Le Petit Enfant

Don't worry, that's all the French I will attempt for now.  

Baby Blankets!  Because I do not have children, and therefor I NEVER know what to get people for Baby Showers.  I've erred on the side of caution a couple of times and just got the mother something that she can soak in the tub and ease the strain of creating a brand new person with, but sometimes people adopt, sometimes people have a donor setup, and sometimes people are like me and can only really use particular bathbombs because otherwise their skin acts like it's the end of the world.  Seriously, I can withstand blizzard snow, sand-blasting my face, no problem other than maybe a slight chill, but the second I put the wrong ingredient on my skin, all hell breaks loose.  

Anyway, baby blankets.  That’s a nice thing about being a quilter -  It's a lovely gift that can go a long way since, if made the right size, it can last far longer than the $50 onesie.  Also handcrafted items are a little more intimate and show how much you care in a very real way  Taking time to make something for someone is precious, and special- but then again, I'm a sentimental fool, so maybe that’s just me.

I actually started cutting out pieces for this quilt before I even knew who it was for.  It was just a beautiful collection of fabrics that went well together that I thought I should do something fun with.

Then I found out the one of my first aerial coaches, and someone who has made a big difference for me moving forward in my training, is pregnant.  She specified in her invitations for the baby shower that she wanted hand-made, second-hand, or hand-me-down gifts for her bundle of love that would be gracing the world in the months to come.  

This quilt's time had come.

It came together quickly and I found it be beautiful in every step.  This was definitely an extremely simple and straight forward design, but I love it for that.  It's what I like in a lot of things intended for children.  There is a simple and beautiful style that makes it feel like I can view and appreciate the simplicity and joy of what it means to be a child.  Kids deserve that.

With all of the straight lines and big blocks I was able to quilt it up in no time.

Ecstatic with the end result, I photographed it before I even took the time to press the binding, so please excuse the jello-in-an-earthquake look.  

This photo was before I did the binding, but I thought it did a nice job of showing the beautiful backing.

After a nice wash, and air dry, I wrapped this up and shipped myself off to the baby shower.  I ate a magnificent cupcake made by my Intermediate/Advanced Aerial coach and his husband, attempted being good at socialising, and was able to enjoy the moment where the soon-to-be mother opened my gift and looked at me in surprise.  My whole heart glowed.  

I tell people I quilt, because it's what I'm doing with my life, but I still revel in the sight of someone being pleasantly surprised by what I create.  

With my gift I wished her happiness in her motherhood, and happiness in her life.  Then, snagging a cupcake for my partner, I headed back home, helped move my friend's couch up a couple flights of stairs, and capped it all off with an evening of watching shows with some friends.

It's days like this that remind me why I do this.  This whole Crafterlife business.  I love creating, and I love helping to bring happiness to people.  It's a whole lot of joy that I can't really fathom getting anywhere else.  And you, reading this, are helping make that possible.  

Thank you.