The Best Kind of Quilt

{I am really having a hard time writing this post, because its hard putting into words how much this gift means to me.} Some dear friends surprised me yesterday with a BABY QUILT, for baby #4. I wasn't expecting it at all! {Which is always the best surprise} These "friends" I met through the quilt retreat I held last fall and we were visiting yesterday and all of a sudden they placed this amazing gift in my hands {see above}.

I was just sitting there looking dumbfounded. It was taking me a minute to register what was happening, because lets face it...my pregnancy brain is really bad this 4th time. {It takes me a whille to catch on.} I know how much effort, love, time, resources, and energy it takes to make a quilt let alone a quilt for someone else. These sweet friends got together {without me even knowing} and spent the day piecing, quilting, binding etc. a BEAUTIFUL quilt for me. I just couldn't really express my appreciating and love at the time. I was just staring and stumbling over my words ~ it was the oddest feeling.

Look how adorable this rememberance tag is: that doggie is just the sweetest thing! April's impressive handiwork.

Thank you April, Ella, Emily, Sue, Maggie and Kristen. XOXOXO

Just when you think it can't get any better, you turn the quilt over! Ahhh, just as perfect as the front. The back is from Emily's Going Coastal line from MMF. Love it!!

Granny Squares + Friends

The whole quilting world is just crazy about granny squares right now. Can you blame us?! You can find granny squares all over flickr, pinterest and instagram, even Dana at Old Red Barn Co. is doing a granny-square-quilt-along, so FUN!!!. A few weeks back my quilty friend Jeanette (who really should have a blog!) and I got together on her day off and made ourselves some Granny Squares. As  Jeanette puts it "What's not to love, its almost like a nine-patch but better".

Jeanette and I became friends after I got married (Dec. 2000) and moved into her neighborhood. She was already a big time quilter and I was just getting started. This was back when scrapbooking was HUGE and I didn't really know anyone else who was quilting. She was a great mentor for me and really helped me learn how to pick fabric, work on techniques and the always helpful quilting tips and tricks. We quilted once a week for about a year and then I moved an hour a away and she moved to Spokane for Law School. She moved back in (Dec) 2006 and we've gotten together to quilt consistently (not as often as once a week) for the last 6 years. Our conversations always revolve around work, kids, family and of course our latest quilt project.

She sent me a picture of her finished blocks and I am insane over them. (To see what I worked on click here) When she pulled out her fabrics last week I knew this quilt was going to be fantastic: the cool aquas, bright fuchsias, butter yellows, tantalizing tangerines, luscious lavenders and more. I Swoon! Now that she has all 16 blocks laid out it couldn't look better.

A day of Quilting

Before I knew "what" I was having, I was planning to make the baby a granny square quilt. These blocks are so hot right now and so dang cute. Blue Elephant Stitches has a great tutorial I referenced when starting my quilt,  so check it out before beginning. By the looks of it; can you guess "what" I am having.

The quilt will be a 3 by 3 and I am planning to use this Reunion fabric as by border from Moda. I was at my LQS and noticed they only had a yard left and snatched it up. I had been eyeing it for sometime and I think it will be just perfect. Because the border fabric has so much color I coordinated my granny squares with the pendants: yellow, red, green and grey.

We are experiencing full fledged spring here in Utah: daffodils, soccer, and of course spring cleaning. Happy Tuesday.