Pinkalicious: A Super Secret Project Revealed

Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart. –Mandy Harrison

Remember my sister, Jill? She's the one who brought her own bowling ball to Grandma Week. That cute little bowling ball made her arrival into the world a mere 9 days after our game. In keeping with the bugs-and-critters theme for code names for my kids and their cousins {no real names are used for anyone under the age of 18}, I shall call her Cricket. Adorable, no? Maybe not so much. But trust me, her real name is very sweet.

{Lizard Boy, Jill, Mouse and introducing Baby Cricket}

I started thinking about quilt ideas in April. I happened to be rifling through my stash and found some pretty chocolate brown fabric with pink roses on it and the idea grew from there.

I had the blocks all cut by the end of June and I started piecing the quilt just a few days before baby Cricket was born. I was actually working on the quilt top when my dad called to tell me that she had been born. Since then, every spare minute has gone into getting this quilt finished. Either I don't have very many spare minutes, or I'm really, really slow. Perhaps both. There was some unpicking involved, which cost me two days' worth of sewing time.

I finished it up night-before-last, threw it in the wash, photographed it and sent it on its way yesterday. Today, I got the cutest note in the e-mail. Just reading it you can tell she's my sister. We're actually twins. We were separated by birth. Either I was born 10 years too early or she was born 10 years too late. It's sad when that happens. Anyway. Back to the quilt. And the e-mail.

a knock at the door . . .

Elizabeth,

I had just put Cricket down for her nap and was trying to decide how to get the laundry from the washer out to the clothes line (all the baskets are full) when a shadow crossed over the front door. As I could see no car in the driveway, I first thought it was just the mail man, but then there was a knock at the door. Surprised (although I have had a few visitors who have walked over), I tried to shush Lizzie [Editor's note: the dog] while I weaved around the laundry baskets to the door. I opened it in time to see the mail man traipsing across the lawn toward the neighbor's (those mail men never use the sidewalks). I saw a box on the porch and almost hollered "thank you" to the mail man, but didn't.

Then as I bent to pick it up, I saw this cute little name on the top of the box. It was for Cricket! At first, I thought that The Dad had secretly ordered me a nursing cape from the "Udder Covers" web-site (clever and almost offensive? name)—we had received a coupon for a free cape when shipping was paid for. I told The Dad I wasn't sure if I was getting one, and the coupon has since mysteriously disappeared.

I was so dazzled by the name on the address label (same thing happened when I picked up Cricket's eye ointment (blocked tear duct) from the pharmacy and when her Social Security card came in the mail), that I didn't notice the return address (it's just so fun to see her name printed on stuff!). But then I saw the postage was from Springville. Oh! I looked again at the address label and saw that it could, of course, only be from Aunty 'Lizabeth! I waltzed into my room and said in a sing-song voice, "Cricket, you got mail today!" [Editor's note: I can totally hear it in my head. So cute!] Then I went for the scissors. As I was cutting the tape, I then worried that you didn't know that Mom made me a car seat drape (complete with loops on the inside to hang toys from). But then I read the card. Silly me. The quilting Aunt could not have sent anything, but, of course, a quilt!

SO BEAUTIFUL! I love all the different fabrics [Editor's note: 32 different pinks], and I really love the browns in it (brown just really goes so nicely with pink. I think, really my new favorite color is a lovely brown). [Editor's note: this is the aforementioned fabric that sparked the idea for this quilt.] Then, I saw the label on the back. It made me a little teary. It's just perfect and her name is so adorable all hand stitched on. [Editor's note: Jill is quite right; the baby's name really is adorable on the label. You'll just have to take our word for it.]

Thank you, so very much. We love it. It will certainly get used. I may just have to put it on my lap when I get up with her in the wee hours. That seems like the perfect way to start using it.

I can't wait until The Dad comes home, so I can show him. After he oohs, I'm sure he'll say "So much pink!" (Well, what does he expect? Cricket is a girl!)

Thank you a million. It is beautiful.
Love, Jill and Cricket

post script . . .

P.S. How did you resist blogging about such a lovely pink quilt? [Editor's note: It was really, really hard. I'm glad it got there a day earlier than I expect it to, because I was planning on posting it today anyway and hoping that you wouldn't have time to read my blog before it got there.] I love the super soft and fuzzy backing (is that called minky?) [Editor's Note: it's called Ultra Cuddle. Minky is only fuzzy on one side and this is fuzzy on both sides (which you wouldn't be able to tell anyway) which is why the quilt is super puffy without batting in it and also what caused all the unpicking.] and the satin binding [Editor's note: I love satin binding too!]. Plus, I love the roses quilted in all the blocks. So fun! Super fantastic! thanks again, Jill

Jill, I hope you don't mind that I shared your e-mail {and your hospital photo} with the world. Your narration made this post so much more fun than what I had planned. I can't wait to come give Cricket a squeeze and look at her tiny baby fingers and toes.

xo -E

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