That is what I’m calling my newest quilt. Perfectly fitting, not just for the quilt, but for the overwhelming feelings I am having right now. Introducing our newest grand-daughter, born just this week. Kanga Roos now has a legitimate name. Amelia Jean, 7 pounds 5 oz, 20 1/2″ long and quite the snuggly bunny!
Back to the quilt…
I’ve collected 5″ charm squares of Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics for quite some time. Do you know Liberty of London fabric? Â Have you touched it? It is the silkiest softest cotton you have ever felt. I actually have a couple of, J. Crew, Liberty of London print shirts and they aren’t easy to keep tucked in, they are that silky. Just heavenly feeling fabric.
Some may call it hoarding, I call it collecting. While waiting for the perfect idea to pop into my head, I’ve just kept collected these little squares by participated in fabric swaps through Flickr, I’ve bought tidbits from a favorite online source, Very Berry Fabrics, bought some through Etsy… With just a few dollars at a time plus buying some yardage, to sew with, then swapping the scraps for variety, it didn’t take a ton of effort to collect a huge variety, but cutting them up into something worthy? Now that was HARD!
So when our oldest daughter, and her husband, announced they were expecting and that it would be a baby girl?!!! I knew I had the fabric, I just had to come up with a plan. I also knew I wanted a heart theme. I scoured the internet, searching out every quilt made with Liberty of London prints. It seemed no one wanted to cut into their squares and only used them as squares! I couldn’t do that. I *needed* hearts! So then I set out in search of heart quilts. I still couldn’t come up with anything worthy. Just needed to marinate on it a bit.
Okay, you may be remembering that I already made this baby girl a quilt? The Kanga Roos quilt? Well yes, I did. But it, at least temporarily, turned into wall art, and this baby needs a smaller quilt for a itty-bitty, swaddled baby!
I wanted to be able to use my 5″ charms all while still being able to see the wonderful patterns and designs. So leaning back on the Lots of Hugs quilt idea, using squares attached to rectangles, I came up with the heart blocks I was looking for with very little waste.
Now in a huge autoimmune, arthritic flare, I had a plan. Don’t you just love when the mind quiets to bring you the plan but body doesn’t get the memo? Uugh, so this has been a longer and slower quilt than it needed to be, but it is what it is. I quilt when my hands and shoulders allow and cuddle with it when they don’t. So if there is ever any doubt which quilt was stitched with the most love, it is settled, for now.
After researching, ordering samples and comparing different solids I decided to go with Michael Miller’s Cotton Couture solids. I can not imagine a better fabric to match weights with Liberty. I chose Blossom, as the solid in the face of the quilt, the perfect pale pink, in my opinion. I then bound it in his color Pink. These two colors work beautifully together and with Liberty florals.
And the very classic Liberty of London Tana Lawn Pheobe worked perfectly for the back.
And I know all this because of all the emailing help that went on between Kathy, and I, at Pink Chalk Fabrics. Everyone there is just wonderful to work with. I emailed them an idea, some color thoughts and boom an email back with pictures of what they think will work well together. You just can’t beat help like that!
And picking up a color card will make future matching so much easier. This is a really extensive line of feminine colors and I suspect I’ll be needing more super soft, girly colored cottons soon!
And I have to tell you all these fabrics, along with the Quilter’s Dream cotton batting were just a dream to hand quilt. Just like butta, my needle went through them. And after washing this quilt, just once, it already has that super soft, well-loved, cuddly feel to it. Instantly. You can’t beat that for a baby quilt!
“Head Over Heels in Love” *
August 21, 2013
36″ x 36″
A Sewfrench original
Machine pieced
Hand Quilted
(because everyone deserves a hand-quilted quilt)
Liberty of London Tana Lawn
Michael Miller Cotton Couture
Quilter’s Dream cotton batting
Finish It Up Friday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop
A Stitch in Time
TGIFF
Sewfrench 
Lori – Congratulations on an absolutely adorable granddaughter! And that quilt is gorgeous. Many blessings to Amelia and her mommy and daddy.
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Aww, thanks, Penny! She is a doll. Just a perfect little baby doll! 🙂
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Not just the quilt, but this entire blog entry oozes love. It is a beautiful quilt and will bring this beautiful baby girl hours of comfort. It will probably be the one she still hangs onto when she is grown with kids of her own. Congratulations to you all.
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🙂 Thank, Pam!
