Breaking Dawn Charity Quilt: Renesmee

Renesmee did not cry, but she breathed in quick, startled pants. Her eyes were open, her expression so shocked it was almost funny. The little, perfectly round head was covered in a thick layer of matted, bloody curls. Her irises were a familiar—but astonishing—chocolate brown. Under the blood, her skin looked pale, a creamy ivory. All besides her cheeks, which flamed with color.

Her tiny face was so absolutely perfect that it stunned me. She was even more beautiful than her father. Unbelievable. Impossible.

“Renesmee,” I whispered. “So . . . beautiful.”

The impossible face suddenly smiled—a wide, deliberate smile. Behind the shell-pink lips was a full complement of snowy milk teeth.
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 372

Someone very small was leaning forward out of Rosalie's arms, peering around Jacob. Immediately, she had my absolute attention, my every thought, the way nothing else had owned them since the moment I'd opened my eyes.

“I was out just two days?” I gasped, disbelieving.

The stranger-child in Rosalie's arms had to be weeks, if not months, old. She was maybe twice the size of the baby in my dim memory, and she seemed to be supporting her own torso easily as she stretched toward me. Her shiny bronze-colored hair fell in ringlets past her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes examined me with an interest that was not at all childlike; it was adult, aware and intelligent.
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 438

Design and piecing by Joyce

We wanted to represent Renesmee's quick growth. I thought of various ways to make that happen, but ended up not liking any of them. Breaking Dawn tells about Alice and Rosalie taking hundreds of pictures, so it made sense that they would have made a “Baby Book” for Renesmee. I used transfer paper on white fabric to make the nameplate on the front of the book.

The first page has her name, birth date and place of birth. I made an educated guess at Renesmee's birth weight and height and put those along with her hair and eye color on page 2. Page 3 lists Renesmee's family. Page 4 has some of Renesmee's favorite things — song: Renesmee's Song by Edward, catching snowflakes (described in the book), food and pet. I thought putting Jacob's name was something Rosalie would definitely do! Page 5 has a list of “Firsts.” Most of them came straight from the book, but I, again, made a few educated guesses on some dates. Pages 6 and 7 represent Carlisle's records. I used a baby growth chart along with the information in the book to fill in the numbers. After completing the pages, I “bound” the book and sewed it to the background fabric.

I loved the shimmery flowers in the purple book cover fabric and how the light lilac was so similar to the pale lilac in the background fabric. As far as the background fabric, I just loved the color variations and all the leaves.

This block was so much fun to do. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!