Sherman's Baby and Other Baby Things

I've finished up the first of about 2,183 baby quilts I need to make this spring. A slight exaggeration maybe, but not much of one. I guess the good news is that I won't have many to make this fall if everyone is popping out a kid this spring, right? :)

Anyway, I'm pretty in love with this simple little quilt. This was taken from Camille Roskelley's book Simply Retro and I love the idea of taking a single quilt block and making it large. Since the churn dash is one of the easiest blocks around, you can imagine how quick and easy it was to make one large one. And I definitely have Churn Dash/Sherman's March to the Sea blocks on the brain, as you may have noticed.

Since I am a bit of a Civil War buff and like that this block is also known as Sherman's March to the Sea, I've named this quilt "Sherman's Baby." Maybe they'll name their baby (girl) Sherman and really make this quilt work on every level.

Like everywhere else in the U.S., the weather is bitterly cold (like, 4 degrees), so you get these lovely indoor photos. I actually tried to take some photos on the balcony, but I couldn't get the tape to stick to the railing or the quilt, and my sliding screen door fell off from its track, so I decided I had expended enough energy on that losing ordeal.

As you can see, I straight-line quilted echoing the shape of the block. Pretty straightforward, but I think it works well with this design, and I like that there is still plenty of soft fabric for the baby to snuggle.

I'm on record saying I'm not a huge Denyse Schmidt fan, but I've been eyeing this aqua print from her collection at Joann's for some time, because, I must admit, I love it. I thought this yellow would go well with it too. I'm also really happy with the decision to use navy as the background color. It's a bit unorthodox for a baby girl quilt, but the parents aren't really into the "girlie girl" stuff, so I think this is just the ticket.

I backed it with a sweet ombre polka dot I found on the clearance rack at Field's Fabrics in Grand Rapids, MI (a great store, if you're ever in the area, and they have several locations!) I bound it with the same navy stripe I used on this quilt.

One baby quilt down, 2,182 left to go! :)

"Sherman's Baby"
39" x 39"(ish)
Fabric: Denyse Schmidt for Joann and Kona Navy
Backing: Ombre Dots by Riley Blake Designers
Quilting: straight line on a domestic machine

In other baby sewing news, my sister-in-law's baby shower was this past weekend, and I made a few little things for my niece. She is definitely getting a quilt, of course, but it isn't done yet. :)

So she got three little bibs, all in a row:

And a nursery banner. This was a last-minute decision to make, and I am kind of in love with it.

Linking up with Finish It Friday!

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