For the love of Lucien

It's amazing how when you really love someone, you love their baby, even before you've met them. You may remember a while back I made a couple of preggo skirts for my dear friend Niki. Well, she has since hatched her baby - a little Lucien - and though I haven't met him yet, I am besotted. 

I was lucky enough to see Niki for a flying visit just a couple of days before she gave birth. It was beautiful seeing her and her partner, but I was secretly hoping the whole time that she'd go into labour and have a really quick birth so I'd get to meet her bubba before I had to go home. It didn't quite happen like that, but it sure was lovely having a visit, and it was also great to be able to personally deliver the quilt I'd made for little Lucien. 

The baby-quilt-that-doubles-as-a-playmat has become something of a tradition for the very nearest and dearest of babies in my life. I love love love the process of selecting the fabrics and laying them out, incorporating all kinds of bits and bobs to entertain the little bubba (flags, ribbons, tags and the like), and also reflecting a little of what I know of the baby's parents, and what I hope for the baby themselves. And then, of course, I spend hours and hours sewing the whole thing up, imbuing every stitch with a whole lotta love for parents and babies alike. 

In the case of the quilt I made for our friends Ally and Rich's baby, Annie, it was a whole lot of biodiversity and veggies that made the cut, being as they are permies extraordinaire.

For little Mr Lucien, I wanted to incorporate lots of bits of us because I know that, in spite of the love I feel for the little fella and his outstanding mumma, I'm not going to be as present in his life as I'd like, given the tyranny of distance. So I used bits of our clothes. Bits of favourite Olive and Oscar clothes, scraps of fabric from tops and skirts made for Pearl and I, and the back of the quilt is made from a patchwork of flannos - ex shirts and PJ pants for that one-of-a-kind pre-loved snuggliness.

Lucien, I hope your quilt keeps you warm little fella. Can't wait to give you a cuddle x.