Terrain St. Louis Sixteen Baby Quilt

Isn’t it amazing how going on vacation can inspire and revitalize you? After a week away from home (and my sewing machine), I was fired up to sew, sew, sew! I wanted to work on something fun and easy, so I grabbed some Kate Spain fabric I had been hoarding and set to work, even though that meant ignoring my existing WIPs.

 

I started this blog in April 2011 to document and inspire my quilting journey, but I’ve also ended up using other online tools as well. After double-checking Pinterest and Evernote, I was able to piece together this quilt’s short, yet long, history:

• Early August 2011: I pinned The Quilt That Twinkled by Blue Elephant Stitches to my Quilting Inspiration board on Pinterest.

• Mid August 2011: I purchased a Terrain Jelly Roll and Bella Solids Terrain Iris yardage from Fat Quarter Shop for the top and binding, respectively.

• Late October 2011: I purchased Terrain Mist Lichen yardage for the backing, also from Fat Quarter Shop.

• November 2011-July 2013: The fabric sat unloved and neglected in my laundry room closet.

• August 2013: I did some quick math and sketching, and completed the quilt in 16 days. (Hey! I made a St. Louis 16 Patch quilt in 16 days! How 'bout that.)

 

Why is it that I can finish one quilt in a little over two weeks, while another one takes me over two years just to finish the top? I have a few ideas:

• Planning: I had a clear vision before I started and did not have to make any major design decisions on the fly.

• Simplicity: The pattern I chose was simple and lent itself to strip piecing.

• Preparation: I had everything I needed on hand before I made a single cut or sewed a single seam.

• Energy: My vacation gave me the energy to make a strong start.

• Inspiration: It kept me going even when I returned to my everyday life and its demands.

• Focus: With the exception of a little bit of piecing for the backing of another quilt, I only worked on this quilt until it was done. No Zakka, no bags, just quilts.

 

At 48”x48”, this quilt is the perfect size for a baby quilt. So much so, that it has my sweet toddler’s seal of approval. She insisted on helping with the photo shoot, and assumed that the quilt was for her.

Lately, I’ve seen this pattern all over the blogosphere. Turns out there was an informal Instagram sew-along for St. Louis 16 patch quilts recently (#stlouis16patch). If you don’t have Instagram, there’s also a Flickr group. Be sure to check out all the other great versions of this quilt out there.