Baby Quilt “Friday!”: Long-Tailed Lions

Here she is–quilt number 17 out of 20 from The Little Box of Baby Quilts. My favorite. She's simple, she's colorful, and she has a bit of flouncy flair (in the form of tulle trim). I named this quilt "Long-Tailed Lions." See why below:

From The Little Box of Baby Quilts, copyright 2007 Jenny Wilding Cardon/That Patchwork Place. Machine quilted by Cheryl Brown.

This quilt is my favorite quilt in the "little box" for many reasons. I like the simplicity of the Log-Cabin style blocks. I love the polka-dot fabrics (all generously given to me by Moda). I am really happy with how the lion faces turned out. I was going for the look of a plush toy, and kind of invented a way to come close. And I love the tulle trim on the manes and tails. Looks like it might be a little scratchy to the touch, but it's sooo soft and feathery. And it moves when you touch it! Fun for little hands.

But the thing I like most about this quilt is that I actually FINISHED it. I created eight drafts of it on paper before I even sewed one stitch. Here are a few of those drawings that prove it:

Each time I drafted the design I either didn't like the layout, decided it was too much sewing for the end-user, or I just screwed up the math (fairly common for me). Once I finally decided on a design, the sewing became the mystery. I started, stopped, and scrapped the quilt three times. Ouch. Goodbye, perfectly good fabric. (And with it, my confidence.) There were also yards upon yards of perfectly good threads, yarns, and trims I experimented with, and then tossed aside in frustration. But I kept with the design, and things finally came together.

Like any creative undertaking, you never quite know what the end result will be. Sometimes things come together flawlessly, easily. Sometimes there are a few snags but things pretty much go along according to plan. And sometimes you feel like you're in the midst of a disaster. Those times when something in your gut tells you "RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!" My gut told me that time and time again with this little quilt. And you know what I told my gut? SHUSH. Just SHUSH. I'm gonna try one more time.

Sometimes shushing pays off. Sometimes not. My completely unsolicited advice? When it's a tornado, or a tsunami, or you see someone coming at you with a kitchen knife with a not-so-nice look on their face, listen to your gut. But when it comes to quilts? Try again. Your persistence–and perhaps even your end result–will make you proud.

You can see more quilts from the "little box" here, watch a video about it here, and read more about each quilt here.

Next "Friday" I'll spotlight a quilt that's absolutely perfect for little ones who grow. (And that's every little one, isn't it?) Hope to see you back here next "Friday!"