Pulling a Quilting All-Nighter
The title of this blog is exactly what I should be doing sometime this week, but it’s not going to happen. I’m not in college anymore and I value my sleep too much! Though I’ve had June 7 marked on my calendar for about eight months, it just dawned on me this morning what that date truly means: My newest nephew is arriving in less than three weeks! And what have I, the family quilter, done about that? Absolutely nothing. No fabric picked out, no pattern ideas…nothing. Yikes!
Time to do some digging through my stash and my past issues of Quilt so I can decide what to do. I’m thinking simple blocks with a little bit of appliqué—maybe trucks and cars? Or frogs and snails? And, in case you’re thinking that three weeks is plenty of time to at least get the top pieced (thank goodness baby quilts are small!), I will be out of town for about 10 of those days, and this is my sister-in-law’s fifth baby, so the likelihood of him staying put until his due date is not huge.
What is your game plan when it comes to gift quilts? Do you start early and actually finish the quilt before the occasion? Do you scramble at the last minute (like me!), often giving a quilt top as a gift and then taking it back to finish? What’s the quickest you ever made a quilt? I’m curious to hear your stories.
All I know is that regardless of the time-frame, the baby won’t know the difference if it’s late!
Lisa Swenson Ruble
About the Author: Lisa Swenson Ruble
I made my first quilt when I graduated from college and realized that I needed a hobby to fill all those hours that used to be dedicated to homework! Eleven years later, I'm completely addicted to quilting and thrilled that my day job as the managing editor for Quilt, Simple Quilts & Sewing and Quilt Almanac allows me to "play" with quilts and the friendly world of quilters!
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