So some kee-razy person decided that we need to boil maple sap this season — this wedding season when we, and I use the word “we” advisedly, that is to say, approximately, to mean I, with generous hand-sewing help from others, am on the hook to make a bunch of bridesmaids' dresses — not to mention that suddenly there's yard work to do, what with all the sun.
Thus, I give you a brief interlude regarding a baby quilt. Specifically an adoption quilt, because a baby that comes into a family all unexpectedly (really, six weeks is a fast gestation!) needs a little extra something handmade, don't you think?
I'm not sure why I am featuring a somewhat wrinkled aspect here of this quilt. I think it was just folded up and I didn't really notice, and now it's too late to take another, smoother picture — I gave it away!
You get the idea, though. It's flannel (the light polka-dotted pink side) and printed cotton, with an 80% cotton batting.
For some reason, this rose print just seemed so fitting.
The quilting is big, open stitching using pearl floss, going diagonally across the blanket. I just used masking tape to mark the lines, since the print of the fabric has nothing much to go by. You know. Sometimes the print itself guides you, and you don't have to mark at all. I'm somewhat anti-marking, being hasty and finding most marking methods fiddly.
It goes so quickly with the pearl floss, and with no piecing, you can have a nice baby-sized (about 55″ x 44″) comfy quilt ready in no time.
This time I used real silk ribbon — the first I've ever found, after years of searching — for the binding. The ribbon turned out not to be finished on the edges, so that resulted in a thinner binding than I would have ideally liked, because the edges had to be turned under. With a finished ribbon, you can just sew it on flat. However, the poly satin binding is not very soft.
To strengthen the silk, I put some cotton bias tape underneath. If anything goes awry, whether in wearing or washing, the Mama knows where to bring it for repairs.
I had some coordinating fabric and just enough flannel left over to make two fancy burp cloths, because a girl has to look put together, even when she's burping.
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