More Baby Quilts

It seems like there's been a baby boom lately!  Besides our lovely Ariel, I know two women who are pregnant, and both work with me.  I guess I'm getting to the age where this is becoming more commonplace, but it's a little strange!  I tend to gravitate toward older friends, so I skipped the stage where everyone got married and jumped right to the pregnancy phase.  Personally, I think it's great because, a, I'm not having a baby, and b, I get to make everyone gifts!

One of my coworkers is due in about five weeks--so soon!  She's having a little girl and we're having a shower for her on February 1.  Of course I decided to make her a quilt.  Now that I'm more confident in my quilting, I can make someone a gift and not apologize for the stitching/binding/technique.

She's very picky (which is fine, I am too) and doesn't like animals, teddy bears, cotton-candy pink, cartoons, or anything too babyish.  I had asked her when we met about the baby's room, given all these restrictions, and she said they'd chosen grays, purples, and different pinks and geometric patterns, which all sounded great.  Of course, when choosing fabrics for her quilt, I remembered the nursery colors and chose something similar:

Sorry about the photo.  I didn't realize my camera died while I was gone over the weekend and I had to use my iPhone.

The solids will be the quilt front, and the print--from Anna Maria Horner's Field Study--will be the backing.  I also have some Freespirit NuGray that can serve as the binding, unless I find something better in my stash.

I'm still undecided on the pattern I'll use.  I'm leaning toward Cluck Cluck Sew's Inside Out, but could be easily swayed with the right suggestion.

Source

I worry--always--that crosses come off as religious, and I don't want to be a pusher, especially because I don't belong to a religious denomination.  What do you think?  I'd make the baby size, which is 35 crosses, but something is still holding me back.  I better decide, though, because I have to have her present ready in two weeks!

My boss is also pregnant, but not due until summer.  They've chosen not to find out the sex, so I've already started thinking about possible gender-neutral fabrics to use for her.  I really like Sarah Watson's Indian Summer, which will be out in April:

All pictures from Hawthorne Threads

While there are two palettes--one more blue, one more peach--they work really well together and I don't think I'd have a problem using them and still maintaining a neutral quilt design.

And, of course, I have something planned for Ariel, but I'm not talking about that here!  :)

What are you sewing?  I just picked up some Aurifil (my first spools--thanks Mom!) and will be reporting back on that.  I hope it's as great as everyone says!