just can't wait to be king - quilt for baby leonidas

this quilt has been a long time inspired, but a short time to happen!
at some point when amy and luke were first engaged, i (mostly)joked about making this quilt i saw on fandom in stitches if i had the skills.  at that point in time i had never paper pieced a day in my life, and it was WAY intense looking.  fast forward a few years, and having paper pieced a thing or two, i told her that some day, i would make her this quilt.  she asked me when, and i told her whenever you have a baby.  well, this past spring she found out she was pregnant, and i knew i had to make this quilt happen.  but initially, i thought i had until december.  then, luke sprung the weekend baby shower on us, and i KNEW i had to get it done in order to give it to her in person.  at first, it was pretty easy going.  i'd do a block every so often.  then school started.
then september started.  i started to power through everything, and get pieces together and hard core buckled down.  in the end, the quilt was finished just DAYS before the shower, and i couldn't have imagined it turning out any other way.  it was EXACTLY as i had envisioned it, and loved just as i had hoped.  now, for photo overload!
i found the backing on ebay as a fitted full sheet, so i chopped the elastic off so it would lay flat, and that made it end up being the PERFECT size to work for the backing.
i didn't want to quilt over the blocks, so i stitched 1/4" rows between the blocks vertically and horizontally to frame it in a bit. scar clearly looks thrilled, right?
i went with a black on black print to use for the binding in order to keep it from clashing (the colors on the front really aren't on the back... ha! but the black had these little hash marks with seemed rather lion king-esque to coordinate.
i really lucked out on finding this sheet. it had the perfect hint of simba shapes to it without having more eyeballs staring at you. now that all those photos are there, here are some close ups on the blocks themselves. simply, because i couldn't stop taking photos of it. ha! i was pretty excited it was done, as well as how it turned out :)
the quilt absolutely went over well, and i am so very glad i was able to give it to her in person at the shower. though, i know she'd love it just the same if it came in the mail.  though she's afraid to let baby use it, i think we've come to an agreement that yes, it can (and should!) be used and loved by baby, but maybe once he can control his bodily functions.  haha.
i think this marks the date of the first time i am actually in a photo with one of my quilts.  ha!  i had my mom take one earlier that day of just me holding it as well, but i kaboshed posting that one when i got one with amy.  huzzah!  and yes, there would happen to be a whippet puppy in that photo as well.  wouldn't be a real amy celebration if there wasn't one (see: bridal shower & wedding day).
alas, this completes the baby shower posts, but creates so much more anticipation for december to come and baby leonidas to arrive :)