The Can't-Quite-Let-Go Quilt-- Take 1

For those of you who are friends on facebook, I mentioned that I was working on a monumental project a couple of weeks ago. I do not sew. I do, but it's not worth seeing the results. But in light of having had our last child, a girl, and having a nephew on the way, the time had come to go through and get rid of the boys' clothes. This is where the sewing comes in. I just could not let go of a few outfits. They were the ones that literally went from the dryer to their bodies, and back to the laundry cycle again. It's amazing how many memories are tied to things like sleepers! I contemplated keeping a box so that I could take them out one by one, relive the early days, and then tuck them away again. But it wasn't practical. We're squeezed for space as it is, and my motto has become something along the lines of: "If it's not doing something, get rid of it!" So I came up with another idea: a quilt. This, in itself, is a joke. Like I said, I don't sew. Let alone quilt. But I love the satisfaction of making something and putting it right to use, and I've been enamored with the idea of making blankets to wrap my babies in for years! So I gave it a shot. I'm sure I broke every single rule in the quilting handbook, but the result was a warm blanket, full of memories, that Henry can't say enough about. Phew! Once Thomas outgrows just a few more favorites, I'll make him one too. And my bag of "keep them" clothes for Cora is already started. The best part was that the only "new" part of the quilt was the thread I bought. The patches are made entirely of old clothes, the batting is a couple of old fleece blankets, and the backing is a sheet from our bed. You'd think it was made of pure silk, the way Henry's taken to it. I love three-year-olds!

The pile of clothes I've been saving up for all three kids.

Laying out the pieces (and numbering them so I could sew them in the right order!).

Snuggled up with the quilt before it was even finished. He was thrilled with it!