Those who follow my personal/parenting blog already know, and those who don’t have probably guessed: my beautiful daughter Eleanor Margaret arrived three weeks ago. And that means, among many many other things, that I can finally show you her quilt.

I was going to use my Heather Ross stash, but ultimately was not quite happy with any of the piles I was putting together. I started over and was leaning towards some kind of red/pink/aqua combination. Maybe with some gray? Then, my friends at Sew Fresh Fabrics briefly had some Sherbet Pips precuts in stock, and I snatched them up just as fast as I could. What can I say? The little girl on the swing makes my heart swell.

It’s modern girlhood to me. Yes, there’s pink, and dresses, and daydreaming on the swings. But there’s also being out and about on your scooter and playing with the dog.  It’s what I dream of for my girls.

I got two charm packs, and went straight for my go-to favorite, Amanda Jean‘s stacked coins tutorial. Simple and easy, sure, but it makes for such a lovely quilt and I don’t actually have one at home.  However, I decided I couldn’t bear to cut some of the girl and dog prints in half, so I left those as full squares and only sliced up the more graphic prints. I decided to sash it in Kona Ash instead of white.  Not only does white get dirty awfully fast, and not only am I on a serious gray kick, but I just thought it looked great with those prints.  A little grown-up for a baby girl, perhaps, but I love it.

That said, the gray did make it feel a little bit… serious.  The first thing I did to balance that seriousness was the backing. Both prints are from Patty Young’s Sanctuary collection, and I love how bright they are in contrast to the front. Also, that blue tile? Someday I want a bathroom in exactly that color glass.

Then, I quilted it in my doodle-y double flowers. It was a fun experiment, and I’m glad I did it. Again, I think it lightens the mood just a little.  And the quilt is not so girlish that it can’t handle some fun flowers without going over-the-top.

And, then, the binding just makes me grin from ear to ear.  The red dot is from Bonnie & Camille’s Bliss line for Moda.  It is competing with Amy Butler Full Moon as my favorite dots in the whole wide world, and is possibly even harder to find at the moment. Might have to binge a little and add more to my stash…

Anyways, that is Ellie’s quilt. You might wonder why there’s no picture of her with/on it.  Unfortunately, she is not yet home. For a variety of reasons, she is still at the hospital. She’s quite stable, actually. Not particularly fragile or sickly. But also not able to take her feeds well by mouth, so there she stays.

Her quilt is waiting for her, here at home. It’s big enough that it’s just a bit much to keep at the hospital.  In the meantime, her upcycled receiving blanket quilt is keeping her company just fine.

All happy thoughts for getting her home are appreciated. I’d say it’ll be, at minimum, another two weeks.  And believe me, the three we’ve already had has been more than enough. I’m glad she’s at a wonderful hospital, being watched and cared for by some of the smartest people around. But, dammit, I want her home with me.