Our little dude got a jump start on art collecting. This is thanks to the longstanding tradition of gifting quilts to new babies. Hand made quilts come in many varieties. Growing up in my house I saw the process of just about every iteration of quilt imaginable. The most basic design is literally just two large pieces of fabric sewn around a layer of batting, punctuated by short sections of yarn tied in knots. Nothing wrong with this type of quilt. It is probably the most utilitarian solely based on how many trips through the laundry it will withstand before starting to fall apart. It can also be constructed by most people who have a cursory understanding of how to sew. Most of it can be done with a basic sewing machine, save for tied yarn.

At the other end of the spectrum is the type of quilt that is meticulously designed, then painstakingly stitched together. Continue reading→