This baby quilt is not only finished, but it’s ready three weeks before the shower date!

I based the design on this shower invitation (which I knew wasn’t generic, it really reflected the nursery theme).  I didn’t find any elephants I liked better, so I even stole those.  I blew them up and printed them onto freezer paper.  I ironed that to the top of the fabric, and Steam-A-Seam Lite to the back, and cut out the little elephant sandwiches very easily.  (Looks like I’m going to make it through with my Steam-A-Seam stash.  Here’s an update from the Warm Company.  it’s almost back!)

I put a piece of puffy poly batting on the back of the quilt top behind each elephant before I satin stitched around them.  This worked in place of stabilizer and gave me nice, pouffy elephants.

Instead of stitching in the ditch between all the blocks (I didn’t want the grid lines), I used Vanish water-soluble thread to machine baste a few lines down the quilt and a few lines across.  This kept everything square while I free-motioned lines and circles on the chevrons.  I stitched in the ditch between colors.

The back is darker gray chevrons.  The binding is gray and white stripes (none of the grays in this match!) with a flange in the same blue as the elephants.

So, the first of the chevron baby quilts is finished.  Look for the other one next week.

We’re linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.