A Quilt for Miles....

My niece, Mary, welcomed a baby boy into the world last week...

Of course, I knew the due date was closing in, but I thought I might have another week to put together a baby quilt.  But babies have their own time tables and Miles has been in the arms of his  loving family for nearly a week now!

I pieced his name - MILES - using Denyse Schmidt's Proverbial Quilt Pattern.  Like most of Denyse Schmidt's patterns, I have used this one more than once...it's that good!  And makes a fantastic (personalized) quick quilt!

All of the letters for the name are from the same black and white gingham...the background fabric is Essex Yarn Dyed in Steel...with a little text fabric and ticking stitched in.

BUT...for the first time I used wool batting.  This is a Pellon wool batting and I have to tell you....I may never use anything else.  It is absolutely amazing!  This batting quilted like a dream!  I have never felt such a difference!  

    

I quilted with large 3" loops [with Aurifil thread].  Using the seam for the name strip as my bottom edge guide, I placed a piece of masking tape 3 inches above that seam.  My loopy quilting was contained between the seam and the tape.  Always a good idea to contain your loopy-ness ;)  hehe!  The wool made the quilting so much easier!  So fluid and fast!  I finished the quilting in just 3 hours!  Amazing!

I do prefer to hand quilt, but when I machine quilt I like a simple pattern.  So these big loops fill the bill.  Simple, not perfect, but yet add a nice texture...I am kind of smitten.

After I finish a line of quilting, I simple move my tape 3 more inches above the loops of the previous line.  It keeps my loops fairly straight and similar in height.  

      

I used the same black and white gingham for the back of the quilt as well as the binding.

His birth date is fussy cut from a fabulous number fabric from Kokka  [more on where you can find that later ;-) ]

 

 It just wouldn't feel right to call it finished without adding some hand stitching...and a little perle cotton....

so I added some red stitches with Valdani perle cotton to the binding and to the numbers!  

I love the stitching on the binding....yes indeed!

   

And in case you were wondering about washing with the wool batting...it has been washed in cold water with a color catcher thrown in for good measure.  And dried on low.  PERFECT!!!!

 This one will be wrapped up with lots of love!

happy monday!

xo mary