A Critter Quilt

Almost 20 years ago I wrote my second book with That Patchwork Place. It was called “Snuggle and Learn Quilts for Kids” and included patterns for educational quilts with words on them using my Repliqué technique.

I made a bunch of different patterns to be included in the book and the editor decided there wasn’t room for all of them. My Critter Quilt project was cut. So, I ended up making a stand alone pattern for it,

and gifted my first critter quilt to our grandson Will when he was a baby (I don’t think he was all that interested in it in this photo).

While teaching classes on these quilts I realized I needed to make a second one to travel with me. That was the last time I stitched any of these fun critters ~ until recently. When I heard that my nephew Kevin and his wife Alex were expecting their third child, I started noodling on quilt designs for this new baby. Why come up with a new idea when I already had a fun pattern? So I started making blocks while in Paducah this past April. As I made them I taped them to the hutch in our kitchen at the 1857 Guest House we stay in.

Repliqué is such a fun technique for reproducing photos and drawings. I had 9 blocks done in no time.

You might notice the fish has a different background fabric. That’s because I ran out of the plain blue. But the blue with seashells worked just fine.

I put them all together and the top hung on my design wall with other “works in progress” for months because the baby wasn’t due until October.

And then it was October! And Sullivan Brophy Walters was welcomed into the family. He joins his sisters Roan and Breen.

Sullivan is his grandmother’s maiden name and Brophy is his mom’s.

This is when I realized it was time to finish the quilt. So, I got the top layered and had fun quilting it – animal sounds and all!

It’s ready to give to them when we meet our new grand nephew. My dad already has had that privilege. Sullivan is the 15th great grandchild born to my dad – and the first boy to carry on the Walters name. Dad was thrilled to hold him. Here they are aged 2 weeks and 95 years.

God is good!