Modern Baby: Shapes Sampler quilt and giveaway

I'm very excited and honoured to be hosting a stop on the Modern Baby blog tour today.

If its your first time visiting me here at FairyFace Designs, I'd like to extend a huge big Irish welcome to you. I hope it won't be your last visit! My quilt design was for this Modern Shapes Sampler, pictured in a baby girl's colourway here.

The theme for this book and the tour is Baby Shower. Now, baby showers are only starting to make an appearance in Ireland, so I've never been to one! But new babies are cerainly showered with gifts and since I started knitting and sewing back a few years ago, pretty much every baby that has arrived in my family and circle of friends has received a handmade gift from me as part (or all) of their baby gift. There's something amazingly special about making a gift for a brand new baby!

When I came to designing this quilt, the starting point was in my (overflowing) playroom. Its not the first time I've been inspired by classic baby toys in quilt design, and for this one, it was this simple but classic toy that inspired me: the humble shape sorter.

The various shapes appealed to my quilting eye - I love simple geometric shapes in my piecing and am drawn to how they let the fabric and colour shine through.

When it came to colour and fabric choice, my approach was simple. I only took up quilting after my 2nd child was born, and never had the opportunity to make a baby quilt for one of my own kids, so I imagined the sort of quilt I would love to make were I to have a new baby girl. For this very special quilt, I chose vibrant colours and beautiful fabrics and mixed solids with prints which were perfect for fussy cutting.

 

It turned out exactly how I imagined it. Babies were definitely on my mind, and shortly after I submitted my finished quilt, I found out I was expecting my third baby, who was born at the start of January this year - a beautiful baby girl, who has been lucky enough to receive a wealth of handmade gifts from my friends and who I have been busy making blankets, quilts and clothes for. I can't wait to get this quilt back, when it has finished its touring with Martingale, to put on her cot.

This quilt design will, however, work really well with different colour schemes and approaches. I did a couple of other colour mock-ups so you can see, not having had time to make an alternative colourway with the pregnancy and new baby. All white solid background in the blocks will give the shapes a floating effect.

And a boys solid colour scheme would work wonderfully.

If I make this quilt again, I will definitely make the shapes in a wonky, improv style which I think would work really well.

Moderrn Baby is packed full of wonderful baby quilt projects, with tonnes of inspiration. And to celebrate its publication, I have an eBook copy to giveaway! To be in with a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite baby name. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you. I'll choose a random winner next Monday. If I cannot contact the winner, I will redraw.

Don't forget to check out the other great designers who contributed quilt patterns for additional chances to win copies of the book - the full blog tour schedule is here:

April 18, Thursday Jenny, StitchThis! http://blog.shopmartingale.com/
April 19, Friday Shea Henderson, http://emptybobbinsewing.com
April 22, Monday Jake Finch, http://generationqmagazine.com/
April 23, Tuesday Audrie Bidwell, http://blueisbleu.blogspot.com/
April 24, Wed Carolyn Friedlander, http://carolynfriedlander.com/blog/
April 25, Thursday Melissa Corry, http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/
April 26, Friday Jen Eskridge, http://reannalilydesigns.com/blog/
April 29, Monday Sarah Flynn, http://fairyfacedesigns.blogspot.com/
April 30, Tuesday Dana Bolyard, http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/
May 1, Wednesday Amy Smart, http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/
May 2, Thursday Carrie Bloomston, http://suchitysuch.blogspot.com/
May 3, Fri Victoria Findlay Wolfe, http://www.bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/
May 6, Monday Lindsey Rhodes, http://lrstitched.com/
May 7, Tuesday Pippa Eccles Armbrester,http://www.pippapatchwork.com/blog/

Thanks for stopping by!