This is the little blue baby quilt I've been working on. As I mentioned in my last post, my original color scheme didn't work out because the lime green I wanted to use turned into a ferocious NEON green when it sat next to these blues. I wish I could understand why or how colors do things like that.
Here's a close-up of some of the blocks. I'm trying for something soothing here; I'm hoping the monochromatic color scheme is helping to achieve that. I'm going to float this center panel with a narrow white border (Kona snow, my favorite white!) and then add a border row of on-point squares around that. I have a very soft yellow that I might try to use as a narrow border beyond that, but I'm not sure if that will work with all those blues. I have lots of all the fabric left, so I'll keep experimenting until I find something I'm pleased with.
I would like to back it with a flannel to make it extra snuggly. Has anyone out there used flannel as a backing? I've only worked with it once and I hated it because it frayed so easily. And shrinking was a major issue. But for a backing? Fraying wouldn't really be an issue with that, I hope. I'd welcome any advice. If I do decide to hand quilt, has anyone had any experience with that?
These little nine patches went together so easily; it was a joy to work with them. I can't think why I don't use them more often.
I'm making this quilt for a friend of mine who had a very premature baby boy just a month ago. He is still in the hospital, but doing well and gaining weight, so we're all hoping for the best for him.
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This is our last week of school. I can't believe I am able to say that! It seems as if this year has just flown by. Three of my very dear friends at school are retiring this year, so in many ways this year's last weeks are bittersweet. The turnover for teachers at our school is very low, so we've all become very close over the years. On the other hand, the retirees are definitely looking forward to some rest and relaxation so I'm happy for them.
12 comments:
My last day is tomorrow! Yee HA! Unfortunately, I volunteered to work at camp. What a mistake! Enjoy your summer.
Flannel - I used a good quality quilt flannel (top and bottom) - machine pieced and machine quilted. When one of us feels poorly, it is the first quilt we reach for (and there are lots to choose from :-)
It has been laundered and just gets softer and softer. We love it.
Enjoy your summer break!
I love the Kona snow with the pastels and the 30's reproductions. Soft yellow should be a perfect accent with blue.
I've never done it myself, but I bet if you ever have the chance to take a color theory class you would really enjoy it. There IS a science to it and it can be learned. I'm working on a dog quilt and the grassy green print I used for the sashing made the browns of the dogs all look very greenish but I didn't have it in me to take it out and do it over again....
Last day at our school is 6/13 and I just hope we all make it. Our head of school is retiring and really is looking forward to it, but I know he'll miss us come September!
Hello from Norway
Lovley quilt and nice color:-)
Have a great weekend:-))
This is pretty. I always like monochrome quilts. I've used flannel for a back several times. It's fine unless you are going to free motion quilt on a regular machine. If you do that, there's a sort of velcro effect that makes it hard to move the quilt.
Diana, Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog so I could find you. I spent way too much time cruising your blog and looking at all your quilts. Fabulous! As for the flannel, if you use quality quilt flannel it makes a wonderful back especially for little ones. I found it easy to quilt and no fraying.
This baby quilt is looking lovely! I'd be interested to see how it will look with a yellow border - not sure how it would work, but sounds like a fun experiment! Funny how colours change when they play with each other - we had some colour theory in art class in high school, and some of the strange effect that appeared is hard to believe before you see them.
Hope you have a great weekend!
The baby quilt is lovely!
Kind regards,
Sonnja & Beertje Zonn
from the Netherlands
I am with Anne Ida, it will be interesting to see this quilt with a yellow border.
That's just lovely for a wee baby boy. Try the yellow and if you like -good - if not some more blue would be fine.
The baby quilt looks gorgeous! The only problem with squares on point is the bias stretch, but you seem to have handled that very well! As to hand quilting, unless you want to enter the quilt for a competition, I suggest basting it well, and then just quilting it in your lap (ie. without a frame) in the ditch with the 9-patches and a motif (heart or floral/circle type) in the white squares.
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