i’ve been spending most of my free time working on a quilt for em’s twin-size big girl bed…my first honest-to-goodness quilt, not just a picnic blanket!  this one has much more patchwork, batting, and will reside on a bed, not on a campground picnic bench, and i will see it every day.  as a result, i’m completely terrified at each new step…what if the rows don’t line up?  what kind of basting do i do (pins, fusible batting, basting spray)?  what kind of quilting pattern should i go with (i’m thinking this)?  what if i can’t reach the middle while quilting with my normal sewing machine?   oh man, SO much hand sewing on the binding…and i need to hand sew it, i haven’t had much luck with making machine-sewn binding look pretty enough.

so far, the top is pieced.  i went for the simplest, most low-stress type of patchwork i could think of (a bunch of 6″ squares).  i joined them into pairs, then squares, then rows, then joined the rows.  i bought batting and environmentally-friendly non-toxic basting spray…and that’s where things stand now.  the top is pieced and looks great, it’s full of fabric by my favorite designers plus a smidge of vintage sheeting, and it’s the perfect colors for em’s room.  it fits on her bed!  i’m seriously thrilled.  tomorrow, i shop for backing fabric and binding, and hopefully, during naptime, i will make a nice little quilt sandwich.  i’m devouring quilting blogs (film in the fridge and oh, fransson!), i’m draining the brain of a good friend who just took a quilting class, and i’m checking the quilt books i’ve accumulated with the intention of making a quilt someday…there are so many steps and i don’t want to mess it up!

here’s a little sneak peek.

wish me luck!