This is a very special project that I was worried about finishing on time, and it’s a huge relief to have it done. I’m sure many of you can relate to the fact that we all craft so often for friends and family, that things for ourselves get pushed aside. This was a project that I desperately wanted to make, but was afraid I’d run out of time on. A quilt for my own baby, who will be with us very shortly. I’m 38 weeks today, but my doctor informed me that if I haven’t gone into labor before then, that she’s inducing me at 39 weeks, just a week from today.
The pattern is Joyful Stars by Cotton and Joy, and contains options for Baby, Throw, Twin & Queen/King sizes, and can be made with Charm Squares, Layer Cakes, Fat Quarters, or regular yardage. The directions are simple, and easy to follow. The blocks are a huge 14" and go together very quickly.
The pattern shows it made up two ways, with more scrappy patchwork blocks, or these ombre rainbow blocks created by using ombre prints. When I went to my local quilt shop to ask if they had any ombre prints, they said they had put aside all their bolts for their BOM challenges this year, but the owner pulled out a Fat Quarter bundle of these Fairy Stardust prints that she said had been on the shelf for ages, and no one had bought. It was $140, and contained way more colors than I needed, so she just opened it up, and told me to pick whatever colors I wanted, and she’d sell them to me for their regular Fat Quarter prices. She even helped unfold and lay them all out so we could put together the perfect rainbow of shades. (My soon to arrive daughter is a Rainbow Baby, or a baby who comes after pregnancy losses, so I’ve tried to incorporate that feeling of color and joy into her nursery, quilt, and other things we have for her.) They have some lovely color splatters, and a smattering of silver metallic stars all over.
The dark charcoal sashing is Rainbow Shimmer in Graphite, from Andover fabrics and features bursts of metallic gold stars and hearts. The backing is the one bolt of Fairy Stardust they still had on the floor, a beautiful teal/turquoise. I can’t remember what line the purple binding fabric was from, but it was also from the same local shop. I think I freaked out the owner & her friend with the idea of making a quilt for a baby girl, featuring so much dark-grey-almost-black, but I’m thrilled with the result. I’m hoping to stop by there with it on Saturday, to show them the finished results.
The whole thing was quilted using a free motion stippling pattern I like to do, in a deep grey thread that blends nicely with all the colors, the sashing, and the turquoise backing. I’m so happy with how this piece came out, and that I was able to finish it with plenty of time to spare. I had been so worried that with all the other little things that I needed to get done before the baby comes, coupled with the random stuff life throws at you, that I wouldn’t finish this quilt on time. While others have pointed out that she wouldn’t know if it wasn’t finished until a month after she was born, I would know. I’ve waited so long for her, that I wanted her to come into a world where her mother had made a special quilt, just for her.
Finally, if anyone here is struggling with infertility and needs a friend to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I wouldn’t have gotten through this very long dark road without the support of so many LC friends. You are not alone.
