A Down on the Farm Baby Quilt

One of my dearest friends, Chris, who I have known since we were 8, had her first child last week. 

 Hurray!!

Isn't he the sweetest little thing?

 Honestly, I had been hoping for a "Baby Sandals" for years, and had almost given up on seeing my friend as a mother.  Don't get me wrong - she has always been an amazing aunt to her nephews and an awesome "pseudo-aunt" to my three kids, but both she and her dear hubby Richard were meant to be parents, too!

They are both easy-going,  gentle but firm and can find humour in almost any situation - all keys to surviving parenthood!!

So, you can guess that I was over the moon when she called late last fall to tell me that she was expecting and due in May.  

Within hours I was scouring online fabric stores for the perfect fabric to make the new baby a play-mat for the floor. 

Chris and I grew up in farm country, in southwestern Ontario.  Neither of us had farmers as parents, but we both lived in the countryside surrounded by fields, tractors and farm animals.  

Richard's father is a retired veterinarian specializing in large animals and used to teach at the local agricultural college.  

These days, Chris and Richard live far from the "rural' life of their childhoods.  Instead they live in busy and bustling  Toronto where they both have successful classical music careers.  

To pay hommage to their past, I decided to make a "Down on the Farm" quilt for their upcoming bundle of  joy. I fell in love with this fabric right away and knew it was perfect!

I mixed the animal squares in with a mustard yellow for balance.  

Once complete, my own "baby" and blanket-fiend, Camden, fell in love with the mini-sized quilt.  

"The piggy is my favourite, Mommy."

I finally met baby Malcolm the other night.  Boy is he a cutie!

Born 6lbs 5 oz, this little eater has already grown to 7 lbs 8 oz and is alert as can be!

Chris and Richard are relishing every moment with this bundle of blue and I am looking forward to seeing him grow and change, too. 

 Now-- I get to be  Malcolm's "pseudo-aunt!"

Love and sunshine to all,

Bronwyn