Stop the presses!!! Granted, one finish is not a quilt, but hey...I take them where I can get them! Button's Bluebonnet Romper I won't go on and on about it in this post. Just want to say...not to shabby for 14 years of not sewing much apparel? If you really are interested it is all HERE! Hartley's quilt This quilt is so special to me! My friend, the one who is also an amazing photographer, commissioned me to make a quilt for her cousin. Her cousin lost her daughter after a fight in the NICU for prematurity. She wanted a small infant quilt and also to see if I could do something with her name and prints (like I do for Butterfly Kisses HERE. She is a darling little thing (both mom and daughter!). My first instructions....think girly girl! Of course, when you are given that kind of request, it is wonderful....until you start feeling overwhelmed with ideas! So I gave momma a few instructions. -Check out my quilts, any speak to you? -Any specific colors? -Did you have a nursery set in mind for her? -Any specific object/nickname that you associate with her (i.e Butterfly for my Jamie) She responded that she liked my diamond quilt HERE. And that she was looking at this website Addison's Wonderland here for her the nursery. Images via Addison's Wonderland Website Gorgeous, right? So I checked out her nursery and asked some online friends if they recognized any of the fabric/fabric lines. It turns out most were Amy Butler's Modern Midwest, with a few Kumari Garden. Then, I knew I wanted a diamond design, and I remembered that Tracey had a really unique diamond quilt HERE that I wanted to base it off... A Birdie in Bliss The diamonds and the shape are so unique and special!! I love her bird and the scalloped circle!! And her applique seemed like a perfect spot for the embroidery. My interpretation... Much smaller in size, so I had to adjust my diamond size. Mine turned out a bit boxier than I liked. If ever I did it again, I would had more rows at the top and bottom. Jack the seam "ripper" and I became good friends so I could get my points to meet. I feel pretty good about them. My skill needs some work, but I am much further along than before! I decided to go with an interesting shape I found on my Photoshop software. I printed it out and appliqued the circle on top of it. I used a blanket stitch, because I just love a blanket stitch! I also chose a really soft yellow-cream thread for the prints and font because I wanted it to be soft like the yellow-cream of the Kumari Garden print. I struggled to decide on a backing, but the Kumari Garden was so cut up in the diamonds, that I really wanted it to shine. Good choice? The binding is the same Amy Butler I used for the applique shape. I decided on free motion loops with hearts hidden here and there. I wanted the loops to be small and dainty, like the wee one she was! Overall, I am very happy with this quilt and can't wait to send it off so her mom can have it! As for everything else...it will have to wait until next week to share. I am leaving for my Spring Scrapbook retreat. This one is always important because only two months have gone by since the last, so there is little to update in my family album. It allows me to work on a "specialty" album this trip. Which one? I HAVE NO IDEA! EEK! Time to get ready!! Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced! I probably won't have much done for next week...but we shall see!