a baby quilt for Koyuki

Koyuki is a baby girl, born to a longtime Japanese friend. A few years ago, my friend and her family visited us in the summer, and I gifted her a quilt.  She received it with more joy, wonder and gratitude than I have ever received- it filled my heart.  So of course when she had another baby girl in December, I knew a quilt would be the perfect gift.

I really went to town with the pink.  I love it- so soft and soothing.  I did a bit of an I-spy combined with a scrappy wonky star, using the centers as a showcase for fun novelty fabrics (including munki sushi!).

On the back I used one of my favourite prints ever, by Megumi Sakakibara.  Going through a bit of hoarder's separation anxiety about this but it is just too perfect a compliment to the top to doubt.

As my arms are still not very strong and pulling even a small quilt sandwich around to machine quilt was uncomfortable, I hand quilted it with Perle cotton.  I love how it adds to the softness.  Just one pass around each star and centre square, and one line dividing each block.  I did a triple row around the outer sashing.  Pretty.  The binding is a print by Anna Griffith, hand bound.

This will be winging its way to Japan shortly along with this ruffled (and wrinkled!) onsie that I just adore.  Oh, babies!