Baby Quilts

There is something really wonderful about making a baby quilt.   It is usually warmly received by the parents and sometimes kept by them for many years after it usefulness has passed.   Some are hung on the walls of children's bedrooms to create a cosy feeling while others don't see the light of day for a very long time and are sometimes forgotten.

This doesn't deter us however from continuing to want to make something snuggly that will keep a baby or young child warm.  My own experience of making baby quilts is a very short one, I have only made four.  The first one is in the UK, made for very dear friends.   The next two are in New Zealand keeping my nephews warm and the fourth one is about to make an appearance and be given to a dear work colleague for her first born.

With each one I have found I have got a little bolder with the colours and fabrics I have used.   This latest one which I finished sewing the binding on yesterday is quite bold and it has grown on me.   The line of fabric is called 'Lollipop' by Sandy Gervais for Moda.  I bought a Layer Cake and some yardage from The Fat Quarter Shop.   I played around on my EQ and designed something simple around 41" x 41".  My initial idea was to use a dissappearing 9-patch block, but the print on the fabric was a little too large and the effect would have been lost, maybe next time using a smaller print.

It pieced up quickly over a couple of days, I then sent it to my local longarm quilter (yes, I cheated!) and yesterday completed it.  I used 100% cotton batt, and the fabric was pre-washed.

I cheated with the quilting on this one as well!  The layout design I saw somewhere in a magazine or on-line can't remember which, a couple of years ago.  I used some bold and and some softer fabrics from my LQS. 

Now this one definitely is a softy in colour, very safe but cute.  I used a koala print for the borders and fussy cut little koalas for the monkey wrench blocks.   It is a design from a book called "Baby Quilts with Love" by Alex Anderson.   This was made four years ago, and it's still being used.  This one I quilted myself on my Janome 4800.     It is amazing how creative one can be using only straight lines to do the quilting LOL.   I only use YLI waxed thread for both hand quilting and machine quilting.  I just love using it for hand work and it also works very well in the machine.  
Here are some closeups.

I found this wonderful Aboriginal print for the back that had all the colours I had chosen for the quilt-top, it is called 'Bush Plums' and seemed to be quite appropriate for this baby quilt.  I also used left-overs of a couple of fabrics for the binding on this quilt.  I called this quilt 'Gumnut Koalas'.

This week I received the final installment of Kathy Tracy's American Schoolgirl Club quilt patterns.   I have just loved getting this 6 part series, although I have only made the first 2.   I have all my fabric washed and ironed for the third one which has some appliqued blocks in it.  I think I am getting a little braver about delving into the world of applique now that I have started Barbara Brackman's Civil BOW's.

This latest project looks divine, and provides the opportunity to use some of the wonderful fancy stitches that my more modern machines can do.  I also love the little sewing needle project.   I have plans to make that and another that Kathy has featured in her 'Remembering Adelia' book.  

Little Miss Mini wasn't the least bit pertubed when we had a tropical rain cell pass over late yesterday afternoon, it bucketed down for nearly an hour.  This is how much she cared what was happening outside...

Until next time.....

Merilyn