Baby Quilt

I have tons of random fat quarter bundles, jelly rolls, and layered cakes. I get them when I see them on sale, or when I have a coupon, or if I am super lucky I get them from family or friends for free. This one I believe someone gave me. I have had it for years, I think. I know a mommy-to-be and wanted to make something personal for her and her soon to be born son. I came up with the design by taking a few different quilt ideas online and combining them. This bundle was 7 fat quarters. Two were the exact same fat quarter, so I really had a half a yard of one and 5 other fat quarters.

I wanted to do strips, but the size I wanted to do, I couldn't do with the fat quarters. So instead, I did a few strips (pieced together), a few blocks (quick), and a few small different direction strips/bigger blocks. Its a baby crib size, so when it was all done it was about 30 x 50.

I started by drawing out what I wanted to do with the fabric. Making measurement marks on the paper; what they needed to be cut at and what they would (hopefully) be when I was done sewing them together. I always measure, cut, or sew something wrong; so I tend to add an inch or half inch here and there for safety.

Once I have the design on paper, I cut. I began by cutting the longest pieces and widest pieces, then I move on to the smaller pieces. If I don't have enough of one material, I use a different one. I then use my design wall to move items around and change the design if needed. Which I had to do, as I did not have enough of one material, so I made two long blocks instead of one.

This is the design on my wall. You can see nothing is sewn together.

 Once I move the pieces around and decide on a top that I love or like, I then begin to sew. With this one I went in sections. The bottom section, middle section, and top section. The three long strips in the middle is the middle section. The top and bottom section are above and below those. Does that help?

Moving on, I then piece the long blocks, to the small blocks. Then sew the three long strips together, and then add it to the bottom section.

Bottom and middle section done.

I move onto the top section. Finished that, trimmed everything up and made it as rectangular as I could.

Top is done.

I then decided on a dark blue for the back, in flannel. I wanted it to be soft, but I am also working on a budget. I had navy blue flannel on hand and it actually looks great with the other fabrics. I then cut the blue flannel about an inch larger then the top on all sides. I did the same with the batting as well. I layered all three on top of each other, and then pinned it down with safety pins. Lots of safety pins.

Pinned and ready to quilt.

Once I decided I wanted to hand quilt this baby blanket and not machine quilt it, I then grabbed 3 different embroidery floss colors. Each color matched the quilt. One was a light yellow, baby pastel blue, and a white. I then stitched just a simple straight stitch around blocks, and straight across the quilt.

The top, hand quilted up close.

The back, hand quilted up close.

I then used the same color for the binding as I did the back. This helped pull the back color to the front and tie everything together. The finished baby quilt was better then I had in mind. I was unsure of the quilt in the beginning, but after I put the finished touches on it, I love it!

Folded up and showing off the hand quilted and hand stitched binding!

I love the back. The hand sewn quilting is just so much fun.

The front fabrics with the back fabric.

The completed front of the quilt.

This by far has been one of the fastest quilts I have done in awhile, on top of that, I hand quilted it! Its so exciting. I can't tell you how thrilled, energized, and excited I am that I hand quilted something. Its like a drug for me right now. I am still excited about this project.

Happy Hand Quilting,
Sarah

Learning Colors

My two year old is all about colors. Everything is GREEN, or BLUE, etc. I figured it might be a great idea to get him a color wheel or buy him something that will help with colors. I just never found anything worth buying, and nothing that seemed educational (in a fun way). I came up with the idea of using flannel and felt so he could hang the color next to the name. The idea was to use the color circle and the colored name to help him associate the two. Of course right now he can't read the color names, but he can match the colored word to the colored circle. In time he will be able to read them.

I had flannel on hand, and just purchased one felt rectangle of each color. I kept it simple and basic. White, black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. You can add more or others if you want to do this.

I cut out a circle and the word of each color. I then laid them on about a yard of white flannel. When I decided on the placement I then used fabric glue to glue just the WORD down. The circles do not get glued down.

I then just used some thumb tacks, and pinned the white flannel.

I then gave my son the colored circle, one by one and let him place the circles as close to the colors name as possible. He is totally in to it and so is my youngest... Well, he likes to just hold the circles, and carry them around.

See The Rainbow,
Sarah

Crib Sheet Tutorial

I have made crib sheets before, but I haven't made a tutorial for it. So, now that I have had the chance to make two Winnie the Pooh themed crib sheets, I was able to make a photo tutorial.

You will need about two yards of fabric. You will also need about 70-80 inches of elastic.

1. Fold your fabric in half and then fold it in half the other way. Measure out the fabric so you have the following measurements and cut any extra material off.

2. You should now have a piece that looks like this.

3. Still with the fabric folded and all four pieces of fabric in one corner you will now need to cut out the square piece.

4. Using a square cutter, cut out an 8x8 inch square. Make sure you cut through all 4 layers of fabric.

5. Finished product should look like this.

6. Un-fold the fabric so you only have ONE corner in front of you.

7. Place the two corners, on top of each other, right sides together. (Place left hand on left side of fabric and the other on the right side of fabric. Take left hand over to the right hand. Line up the corners.)

8. Pin the pieces together.

9. Serge or sew the two pieces together.

10. Do the same thing to the other 3 corners, until you are done.

11. Fold the out side edge of the sheet inward towards the back/wrong side of the sheet. Make sure to fold slightly LARGER then your elastic. I believe mine is 1/4in and sew I folded 1/2 inch.

12. Use your iron and press your seam.

13. Start sewing your seam down, remember how larger your elastic is and sew accordingly. Mine was 1/4in, and my fold was 1/2in, so I sewed about 1/8 of an inch from the edge all the way around.

