A Doggie Sort Of Story

I've recently shared a favorite finish, and I'd like to bring it up again, just for the blogger's quilt festival. Is that a total sin in the bloggy world? Oops. Call it a double-brag, I just flippin' love this quilt. ;)

This isn't my first quilt. It's not my second. Heck, it's not even my 30th. I got a whole lot of quilting in last year. But this one, so far, is my absolute fav!

Let's start with the reason, shall we?

His name is Kid. Or, well, that's what we call him. Occasionally, he's referenced to as "The Toddling Terror". Sometimes we're normal and use his actual name, Cole, but mostly we just call him Kid.

Yes, that's a normal look for him.

Kid... well, he's got more patience than any normal 2 year old should be required. That poor boy has seen so many quilts come into and out of this house, thought so many were his to keep, and was just disappointed so many times last year. What's a quilting mom to do, but to make him his own quilt to love and cherish? Well... what's a quilting mom to do when she can't decide on a pattern, fabric, or anything?!

First up, fabric. Dear God. Too much. Color overload. Will it grow with him? You don't want this huge, grown up, boring quilt for a two year old! Need some spice to make it fun. Need color. But not too much color, then he'll hide it under his dresser when he's a teenager, in shame, along with all those really cool, babyish dinosaur t-shirts he wears. Pattern? Novelty? Batiks? Nah, I'm not a batik person. Lurve me some novelty prints. ARGH! Enter... Max and Whiskers. Hello, happy toddler who yells "GOGGIES!" upon first meeting with M&W. Hello, happy mommy, who isn't overwhelmed with babyish tones and thinks this just *might* grow with Kid. WIN!

After googling, flickr-ing, sorting through block tools, blogs, books, magazines, and websites, I finally discovered something: I'm not as modern as I'd like to pretend. After gaining Husband's approval, I settled on the Ritzy Cracker pattern from Moda Bake Shop. Phew.

Now, to sew.

And sew, and sew, and sew. This quilt, I can easily say, has more pieces than any quilt I've done to date. Laugh. I know it's not intricate. :)

As this quilt slowly came together, a bit every night, Kid started making this more and more worth it. He'd sneak into my sewing room, and pet the blocks hanging on the design wall. "Pre-e goggies.... my goggies!", he'd whisper. ("Goggies" is clearly toddler-speak for "doggies")

He'd sneak in a pillow, and lie on the floor to just stare at his pretty doggies.

The day this quilt was finished was the happiest day of Kid's life. He ran into his bedroom like a bat outta hell at 6 pm, and crashed for the night. (Jealous?)

So, my quilt may not be perfect. Some blocks may not line all the way up. There might be an overlap or two in the quilting. Shoot, I think there's a few bumps where the seams just wouldn't iron flat.... but you know what? It's my favorite quilt finish to date... because it's HIS favorite quilt finish to date. :)

I'm linking this up to the blogger's quilt festival at Amy's Creative Side... because I'm darn proud of it, and my kid thinks I'm awesome for making it. ;)