Blogger's Quilt Festival

I've been meaning to post my entry to Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival now for a few days, but a few things have been keeping me from sitting down and doing so. The first is a nasty cough that has been keeping the Monkey (and us) from getting any sort of good sleep for the last 3 days. The second is that the delightful spring weather that was upon us last week has vanished, and we've had nothing but gray, rainy skies here. So forgive the photos.

I chose to show this baby quilt, which was the very first quilt top I ever pieced. Two years ago in March, when I was expecting the Monkey, my dear college friend was expecting her little girl. I guess as part of that nesting urge, I decided to take the plunge into quilting, and this was the result.

I had no idea what I was doing... I did use a rotary cutter to cut my pieces, but accuracy was not really something that I had mastered then. I didn't know about 1/4" seams and I'd be surprised if I had consistent seam allowances at all. The seams only match here and there. Since I didn't know anything about quilting yet, I used this awful high-loft poly batting that is stiffer than the cotton batting I use now and doesn't let the quilt drape as naturally. And yet, when I look at this quilt, I don't really obsess over the flaws because it just makes me happy. It feels like sunshine and smiles and all the good things that make us think of babies.

Two years ago, I got as far as basting the quilt top, and then it sat, untouched until this month. My big belly got in the way of quilting it and my friend's little girl came early. But now it's finally done, and I hope that it will be loved and used and played with and that it makes the recipient as happy as it makes me every time I look at it.