This week’s palate cleanser

...is a baby quilt.

When I’m working on a labor-intensive project, my brain wants to start something new. I’m continuing on with my class projects, but I need a little break.

Babies are on the way and I need to make at least two baby quilts. Our daughter announced that we will be great-grandparents in September. I want to make 7 for the great-grand—one for every day of the week! Let's see if that happens. And a neighbor is expecting, so I want to make one for her. First baby quilt will be a modified version of the Pecking Order quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Company. I haven’t decided yet what the neighbor’s baby quilt will be, but she’s due in August so I need to figure it out soon.

Friday was my birthday and I took the day off from work. I cut a lot of 3.5” background squares and 1.75” print squares. Cutting is my least favorite thing to do when quilting, but I have a die cutter and had my cutting done fairly quickly with no pain from carpal tunnel syndrome! 

Along with baby quilts, I want to make additional nursery items; burp pads, jelly roll rug, nappy sacks, all that stuff. Our granddaughter has a couple of ideas about colors for the nursery, but I think she’ll make up her mind once she knows if it’s a boy or girl. I talked with our daughter Friday and we should know by the end of the month if it’s a boy or girl. She thinks it’s a girl. 

So while I am forging on with my 2021 Plan of Attack, I knew some new projects would be part of the mix. The baby quilt will be a good leader and ender project. I folded the 1.75” squares in half diagonally and pressed them to make it easier to sew onto the corners of the 3.5” squares, but I found it just as easy to sew the line without a crease.

By Sunday morning, all of the squares were pieced and on my new design wall. Hubs put it together and installed it on Saturday for me. I’m so happy. 

First squares on the new design wall

By Sunday afternoon I had 2 quadrants completely pieced and the third quadrant partially pieced. 

One pieced quadrant

This has been a fun quilt to make. I’m hoping I can start quilting it this weekend. In the meantime, go make!