A little bit of a surprise project that I worked on for the holidays - a quilt for Calvin.
While the quilt was started several years ago, it has sat in progress for most of that time. I'd take it out once in a while and add a strip, or remove one - never really making a whole lot of progress. It took me all this time to really know what I really wanted to do with it (which is, of course, the challenge of beginning to sew something without an end plan in mind. Hmn - not the best quilting strategy, perhaps).
But, all's well that ends well, and eventually, I figured it out. The last time I pulled it off the shelf for a look in early December, I realized how perfectly suited it was as is - in all of it's simplicity - for my boy. It's clear and bold - just like him. The prints of 'nature' and 'baseball' are so very suited. And red? His favorite color. (And he loves stripes just like his Mama!) All of these prints were on my shelves - so many of them are pieces of fabric I've used in other projects - many for him, even.
So a push was made for it to be finished and wrapped up under the tree. The construction is really as simple as it gets - large strips pieced together (various red prints with a whole lot of white Kona cotton - it feels so good), all machine quilted, and a simple hand stitched binding that took a bit of time, but time I really loved spending on it (I love that last slow step in the making of a quilt).
{Goodness, I do miss that blue wall for photographs!}
He was gracious and grateful, my sweet boy. My sweet boy who's about to turn nine in a few weeks. (But I can't talk about that because I'll get very sentimental very fast. Nine? Nine. Goodness.) I am so happy to report that with the completion of this project, Calvin will now be joining Ezra and Adelaide in their Mama-made quilts, and this sewing Mama can breathe a little bit happier (wink, wink), when I tuck them into bed at night. (One more quilt to go!)
I'm so happy to have it off the shelves and on his bed, or in 'his world' on the top bunk - covered in stuffed animals, tracking books, field journals , a flashlight, and likely a few poky pencils too. (and who knows what else!). The very spot from which he staged this special photo just for you. Silly boy.
