My Shieldmaiden Quilt, Baby Unicorn's Butt

When I make quilts, they're usually for me, but I don't think I'll ever be as fiercely possessive of any quilt as I am of my latest finish. My Shieldmaiden quilt is done!

I've been doing a abysmal job of keeping my quilt log up to date (I have at least 5 quilts I have yet to properly photograph), but I couldn't wait to share this project. 

I've named this quilt B.U.B., which stands for Baby Unicorn's Butt. Uh...what? 

For starters, I used Dream Wool batting by Quilter's Dream. This is my first time using wool, and I'm a believer now. It's lofty, breathable, cozy, drapes wonderfully, and is oh-so-snuggley. 

Then, I backed it with Cotton + Steel Bespoke double gauze. I bought an entire 15 yard bolt back in February, because I'm slightly obsessed with the stuff. 

Wool batting and double gauze are both perfect materials for hand quilting, which is what I did! I used gray cotton 12 weight Aurifil thread (color 2625) and echoed the low volume sections with big stitch quilting. When that was all done, I used matching thread to tie down the center of each "shield" on the back. I used a mix of Presencia Perle Cotton and DMC embroidery floss, based on what colors I had in my stash.

The combination of wool batting, double gauze backing, and hand quilting means this quilt is softer than a baby unicorn's butt, which is how it got its name. My mom and I have been stroking it while goofily slurring "luxury" and "sumptuousness" like the former porn star skits on SNL. It's just soooo good.

I used a mix of C+S basics and prints from the quilt top to make a scrappy binding. I hand stitched all in one sitting because I was so eager to cuddle it! My fingers are in desperate need of some TLC now, but it was worth it. Even Batman seems to enjoy it.

Name: B.U.B. - Baby Unicorn's Butt.
Size: 60" x 72"
Fabric: Cotton + Steel Spring 2015 collections
Pattern: Shieldmaiden
Quilting: Hand quilted echo quilting & tying
Completed: June 14, 2015