Zariah

My husband has a 15 month old sister - Zariah.  She is a little bundle of joy!  The older she gets, the more I fall in love with her.  She is at the perfect little age right now - just in between a baby and a toddler.  Oh she's so cute!  For her first birthday, I pieced a quilt for her.  I hand appliqued the curly brackets and "Z", so it wasn't quite finished on time...and then summer rolled around...which means my sewing hibernates until the fall season is threatening.  So I got it done 3 months after her birthday - could have been worse! - and it is absolutely gorgeous!  And let's be truthful...if I had a little girl, regardless of if her name started with "Z", I probably would have kept it. I love it that much.

 

I used a combination of left over fabric from Katie and Cody's babymaker as well as some new picks.
Approx. 40"x40"

Two of my favorite fabrics in the quilt

As if I wasn't elated about the finished product, this next part is total icing on the cake.  At Zariah's birthday party, I showed my mother-in-law the unfinished product.  She was very sweet about it and liked it a lot.  But a quilt changes form immensely just from being quilted and bound.  When I presented her with the finished quilt, she about came out of her skin!  She ooh-ed and aw-ed over it and was so excited.  (It it the best when people kinda make a big deal about a quilt...they are a lot of work and meant to be treasured!)  She called Zariah's name and held up the quilt for her to see...I honestly had no expectation whatsoever for Z's reaction...she's 15 months...  What came next about made me cry.  She turned to her mom - her eyes got so big and she smiled across her whole face, ran as fast as she could to the quilt, stretched her tiny arms as wide as they would go to grab as much quilt as possible, and just buried her face into it!  She knew it was hers and she was delighted.  I want to make this girl quilt after quilt just because of her reaction!  I know it will be well loved.  To tatters, I hope!

I love those curly brackets!

The backing fabric
Is this not absolutely delicious??

Gracie

My cousin, Candace, is one of my very best friends - we have been since I was born.  This quilt is for her beautiful little girl, Gracie Jo.  She is all girl and all tom-boy rolled into one.  My aunt jokes that Gracie is actually my daughter...I just think God knows what He's doing giving Candace a toddler like I was! ;)

Originally, this quilt was going to be for me, but a fabric calculation error made it apparent very early on that it was only going to be a toddler size, and immediately I knew it was for Gracie.  I am giddy over how it turned out!

 

Front: Made with "Honey, Honey" Charm packs
Approx. 40"x40"

Back
 

Candace received it so beautifully, and, while Gracie (approx. 18 months) gave no sort of reaction, I knew it would be well loved.  Candace told me later that Gracie insists on sleeping with her quilt, and not mommy's quilt, each night at bed time.  Sweet little thing!

 

 

 
I'm not technically her aunt...but she will grow up thinking and calling me "Aunt Tacy", so I went with it!