Love is a Baby Word

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.

~Yogi Berra

Quilting

Events are superseding quilting. Even with so many calls on my time, I can't quit sewing completely. When I can't sleep, sewing Coins and string soothes me. Lots and lots of columns. Finally I wanted to put one together. 

My original plan was to simply sew a Chinese Coin top but when the first columns fell perpendicularly, they brought letters to mind. That sparked the memory of a sign with VO on the first row and TE on the second. I've always admired four block quilts and wondered what other four letter words might be useful. I started a list. BABY and LOVE tickled my funny bone. They might look good as a quilt.

I spent a couple of days doodling letters on graph paper to see if my idea would work. Some seem to have lots of background. 

The fabrics I pulled for the Coins are pastel, something I don't use much. They've been hanging around for a while and I wanted to use them up. There are a {very} few light solids in my small stash and I knew just where they were. How would a completely pastel baby quilt look?

Love baby quilt

Pretty good. 

Spiral quilting is easy for me now and works so well for a baby quilt. Secretly I enjoy having so few thread ends to bury. But going in circles can make me dizzy. If I take my eye off the stitching line, it won't stay in the right place. So I take frequent breaks to look at things at a distance.  

Spiral quilting in progress

Each of the background solids took about a fat quarter. The leftovers made a narrow border that I I thought might make each letter look like a baby block. Now I'm not so sure the effect works.

Detail of letter V, spiral quilting, and binding

With so many sweet pastels, the binding called for something light but calm. I pulled almost every piece from my stash before hitting on this beige and tan print. 

Back of Love baby quitl

I found a yard of a quiet print with shore birds for the back and increased both directions with a green remnant to make a cross.

Quilt Specifics

Size: 45" x 45"

Design: String quilt

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium Natural Cotton

Thread: Metler fine embroidery cotton thread in yellow

Quilting: Spiral  with walking foot

Approximate yardage: 5.5 yds

It's going to a family friend in time for the baby shower. How lucky is that?

Reading

Over the years I've enjoyed the Maggie Hope mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeil so I've been looking forward to her latest, The Hollywood Spy. Maggie's ex-fiancée, who works creating war films for Walt Disney, asks her to investigate the death of his current fiancé.  After reaching California, Maggie realizes the same problems that engulf Europe are at work here - from racial tension to Nazi infiltration. 

The plot line is good but this is not my favorite book in her series. She's done a tremendous amount of research and I'm looking for some of her reference materials {which are listed at the back} but at times this reads like a check box of famous people and places of the era. 

Monthly FUR (Fabric Use Rate) 

Three more finishes in October used 25 yards. YTD =  149.375 yards. Something about the approaching end of the year always lights a fire for me.

Enjoy the day, Ann