Sunday, May 15, 2016

bright yet neutral

Another baby to welcome!  The new mama is the daughter of a friend…and my daughter’s friend.   I love when it works out that way! 
I used my Tri Recs ruler and bright solids to make 3” blocks then grouped them together pointing different ways.  I didn’t want to create any patterns here and I love how some of them turned into arrows or diamonds - and some didn't.  The gray background is the popular Essex yarn dyed linen-cotton blend.  I love that it gets softer and softer with each wash.  
I quilted it with these varied “organic” straight line blocks.  I tried hard to not let the quilted blocks line up with the colorful pieced blocks.  Then I switched to monofilament thread and stitched in the ditch outlining each of the colored triangles. 

I had not originally intended to use the ultra thin Quilter’s Dream Cotton request loft batting but ultimately glad I did.  This quilt finished up being very lightweight - easy for Baby to drag around as it gets older.  The back is an Ed Emberley organic cotton print by Cloud 9 that I had in my stash.  (Still available here.)

No wrapping was requested so this one is just rolled & ribboned and ready for gifting.  
(And yes, I washed it after photographing!)
 
I’ll be linking up with Let’s Bee Social.
Have a great week!

23 comments:

  1. Adorable! This will be loved and snuggled for a long time!

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  2. That is one gorgeous baby quilt! Love the color and the quilting is just perfection!

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    1. Thanks so much Jayne! This is my favorite kind of quilting.

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  3. Very, very sweet! I love the look of those solids against the soft grey background. Very modern and fun baby quilt, that I am sure mother and baby will love for years to come!

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    1. Thanks Lorna. And thanks for hosting this fun link-up party!

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  4. Such a darling baby quilt, love the backing fabric.

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    1. Thanks Heide. I've had that backing for awhile but it just never seemed to work. Apparently it was waiting for this quilt. I love it here, too!

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  5. Such a beautiful finish! This looks like a great quilt for if baby's gender is going to be a surprise. I also love the emergent shapes you got from your blocks. :)

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    1. Thanks so much! I love those fun shapes and quilted around them (not each individual triangle) to accentuate them.

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  6. This is just gorgeous! Lucky baby .... I am sure it will be treasured for years to come. I haven't used the Essex Yarn fabric yet but it looks wonderful.

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    1. Thanks Abigail. I like the Essex because it adds texture and I love that it's woven. I'm just noticing that Robert Kaufman also makes a Manchester yarn dyed fabric. I'm now trying to find out how it differs from the Essex. If I do I'll let you know.

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  7. Very fresh, very modern, just perfect for a baby. I am sure it will be received with squeals of joy.
    Preeti.
    http://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com

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    1. Fresh and modern is what I was going for so thanks! The mama loved it and tells me it will work perfectly in the nursery she's creating. I'm happy to hear that as long as it doesn't become a decoration. I want it to be used and loved!

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  8. I always wondered how request would quilt up on a machine. This looks really nice, and I can just imagine the soft drape. Fun way to "wrap" your present. That's some lucky baby.

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    1. Thank you so much. I bought a queen size piece of request loft batting awhile ago because that's all I could find. I cut it up and have used it a few times now. It produces a beautiful drape and softness and I'm always surprised at the "poof". Even with lots of quilting, like here, and after washing!

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  9. The quilt turned out lovely! The backing fabric is perfect and the "wrapping" is just adorable. Great job!

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    1. Thanks Jen. This was the first baby shower I've attended where "no wrapping" was requested on the invite. (The mama is thinking "green"!) I agree that this is a perfect way to "wrap" a quilt and will do it again!

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  10. This is a really nice quilt with cute backing, and I like your idea for the wrapping. It's so pretty, why not have it be right out the in the open, tied with a ribbon! So fun!

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    1. Yes, especially when the "ribbon" is a scrap of fabric! Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. Karen, turned out lovely! What a great idea using the tri-recs ruler and the secondary designs created by rotating the blocks and color placement. And I just love your quilting. I'm sure your quilt will be well loved by mama and baby!

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    1. Thanks so much Paige. One of the reasons I got back into sewing was so when the time came I would be able to make baby quilts for my daughters and their friends. Tis the season! And I'm having so much fun!!!

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  12. Bright colors on neutral background is always successful. Congratulations on the finish of this lovely baby quilt!

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