When I was pregnant with Isabella my Mom really wanted to make her a quilt. I guess she wanted to practice doing “Grandma-like” things. Although my Mom had no idea how to sew, she thought there is no better time to learn than the present. So I bought her a sewing machine for Christmas and shortly after, we went shopping for fabrics to make baby Isabella a quilt. Moments into our shopping excursion, I realized a number of things - some that were new to me and some that I had known but had somehow overlooked:
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1. My mom and I have VERY different tastes… in Everything!
2. I can sometimes be a wee bit controlling
3. I am intrigued by new things that I know nothing about
4. “Simple” “plain” and “easy” are not my favorite words
5. Ok fine, I admit it - I am a perfectionist… with control freak tendencies
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So here’s how this quilt extravaganza all got started… (Remember my mom and I know nothing about fabrics, sewing or sewing machines.)
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Once inside the fabric store, we split up so we could cover more ground. I am the type of person who went prepared to spend all day scouring the rows and rows of fabrics looking for precisely the perfect one to match her newly designed bedroom. My mom on the other hand – two minutes in and she holds up a bolt of fuzzy, flannelette, covered with pastel bunnies and bears in yellow, purple and brown.
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My heart sank.
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That was the moment when my mom’s new quilt project became MY new quilt project. That was also the moment when I was reminded that we haven’t agreed on anything since the mid-1980’s – when I was 4 years old! I know it sounds extreme to commandeer your mother’s new quilting hobby - what kind of person does that?
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(Me.)
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What is the big deal if Isabella’s quilt is covered in pastel flannel bunnies and bears? All I can say is that I wish I had a photo of the fabric to prove my point – it was hideous. On top of that, her idea of “quilting” was to buy one large piece of fabric and sew up the sides – plain, simple and easy.
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I had a different vision of what Isabella’s quilt should look like, so I made my way around the store gathering a variety of fabrics, threads, lace and ribbons – all in various textures and shades of pink and white. I didn’t have a plan in mind or any idea how to put all of these things together, but I figure if I just buy what I am inspired by, I can sort out the rest of the details later. Here is the recipe that I have come up with so far…
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I love a good challenge.