baby quilts

As my post-boys'-bedtime evening began last night, I did not plan on quilting. After all, I'm supposed to be taking it extra easy these days as I try to conquer a pesky cold that has been tenaciously hanging on for the last three weeks or so. However, the weather is rainy and autumnal--perfect for quilting. And as the evening progressed I found myself backing, binding and quilting first one than the other of the two baby boy quilt tops that had been pieced together from flannel scraps last spring. It only took about an hour and a half, and I was sitting down for most of the time, so it counts as resting, right? : )

This is Benjamin's favorite of the two. I can see why because the colors are more cohesive and the quilt as a whole is less busy.

I love the little truck, train, and excavator print. It's very boyish in a cutesy way. I thought the firmly masculine dark blue and brown plaid worked unexpectedly well in the middle of the pale blue gingham and cutesy trucks.

I might actually like this second quilt better. It is busier and the colors are less nicely matched, but the light-dark pattern is better preserved, and some of the fabrics in it were favorites in the past. Perhaps its very scrappy-ness is what I find endearing.

(As a side note, the more I do free motion stippling the more I like it. My stitches are becoming more and more even and hardly pulling in the back. Plus it is quick to do and adds such a nice crinkly texture to the quilt.)

One of these quilts is going to be given to friends who are having a little boy this winter. They are moving out of town at the end of this month, though, so that's why I'm working on their quilt now. The other quilt will be tucked away for future gift giving. I still haven't decided which one is going to be which, though. Ah, decisions, decisions...