Throwback Thursday Baby quilts

I have been making quilts for my great nieces and nephews since the first one was born. Actually I lie. The first one I made was for my first great niece Olivia born in 2005. I had a great nephew Caleb born 2002 for whom I hadn't made a quilt for at that point but I rectified that soon after. My latest great nephew, born just a few weeks ago was my mother's 19th great grand child. (with 8 children and 24 grandchildren that number is only going to grow!) They each have a quilt from their great Aunty Pip. Side note.

Fixit Guy is a woodturner and when my nieces and nephews get married he makes them a turned wood lamp. I think I got the raw end of the deal. He's told them they only get one lamp... if the marriage fails, take it with them. But whilst so far there has only been one marriage for each niece or nephew... they have each (apart from one) had more than one child so I am busier. I told them... no marriage no lamp, and we have to be invited (I'm a tough auntie) One nephew had a very small wedding and we didn't get to go but Fixit Guy is a softie and he made them a lamp anyway. Just realised that we don't have a photo of his lamps... he's not the photographer. I am. The recipients of the lamps have always been very appreciative of them and treasure them, and guard them jealously... one of my sisters (I have 5) offered to look after her son's lamp as he was moving house but he insisted he take it with him.

I must ask the family to take photos of their lamps and send them to us. We don't buy shades for them usually. We give them money to buy their own. A few reasons for this. 1. we don't know their taste or decor 2. There is not much choice of shades where we live and they will have much greater choice in Sydney where most of them live or visit regularly 3. They are hard to transport safely. We live 2 000 km from most of them so much easier to hand over the money and let them do the work. (Fixit Guy doesn't really agree. he would much rather hand over the finished product complete but for the reasons above I always fight him on this and usually win)

I digress. Baby quilts. So... I have made at least 19 baby quilts for my lovely great nieces and nephews. I have made some for other babies too... special ones who qualify. I have a cousin I am very close to (I made him the Tie Quilt for his 70th birthday see Family Reunion ) I am also very fond of his 3 daughters who were like my little sisters. When his 6 grandchildren were born I made each of them a quilt. I have also made quilts for 2 of my girlfriends grand children, my daughter's friend's baby and for two babies born to our church family this last year. That makes 30. Wow. Hadn't realised it was so many!

I don't have photos of them all I realise - bit of a slip up there but will include photos of some of them

My first baby quilt for the gorgeous Olivia who is 9 already. I was on an internet group and taking part in lots of 9 patch swaps. I was making and receiving lots of nine patches but not using them very much. Making baby quilts changed that

Above is Caleb's quilt top and below is the quilt back. Both featured Snowball blocks interspersed with nine patch blocks from the monthly ninepatch swap I was in (different colour or theme for each month)

I had made some hand dyes and gamely used them in a quilt for my cousin's first grandchild born in 2004. It was another very simple design

Laura's quilt featuring nine patches made from hand dyes and plain squares, also hand dyed fabric

Having made a number of very simple baby quilts I got a bit gamer and for Sienna's quilt in 2006 I used a pattern from a magazine called Tic Tac Toe.

Sienna's Tic Tac Toe Quilt

I got even gamer for the next baby, Ella who was born at the end of 2006, my brother's first granddaughter. I even bought a pattern for her quilt! I can't remember what it was called though. I liked that it featured the teddy bear as when all my nieces and nephews were born I gave them a jointed bear in brown or gold

Ella's quilt

Charlie, the daughter of my niece was born in 2008, not long before my father died. I can't remember if I made her quilt shortly after she was born or if it was a year late. I went back to full time work a month after dad died and I had very little time for quilting for the rest of that year Carlie's quilt was another slightly more complex design using eye spy fabrics again

Charlie's quilt

At one point I got very busy quilt making with quite a few great nieces and nephews coming in quick succession. I know at one point I had 7 quilts to make in a 12 month period and I resorted to very simple designs. 6" finished eyespy squares in a 5 x 5 grid with borders. I did get a bit creative after a few of them and made them alphabetical quilts. Some of my choices for what things started with got creative. 

Riley's quilt .. alphabetical

Sarah's quilt - not alphabetical

The one exception to this rather boring 5X5 6" squares was the quilt I made for Cooper, the grandson of my Australian friend born in the USA to his Aussie mum and American Dad. Cooper couldn't have a boring eyespy quilt. He had to get his Aussie on

Cooper's quilt featuring Australian animals

A special little baby girl was born into our church family in January and I was delighted to have a special quilt I could give her. It wasn't a baby quilt as such being one that I had made in an online mystery quilt (I can't identify it as it is an ongoing one. I don't want to spoil it for people. I did almost put a link to it and then realised... hmmm not a good idea!!)

My last quilt made for my great nephew Liam, born in March was a departure again from what I have been doing. It wasn't a baby quilt at all. He is the 3rd child for my nephew and his wife. They love the quilts I have made their older children and use them on their beds. They are a bid small for this use, being cot sized so I offered to make this one bigger. I used the Disappearing Pinwheel pattern from the Missouri quilt company  I only got around to posting it to them this week and they received it today and sent me a delighted text. I am glad they like it as I have to say it is one of my favourite quilts that I've made.

I have made quite a bit of progress over the years that I have been making quilts. Hope you have enjoyed this retrospective.

Linking up with Throwback Thursday on Quiltin Jenny's site