Do you remember last year my friend had a wee, early baby, Baby Will? He was not very well at all but she breeds them tough and now he has even started walking :-) A couple of weeks ago she rang and asked me if I would be his godmother! So in all godmotherly haste I considered just what would be a suitable Champagne and Races Godmother gift.
Way back at Christmastime I bought a selection of prints to do a quilt for my oldestfriendintheworld's new baby boy but I am slack and crubbish and suffer very badly from 'finishitis' and thus it never happened however I still loved the fabrics very much so I pulled them out from the many hidey-holes around Trash Towers. This was when I discovered several other fabrics purchased in the intervening months that toned in fantastically so they got thrown into the mix too. One six inch square template, one large cutting mat courtesy of Sylv's horror at my weeny one, a new blade on the cutter and a vague idea of what I was doing resulted in this.
It is not perfect. The lines are not 100% matched. The cutting errs towards the wonky side of things and dare I suggest some fabric is cut across or against the grain but I am truly and deeply in love. I love the colours. I love the dots. I love the different textures but most of all I think I love the turtles bestest.
It is a quilt for snuggling under, for making dens, for dragging into the garden and pulling up into trees. It is for feeling sick under and getting better under. It is for storytelling and playacting. It is for hide&seek and for quiet times.. These were my half-formed thoughts while I was making it and I know that Will's parents will understand this and appreciate the handmade aspect of it. It is a joy to give to people who 'get' that homemade is handmade, it is not cheap in terms of labour or effort, it takes time in both planning and execution but that all of this is done freely with joy and love.
I hope Will spends many hours under his quilt laughing, reading, chatting and playing.
I love your thoughts and dreams about how he'll use the quilt. They're the same as mine (twins again!) when I make a quilt for someone else.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why the quilts I'm making for myself are taking so long to finish? They don't have the same aura about them.
I'm wrestling with the idea of making a quilt for my youngest niece for Christmas. She and her mother are going through one of those 'argumenty' patches and I keep thinking that a quilt might just be a comfy place to retreat to some days...
I could walk the aisles of the biggest old factory fabric shop in my area for a full day - including stepping out for a little bit of something for lunch - and still not come up with such perfect fabric combinations! I love your quilt, and I also love the turtles best :)
ReplyDelete(Would you like to be godmother to my dog? She's as big as a smallish human, and I would love - um, I mean SHE would LOVE - a blankie!)
What a lucky godson Will is going to be!
ReplyDeleteLocket xxx
P.S. Love the Trash-Donkey!
Great quilt!
ReplyDeleteYour donkeys are fab:-D
I love that you mention that it is for hide&seek. And, no doubt, for building tents with chairs and pillows.
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is beautiful. I'm impressed. YES, even though it's not completely done. Little J has a few quilts made for him by aunties and friends. He has done all of the above with them, and even barfed on one.
ReplyDeleteI think Will is going to adore that quilt. How could he not when it's been made with so much love. Lucky boy!
ReplyDeleteThe Godmother! Congratulations. I'm sure that quilt will be very much loved - it's gorgeous. Well done you. x
ReplyDeleteIts a wonderful quilt and I am sure that Will will love it to death.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilt, I also especially love the turtles! I love your selection of fabrics. And your new avatar is GREAT.
ReplyDeleteGREAT quilt. i love it when handmade things are made for being used. there's nothing worse than a beautiful thing that has to be 'only looked at'. that quilt will have so many stories to tell one day!
ReplyDeleteHahaha -- love your new donkey! And the quilt is adorable -- very lucky baby!
ReplyDeletewhat a lucky lad Will is - in having you for a godmother and for the wonderful quilt! Sylv is so proud of your quilting skills - as am I ;-)
ReplyDeleteTrashy - Will's quilt is gorgeous and the love and thought that's gone into it is priceless.
ReplyDeleteHe's a very lucky chap to have you for a Fairy Godmother :)
xxx
oh I love it. Really. Want one. x
ReplyDeletegorgeous, gorgeous quilt - i wish i knew how to do that!!
ReplyDeletefor some reason Missus Trash I missed this post. Damn bloglines etc etc.
ReplyDeleteThat is one mighty lovely quilt. It will get covered in dirt and maybe some poo (because things that are loved should always get poo on them at some point). Those turtles will have all sorts of secrets. Nice work, Madam.
oof, you continually amaze me missus trash with your sewing skill, your quilting qualifications and your fabricky finesse!!! young will is a lucky little lad, in more ways than one! ♥
ReplyDelete(not to mention sheer artistic BRILLIANCE with regard to self-portraiture!!! yes indeed, there is nothing like a mascot to enliven & personalize family correspondence, n'est pas?!)