess that I just might know you best. After all--with the exception of an hour or two, here and there--I've been with you these 365 days. This year of firsts. First laugh, first cry. First nursing (still nursing). First food ("Mama, I'll eat a whole loaf of bread before I eat that fruit or vegetable, thank you very much.") First sling ride. First outings--the park, the library, the duck pond. Aunt Nini's and Grandpa George's and Uncle Aaron's. First rain, first snow, first flower. First roll, first scoot, and just this month, first crawl. First kisses and hugs. First I love you's. I was here.

I'm still not sure who you are just yet. I'm watching and patiently waiting. But here are a few things I know to be true about you:

When you were this tiny, you liked to sleep. Now? Not so much.

You adore your brother.

Your brother adores you.

You are a gentle soul who likes to explore, play, mimic, and laugh. And you seem to like my quilts.

You'll jump out of my arms and into daddy's for bathtime.

You are lovable, laid-back, and a little shy. Like your daddy. May be too darn cute for your own good. Also like your daddy.

You love birthday cake. Like your mama. May like it too much for your own good. Also like your mama.

Happy first birthday, my little love. I am so glad you have been with us this past year. Our world has only gotten better and brighter with you in it.

On to year two.

Mornings with Mama: Markers

Charlie has discovered the joy of markers. The joy of paper. The joy of colors. The joy of body art.

A little red.

A lot of blue.

And a teeny smidge of purple.

Mama, can I have a bath now?

Yes, peanut. And I want to thank you right here and now for not putting the markers in your mouth. Yet.

ALERT: Jackspeak

Jack continues his lessons on the art of politeness. There are so many. He is exceeding expectations. I am thrilled.

Jack: "So, you can say 'excuse me' when you fart AND you can say 'excuse me' when you need to move somebody, right?"

Me: "Yes, boo! That's exactly right!"

Baby Quilt "Friday!": Watch Me Grow

Welcome back to Baby Quilt "Friday!" A house full of sick little ones and big ones have slowed down the home stretch of finishing this project--posting about all twenty quilts in The Little Box of Baby Quilts. But I'm back. And feeling mighty fine at 80% healthy. It'll do.

This "Friday" features the quilt "Watch Me Grow," a wall-quilt-slash-growth-chart for little ones.

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

For our family, this quilt was a keeper. Meaning that although I made the quilt specifically for the "little box," I always meant for it to end up with us. I've had three paper growth charts and they've all been ripped, torn, or drawn upon. No keep-through-the-years quality to them. This fabric version of a growth chart hangs in the boys' playroom now. And they know better than to rip, tear, or draw upon one of mama's quilts. (Cutting mama's quilts? An entirely different story.)

The quilt is quite simple to make. Whole-cloth background, strip-pieced border, easily appliqued stems, and fuse-and-cut flowers and leaves. There's even a handy little built-in pocket to hold a fabric-friendly pen. The quilt measures children up to five feet in height. I'm doing my best to remember to chart our boys' growth every six months. Should be a lot of writing on this quilt before either of them reach five feet.

I think this would make a great gift quilt for an expecting mom and dad who already have small children. That way, all the kids in the family can have their turn touching their heels to the wall. Ah, yes, that reminds me...

Growth charted.

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

Just two more "Fridays" of baby quilts to go. Next week I'll showcase a very simple quilt I named "Flotton!" Hope to see you back here next "Friday" for the very simple (and silly) explanation of the name.

The story about the quilt in the banner. Up there at the top of this page.

Yes, I'm talking about the sailboat quilt I'm featuring in my blog banner this month. What do you think of it? I really like a lot of things about it. Except for just one little thing. It's that fabric that makes up the background. Let's be nice and call it, um, challenging.

Well, why the hooey did you use it then, Jenny?

If you're asking, I'm telling. There's a story there.

I started attending a monthly humanitarian meeting here in town. We make things for people in far-away countries who need them. Mostly, items for children and for schools. When the leader of the group heard I was a quilter, she asked if I would like to add a little applique to a sailboat-themed panel of fabric she had to make a wall quilt. I said, "Sure!" I envisioned sailboats in calm waves that I could embellish with happy birds and clouds and suns. So I really wasn't expecting this kind of challenge...

This is the panel the very kind leader of the humanitarian group brought to me. Sailboat? Yes.

Upon closer inspection, I realized the image was of a military sailboat. With soldiers. Sailing in a sea of blood. (Is there really a such thing as a military sailboat?)

The group leader gave me a month to work with the panel. I tried to incorporate the sailboat image in a number of ways. Eventually, my solution was to stick with the sailboat theme, but cover up the original sailboat completely. Try and happy it up as best I could.

Sailboats, numbers, waves, stars, moon. Happier.

Happier quilted stars, seen from the back of the quilt.

Happier quilted waves.

Gratuitous close-up. Happier.

I was a little nervous taking the finished quilt to the group leader. When I shyly mentioned that I wasn't sure the military sailboat was quite right for a schoolroom setting, she breathed a sigh of relief. "I hadn't realized those were soldiers on the sailboat!" she said. "We aren't supposed to send anything that has to do with war, or the military, or anything like that. I'm glad you noticed!"

Then I breathed a sigh of relief. Because I (albeit unknowingly) chose the right path for the design, yes. But mostly because she has three more panels of the same fabric. I'm now nearing completion of sailboat wall quilt number two.

Quilters make do. The quilt I came up with may not be heirloom quality, or something anyone would want to replicate. But it might help a child in a far-away country learn to count to five. Learn their colors. I made do, like quilters do. And I'm happier for it.

ALERT: Jackspeak

Time. It is such an important part of our lives. Seconds, minutes, hours. Days, weeks, months, years. Past, present, future. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. I had no idea how much we all rely on time to get through our days. Then I tried to teach the concepts of time to a four-year old. It is not easy.

Jack: "Mom, Luke invited me to his birthday party!"

Me: "Oooh, that sounds like fun. Do you know when it is?"

"Yes. It's the day before . . . no, it's the day after and before this day."

"Huh?"

"And then it's after that day. No, wait. It's the day after the middle day. Look mom, LOOK."

Jack holds up three fingers on his right hand. He points to his middle finger with his left hand.

"It's on THIS day, this day."

"Oh. I see."

"Yep. That's the day! I can't wait."

"I bet. I hope we can make it."