A brand new world!

Since last I shared with all of you, I have become a grandmother for the very first time. My granddaughter was born three weeks ago today! Her name is Ella Claire and I am completely smitten. The best part is watching my son with his daughter. I have seen him happy in his thirty two years but never quite as happy as the day she was born and since. He and his wife are just overwhelmed by joy at this bundle of happiness. We all are. Even the pup! 
I have made her some things: two quilts, a book, a receiving blanket and a hooded towel. I am also in the process of making two more baby quilts for two more babies that will soon arrive. 

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The quilt on the left is a variation on a pattern called Echoes. I decided to change it a bit as I did not like the patternmaker's constant repetition. Hence the name Echoes, I am sure. There are a lot of rainbows! On the back rainbows and bunnies! My friend, Patsy, quilted it for me as a gift and used rainbows and hearts! A lovely addition to the quilt. 

The middle photo is the second quilt that is simply leftover black and whites with leftover solids. A pattern that was taken from Rebecca Bryan's Rainbow Modern Quilts. 

The right photo is the hooded towel based on the self binding baby blanket. The towel is the center piece and flannel on the back and for the hood. 

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Since I will have the privilege of caring for Ella for a bit, I have endeavored to begin to clean up and finish my UFO pile. I have a long list of quilted but unbound quilts and I want to have them finished by the end of the year. I have made and attached about 3000 inches of binding during the last few weeks. I can hand sew it while the baby naps. Have you ever kept track of how much binding you have made in a year? I am curious to see how much I will have. 
Here is one of my finished quilts from a class taken last summer in Gettysburg at the Mid Appalachian Quilt Retreat. The pattern was designed by Beth Wiesner (@cuckooquilts). It is appliqued and then I machine quilted it very simply. I love striped binding!
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This is the wall quilt that I made recently. I have played around with fusing flowers before but I thought that this would be fun for a sewing room wall. The background is a very simply pieced spool and then I fused some floral fabrics with ultra hold fusible. I fussy cut as many flowers that I wanted. I cut a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. I added some greenery as well. 

If you would like to make one of these, check out the instructions above under the free patterns. 

So, that is what has been going on in my world. It's a brand new world for me as I have only ever been a nana to two dogs and a cat. But Ella has rocked my world! 

Piecefully,
​Trisha

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