My second niece, Sylvia, was born last December, and I’m embarrassed to say her quilt was late. Now that it’s been gifted and my head – hung with shame – lifted, I can share it with all of you! I didn’t design this pattern myself – it’s a fun jelly roll pattern called Pick Up Sticks by Monique Jacobs, available on Bluprint. I happened to have a fabulous and extremely colorful set of 2.5″ precuts that was perfect for this pattern, and a pretty black rose print for the back. I felt the vibrancy of the colors called for a dark background a la 18th century botanical artist Barbara Regina Dietzsch. Shoutout to the Sterling Morton Library at the Morton Arboretum, which has an absolutely fabulous collection including beautiful works by Babs D. The quilting was just a fun all-over spiral design in black.

I am pleased to report that this quilt has an active life as a playmat, which is the perfect vocation for a quilt when its tiny owner is too young for blankets at night-time per the AAP guidelines for safe sleep. Who knows what could be in store for it in the future. Perhaps it will be a shepherd of Sylvia’s dreams, or the sail on her pirate ship, or it could even be destined for tent-dom!