WINTER SURPLUS

I wanted to make Casey a new quilt to cuddle under when he sat on the couch or read a book. Currently this blanket is being used for forts and not laps. At least it's being used! I like the quilts I make to have a purpose and be used because really, one day they'll probably be out of style and ugly,
and you will look at it wondering what you were thinking choosing those hideous fabrics from the 80's. Oh the 80's.

 

I really wanted to try marrying easy patchwork with a giant monogram appliqué this time around. I went through so many sketches that ended up ugly by the time I got them in the computer that I completely revamped my ideas and decided to marry the patchwork with my love of wool army surplus blankets. (Aren't the muted blues of these homespun fabrics beautiful?)

The patchwork I had in mind was much simpler, but of course as I was browsing around I really fell in love with the broken dishes pattern I was seeing. Why do I do this to myself? It's not that it is more difficult, but the smaller squares take so much more time. I have half a quilt of small squares sitting in my closet that I started in 2001. I'll never finish it.

I did figure that bold stripes, found in a lot of wool army blankets, might go well with the smaller squares.

I still wanted to do a monogram, but did away with the giant one and went for small. And really, what army surplus blanket wouldn't need a monogram? I also love the wool Hudson Bay Point blanket and noticed they have small stripes on the side which apparently were there to tell you the size and weight of the blanket without unfolding it. I totally had to incorporate that idea too.

It feels like it has been a long winter here and I feel the blues in the quilt reflect a winter scene so I named the quilt Winter Surplus. But when you have a 3 year old and you long for summer, you absolutely need to put a happy color on the back of your quilt.

Of course I couldn't forget the Swiss Army blanket for Casey. I didn't put this in the pattern but made it just for him. I sewed the cross from leftover pieces of fabric I had and it's very wonky. A lot of people wouldn't like the wonky nature of the seams, but for some reason I do.

And now our little girl needs one. Mostly because I love her, but also because I know if I don't make one for her now, we will be in therapy with her when she is a teenager, all because I never made her a quilt when she was baby!

You can order the pattern at Craftsy.