Blog / baby quilt

Ask any of my quilty friends, and they'll most likely tell you that flying geese are my go-to quilt block---and they would be right. In fact, I created a whole block-of-the-month pattern exclusively for Pintuck & Purl based on the block. 

Today, I thought it would be fun to show you two of the baby quilts I made last year which feature flying geese in an almost identical layout---geese pointing both north and south with areas of negative space around them---but have a completely different look and feel to them thanks to my fabric choices. 

For this first one, I used only two fabrics for the top: a pretty, textured blue Essex linen for the background and an off-white mini plus-sign print for the geese. Since the top was minimal and restrained in its color palette, I opted to add a vibrant and patterned back to the quilt, for a fun surprise. 

For this second flying geese quilt, I reversed the color placement (opting for a light background with darker geese) and added a third color (an assortment of acid yellow prints paired perfectly with solid coral pink and white). 

The back remained minimal with a gray windowpane print, and I couldn't resist adding in a bit of texture in the form of a recycled hemp and cotton binding. Though these quilts are similar in design, I'm curious to know, do you prefer one over the other?

You can find all of my flying geese quilts from throughout the years here, and you'll find both of the quilts featured here now for sale in my online shop. 

First three photos by Joyelle West. Last three photos by Lindsay Hite. 

This quilt is the result of my two sewing worlds colliding. In addition to making the quilts here at Salty Oat, I’m also in charge of sewing production at The Everyday Co., where I sew napkins, tea towels, and more. Kathryn, the owner of The Everyday Co., and her husband are currently expecting their first child, so when her parents commissioned me to create a quilt for the new baby boy’s nursery, I was honored and excited to get started.

Knowing Kathryn’s love of neutrals, and getting a peek of the nursery in progress, I quickly settled on a gray and cream color palette for the quilt, with pops of blue.

I pulled lots of gray cotton and linen scraps to construct the four oversized log cabin blocks that make up the top. Amongst those scraps are pieces of gray linen, leftover from making napkins like these. The block centers are made from an upcycled men’s blue dress shirt (which has made appearances in other quilts, including this baby quilt and this throw quilt).

A quick glance at my stash reminded me that I had the perfect backing for the quilt——a linen-cotton blend I bought during a trip to Japan a few years ago.

Kathryn and her husband have spent time in Japan, so I thought it would be a fun tie-in to their travels, and the colors of the fruits/vegetables coordinated beautifully with the front. And just for fun, I added a pop of orange to the binding.

This quilt now resides in its new nursery, in anticipation of the baby boy that will be here in just a few weeks---and I can't wait to meet him!

UPDATE:

Kathryn sent me these gorgeous photos of the quilt in its new home. Isn't that wave wallpaper stunning? 

Photo by April K Photography

Photos by Elizabeth LaDuca

You can see even more photos of the room in this recent feature on Style Me Pretty Living. 

P.S. I'm currently accepting commissions for custom quilts. If you're interested in working together, just fill out this form to get started and I'll be in touch!