Finished: Gemstones Baby Quilt
I made this baby quilt for a close friend that recently had her first baby. Kayla and I met when we were in eighth grade, and we quickly grew close. While we haven't had the privilege of living near each other since high school, we have maintained contact and see each other whenever we can. For the past several years, she has been living in Spain. We always tried to time our visits back to Michigan to overlap so we could see each other when we went to visit our parents.
Kayla has always loved bright, bold colors. Growing up, her bedroom was sponge painted with bright blue and green. When I saw this fabric, I knew I had to use it for the quilt I would make for her baby girl.
This quilt is similar to a traditional square-in-a-square block, except the inner squares are all missing their points. These missing points remind me of the way gemstones are cut to reflect the light. This faceted appearance combined with the rich jewel tones of the fabric are why I named this quilt Gemstones.
It was particularly windy on the day that we were taking these pictures. A lot of the places we tried didn't work out very well due to the wind. In this picture, it feels like the quilt is a magic carpet. I did eventually get it to lay on the bench long enough for a quick shot before I had to catch it again.
I free motion quilted this on my longarm. I made a little flower inside each of the diamonds, and I did diagonal lines in the spaces in between. I alternated the direction of the lines in each space to keep it interesting. I really like how the custom quilting sets off the piecing.
I had a few blocks left over from the quilt top, so I used them to make the label. I love that she named her daughter Elizabeth. It's such a beautiful name, and it provides lots of opportunities for nicknames. I wonder what Elizabeth's favorite nickname will be as she gets older?
The quilt is on its way to Spain to meet its new owner. I hope that mom and baby both fall in love with it. I wish I could be there to hold her, but the quilt will have to do.