BABY BLOOMING NINE PATCH

I spent some time yesterday working on this Blooming Nine Patch quilt for a very special baby that is scheduled to arrive in December. The baby is going to be a girl, but the momma didn't want anything too "girly or baby". I took that to mean no bright pink and purple, and no juvenile prints. Soooo, what to do? Well, I just love this Moda collection, Martinique. It's just plain pretty. Since the big picture isn't very clear, scroll down to get a closer view of the fabrics.

I am going to add a narrow border of the large print shown below...that's what I used for the setting triangles, so it will just carry that design out a bit. Or....now that I'm thinking about it, maybe a scalloped border....hmmm....

This is one of my all time favorite patterns from one of my favorite all time books, Tradition With A Twist by Blanche Young and Dalene Young Stone. This is one of those patterns that looks good in any type of fabrics....I have done it in Cherrywoods, batiks, and just regular cottons like here. If you visit Webshots (http://www.webshots.com/) and search for Blooming Nine Patch Quilts, you will see oodles of pictures of different BNP quilts.

It is my personal opinion that this book should be in every quilter's library. I probably make at least one Bloomin' Nine Patch a year, but there are also some other great patterns in this book, including classics like Irish Chains and Trip Around The Worlds. The instructions are so clear and concise....very well written. And some of the patterns are good stash busters! These quilts go together FAST!

If you don't have this book, BUY IT NOW!!! It's actually been out a long time....at least ten years, but it is still being reprinted, so I guess I am not the only one that feels this way.