Pink Trees!

It's shameless commerce Tuesday.  Today I'm featuring two baby girl items:  a baby blanket with Hoo's In The Forest fabric by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake Designs, and a smaller baby quilt featuring Hoo's In The Forest charm squares, also by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake Designs.

I used to watch the late Bob Ross's painting show on public TV, and he always talked about "happy little trees."  Well, I think these pink trees with multicolored leaves are definitely happy little trees. 

When my oldest son was a toddler, we drove by some blooming apple trees one day, and he said, "Look, Mom!  Pink trees!!!"  This fabric also reminded me of that.  Now he's all grown up with a preschooler and a second grader of his own.  On their visit to the Black Hills this summer, the 3-year-old looked at Mt. Rushmore and said, "Look, Dad!  GUYS!!!"  So in our family, Mt. Rushmore will forever be known as "The Guys." 

The baby girl patchwork quilt is 27.5" x 27.5" – definitely on the small size, but perfect for a preemie, a younger baby, or as a take-along blankie.   It has cotton batting and French fold (double thick) plaid binding.  The backing is pink and white checked lightweight flannel.  I tied it at each block intersection with six strands of pink embroidery floss. 

The 32" x 32" blanket has a solid piece of high quality cotton fabric on the top, and a soft, cuddly pink fleece backing.  The layers are stitched together with two rows of topstitching.  There's no batting or binding, so it's not a quilt.  The fleece provides warmth without being too heavy. If you'd like to make your own fabric and fleece blanket, here's a terrific tutorial by Jera, author of the Quilting in the Rain blog: http://quiltingintherain.blogspot.com/2011/07/easy-baby-blankets.html.

These small blankies are a handy size.   Receiving blankets can be too small or too thin.  Crib quilts can be too big to be easily portable.  This size is just right to cover a car seat/carrier, to keep in a stroller, or to pack along in the diaper bag as a soft cushion on the go.  (Those plastic drop-down changing tables are great—but not soft, and probably not always clean!)  A blanket this size also creates a soft space on a hardwood tile floor where baby can safely roll over and sit.  AND, it would be a much appreciated baby shower gift – pretty and practical.

You can find them in my Etsy shop—just check the scrolling shop widget in the left-hand column of this blog, or visit the Baby Quilts section of my shop at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower.  I'll be adding more baby blankets before the holidays, some with Minky (soft plush) backs.

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pasque-Flower-Creations/240542392623600