Blog / quilt label

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. 

While getting ready to write this post, I looked back at my email to try and figure out when I first started making this quilt. It turns out I won a copy of this pattern---Retro Flowers by Sometimes Crafter---back in 2012 (!), and I believe I started working on it not long after that. 

I worked on it here and there over the years, practicing my curves, assembling the blocks, and then piecing the quilt top, which is how it sat until a dear college friend gave birth to a baby girl this summer. I thought it would be the perfect gift for her new daughter, so I finally set to work finishing it.

I opted not to add the additional borders that the pattern called for, since it was already plenty large for a baby quilt. 

I put together a backing using coordinating teal and pink fabrics from my stash, including a super soft Nani Iro double gauze---one of my fabric types of fabrics for quilt backings!---and finally quilted and bound this long-outstanding work-in-progress.

For the finishing touch, I added a cross-stitch label with the baby's name and birth date on it. Baby quilts are my favorite things to gift, and receiving a photo of Ms. Emilia on her quilt not long after I sent it her way, completely made my day.