Me and This Quilt

(this one is for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival, that's why you're seeing it again people)

My mom is a youngest and has instilled in at least me, that youngests (and really any child not the oldest) needs things that are special, just for them.  My sister-in-law had a boy and while he was on the way I made him a quilt.  Really though, I made it for the son of my sister-in-law so I mostly thought of her.  Although I did occasionally think of my brother-in-law too.  But mostly his wife, 'cause come on, we know she's the one decorating. 
I decided on a fabric personality for the mom (graphic, bold, clean) and set to work coming up with a plan.  My plan looked great on paper.  I was way excited.  I called her to find out what the color's were for her baby room and from there I bought my fabric.
Again, my plan looked great on paper.  It felt like a train wreck while I was piecing.  Seriously, I came up with about a million alternate designs.  I nearly scraped it at least three times.  I tend to have some doubts about my quilts while in the piecing process, but this was a whole 'nother level.  I was even to the point of sending my own sister pictures of my new designs for her vote.
So half way through piecing my train wreck, we went of vacation.  We actually visited this sister-in-law.  I saw her baby room and the fabric she had chosen and knew I was so right about her fabric personality.  The curtain fabric even went with the quilting method I had in mind.... but I still thought my quilt was maybe too busy.  I was back to slight apprehension as opposed to full on disaster.
When we got back my husband actually was the one to made the final call.  He saw the quilt top and said it totally fit and I should just do it.  The mom is his sister after all, so I listened.  And besides, it looked so good on paper...
As I started adding the "elements," it really starting coming together. By the time I got to the actual quilting, I was so confidently in love with the quilt top that I cringe at the memory of how close I was to ditching the whole thing.

I am in love with the wrenches. They turned out perfectly. The extra layer of batting was a stroke of genius. The whole thing turned out great. I really need to work on my quilt confidence. Next time I hate a quilt in progress I will have to remind myself of this one. Seriously, I've never hated a quilt more and it is now one of my all time favorites. And you should just see it with my handsome nephew on it; he's so the best part of the quilt.

 I used three different patterns for the yellow squares and solid for the orange.  I used my main blue dot fabric for the "blank" squares and the secondary smaller dot for the robot background and the occasional small square.

 I included a number pad for inputing things with the robots.  I also threw in some binary (this was for the brother-in-law), it's their last name.

 Gears and bolts for robot parts.

 I handquilted around the squares to connect some of the checkerboard more, and it so went with the lattice-type curtain fabric.  I handquilted around the wrenches and gears and stuff too.

 And here are the robots.  The second one's eyes are made to be snipped to his birthdate.  I sewed each loop on the eights separately so my sister-in-law could make it exact. 

 This quilt and I had many ups and downs, but I'm glad I went with it.  It's just stinkin' awesome.  (and I'm so humble about it)