I have been waiting a long time to make this post and share these pictures with you!

I made a baby quilt for Hank with a great and patient teacher, Pat. We are in church together and I so loved getting to know her better while putting this quilt together with her. 

She is a master quilter! She is always working on multiple quilting projects at one time. 

The backstory behind this quilt:

I started it more than a year and a half ago! Yes, even before I was pregnant, and definitely before I knew it was a boy!

I originally just had a desire to learn to quilt, and wanted to make one with Pat for that reason. So I chose to do a simple pattern baby quilt and was planning to give it to the next friend who happened to have a boy. 

We worked on it every Wednesday for about 5 months. Vivian went to preschool and I took Kate with me to Pat's house to play and watch Elmo DVDs while we cut fabric and pieced it together. 

After it was pieced together and she showed me the basic idea for quilting it, I was on my own. I didn't need any more step-by-step help because it was just a matter of making time to do the actual quilting. Hmmm...making the time. :) What time?!

That's when I put the quilt away, thinking about it at night before I fell asleep...you know those things that you want to do but just keep getting put on the back burner because everything else seems more pressing? 

Then, I found out we were having a boy. I decided it was time to get motivated and get it done. Joyfully, of course. ;)

 (notice the change of clothes? had to change him halfway through the photo shoot because he pooped while I was taking pictures and it got on his pjs)

I had several months, so no problem, right?! So I kept making goals for myself...one square a week. Then it was one row a week. Then four rows a week. Then finally, a few weeks before Hank was due, I got serious. Aaron started a series on TV (Swamp Loggers, just so I remember), and I sat with him on the couch and quilted each night for about 2 weeks. It worked so well, I enjoyed it so much! I was sorry that I had procrastinated so much! It was so relaxing...something mindless but also being productive with my hands. And I was also hanging out with the hubby. Win-win! Some nights I stayed up too late because it was addicting. 

The week that Hank came, I called Pat and told her I was finished, and ready to learn how to put the binding on. We made plans to meet on Thursday to do that. Hank was born on Wednesday morning. :) I called her to tell the news and cancel our meeting, and she graciously offered to come get the quilt and finish it for me. I love that woman.

She not only finished the binding, but she added a label to the back of the quilt. She asked what I wanted it to say, and she designed and created it, and embroidered his name. It is so perfect. 

I am really proud that I finished, even if the stitches are all different sizes or may be crooked! The whole experience is definitely something to be remembered.
This project in no way reflects my ability to do crafty things, or even to sew. It was a one-time thing and Pat had to show me every tiny step. Aaron asked me to put a button back on his shirt the other day and I have no idea what to do! haha