The Baby Shower!

Well, the long awaited and anticipated baby shower for baby Luke, due to be born in December, was this last Saturday!  I had been working on Luke's quilt for a couple of months, which would be considered a "RUSH job" for me.  No time for hand-quilting on this one.  When I asked my precious daughter-in-law what her color preferences would be and what she might like for a quilt, her request stopped me in my tracks.  It was totally out of my comfort zone!  Her idea came from a quilt I had made for her husband, our son, when  he was around 4 years old or so.  I had used a medium brown sheet and appliqued a little boy with a fishing pole over his shoulder.  It turned out, "ok".  Nothing I was really proud of, but my son loved it and still has it in his possession.  I  was just a beginning quilter in those days, and decided it would be better to just 'tie' the quilt with yarn rather than hand-quilt it.  So, overall it was pretty plain.

See what I mean?  A bit plain, and now tattered, faded and old.  It is one of my earliest quilts (circa 1980) but most importantly, it was well used and loved.

So, being in my DDIL's possession, she thought how wonderful it would be to have something similar for their son to have on his bed.  It would be like carrying on a "tradition" of sorts.  Since the theme of the baby's room would be cowboys, she suggested a little cowboy holding a guitar (our son is an avid guitar player).

Well, I love my DDIL like crazy (!) and would do anything for her.  A large applique on a quilt?  Yikes!   Much later she told me that in her mind she was thinking this would be much easier for me, since instead of small pieces like in a regular quilt, I would be using much larger pieces, and therefore it would go together quickly and would be much easier for me.  (not so much.... LOL!)  I spent many, many nights (and days) thinking about how I was going to accomplish this request.  I am NOT an artist at all!  I seriously have trouble drawing stick figures.  Seriously!  How in the world would I draw this up, make pattern pieces, and then applique it?  What colors and kinds of fabrics for each part?  How should I applique it?  Should I put Luke's name on it too?  Could I do all of this in TWO months??  I had no idea, but........ "Thank God for the internet for ideas!"  

Over a couple of days, I found several pictures that were cartoon-like that were little cowboys.   My husband offered to draw it up for me.  He  'copied' the cowboy idea using several sources and pictures for inspiration, and drew it up on a large piece of poster board.

Then, I took tracing paper and traced each and every piece/part.  I then used those as pattern pieces to cut out both the fabrics and iron-on fusible web.  DDIL's colors were mostly baby blue and dark brown, so I tried to incorporate those colors in the quilt.  This involved lots of new fabric purchases and even a bit of shopping in my fabric stash for some other pieces.  ....... I was enjoying the process but and I kept remembering that my time to finish was ticking, ticking, ticking away!  Only two months, only two months.....

I vowed to work on it at least 2 hours everyday AT LEAST!  And I did, and I FINISHED it!!

Yesterday was the BIG day, and I since all the applique was sewn on by machine and the quilting was all done by machine - my new sewing machine - I finished with time to spare!  And with all the tossing and turning at night, trying to figure out how it was going to all get done,  I think it turned out pretty darn good!  And when you compare the OLD appliqued quilt to the new one..... well, I just don't think there is much to compare.  I guess I have learned a thing or two over the last 30 years of sewing!  LOL!  What do you think?

I am so happy it turned out.  You have no idea how I struggled trying to figure out how to sew the face: the eyes?  the lips?  the nose?  But it all turned out just fine and I think Luke will approve!

In my spare time,  :) - I also made a large portable changing pad that matches.  It folds in 4 sections and ties shut.

AND two very large, flannel receiving blankets....

And of course DDIL received many, many, many darling little boy outfits, onesies, toys, overalls, booties, etc.  Little Luke is blessed with lots of love even before he is born.

The shower was lovely!  Our daughter and my mother got to attend also!  Hubby stayed home to look after dad, so Mom could go to the shower, so it was a very special time for all us girls!

Look at the cake!  Isn't it amazing!?!  Everything on it was edible, too.

Now...... we all we have left to do, is wait for Luke's arrival.....

Happy Quilting,