Not so very long ago, I thought that traditional quilts, and quilting as a craft was more than slightly nanna-ish. How wrong I was! There are so many amazing fabric stores nowadays, with gorgeous materials in every colour and pattern, and so many ways to create something modern and original.
After I fell pregnant, my mother-in-law volunteered to sew a quilt for my daughter. After poring through scores of quilting magazines and coming up with nada, I realised I wanted something a little less traditional and out-of-the-box than the standard triangle/ square designs so common in traditional quilts. Strangely, I found what I was after in an old Pottery Barn catalogue (not avail in Australia; but by golly I wish it was) and, after a happy day spent trawling through bolts of fabric come up with a design and colour pallette that would form the foundation for the design of Fern's nursery.
The finished product, complete with hand-embroidered detailing and scolloped edging is everything I dreamt of and more. But the best part is, aside from looking amazing the quilt is an artwork in itself, its form as important as its function. After Fern graduates from her cot to a bed, we will transform the quilt into a wall mural, providing her with a visual reminder of her nanny's love for many years to come. And one day, the quilt will perhaps be handed down to her own daughter...
