Gathering....

....supplies, inspiration, courage.

I'm preparing to undertake my biggest project to date, my first quilt. It's not just any first quilt either. This quilt will provide color, comfort, and warmth to Little Miss Lou's new big girl bed. It's a big deal for both of us. That is why I find myself obsessing over its necessary perfection.

Gathering the right supplies for the job was the first order of business. Over the last week I've been studying Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts and Denyse Schmidt Quilts with an intensity not seen since college. I ended up with quite a list. As luck would have it, though, the shopping stars had aligned. Joann's started a 50% off sale on all quilting supplies yesterday. (It runs until Saturday...go, you must need something!) I picked up bias tape makers, binding clips, curved safety pins, extra-fine glasshead pins, a pinking rotary cutter and replacement blade, a 12.5 x 12.5 inch ruler, batting and thread. I also picked up a huge 24 x 36 inch self-healing cutting mat. All I need to get now is a walking foot. I've toyed with the idea of skipping this and making do but something tells me I shouldn't. Any thoughts?

Gathering inspiration just may be the easiest part of this whole process. Making a decision about a pattern though is another story. It was after much deliberation and fretting that I finally decided to go with Denyse Schmidt's Hop, Skip, & A Jump quilt. It was seeing this beauty on flickr that provided the final push I needed. I love how young and fresh this quilt feels. It's just the feeling you get from being around her. I just wish I could bottle her energy.

I've already purchased the perfect backing and binding fabric. You can just catch a peak in my first photo. I intend to pull colors from her existing curtains to round out the 7 or so additional fabrics I need. I'm hoping some of them already live in my stash.

Now all I have to do is gather the courage I need to start and finish this project. (Deadline: May 23). I'm sure the perfectionist crafter in me will struggle at points along the way. When she's threatening to take over the project I'll just try remember the most important thing. I'm making this for a little girl whose only request was that it be made by Auntie J.