The Bean

For some reason, I had it in my head when she was really little that my daughter would be a tomboy.  She was very spunky and clever and agile at a young age. I didn’t put her in many dresses and ruffles, and I absolutely refused to put any of those ridiculous headbands on her little peach-fuzzed head.  I even dressed her as a ninja for her first (technically, second) Halloween. Trust me, it was fitting.

And yet I got ticked off if people asked me if she was a boy.  Yeah, I get it now.

Anyways, somewhere along the line, she decided she loved butterflies and “spinning” dresses and anything involving “beautiful colors.” Most specifically, pink and purple. What can I say?

I knew that Far, Far Away was for her.  And, thankfully, she loves finding the unicorns and snails and frogs in the different blocks.  She’s been pestering me for ages, any time she sees me sewing.  “Mama, are you making my quilt?”  Yes, my dear.  Yes. It’s finally done.

The double gauze is a little tricky to work with. It really wants to distort in shape and fray a lot, so I handled it really gingerly and breathed a little easier once each piece was enclosed in a ring of Kona.  I used ten different solids for borders: violet, periwinkle, petal, lime, cactus, amber, peach, carnation, salmon, and melon.  Part of me thinks it was too busy, that I shouldn’t have used that many colors.  And maybe if I was making it for someone a little older, or as a lap quilt for my house, maybe it would have looked a little classier if I had toned it down. But somehow I think all the different colors work well for a little girl’s quilt.

Sashing is Kona Cerise, which I am completely in love with.  It’s such a great, bold raspberry color.  Rebecca is tickled because she can’t quite decide if she should call it pink or purple.

The back is mostly Kona Petal, which is a very pretty shade of pink that has a hint of purple to it as well.  I quilted it in my favorite loopy stipple, except I did a double-loop instead of a single one.  I saw Amanda Jean do it once, and I agree with her that it’s somehow a little fancier or more girly or frilly or something. But still playful.  And FAST!  There’s something about the motion of the loops instead of a “standard” stipple that feels so natural. I did the whole thing in a single sitting.

The binding is Kona Cactus. I saw several other Far, Far Away quilts with the cerise and a kind of lime-green contrast, and thought it was so perfect.  Looking at the other solids I used, I didn’t want to do another shade of pink for the binding. I wanted some contrast, but the blues weren’t doing it for me.  Green was bright and it popped, a little something different and interesting. I love it.

But nothing beats my sweet, sweet girl who bounced up and down when she saw it was finished.  “Mama! Is it done?!”  She immediately pulled it upstairs to put on her new bed.  Two nights later, as she cuddled up for our song before bed, she said out of nowhere, “thank you for my unicorn quilt, Mommy.”  You’re welcome, my Becca Bean.  You’re welcome.