2025's EPP Quilt - Nepenthe

If you follow along on social media, you may have seen the beginning of the new EPP quilt design that will be the second quilt to come out of the studio this year. While I designed the "Dear Heart" pattern for my Alex, Nepenthe is for my second born Em, and like Dear Heart this one holds special significance to me. We are using her baby wrap.

Each of my little ones has at least one wrap that was theirs when I wore them as wee things. My youngest had a wardrobe full, but she was worn the most of the three... how else do you keep up with two independant toddlers? This stunning Oscha size 6 (if you know, you know) was my Em's. Once she was up and running her wrap became an under table hammock, and later an indoor swing, its had a rich and treasured life that I couldn't bring myself to sell. I had toyed with a few sewing project ideas and after many years settled on turning it into a lap quilt for her, with the loose weave of the linen EPP was going to be the best option for this one.

It did take me a year to come up with a design that I thought would work well with the ombre fabric, and the overall paint-scape / watercolour style that I wanted to capture. This is part of the quilt in the design that I settled on, it will consist of alternating 5" blocks and work out to be about 50" square.

I won't lie, I am struggling with the fact I have to baste ALL of the quilt before I can work on the layout of the design. There is a very specific way I want to use the lighter pieces to move across the quilt as a whole. Luckily though I am nearly half way through basting this beauty. Well.. I was, until I thought a few pops of mint tones would really set the whole piece off (and make it a little larger for her). Sadly the only linen I could find in the right colour was in Germany, so that took a little minute to arrive to rural NSW.

I'm not sure about the cream tone, but if nothing else it will be perfect so a sewing project I have in mind for later on this year. I think the mint is perfect, and while the eucalypt and amethyst tones aren't quite what was on screen I think they will work beautifully for this project. I am also playing with an idea around some surface embroidery once the top is pieces, just to add a little texture and a secret message just for Em.

That leads me into the name, I know... not a common word. Nepenthe means "something that can make you forget grief or suffering", and my girl loves to curl up with a book and blanket to chill when things get tough, so hopefully this quilt is a comforting hug for her even when I am not around.

For those of you have never got caught up in the baby wearing fashion heres a few of our other wraps, the green toned wrap was Alex's and I think I'll need to make him something with his as well. We converted the grey one into a SCC / buckle carrier for him when he was four... a decade later its still in use.

Until next time possums! Cass