There’s nothing like a new addition to the family to get creativity flowing and sewing machines whirring! I became a Nanna on 3rd May. There was already a lap quilt waiting in the wings for the arrival of J – his Mum had picked it out a few years ago as one she particularly liked – but I couldn’t help myself wanting to make another! Around the world patchwork-quilting Grandmothers will understand this I’m sure 😉

Serendipity had Amy Smart offering her best selling pattern ‘Craftsman’ at a discount. I quickly bought and downloaded it, already thinking about fabrics…. I decided on a range of black and white fabrics with images of animals. For the sashing I chose a turquoise blue with a small rectangular grid print. Of course, I didn’t quite stick to the pattern’s fabric quantities so I made a couple of the large rectangles with four patches and substituted novelty prints in the small rectangles to give the monochrome quilt top a bit of colour and added interest.

The Craftsman pattern is easy to follow, the piecing came together quickly (even with me fiddling about with directional fabrics and the fabric substitutions) and then I looked at the quilt top on my design wall and got to thinking this is quite large for a new born baby who is living in a comfortable but small space…

The Craftsman Crib size quilt top (41.5″ x 49″). The fabric below the design wall is the Windham Fabrics extra wide backing for the quilt.

Hmm! Maybe a scaled down, floor mat quilt would be more appropriate at this stage 🤔

A quick scan of the leftover fabrics and I came up with an idea. Then we got the phone call – time for Nanna and Grandpa to drop everything, hop into the car and make the journey to meet our Grandson. I took the lap quilt my daughter had chosen, leaving the crib quilt and floormat unfinished in my sewing room….

…. Back home Having seen the little chap and the annexe flat he and his parents are settled into I decided to get working on the floormat quilt and leave the original crib quilt for later. I cut 4½” squares for the simple 7 x 7 layout. I used two layers of wadding to make it a little softer to lie on and leftover backing and binding fabrics from the crib-size quilt. For the walking foot quilting I used a turquoise 50wt Aurifil thread.

Floormat closeup – very happy with the zebra stripe binding!

I had the pleasure of travelling back to see J and his wonderfully patient – very tired – parents one day this week. I delivered the floor mat quilt and saw J settled onto it before it was time for me to leave, with tears in my eyes.

This floormat seems the right scale for the little chap!

Linking with Alycia, Michelle and Wendy for Finished or Not Friday, the Beauties Pageant and the Peacock Party.

Allison aka Nanna