Crib quilt based on child's painting

Several months ago, a very dear niece of mine requested a very special quilt for her baby due in November. She asked if I could make a quilt for her new baby based on a painting done by her husband's little sister Gracie, shortly before Gracie died of a brain tumor at age 8. The plan is to use the painting as a focal point in the nursery. Here is a picture of the painting and since I have never seen the actual painting - this is what I had to base the quilt on.

Now, I am not an art quilter. I like traditional patterns and traditional fabrics. I live 1930's reproduction fabrics as well as civil war type fabrics. I don't have a single piece of boldly colored fabric in my whole stash.

So, the first thing I needed to do was to ask my on-line quilting friends for advice. Then I asked a few of my local quilting friends. And then I went shopping.

There is a wonderful little quilt shop down the road from me run by a delightful little Amish lady. She has shelf after shelf of beautiful batiks for less than $5 per yard! What a find! The name of the shop is Miner Road Fabrics and it is just outside of Carson City, Michigan. She doesn't have an on-line shop and I can only envision her taking mail orders to the post office by horse and buggy! This is definitely a "visit in person" kind of shop!

I thought I needed to use batiks to get the rich, full colors as well as the depth and movement that batiks give. Once I had the fabric that I thought would work, I agonized about the design. As I said - art is not my forte! I finally decided to just mimic the drawing. I hope both mommy and baby will love the finished quilt.