For some reason I have always found baby quilts the hardest to make. Usually when I am making a quilt as a gift for a friend or family member I spend days, weeks, or months thinking about them as I design and stitch their quilt. We draw closer with every stitch in a very meditative and intimate process. When I present the finished quilt I am also giving the gift of my attention.
Maybe my thoughts careen around too much when making a quilt for a baby. I am thinking about the whole life of the child, from conception through some time in the distant future when they might share their quilt with their own child. I also think I am stuck on the platonic ideal of what a baby quilt should be. Perfectly airy and light, yet warm and comforting. Soft colours, yet bright and cheerful. A quilt that will be immediately appreciated by the soon to be parents, yet treasured forever by the as yet unborn child.
My most successful baby quilt so far was for my great nephew Tycho. By sheer coincidence I began cutting the fabric for his quilt almost at the moment of his birth. The joy of his parents and grandparents suffuses this quilt and gave my thoughts a focus as I cut, sewed and planned.
Thank you Tycho for teaching me how to make a baby quilt!
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