It Runs In the Family

There may just be a bit of bragging in today's post for my two daughters, Erin and Emma, have become quilters. And here is one proud momma with a big grin on her face. As youngsters, I had them both in 4-H and they took sewing projects all through the years. Getting them to sew anything else throughout the year was just not happening, though, and I thought for sure they would never pick it up again after starting college.

However, I think something deep down might have been at work, for now that both girls have lots of girlfriends who are having babies, all of a sudden I am finding out that they want to make their friends baby quilts!! I am more than willing to encourage this!

Erin has made several already and even guest-blogged about one of them. She currently has another in the works and it is going to look fantastic (no, I'm not at all biased!).

This is her inspiration picture, taken from Pinterest. I love it in these colors, but since she knows the baby is to be a boy, here are the fabrics she selected.

In addition to these, she also will include a couple of her husband's cotton shirts. This is significant, for the mama-to-be is Jeff's sister.

In order to get some of the prints she wanted, she bought some fabric bundles, so now she is on her way to establishing her "stash." She pulled out some of these to use, and some to save for an as yet undetermined future project.

Evening lighting.

Obligatory cat-on-quilt picture; why do cats do this???

Daytime lighting.

Not too many days after these blocks were stitched I got a few texts with questions about spray basting, and she went straight to work layering that quilt and preparing to stitch! (She does not seem to have inherited  her mother's tendency toward procrastinating, thankfully!)

Spray basting completed.

Big-stitch quilting begun; isn't it perfect?

So that covers DD1 and her baby quilt exploits. Now let's follow up with DD2's efforts from earlier this year.

This past winter, Emma asked if I would help her with a quilt for one of her college roommates whose baby was due in April. We got busy right away, and finished it in plenty of time for the baby shower. And not long ago, Emma sent me this picture of little Paxton Nash snuggled under the quilt! How precious!

I am quite alright with my girls picking up this quilting habit. Even if all they ever make are baby quilts for others, just think of the joy they are bringing these new moms, while at the same time learning quite a lot about a hobby that could grow on them over time, just like it has done with their mother. Sweet.

Happy Quilting, Friends!