Fractions Quilt

When my husband and I got married, Nana decided to employ the old tradition of making the newlyweds a quilt.  She keeps in mind our home and our personalities and then just "keeps her eyes open" for the perfect quilt pattern and fabric.  

Let me just say, Nana has an eye for fabric.  Really.  It's amazing.  (And she is going to try to get me to take this part out, but it is TRUE, so I'm leaving it in.)

I digress.

First, Nana found "Fractions" by Mountaincreek Creations at her favorite fabric store in Norman, Patchwork Place.  This pattern is just perfect for us.  It has simple, clean lines and is just a little unexpected and different.  Like I said, perfect for us! 

The colors were inspired by nature- golds, greens, and reds.  Colors that remind us of the many places we have called home.  The golds of the aspen trees in the  Colorado Rockies.  The deep hues of Vermont in the fall.  The ripening fields of the Kansas plains.

And the batiks are just a little bit "hippy."  Like me.  : )  

One of my favorite parts of the quilt though is the hand quilting.  Nana used a variegated thread to quilt in a flowing pattern that adds movement to the geometric pattern of the quilt.

  It's beautiful.

Nana likes to hand quilt over the winter.  The quilt sits on her lap and keeps her warm as she sews.  And, thank goodness for speakerphone!  Nana talks to all of her children often (on speakerphone) while her hands are busy.  

This isn't just a quilt for our family.  Instead, it is a quilt of our family.  It reflects our personalities and our many homes.  It is both a centerpiece of our living room and a centerpiece of our family.  And, as I  curl up under it during the winter, I think of how my mom curled up underneath it too while she made it.  When I look at the intricate hand stitching, it reminds me how each stitch was sewn with love.

  

Woodland Creature Quilt

Whenever one of us mamas announces that we are pregnant, the other mamas get to work.  Immediately.

It was no exception when Funky Mama told us the good news that she was expecting her first.  We knew, however, that Funky Mama's baby to be needed something, well, a little funky.  No log cabin quilt for this family! This babe needed a quilt as unique as she would be. (Are you surprised that this baby is a she? If you haven't caught on by now, the mamas seem only able to produce the female variety of babies, which is fine by us - imagine the hand-me-downs!  We'll keep trying though, for the sake of our spouses, to have some baby boys (we'll let you know how it goes!).

Since Funky Mama is truly gifted in the art department, she got to drawing. And, as Nana always does, she got to quilting.

The results?

This lovely Woodland Creatures Quilt.

Not only is the quilt unique, but each square has its own fun personality.  You can almost hear the tweety bird chirping, "hello."  And that fox.  He looks like he is up to something.

As for this little guy...

What does he say to you?

(We'll post more pictures of each of the blocks soon.  However, the Woodland Creatures stayed at home while the mamas are visiting each other.)

How Pink Became My Favorite Color

When I found out I was having a little girl, the first thing I said was, "Are you sure?"  Then, I asked, "How accurate is this sonogram?" After much reassurance from Doc and our sonographer, I finally believed we were having a girl.

It was hard for me to believe at first just because I am not what you would call a girly-girl. Ribbons, bows, frills, and pink were not in my vocabulary.  Once I accepted that we really were having a girl, I started thinking of all the sweet colors we could decorate her room with-- baby yellows, grass greens, sky blues... you get the picture. No pink.

So you can imagine the shock (mine and everyone who knew me) when I decided our sweet little baby girl's room was going to be pastel pink and green!  Nana knew better than to wait for me to change my mind and this quilt was born.

The colors are perfect! Soft pink mixed with light green.  And it's just the perfect touch of old fashioned.  Nana used Gracey's Baby Star for the pattern and the fabrics are a mix of old scraps and new favorites.  

Now that she is here, our sweet baby girl loves to look at the different patterns and colors.

And, as you can see, pink has quickly become my favorite color!