I have cool friends: PetiteNeat

My very dear friend, Ann, who is a fellow PhD student in the Division of Public Health, an illustrious member of the IRB, and a study-team member/sanity saver, has a very cute, very awesome hobby: she makes quilts.  She made my little guy a beautiful baby-sized quilt, in beautiful gender-neutral colors (we didn't know the sex of the baby until he popped out) with gorgeous swirly stitching and a soft, baby-friendly flannel-like material on the other side.  Quilting is huge here in Utah and there has been a resurgence of women who are into things like quilting, canning, and baking pies from scratch (call it the pioneer movement, if you will).  Since Utah was built on the backs of Mormon Pioneers, it only seems fitting that I would have my very own (well, Des's very own) handmade-in-Utah quilt.

The fuzzy back of the quilt.  Desmond thinks it's luxurious.

The quilt is folded up on the crib.  Cute, eh?

 Here is a picture of my super smart, uber talented friend, Ann:

Me, our friend from school, and Ann.  P.S. that's my poster in the background.  Boo yeah.

Here are a few questions I had for Ann:

1. Why did you start quilting?  I started my first quilt 6 years ago when Erik and I got bored one day.  Yeah, we got bored one day and started making a quilt.  Funny, huh? But I didn’t consider myself a quilter until 4 years ago when pretty fabrics wanted to come home with me all the time and I needed some way to use them.
2. What keeps you quilting?  Quilting keeps me sane.  It takes my full concentration and I can’t worry about life while I quilt.
3. What's the hardest thing about quilting?  Getting the pieces straight can been a big pain.  I un-pick a lot of seams.  My seam ripper should have a holster.
4. How long does it take to make a quilt (i.e. where in the world do you find the time to do it)?  Baby quilt tops can take a few hours.  Adult size quilts can take me days, if I work on it consistently.  Me and my mom once finished a king-size quilt top in 8 hours.
5. What's your most favorite quilt OR who's your most favorite quilter?  There are so many quilts in this world that it is hard to choose a favorite.  My favorite out of the ones I have made is a quilt I made for my friend Lacy as a surprise gift. It was the first time I had ever made a quilt for a friend and I haven’t stopped since (I may have slowed a bit, but never stopped :).
6. Something unique about you.  The am unceremoniously average.  But I have a good family, good friends, a good education, and a good job.  I can’t ask for much more than that.

Ann has her very own Etsy shop up and running with one baby quilt for sale (she'll have more soon!)  If you know someone who loves owls or will be using it as part of their decor, consider getting them this beauty:

Baby quilt for sale on etsy.  Look at that swirly stitching!  Love it.

Visit her shop PetiteNeat on Etsy and support local, grad student talent!