This quilt was finished just a couple of days ago. It was a commissioned gift for a 10 month old baby whose mother wanted something girly and pretty and yet not too babyish because she wanted it to be able to survive the transition from babyhood to childhood and upwards.
In my attempt to achieve this I decided not to use any overtly babyish prints and instead stuck to a pretty, girly, floral theme that I also thought had a little maturity to it.
I've used a combination of prints : Anna Griffin, Alexander Henry, red gingham, a traditionally based rose print by Grand Revival Designs and a gorgeous Liberty print that I think gives it a slightly more modern edge. And although the remit was for it to be a predominantly pink quilt I've injected it with my favourite reds to stop it from being just too sweet. I'm a big fan of mixing red and pink to create a palate that's pretty and feminine whilst still having a bit of oomph to it.
For the backing I was tempted to use another intense print but at the last minute chose my (newly) most favourite fabric - part of the West Hill collection by Heather Ross. And I'm truly happy that I did because I think it completely lifts the quilt and gives it a lovely freshness, and acts as a foil for the densely printed fabrics on the quilt top.
In fact, I love the back so much that I immediately ordered another 10 yards of the fabric so that I can make (amongst other things) a whole piece quilt for Bella and even possibly for me.
I heavily machine quilted the whole thing in squares that are reminiscent of a Greek Key design. And bound it with the same fabric as the quilt back. Size wise, it's between a cot and a single and is meant to sit folded across the end of a single bed rather than cover the entire thing. I find this size really practical because it's big enough for a child to snuggle under but can still be dragged around by them. Bella's quilts are mostly this size and she seems to really like it and I'm pretty sure that they'll still be big enough for her for more than a few years yet.