Swooning, babies, Valentines

So, do you Swoon? As in, are you one of the over 800 quilters participating in Katy's madcap Swoon-along on flickr? I am, and we're all mad for Camille's pattern, and it's awesome to see everyone's different takes on the block. Of course, say Camille and Katy in the same paragraph and you know I'm there! And here's what I have to show for it...

Three Swoon blocks (these big babies finish up at 25" square) and a slightly blurry pile of fabric that needs putting away. My sewing room is a disaster, always. Perfection would be boring--that's my story, and I'm sticking to it... In any case, I have a fourth block cut and ready for piecing, and plan on going for the full 9, plus some borders to make it big enough for our queen-size bed. And this one? I'm sending out for quilting. It'll be the first I haven't quilted myself, and I'm a bit nervous about it. Cart before the horse at the moment, though.

In between Swoon blocks and all the bee blocks I've been cranking out, there was time to put together a Valentine's Day mug rug for The Madman,

to match his Man Cave quilt, currently draped over MY quilt in said Man Cave.

Also, does it count as a commission if you're not getting paid for a quilt? Didn't think so. We'll call this a favor, then.

The Madman's co-worker and cw's girlfriend are expecting a daughter next month, and TM asked me if I'd make them a quilt. How can I say no to a man who helps me baste my quilts? So I weaseled the nursery colors from his co-worker (pink and brown) and started thinking. I had a small stack of Weekends by Erin McMorris in pinks, golds and browns, which I had won from a Fat Quarterly giveaway last year, saving it for the perfect project, of course. So I added a few basics from my stash, and went with simple patchwork to show off the big prints. And wound up with this:

Thanks to the Saturday storms that cleared off in time for me to snap a photo before it headed into the wash! I quilted it with straight lines, two on either side of each vertical seam, using the edge of my walking foot as a guide. To the Weekends fabrics, I added a brown solid, some Kei Honeycomb dots in pink, a pale pink with square dots from Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips, and Tula Pink's Birdcage print in pink from her Plume line. Oh, and a brown and cream sprig from Liz Scott's Sugar Pop line, which I also used to bind it.

I backed it with a pink and white floral from City Weekends by Oliver + S, which is so, so soft and cuddly. Hope the parents-to-be love it!

I know I do! The finished quilt measured at 38 x 44", and I used 6" squares to piece it. And that's a second finish for the year--I am on such a roll!

I have some cool pictures to share later this week from the annual Fabrics and Fabrications quilt show in Southport, CT, which I attended last weekend with my grandmother. See you then!