ivy's quilt

A couple years ago, I wrote my grandma Elmore a letter. We write letters more than chat on the phone, which is charming in itself. I told her that I started sewing. Grandma made so many outfits for me, Christmas pajama dresses every year and sewed about 90% of the clothes I had for my American Girl Dolls. And in my opinion, better than the catalog. She also sewed mini stockings for my mom's class EVERY year, that's 32 stockings out of red and white felt for about 20 years straight. When I started teaching, she did the same for me. So, about 60 stockings a year, for 5 years she'd make. She's a talented woman. 

After our letters about sewing, she sent me this box of fabric triangles. The most beautiful fabrics! She sorted them by color themes, because, she's cute like that. So I had about a thousand triangles from fabrics her mom bought and used for her dresses when she was a little girl. So, what do you do with 90 year old fabric? A quilt!

I had these triangles, and I cut white ones to match each one, and put them together with some chevron action. I ironed after every stitch, which made this time consuming. Note: if someone makes you a quilt, be grateful! These things take time! With that, grandma Bradshaw and Wayne Rhodes, THANK YOU for the beautiful quilts you have made the girls!!! 

Here she is! I'm in love with it.

In process...

This brother is excellent! Love it! 

After washing, it already looked cuddly and worn in, just as a quilt should be. 

Now, what would a blog post be without something sappy? I made this quilt for Ivy. I wanted her to have a quilt for her time in the hospital. I wanted her to be wrapped with something from home for those times we can't hold her. I wanted her to smell something familiar as she sleeps in her hospital crib. It also gave me a way to direct all the wondering thoughts about her surgery. I spent time thinking about and making this quilt instead of dwelling in fear of the unknown. When I worked on it, I prayed for her. This quilt is special for so many reasons, but mainly because it has fabrics that have stood the test of time and are still vibrant and beautiful nearly a hundred years later. I never knew my great grandma Carlson who cut these little triangles, but now her fabric will wrap up her great great grand daughter as she experiences, hopefully, the most intense thing in her life. Ivy sleeps with it now, and I do hope she likes it when she's older and that it becomes worn and dirty and that she'll be that weird kid who brings their baby quilt to college. 

 I already think she likes it, but Ivy likes everything. She's just that sweet. 

 In the picture on the right, you can see where her skull is deformed. You're not suppose to see her eye when you look down on her head, but because of the fused plates of her skull, you can. See how it is kinda pulled back on the right, your left, side? That's what a unilateral coronal suture synostosis looks like, on the most adorable baby on the planet.

 But darn that little baby, I've grown quite fond of her raised eyebrow and super wide open eye! 

I think it's what makes her so cute, so Ivy, ya know?