The quilt and cardigan were finally finished for my new baby nephew, with the final stitches on the quilt being made the day he was born, and the button closure on the cardigan stitched into place in the car on the way up to visit (I was not driving!).
The quilt is a square made up of 64 5-inch squares of fabric, based around the colours of the Cloud 9 My Happy Nursery fabrics I couldn't resist, and including some Joel Dewberry prints and the remnant of a vintage floral print which my sister and I had dresses made from many years ago. I had a go at hand-quilting this one, using some nice thick Gutterman handquilting thread and the tiniest clover quilting needles I'd ever seen! I threaded all 15 on to the reel at once, following the advice from Last-minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts
(a book I thoroughly recommend for basic quilting techniques and beautiful projects), which saved a lot of agony re-threading as each length of cotton ran out!
It was quilted in simple diagonal lines, backed in an Amy Butler print, and bound with the polka dot yellow Cloud 9 print. We don't have a tumble drier, but I find just line drying quilts puckers them up nicely.
The baby cardigan ended up matching the quilt, more by accident than by design. It's the same pattern as I knitted up for my September baby nephew last Christmas, Lucky by Kim Hargreaves (see my Ravelry page for more details). It was provided as a freebie pattern with a purchase of the Rowan All Seasons Cotton yarn in John Lewis, along with instructions for lining it. I obviously have a complete lack of imagination, as this one is the same as the sample I saw knitted up in store. I had to search high and low for the Joel Dewberry Flower Fields in timber which I used to line it, but Alice at Backstitch luckily had a remnant left.
It's a great pattern for a newborn baby as the fact that it's lined makes it more of a knitted jacket than just a cardigan, and the moss stitch is nice and insulating too.
But never mind all the craft ramble, we were all so excited to meet my sister's new baby last weekend. He was so sweet, a perfect advert for new babies (at least by day!!) and was passed around by us all for cuddles. He had most helpfully dressed in a little baby-green babygro that day so as to perfectly match his new cardie and quilt.
Look at his cute little face!
oh I love that 'hands up' baby pose, he is so lovely.And yes, of course, the quilt and cardi are super too!xx
ReplyDeleteThank you. And me too - they look so sweet with their arms in the air like that (very twingy in pregnancy though!)!
DeleteWhat a cutie, and looking good in his lovely little jacket :D
ReplyDeleteThank you! He was a model baby during our visit.
DeleteA lined baby cardigan! Why does this news come seven years too late?
ReplyDeleteIt makes me want to line everything. I don't know why it's never occurred to me, but it does make them all quilty and snug!
DeleteOh what a little sweetie! He looks very cuddleable! I love the quilt colours, perfect for a little boy. Also am in awe of your lovely moss stitching, the couple of times I've attempted it I've been reduced to sobbing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helen! And I know what you mean about moss stitch; my fingers are still recovering. Continental style knitting is definitely the way to go, less tears!
DeleteBeautiful cardi in an adorable colour. I love the fabric lining.
ReplyDeleteFleur xx
Thank you, Fleur! The yarn is such a gorgeous colour; I find most shades of all seasons cotton difficult to resist!
ReplyDelete