For the couch

Lately, M has been climbing on to our couch with a book, and promptly asking for a blanket. "My toes are cold!" he'll say, even if we've got a fire going and the room is toasty warm. Who can blame him? Reading while cuddling under a blanket is hard to top. But now that warmer weather is on its way, the thick fleece blankets on our couch will need to be put away. And so, I've decided it's time to make the largest quilt I've made to date: a reading quilt for the couch.

I've always been drawn to beachy, fresh colors, though  you wouldn't know it from the furniture and colors present in our home. I've always loved the idea of white covers for couches, white washed furniture, and fun punches of aqua and greens. Instead, my house is full of brown, dark furniture, partly a result of holding on to our furniture from our student days, and partly a result of wanting something that hides spills and stains well. After all, I do have a toddler.

And then I saw these awesome spreads in the latest Living. LOVE. I have been returning to these layouts again and again to admire the blues, greens, yellows, and touches of orange. Seriously, LOVE.

When I saw the Kumari Garden fabric line, I knew that paired with a healthy dose of white, it would make the perfect summer quilt for our couch. I want to keep it simple, since this is one quilt I actually want to finish sooner rather than later, so we can put it to good use. I'm not following a pattern, and am cutting as I go, which I know is not the fastest way to do this. I'm thinking that if I keep at it, slow and steady, it'll be ready by the time we've got the sun shining through our windows consistently. I'm so ready!

I'm making lots of squares without much of a plan, and I'm thinking that at some point, I'm going to have to start laying them out to see if they look good together. But, for now, I'm just enjoying the cutting, stitching, pressing rhythm of putting a quilt top together.

Stay tuned for the finished quilt. My goal: the first day of Summer!