Baby Quilt Mania

As two co-workers are shortly due, I simply must fly to get their baby quilts done. E. is due first, actually on Palm Sunday apropos as she is a preacher. What date could be more fitting for her first child's birth than one of the holiest days of the year. I have all the pieces cut out and am almost done with their piecing. It's the curse of cute tiny quilts. All those little pieces that will make this baby quilt adorable.

So its, been a little while since I started this.  E's baby actually came second as K. wound up going into labor first.  Even better she waited until after Easter Sunday.  Now as I am just passing their second birthdays still working on their quilts.  E's quilt is almost done, I'm just working on hand quilting it, and am so darn close to finishing.  Then its only three more for the other work colleagues who have had their children &/or are pregnant right now.

Close up of center

All laid out

Here are a few pics of her quilt from when I laid it out to sew.
Can you find the few that are mislaid?  While, I didn't find them before I sewed it all together, it just really emphasizes the homemade nature of the quilt. It also doesn't help my timeline that I've been hand quilting this one, a heart in each of the tan squares.

Part of the problem is that I like to design the quilt so much, but the actual follow through & quilting is not my favorite.  So I like to create an original design for each kid, thus I wind up spending time on that and not finishing up the quilt as I should.

Quilting Break

So its kind of nuts how long its been since I've had a chance to do some quilting.

I've been struggling to find the time, in between the changes in work that have increased my responsibilities & stresses and that I started going to the gym.  I would say its been at least six months, if not more for anything outside of some EPP on my grandmother's flower garden.

Test Block w/ sashing on 2 sides

So while I had a little staycation the last few days, I've been able to get some quilting done. I had to do a test block (pictured here) on W's wedding quilt to double check that my math was right. It's been so long that I was really questioning that it was right.  And what do you know, it was all right.  It was just a reaffirmation that I should stop doubting myself and trust that I know what I'm doing.  I love that I've gotten to do some test blocks, it will really let me RD the quilting for the overall quilt.

Since the design of the block, I've wound up going a different direction. The construction is easier, as a log cabin style block put on point; instead of the original design which involved paper piecing.  W. wanted her quilt to be made of kona solids in her wedding colors, the equivalent of coal and bright pink. Although I really liked it done with the batiks & color shifts in the original version of the quilt design, its her quilt and I want her to love it.

Piecing stack

I've really enjoyed getting back to quilting, and need to start making time for it again.