Twenty-seven months ago I found out I was going to be a Nana for the fourth time. The magic of that news set my imagination in motion. Instantly I knew I just had to make that little person a quilt of their very own. Whether this human was male or female was way too early to know. Since I didn’t want to make a quilt using gender neutral colors I decided to wait to begin my project until we knew the sex of the baby.
Shopping for fabric is one of the many enjoyable tasks associated with making a quilt. Joining me on that adventure was my pregnant daughter. Together we hand-picked each and every color. The pattern called Cathedral by Villa Rosa Designs asks for two 2 1/2″ strips of twenty different fabrics plus another fabric for the center of each of the rectangles and one more for the background. Stacked on their sides, twenty bolts of fabric is one tall tower of material.
Finding all that fabric meant we spent a great deal of time circling the store looking for just the right specimens. Thankfully we were able to locate everything we needed to complete the quilt top in just one store. The fabric for the binding and the backing was left for another time. Not having purchased those right away allowed me the opportunity to add a bit of surprise to the quilt.
Making the quilt top was easy. Deciding how to arrange the fifty-nine quilt blocks took the most time and thought. I don’t remember how many different arrangements I made before I chose the final one. Each option was documented with a photo on my iPad. Having pictures to review helped with spotting when two or more identical blocks were next to each other. The images also helped with visualizing the over-all color continuity. Once I had an arrangement chosen the final photo helped with assembling the rows while stitching.
Another task I enjoy, when making a quilt, is applying the quilt stitches with my long-arm quilt machine. Usually I consult with my customer to choose the stitch pattern. Just as with the binding and backing fabric I wanted the quilt stitching for my granddaughter’s quilt to be a surprise so I made that decision as well.
I chose a variety of stitch patterns. In some areas I used a geometric meander stitch while in others I applied flowers and lettering. A close examination of the quilt would reveal my granddaughter’s name.
Making a quilt takes a great deal of time and money. Often times finished quilts are carefully tucked away to protect them from wear and tear and the elements. When I gave this quilt to my daughter I told her not to be afraid to use it. I wanted them to enjoy it as much as possible.
With much pride I will now reveal the quilt I made for my fourth grandchild.
Vital Statistics:
- Size – 54 1/2 x 70 1/2
- Hours Spent Quilting – 4
- # of Stitches – 97,244
- Thread Used – Omni Medium Grey
- Stitch Pattern – Square Meander, Flowers, Lettering
- Date Completed – 12/10/13
- Date Grandchild Born – 12/23/13
Thanks so much for visiting!
Cindy Anderson @ In A Stitch Quilting
