Penelope's quilt / Scallop edge

I recently completed this quilt for the new grandbaby we are expecting any day now! I used a panel which was purchased several years ago and tucked away in my stash, as soon as my daughter told me it was a little girl I knew what I was going to use.  I cut the panel up and pieced the hourglass blocks using solid pastel fabrics and mixing it up with my slowly growing stash of 30's style fabric. 

This is a terrible picture, but the best I have of the entire finished quilt. That is my daughter with the big smile at her baby shower. I think she likes it.   Here are a few in progress pics. 

A few quick notes on this; I used two different marking tools; the Quilter's ultimate marking pencil and Frixion pens.  The Frixion pens worked great - the ultimate marking pencil did NOT come completely out, even after using pretreatment and washing the quilt three times.  I used Hobbs wool batting and did all the quilting myself on the Juki98.  Love, love, love the wool batting because the quilting shows up so nicely.  Also, this is the first scalloped border I have ever done and am very pleased with the result.  I googled and read several instructions for scalloped border and because everyone cautioned to be careful not to stretch the bias edge, I stabilized it with bias stay tape.  I have used this product before and think it really helped me when applying the binding. 

Then I proceeded to mark my quilt top and quilt it.  I used a combination of spray basting and pinning.  I spray basted lightly and then pinned like crazy. :)

The backing is a pink plaid flannel and the thread I used was Superior's So Fine in white for both bobbin and needle.  

A lot of love goes into the quilts made for my grandchildren.  I read somewhere about prayer quilts, quilts which are made with prayers being said by the quilter for the person the quilt is being made for.  When I made this quilt and the quilt I made last summer for my grandson, (and before that the quilts I made for my granddaughters)  there is a special feeling in my heart - looking forward to their birth I find myself saying little prayers for them also.   I try to make these quilts as best as I can, not so that they can be put away and saved, but so that they can wrap that baby up and keep it warm and later be drug around and used for naps and tents and picnics and play, it is my wish that they be used daily and I hope they have been made well enough to hold up to long use, long enough to comfort and keep warm.   Adios,  Bernie