Earthtones Girl

After what has felt like the longest and hottest summer ever, I’m returning to calm and to myself.  If you’ve been reading this blog for a while or if you know me personally you know that my heart starts beating a bit faster as September approaches.  Well, HOO RA!! It’s here and so is a return to normalcy, to rhythm, to a turning inward that unlike most people I revel in.

This summer was so full and busy it left very little time for me to “play”.  I posted about my Dad’s book, an ironing board cover and Marin, my Olympics project…that’s it.  My last BLT was July 15th!  You have no idea how frustrated I’ve been.

But in the last couple of weeks as the temperature has cooled a bit (although the heat from yesterday made me feel like I lost brain cells) and my summer house guest has returned to school I’ve begun to play again and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

My amazing aunt Dianne, who lives much to far away in CA. posted this beautiful comment yesterday and I’d made me feel so great.  She posted it to the Marin post.

This shawl is Absolutely Magical. ABLOODYMAZING!!!!!!! How do you do it?? I would love to know that I could make one of these someday. Your blog is so inspiring. You are loved and appreciated.  -DF

My blog stats are very humble and I don’t have tons of readers/followers but the few I have I adore and love to share things with.  So please join me in kicking off September and this fall season with the presentation of a gift.

I started this quilt about 4 months ago when one of my readers mentioned in a comment that she was having a baby.  So we started chatting over email, she said the baby was a boy, mentioned his nursery colors and that she loved quilts but had no patience to make them.  Well that was all I needed to hear.  Here’s Henry’s quilt!!

I made this up as I went along.  Yes, there are a bunch of things I would do different next time but I will listen to the wise words of my mentor and not point out the flaws but show off the successes.

The quilting was done in an echo pattern around the H.

and subsequently over the patchwork on the back…

I alternated the binding between a light and dark fabric just to experiment and I really like how it came out.

The pieces of the H were appliqued to the cream fabric in a soft green.  I wanted it to stand out but not be too bold.

When I saw this fabric I thought PERFECT, it has all the colors from the nursery and is so darn cute!!

It’s the Forest Friends Fat Quarter Bundle  from The Fat Quarter Shop.

The funny part was when I ordered the fabric I was so caught up with finding the right colors that I totally missed that the fabric was flannel…oops!

I have to admit that flannel is not my favorite medium but it makes for one super snuggly quilt.  I really worried too about putting it in the washing machine, fearing it would get fuzzy but nope.  It’s now washed and being packaged.  I don’t think I can get it in the mail today but my little friend will have it next week for sure.

Happy 4 month birthday little man.  And a  great big HI!!  That was a fun surprise! It was not really my intention to put in the “I” but when I turned the quilt there it was…

Not a bad way to start my favorite month and time of the year!!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend.  Enjoy!!!