Friday, August 8, 2014

'Adorable' baby quilt panel

This is one of the projects on my to-do list for the Littlest Thistle's Q3 QAL Finish Challenge.

Sold 2015 to Jackie Hamlin for her daughter Mel's new baby daughter.
Ahh, the bonus of a snow day closing school!! I had most of the binding on this last night and figured the rest would have to wait until after netball tonight...but spent all night listening to a winter storm bringing rain, wind, hail, and snow...not enough to fully cover our land here on the flat, but enough to disrupt all the buses and close the schools.  Obviously I was not too upset as I knew exactly how to fill my day!
This panel measures about 29" x 39". (I have no clue as to the maker of the panel, sorry - just that I bought it at Spotlight on special about two years ago.)




The binding is actually a Paddington Bear design (I still have the original book that I had when I was little)  - when I first pulled it from my stash I figured it was just a stylised flower or tessellated design and it wasn't until I read the selvage label that I realised it is Paddington with his hat on!



I wanted to keep the quilt quite soft, so it has a flannel backing and is only moderately quilted (another good chance to practice FMQ skills, thought I kept it pretty basic!)















Some scallops for the pram hood and basket, with some stippled loops and hearts in the background.
Pebbles, echo stitching or in-the-ditch stitching for the motifs.
Echo stitching around the words.
A daisy petal stitching over the flowers.
I was reading about quilt thefts in the USA and in Australia, one blogger mentioning that many quilters hide a strand of hair or sliver of special fabric inside their quilts.  Going through my stash boxes I had found this old pair of pink gingham overpants from when I was a baby (now 4 decades ago, sigh) and thought it would be perfect to use as my 'identity marker'. I have cut a tiny piece and slipped it inside the binding. I don't know if quilt theft is a big issue in NZ but I do like to think a tiny piece of my history is in the quilt too. 



Hi to my crafty visitors from the Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday!!  And those from Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday!!  Thanks for visiting!!





29 comments:

  1. Your quilt is gorgeous! Love all the detail and outlining.
    I had not heard about quilt theft but I googled it and was very surprised to read about it. Pretty crazy.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Linda! I enjoyed doing different designs on each area. It is interesting to think that there is some sort of demand for stolen quilts!

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  2. This is so cute! I love the quilting to set off the design. Great finish!

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    1. Thanks Julie, it came up better than I thought it might!

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  3. I had to double check where you lived (I now the NZ should be a big clue!) when I saw the picture with snow. Love the variety of quilting to accent different parts. Do you make those quilt tags? I forget to add mine on before i quilt it about half the time so it would be super easy for someone to claim mine.

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    1. Hi Angela, I made the quilt tag with my machine then hand stitched it on after quilting was done. I normally use a black pen to label my quilts but felt the black would be too distracting. As to where I live, yes, we are nearing the end of our winter and, while many North Islanders think that here in Southland we are only a five-minute drive from Antarctica and that penguins roam the back yard, it is pretty rare for us to get snow (usually only about twice each year!) Was nice to get a 'mental health day' to do my quilting thanks to the snow!

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  4. super cute, I love how you quilted it.

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    1. Thanks Shauna, it's always good to get a bit of FMQ practice in!

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  5. What an absolutely gorgeous quilt for one very lucky recipient!

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    1. Great to hear from you! It was a nice quick project that filled in a gap - I have no idea at the moment as to who this will go to, it might seem a little old-fashioned for some...but it can be added to my 'supply' of projects that I go to when I need a gift or if I sell at a stall or something. Have a good week!

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  6. Thanks for the feedback! I agree with you, a 'nice' panel became a really lovely quilt if I do say so myself! Have a good week.

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  7. Your quilting compliments the quilt beautifully! I've never heard this story about quilt theft. Very interesting....

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    1. Hi Cari, I have read about quilt thefts a few times now, mainly in the USA and I think the targets tend to be heirloom quilts and the sorts of quilts that win prizes at shows etc. The latest post I read was on an Australian blog I think. Thanks for visiting!

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  8. Beautiful clamshells - perfect for the pram. Looks really lovely!

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    1. Thanks Ruth, the picture/panel is a little old-fashioned but some people still like that sort of thing (me included!)

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  9. Amazing. Great job on your top stitching FMQ and how you put the pieces together. I like this way of out of the ordinary blocks/pieces instead of the usual so many across, so many down. followed you from Needle and thread thursday linky

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    1. Thanks Cherie - it was nice to do a panel where I could get straight onto the quilting and try a few different patterns. Have a good weekend!

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  10. It is cute and your quilting is lovely. When I saw the snow I was like WHAT? I rechecked the date of your post and at last it snapped in my head, you are on the other side :)

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    1. Great to get your comments - yes, we are ''down under'' and coming to the end of winter and entering spring - have got the camellias, rhododendrons and daffodils starting to pop up in amongst the last ravages of winter (we've been getting some wild weather as winter's farewell gesture it seems!) Enjoy what's left of your summer!

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  11. What a sweet quilt! The quilting adds so much texture and interest!

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    1. Thanks very much! It's nice to get feedback from my quilting visitors!

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  12. Beautifully finished! Lovely colours and a cheerful design too.

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    1. Thank you! I just need to find the right owner for it now...

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  13. What an adorable baby quilt!

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    1. Isn't it just? I have old-fashioned tastes and am bit of a romantic, so it appealed to me!

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  14. Aww it's really pretty and your quilting is lovely, I'd never thought of using a panel to practice free motion quilting but it's a great idea and just the right size for trying out lots of different patterns!

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    1. You are so right, it was just the right size too! Thanks for the feedback!

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  15. Aww, how could you not tell it was Paddington on the binding fabric, poor wee bear! Congrats on the finishes though

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    1. I know! I felt very guilty for not recognising PB (I think I was looking at it upside down)!

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