Yes, it's true, this is the second finish of 2016. My first finished quilt was completed in time for a guild show in January, however I have not had a chance to get a decent photo of that one. So I present to you "Baby Boy Britten", my second. 

I made this for nephew-to-be, Baby Boy Britten (my sister and brother-in-law are still debating names). I wanted to make something which was based on a traditional design, because I think that's what the family would appreciate most. I love half-square triangle designs, and they are fairly easy to "modernize" in terms of layout and fabric selections.  

I wanted to make some bold geometric shapes, and keep the HSTs on the large side (mine finish at 5 inches). I can imagine my nephew driving his toy cards down the 'lanes' of this quilt one day. I kept to the traditional blue palette, with some bright orange and yellow for contrast, and I chose interesting prints, but kept the "babyish" ones to minimum, so that this quilt will have some staying power as the lad grows up. It's on the large side - 46x 51, which will also extend its usefulness. 

I used a high quality flannel for the back, with some cotton borders as my flannel wasn't quite wide enough. The back is a wee bit wonky, but... oh well!  The binding is made up of scraps of the oranges and yellows. The quilting is simple echo lines following the light/dark pattern.

I can't wait to meet my nephew, am I hope he enjoys his quilt!

I worked on this quilt every day for two weeks - towards the end those days were many hours of sewing, and less other stuff! When I returned home after the baby shower, I felt a real sense of loss in my sewing room. Is that strange? I missed seeing the shapes on my design wall, and the fabric in my hands. I'm not sure I was ready to let go of this one! Have you ever experienced that when delivering a quilt? It's a first for me.