Pregnancy does crazy things to a person. Let me preface this post by saying that I have almost no sewing skills. I own a machine and know the basic principles. I have made one or two things with it, but I've never undertaken a project like this...
Somewhere around August or September, as I laid awake in bed at night trying to fall asleep while being uncomfortably pregnant, I suddenly had the overwhelming NEED to make a quilt for Clark before he was born. I laid there designing it in my head, and the next morning I got some graph paper and started sketching it out. As I designed the pattern, I kept adding blocks until it turned into this huge project. Luckily, Alan supported me in my insanity and we went to the craft store. He figured out all of the math and how much fabric I needed to buy, and then I started cutting. And sewing. And then sewing some more....
Just less than 1100 two inch squares (and two months) later, I had a quilt top done. I finished sewing the last of the blue border right after Clark was born, and suddenly all of my nesting energy and the NEED to finish it vanished. I did what any semi-rational mother who has just given birth would do - I outsourced. I asked my friend Ann, who does wonders with quilts and all sorts of awesome projects, if she would finish it up. She did an amazing job piecing together the batting and then quilting it all together (and fixing some of my mistakes).
After four-ish months, it is finally done. This project kinda grew out of control, and I didn't realize just how big it would be (both literally and figuratively) until I was already waist deep into it. I learned a lot in making it, and I think my next project will be a little bit smaller. At least for now, Clark has a giant quilt for him to enjoy for years and years.
For anyone who might be crazy enough to use my design, this is how I mapped it out. I used 2 inch squares, and just kind of made up all of the other measurements when it was all sewn together.
