Some of you might remember a guest fat quarter pack that I put together for Sew Mama Sew last winter. In choosing the pieces, I always intended for it to be the beginnings of a quilt for Harper...when he was ready for his own quilt. (His flannel quilt/blanket has loved and warmed him, but was never meant to be his real, true Mama-made quilt.) The quilt bundle has sat (and grown a little bit with a few new pieces added), waiting for the right time in which he was ready for a room or space of his own.
Just recently, that time has come (a little unexpectedly by this Mama who still thinks of him as such a little one), as he moved on into Ezra's room. Ezra who has missed having a roommate since we moved here, loves having someone to read to, play music for, and sing to at night (and someone who doesn't complain when it's the Boxcar Children and Conor Oberst once again). And Harper stands and walks just a little bit taller and 'older' now that he has his own space in which to play, read and sleep (and learn to love vinyl). Both boys are delighted at the change. (And Mama and Papa are both delighted that they're both delighted.)
The pattern is a Chinese coin quilt, though I didn't really follow a pattern (there is, though, a great crib size coin pattern in Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts.) I cut the pieces to both two and three inch lengths, sewed those into strips, and adjusted the sashes to make the size quilt I wanted. The white fabric (sashings and the back) is a wonderfully thick and hearty Moda muslin from Alewives. I used the Nature-fil bamboo batting, which I've used on all of our quilts and like the (thinish) weight that it creates. I used painter's tape, as you saw, to mark the quilting lines - just simple diagonal machine quilting worked well for this, I think. And the binding I made (with this fabric) and applied using the instructions that I always call upon in Denise Schmidt Quilts.
When all was said and done, and the quilt was happily set upon Harper's bed in his new space, I went back to the pile of scraps I had leftover to make a pillow...and the banner over his bed (the banner was made by simply ziz zag stitching the squares to a strip of twill tape).
(Anticipating some other questions....Harper's doll is by Bamboletta. The alphabet cards on the door are from Ida Pearle. His knit blanket I wrote about here. And the instructions for making the bird collage hooks are in Handmade Home.)
Who knew when I was choosing these fabrics over a year ago that they would end up so perfectly fitting into the band-aid colored room in which he was to sleep - and read and dance and play - with his big brother. All I knew is that they reminded me of the late autumn season in which my fourth babe, Harper was born.
And so, with this project complete, and for just a very little while longer until the last babe arrives, I will rest happily at night knowing that all of my babies are tucked peacefully into their beds under a quilt I stitched just for them. And that is a very happy feeling indeed.
