Stephen’s Quilt

So I changed my mind again on Stephen’s quilt! Not surprising if you know me :) I really wasn’t liking the idea of such a traditional quilt for a little boy and I found out the quilt needed to be larger so I didn’t want a super time consuming block. Instead I’ll use the block I made to make a little pillow!

I decided to make “Flocked Together” by Sarah Fielke from her book “Quilting From Little Things“. Its a feathered star block with lots of y-seams! (A little scary) The pattern was for a queen so I had to do some quilt math. Kind of difficult even for an engineering major!

Well I figured it out after making a block diagram! I drew the block to scale and then measured everything! I’m wondering if the Quilt Design Tool on Threadbias would do the math for me. Has anyone used this?

I’m loving the fabrics I chose for this quilt! All red, white and blue with a pinch of yellow and green thrown in! The fabrics include Sandy Gervais, Denyse Schmidt’s DSQuilts for JoAnn’s, Maude Ashbury (the awesome jumbo lobster print), a little Kona not sure of the color but I want to say Cobalt, Jack and Lulu “All Hands On Deck” (the little lobsters), and various other prints from JoAnn’s and my local quilt shop!

All the pieces are cut and I’m ready to get started!

Ambition

Around Christmastime last year, I was cozy-ing  up with my aunt and three-year old cousins to watch a movie (Tangled-really good) with my first finished quilt. My aunt was admiring the quilt so I told her I made it. At first she looked shocked but then decided to tell me her son needed a quilt. Apparently, when my little cousins were born, twins a boy and girl, my aunt’s girlfriend made a baby quilt for Ava but not Stephen! I was shocked! Why do you make a quilt for one twin and not the other?  She asked if I would make him a quilt and of course I said yes.

The twins recently turned 4 and will be transitioning to twin beds soon. So I decided I would make a twin size so Stephen can get as much use out of the quilt. Also, since I was shocked by the former quilt makers manners I obviously have to make one for Ava too.

I purchased some beautiful nautical, red and blue themed fabrics without knowing what quilt to make. All I knew was living a block from the beach you should have a beachy quilt! The owner of the quilt shop suggested I buy 501 rotary-cut quilt blocks by Judy Hopkins for its ability of variation. I was flipping through the book and loving all the gorgeous blocks! Aunt Rachel, Fathers’ Choice, Lighthouse, these blocks were magnificent. I couldn’t choose so I decided to make a sampler quilt with each block being a little story. Aunt Rachel because its super close to my moms name, Rachelle. Fathers Choice because the twins were born on Father’s Day. Crown because Stephen means crown. I was on a role picking blocks to tell Stephen’s story. Then I realized this is going to take forever! As much as I love the twins and would spend forever and a day with them I figured I should simplify the quilt so they can cuddle up to them longer! I decided on the Lighthouse block.

I took the time cutting my fabrics, piecing and pressing to sew one simple block 10 in finished. It took me 4 hours to piece 64 pieces for one block! That’s when I changed paths again! I decided to now have a checker board pattern. 2 variations of the lighthouse with a red coral pattern going every other block, solid with some white sashing in between and an outer border in a blue and white stripe! Now I am so pleased and excited to finish this project!

Ava’s quilt will be the same pattern, the Lighthouse checkered with sashing and an outer border BUT with one big difference! Hers will be shades of pinks and tangerine her favorite colors! So they’ll each get their personality stitched in!

And for the backs, I’m hoping to applique a lobster on the back of Stephen’s and use it as my quilt label as well. Still undecided on Ava’s.

This should be a very comfy Christmas!