Glow in the Dark Space Blanket for Cameron's 3rd Birthday

I had so much fun making this blanet. 

A design popped into my head for a quilt for Cam and the ideas flowed thick and fast. 

It started with the concept of Graham's profile bottom left, with a telescope in the centre panel, looking at Cam as an astronaut in the top right corner.  

I found some glow in the dark material on line, and some space themed polar fleece locally for the back, and got creative with my embroidery.

Each square had a theme.  I used images and processing them with my embroidery software made them into embroidery files.  I added swirls of quotes, and embroidered clusters of stars as filler.  

Here we go:

Graham's profile panel

The Telescope panel

For Astro Cam I embroidered his body and printed his head from a photo of him in a space costume, onto material which I sewed on the body, then decided to make a 3-D helmet which attached, but could be removed for washing.

The Helmet is complete with a clear plastic face cover.

Important for breathing in space. 

 With the 3 D hemet on.

The Glow in the Dark Material

Elwood of course, and a sign to the star that was named after Elwood's Ball

 A general space panel

The polar fleece backing

  Put it all together

Quilted and backing on

I think Cam approved

Blending Cultures, a Baby Blanket for Maisie with a Totem design project

The family tree baby blanket I made for our grandson Cam was great fun, but for our next Grandchild I thought I'd do something different.

The Plan:

Graham suggested I think outside the square to incorporate the 3 cultures which are blending for this baby. Ilea's Canadian and Australian heritage and Callum is from New Zealand. We thought, talked about it for quite a while, and finally came up with a Totem Pole.

I wanted it to be fun, so went with a bright yellow background, and a purple totem trunk.  My plan is to have 3 panels which will lift up, with images beneath.  A Thunderbird at the top of the totem (Graham and I), a NZ Tiki (Jane and David, Callum's parents), and a Koala it's little joey (Ilea & Callum).

In the corners I'm thinking of embroidering different animals from the different countries, and perhaps sneaking all of our dogs in.

And a cute flannel back with colourful sleepy sloths.

Sometimes I think I make these things twice as I don't use a pattern, and often make part of it, and discard it and try again.

The Making:

I cut 3 layers of batting for the Totem, and Totem shape in purple material.

Next I made the wings out of blue.

Thunderbird panel:

NZ Tiki:

Embroidered, but not quilted yet.

Koala:

This was a challenge. I bought fake fur to make the Koala, then Graham suggested I make one out of fur.  Soooo I bought a rabbit pelt and this is the result. 

I embroidered each familie's pets into the corners of the blanket front material.

And a playful blend of cultures to make the 4th corner.

I quilted them together sewing in little swirls of family names, and loving words.  

Used a sloth flanel piece for the backing.

I also included flaps on the back so it could be hung on a rod, and attached the totem using clear snaps, so it could be removed if it became dusty.

Then made a few more animals out of felt, which also snapped on.

I quilted the totem with a wood grain pattern, and added the siblings family names under the wings and then the photos of us, Callum's parents and Callum & Ilea were sewn in place.

And as there were now 2 versions of Kiwi (Embroidered Tiki and Kiwi Bird) and 2 Koala options, I  put snaps on so they also could be interchanged. 

 I think Maisie approved.