Circle Around Quilt

It's interesting the way a project as big as a quilt comes along.

I worked on this quilt three days at a time every six months!  That's why it took three years.

The last time I had pulled it out was right after baby Rory was born.  I made great progress, and then didn't get it out for six more months!

A month before Jonas' birthday I decided it was time to finish.  I knew it was a reasonable goal, I just had to make a sustained effort and not put it away again after three good days.  

And I did it!

It did require borrowing my friend's sewing machine at the last minute when mine went on strike!  (Thanks Emily!)  And begging the advice of a stranger at the fabric store for binding fabric advice--but I made it.

I love the fabric and the colors.  In the end I chose to back it with a sunshine-yellow quilting flannel.  I really want this quilt to be one Jonas will cuddle up in.  We received a simple quilt for a wedding present that was backed in flannel, and it's so cozy, so I knew I would use flannel.

The fabric choice for Jonas' quilt top was very intentional.  It has these sweet woodland motifs with mushrooms, woodland critters, and --most important-- acorns!  When I bought this fabric, Jonas was a sweet little speech-impaired toddler who loved to collect "atorns" on our walks.

(I can still hear it!)

I chose a brown patterned fabric to bind the quilt in, because I always had imagined the quilt having more brown in it.  Quite a few of the pieces have brown, but the quilt is mostly predominantly the off-white.  The brown binding just brings out a little more of the brown fabrics, which I had chosen because of Jonas' beautiful clear brown eyes!

I'll have to get some pictures of it on his bed to show the binding, and the backing.  But when I have free time at night the quilt is always busy doing it's job of keeping my sweet boy warm and cozy.