VFL Baby Gift

A former coworker is preparing to give birth to her second son. The eldest is nine years old so she is basically having to start from scratch again - unlike when I had my two, who were less than two years apart. Whew! I don't know which age span would be better but I do know that a new baby can be a LOT!

My friend, like me, is an alumnus of The University of Tennessee. She is one of those folks who is also truly a Vol For Life. With the first baby, I asked my daughter to do some embroidery and applique work and I stitched the different pieces together. This time I am doing it all on my own. Yay, me!

Again, I went with a fan favorite and every piece is a nod to our alma mater. One of my favorite things to give as a gift for a new baby is a personalized swaddling blanket. For this gift, I used orange checked fabric and grey flannel. One side will feel soft and warm and the other side will feel cooler, yet, cozy. I wanted to tie the power T from the other pieces in with a sweet little hound dog applique that we had used on the older brother's gift several years ago. So, I first appliqued a power T to the corner of the checked fabric. Then, layered the dog's face on top as if he was resting his chin on the top of the T. Finally, I stitched the new baby's name below to personalize it just for him. 

Now, the new baby will have his own university collection that is similar but still personal like big brother's. I love it when I can create something special and one of a kind to give as a gift!