best of the nest | second stitch to the right

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I shared last Friday that April will be all about Creating a Dream Home & Nursery! Throughout the month both here on my blog and on instagram, I'll be featuring my favorite shops for nursery pieces, home decor & more. Plus I'm partnering with the incredible brands + handmade shops I'm featuring to give it all away to you! 

The April home + nursery series continues today with a shop that is near and dear to my heart, Second Stitch to the Right. I've had the privilege of working alongside Clare, owner & quilt maker, Mom to 5 and Grandmother to 2, multiple times over the past year. She runs the most wonderful shop where she makes & sells modern quilts (seriously, swoon) and all types of baby essentials, including swaddle blankets, crib sheets, leggings, changing pad covers and more. Her selection for both boys + girls as well as gender neutral options is amazing and her triangle quilts complete any nursery perfectly. 

Being that her children are grown, last June Clare found herself in a new season of life and realized it was the perfect time to start the quilting business she had always dreamed of. Her own grandmother was the one who taught and shared all her talents with her. Clare shared that one of her favorite memories from her childhood was going to the fabric store with her Grandmother, even recalling exactly how it smelled. She always found the most joy in creating things, but it wasn't until later in life that she discovered her favorite craft was quilting. 

Clare views quilts themselves as story tellers...when she sees a quilt she wonders who made them, where they have been, who they have kept warm and who has been comforted by them. I just love that. They are truly an act of love and service to create because of the long hours, intricacy and precise detail that goes into each one. Not only do they bless the recipient but then again bless another and another as they are passed down. Through each generation they are held, folded, washed, loved, absorbing more stories, memories and history. There is just something about a quilt...it is so much more than a blanket. It starts as so many small, individual pieces that alone can't do much but together, create something extraordinary. And triangle quilts especially just get me. I mean, just look at them!

This Spring I had the opportunity to partner with Clare to create a one-of-a-kind modern floral triangle quilt for our littlest lady, Penelope. Of course Liberty of London floral was involved (how could it not be?!), and not only on the quilt top but also as the binding. With the prettiest tones of white, aqua, blues, pinks and mustard, this quilt is a Spring dream. It is the perfect mix of solids and patterns, including the most darling polka dots, pink stripes, white criss cross pattern and of course floral. Sprinkled throughout the top are mustard triangles with tiny white hearts and it's completed with the matching mustard backing.

Meet "The Poppy"

The best part is not only that you can buy this quilt in Clare's shop here, but you can enter to win your own! It is hands down the most special piece in Poppy's nursery and will be cherished for years to come and used by all our babies in the future. The girls love cuddling up in it together, it makes a perfect place for laying, playing and tummy time, will be used for picnics all summer long and of course is beautiful just hanging over Penelope's crib or on her glider. Clare offers all of her quilts in three sizes -- Toddler {39'' x 46''}, Throw {52'' x 62''} and Twin {68'' x 88''}. The throw is the size we have and is perfect to grow with your baby, not too big but not too small. Clare also offers beautiful quilts in other color ways here. Readers can save 20% off their total purchase of anything in Clare's shop using the code BLESSEDNEST20 today through Sunday April 10.

And because April is all about creating a dream home & nursery, I've teamed up with Clare to give away "The Poppy" quilt to one of you! To enter, visit my instagram @blessednestblog and find the most recent photo I've posted of the quilt. Follow the steps listed below it and stay tuned for a winner to be announced on the original post within 48 hours of the giveaway's end on Sunday April 10.

Can't wait to see who wins!! XO