Another Baby Quilt Started

Yesterday was the first time in almost two months that I had nearly the entire day to spend in the sewing room. Much needed! I've missed my time with the old Singer 301 quietly stitching away, with time to daydream and just unwind from the frenetic pace of late. Today I'll be back in the kitchen again, canning ever-more salsa. The tomatoes are reaching their peak now - late for most parts of the country but here in western New York we're happy just to have the bulk of them ripen before the first frost! We've had an abundant crop this year, so thankful for that as there's almost nothing quite as good as opening a jar of homemade salsa on a January afternoon.

So, yesterday's sewing project was to get a start on another quilt for the new grandbaby. My daughter chose a woodland theme for his nursery, and fell in love with the focus fabric in this quilt. I had exactly one-half yard of this fabric, and every single inch of it was used in the four wide panels. Here's where we are at this writing - the center is completed and the last borders are started but not ready to add to the design wall quite yet.

The colors aren't quite true as it was a dark and dreary evening when these photos were taken.

The pattern named "Ducklets" appeared in a Quilters Newsletter publication last year called Best Kids Quilts. I've modified the pattern somewhat, adding those narrow dark reddish brown strips separating the deer panels from the center block. The strips will make another appearance in the final borders, and I've cut every inch of the half-yard I had of that fabric too!  Funny how these things just work out sometimes.  Hubby's comment on seeing this much of the top "I'll have to get you to make me some targets." Right!

A closer view

I'm dawdling getting started on my Westering Women block this month, but will have to face all those Y-seams eventually!  Maybe next week...