a modern baby blanket

My friend Tiffany is having a baby due April 1st. No joke. We used to work together, but left the company within two weeks of each other, her to work for her husband's chiropractic office. So, in line with chiropractic customs, they are having as little intervention as possible. No prenatal testing, no OB/GYN (they have a midwife), and no ultrasounds. Therefore, no gender knowledge before the birth. Makes it a little hard when you're planning a baby quilt! I did find out though that they are decorating the nursery in yellow and grey. So, the gender-neutral quilt I had already made was thrown in the closet, and I set out to make a new, modern, grey and yellow baby quilt!

Let me tell you - fabric choice was tough. Grey fabric, while becoming more and more common, still seems too modern to me. In fact, it seems there is now a trend among new parents to decorate in a style I find way too modern. I mean, this is a baby nursery people, not your living room! You don't have to cover a nursery in Elmo, but the minimalist too-modern style that is becoming so popular makes me cringe. They are only little once - what's so wrong with color? And butterflies? And puppies?

To that end, I put some fabrics together at the quilt shop, and brought them home to try out my pattern - simple patchwork squares. Not fussy, perfectly gender-neutral. I love how it turned out.

Where do you display a baby quilt? On a miniature Adirondack chair of course!



The front...You can't tell since I'm far away, but the only solids are the dark grey and light yellow. All the other fabrics have designs on them. This was my first time using all-natural/all-cotton Warm and Natural batting, and I loved it so much I bought another eight yards (on sale, of course!). The weight is perfect.



The back (The hub is holding it upside down. That white square in the upper left corner is the quilt tag). Pieced together because I didn't have enough polka dot (which is from the Hometown by Sweetwater for Moda line).



My first attempt at straight line quilting! I love how the intersections create four little squares. And a peek at my favorite fabric - the children playing.



Grey gingham binding, from Bunny Hill Designs Lily and Will for Moda line. With the back being polka dots, I ventured away from my polka dot bindings and went with this gingham, and I think it works.



I will definitely be using this pattern again! It was so simple to cut, sew, and quilt and I can just picture a toddler dragging it behind him/herself. Quilts are meant to be cuddled with, messed up, loved to scraps. As far as the "modern" aspect? Well, I feel like I walked the line with this one - modern color scheme, yes. But classic and childlike fabrics. A compromise.