Kip's Keepsake Quilt

I think I would classify myself as a sentimental hoarder. Ever since I was a little kid I've always tucked away and saved tiny treasures that meant something to me. A shoe box under my bed, a "special drawer" in the dining room hutch, a storage tub filled from college days. I'm organized and thoughtful about what I save (it's not just anything) and I do take time to sort and "weed" things out over the years. Dan and I each have special photo boxes with different notes and cards from our dating years and one for us together as a couple. It's not much but what I keep means a lot to me. 

I've done the same thing for both Kip and Ivy. Special boxes of treasured objects from their lives. To start, I've kept their hospital bracelets, newborn hats, cards from relatives, and small special toys. I tuck things away throughout the year to help them get started on creating memory capsules of their own. Perhaps they will grow up and not care about this stuff, in which case, I'll keep it for me! But I hope they will enjoy looking through the boxes as they get older and maybe even sharing the tradition with their own kids. 

I wanted to be able to keep a lot of the baby clothes Kip wore but I knew that wasn't practical (especially when we lived in an apartment). So, I kept only the clothes that meant the most to me or outfits that he wore on special occasions and stored them in a tub. That still proved to be too much.

Back around the time Kip was turning one year old, I asked Terri Mom (Dan's mom aka Grandma) if she would be willing to make a keepsake quilt from some of Kip's baby clothes that I saved. A quilt could be something that we use instead of old clothes stuck in a tub. Terri Mom agreed and I started giving her some of the outfits and she started looking for fabrics.

Last month when Grandma and Grandpa came to visit, Terri Mom brought with her the finished quilt. It is beyond anything I ever imaged it would or could be! It is incredibly beautiful and timeless and truly a treasure. 

I wanted to put together this post to not only share the quilt and thank Terri for this keepsake but also compile photos of Kip wearing the different outfits that made it into the quilt. Maybe one day when Kip is off on his own, he will wrap up in this quilt and feel the love that went into it. And if he grows up and he leaves it behind, I'll wrap up in it and think of my little baby and all his little baby ways and I'll cry and be grateful for the time I had with him and grateful to have a quilt that reminds me of it.

So, here it is!

It is a full/queen sized quilt so it was really hard to get a photo of the entire thing. It's huge and gorgeous!

I love that Terri picked complementary fabrics that go well with all the outfit patches but also the color choices that will easily grow with Kip. It's not a baby quilt by any means and could easily go on the bed of a teenager, be brought along to college, or put on a guest bed. It's timeless!

Terri Mom assembled the quilt and then had it professionally "quilted." Look at the detail!

I think I found photos of Kip in every outfit Terri Mom used in the quilt. A lot of the clothes I saved from Kip's first year couldn't be used in the quilt because of the fabric type. Tip if you plan to do something like this. Only 100% cotton clothes can be used for a quilt. The fabric in most onesies won't work. Fortunately, we had a lot of clothes that did work and I gave her a lot from year two as well!

This was an adorable button-up romper Kip wore his first full summer.

First Easter button-up and sweet little light pink dress shirt he wore on Mother's day.

Shirts from his first and second Christmas

 

Who could ever forget his Woody costume on Halloween age two (also made by Grandam)! 

The little pinstripe shirt Kip wore to the pumpkin patch just after he learned how to walk.

And a plaid button-up romper on my little chunk monster!

Preppy little basketball star!

And that checkered romper from his cruising days

 

Alligator overalls

Heartbreaker Valentine

Baby denim romper

Little pinstripe baby shirt

A lot of the patches repeat the clothes with different combinations which really pulls everything together cohesively. I'm surprised I was able to find photos of nearly all the clothes and looking through my photos for them was a nostalgic trip in itself! 

Motherhood is SO HARD in the every day moments but looking back at the photos, there is nothing but sweetness and charm, baby drool, and chunky thighs. I'm so grateful for this quilt to help remind me of that. It all goes by in a blink so wrap yourself up in it!

Thank you Terri Mom. I love this treasured keepsake and all of your heart you put into for us. Kip may be at an age where he doesn't understand or seem to care but as he gets older, I'll make sure he knows. And, I'm already collecting Ivy's clothes for round two!