14. Try to line up seam from the corner as you go.

15. Leave about a two inch opening in your hem to slide your elastic into.

16. Take a safety pin and pin it to one end of the elastic.

17. Push the pin into the opening, and wiggle it down and around the entire sheet.

... just keep scrunching up the fabric using the pin the push through.

18. Once you are back at the beginning pull the pin and elastic out.

19. Take your pin off, and place the two pieces of elastic together.

20. Pull enough of the elastic out and away from the sheet as possible, and run it under the sewing machine using several back and forth stitches with your zig zag stitch,

21. Slide the elastic back into the sheet, pull the sheet tight, and get the open hole as flat as possible.

22. Stitch the hole up with a simple straight stitch. I like to back stitch a few times at the beginning and end to ensure it holds.

23. You are now done!

Enjoy Your Sheet,
Sarah

Crib Blanket Tutorial

I was lucky enough to be given the chance to make my sisters, soon to be born, sons crib set. I was so excited, and she had picked Winnie the Pooh as her theme. I let her pick the fabric, and once she decide on the one she liked, I purchased a few extra pieces of fabric to go along with the pooh bear fabric. The complimentary fabric was so I could create a crib blanket with hints of a quilting style.

Most crib blankets now a days are blocks of different fabrics, or appliqued character onto a panel. I want to do something similar but yet different. My sister said she liked the idea of blocks. I went with the design of keeping it simple and making the front large blocks of different fabric. The back, I wanted to applique his name on it and make it personalized, just for him.

I sketched something out and came up with this:

Once I have an idea of what I am going to do I then grab the fabric. I chose soft fabric, and different textures. Babies need soft, but I also like the idea of them having something to explore, and touching is what they do a lot of exploring through.

I then cut out all my blocks, and laid them in the design I drew out.

Start sewing the blocks together in each row. You can use whatever size seam, here I am using a 1/4 inch.

Sewing the blocks together, 1/4 inch seam.

Then you will have all your rows done.

Take the first row, lay it down with the right side of the fabric facing up. Then place the second row, right side of the fabric facing down, on top of the first row. If you need help remember which row is what you can look at your drawing, or simply pin numbers to them.

Start pinning the rows together by starting with the seams. If you do this, it will help line up all your blocks and the blocks will not look out of line.

Pin, pin, pin! When you are working with mink, pin, A LOT!

After you are done with the first two rows, you should have something like this! Off to the rest of the rows. Just simply add the 3rd row on top of the 2nd row, and sew. Then the 4th on top of the 3rd, sew; and so on and so forth, until you have the finished top.

Top is done!

Now on to the back. I cut my back fabric about 2 inches larger then the front, on all sizes.
 

I then traced all my letters onto a large piece of heat n bond paper. I then ironed the heat n bond paper to the pooh bear fabric. I carefully cut out each letter.

His name is cut out!
 

Then I slowly and carefully pulled off the heat n bond papers backing. Flannel has a tendency to fray easily, so I was careful while pulling the heat n bond backing off.
 

I then placed the letters on the back of the blanket piece, and set them where I liked. I played around with the letters, trying several different styles, but decided on an off set, to one side, style. I also stayed about 4 inches from the top and bottom.

I then pinned each letter into its place.

I then ironed the letters into their place. Make sure the back fabric (white) is ironed and flat. This will help prevent the letters from ironing down all bumpy and such.

I then used a zig-zag with a smaller stitch, notice my .6, thats the stitch from front to back. This is what I use to applique.

I then carefully applique my fabric done.

Once you have a few done, this is what it should somewhat look like.

Finished appliqueing the letters onto the back. Once I do this, I actually go back to the ironing board and give everything a nice press. This way when I start stacking the blanket I know its nice and flat.

Time to put it all together. I placed my back of my blanket with the right side down (facing away from me), and then added a layer of batting. In this case, because I am making a baby blanket and not a quilt I am using a batting that has a lot of volume to it. I cut the batting about the same size as my back fabric.
 

I then carefully place my front panel on top of the batting, right side facing up (towards the ceiling), and carefully place it in place where I like it.

I then get my pins out and pin, pin, pin. Did I mention you have mink so you pin, pin, pin!

I am working with mink, so in order to keep the mink and blanket top from slipping or moving on me while I quilt it, I am going to lay a zig-zag stitch around the edge of the 3 layers. I follow around the top panel and stay as close to the edge as possible.

You should have something like this.

Now that I don't have to worry about my edges moving or shifting, I now can quilt the blanket. You can do this however you want. I personally just wanted a simple clean design, so I quilted in the ditch. Which just means I followed the seams on the front panel and sewed along those lines.

This is what it looks like on the back once its quilted!

I then clean up all the extra material, cutting the back and batting down to the front panels size.

I then measure, and cut the correct amount of binding. I am using mink, but you can use anything you want. I wanted the edges to be soft and cuddly, so mink was my choice!

I then sew the binding together.

I then place my binding and begin sewing it on.

When you are done, you should have something like this:

Time to hand sew the back of the binding on. You can machine finish it, but I am again, working with mink, and wanted to keep the quilt simple. To hand sew this binding, it took me about 2 hours or so.

When I was finished, I was so happy and excited to see the finished product!

The back looks great, and I love how the name just blends in, it doesn't scream out.

It looks great, and I am so happy with the finished product.

Now, I wait and see if the mommy-to-be likes it (its my sister, so she better love it, J/K)!

Happy Blanket Making,
Sarah