This baby has hardly been out of this quilt since I wrapped her up in it on Wednesday! I’m thinking she is feelin’ the love!
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CONGRATULATIONSon the grandbaby!!!! Love the quilt … it is so pretty 🙂 Asha
________________________________
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Thank you, Asha! Good *seeing* you here! We have to catch up soon!
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What a beautiful baby girl (and a lovely quilt too!)! She’s so lucky to have you as her grandmother!! Looking forward to seeing the tutorial as I think I may have to make that quilt too. 🙂
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Thanks, Elita! If this sweet baby will let me sneak away I’ll get that tutorial drawn up soon. I may just have to tear myself away!
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beautiful baby and quilt. your work is excellent! love your liberty fabrics. one day . . . .
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One of the reasons I love swaps, you can slowly collect lots of variety as time and pocketbooks allow!
Thanks, Karen.
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Sweet quilt for a sweet looking baby
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Thanks, Claire! She is a sweetheart!
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Congratulations! And your photos are delightful. 🙂
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Thanks, Katherine! Just got it finished, washed and photographed before the call came that labor was starting, before the scheduled C-section(breech baby)! Embroidered date and signature happened in the car on the drive over. How about that for a last minute finish!
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congratulations – what a beautiful baby and yes indeed, a quilt made of pure love
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🙂 Thanks, Claire!
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Beautiful quilt for a beautiful child. Liberty Tana Lawn fabrics are wonderful.
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Until I actually put Liberty Tana Lawn into a quilt did I truly appreciate it’s beauty. Thanks, Lucie!
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That is just beautiful Lori – baby and quilt. Congratulations on a lovely grandchild and a wonderful quilt. I am happy that I contributed a little bit, and I can’t wait to see the tutorial. 🙂
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Depending on how much snuggling this sweet baby needs will demand will determine when I get a tutorial drawn up! Thanks, Ali!
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Congrats on a most beautiful granddaughter and what a wonderful quilt you have made for her.
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Thank you, Paula. She is beautiful, isn’t she?!!
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Beautiful – on both counts! What a lovely idea for a much loved grandchild. I’m sure it will be treasured always. Alison x
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Thank you, Alison, she appears to be enjoying it so far, we’ll have to see how well it holds up!
🙂
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Hi Lori, Thank you for your note on my blog. I was unable to reply to your message…it came up as a no reply blog….so I hope my comments will find their way to you.
If working with felted wool is interesting to you……and you have a little spare time…..my blog has tons of process posts about the embellished pieces I’ve made. Click on the label – felted wool. If you have less time….visit my blog shop where you can see lots of finished work….perhaps you’ll get the bug too.
BTW….congrats. on the new grandbaby…..it’s the best isn’t it? We’ve only been blessed with one so far and sadly…..the hubby and I….. life long Midwesterners, now live in the mountains of NC. We are sooo far away from ours who lives in San Francisco. No chance the kids will ever leave as our son is in the techy world which of course is what that area is all about!
Warmly,
Mary Stori
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Oh this turned out so perfect! I just love the hand quilting. An heirloom for sure:)
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Congratulations on both – the sweet, hand quilted beauty – and the darling, precious granddaughter! Head over heels, indeed!
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Congratulations on the birth of our granddaughter and a wonderfully sweet quilt quilt.
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Congratulations! she is absolutely beautiful! and those hand quilted hearts, just perfect. 🙂
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Congratulations Lori on a sweet granddaughter! You made just perfect quilt for her! Those fabrics are wonderful (my mom used to collect Liberties) and your pattern is most beautiful! I’m happy if you show how you made these blocks because I really like them. x Teje
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Really lovely and great story!
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Oh, Lori! She is gorgeous! Beautiful shots of the two of you… Congrats!
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That little Amelia Jean is so sweet and adorable! And you, my friend, look absolutely too young to be a grandmother.
I love the special snuggle quilt you made for your granddaughter. The fabrics work so well with the design you chose and there’s a special place in heaven for hand quilters. Beautifully, beautifully done! I really enjoyed reading this post. Congrats on a fabulous finish and thank you for linking up!
xo -E
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Congrats!!! To you and THE parents. Blessings, Mtetar
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I’m so inspired! This is beautiful! I’m taking your genius idea and making something similar with my quilt group. Thanks for sharing! You can see the beginning of our quilt on my blog.
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Beautiful quilt for a beautiful baby. Congrats on both!
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