How to Make Fat Quarter Baby Quilts

Baby quilts make great gift and I often like to put together simple patchwork quilts that focus on the fabulous fabric.

I really like buying fat quarter sets, as a set of 6 easily makes a baby quilt.  You can make a quilt with either 4", 5" or 6" squares.

 

Fat Quarter Patchwork Baby Quilt:

 

With 4" squares, you will need:

6 fat quarters

17 squares from each fabric (total of 99 squares)

To make a 9 x 11 grid

Measures 32" by 39" finished

With 5" squares, you will need:

6 fat quarters

11 squares from each fabric (total of 63 squares)

To make a 7 x 9 grid

Measures 32" by 41"

 

With 6" squares, you will need:

6 fat quarters

8 squares from each fabric (total of 48 squares)

To make a 6 x 8 grid

Measures 33" by 44"


Raggy Sock Monkey Quilt (Quilt 4)

Things have been hectic in our life lately.  I had an unexpected stay in the hospital for a week and add our new baby (I can't believe she's already 2 mos), we have been busy.  Thank goodness for family and friends that are so willing to help out.

 

I wouldn't have finished this particular quilt if my friend Su hadn't been able to help me out.  This quilt was for my new baby, but in my last weeks of pregnancy, I really wasn't able to sew much.  She helped me sew the squares together and did all the snipping on the squares to finish this raggy quilt.

 

I picked out this sock monkey fabric almost 2 years ago and have been saving it for when we had another baby.  It is beyond soft - the advantage of high quality flannel.

 

This is how I make a raggy quilt:
 

1.  I choose different flannel fabrics (they should add up to 4 yards total for a baby sized quilt)

2. Cut the fabric up - I use 6" squares (my quilt layout is 9x8, so you will need 144 squares)

3. Choose whether or not to add batting (you will need 72 - 4.5" squares, I recommend using a cotton or cotton blend batting)

4. Sew two matching squares together (wrong sides together) using a diagonal X through the center (if you use batting, put the batting in the middle before sewing)

5. Put together squares having all seams lying on top of the quilt (always use a 1/2" seam allowance) - I use a triple stitch to sew seams for durability

6. Using spring loaded scissors, CAREFULLY snip the seams about 1/4" spaces to create the "raggy" effect

7.  Wash the quilt

A Colorful Table Runner

I put this table runner together quickly for Su's birthday awhile back.

 

Other than the black and white stripes (a favorite from the Dr Seuss line by Robert Kauffman), all the fabric came from my scraps.  Apparently I didn't know how many solids I had in my scrap bins!  There are 20 something different solid colors.

This table runner screams fun - I wanted something bright and cheery since Spring is taking it's own time to come to Alberta, Canada.  The prints are all urban zoologie by Ann Kelle.  I realized while making this that I'm completely out of owls (another favorite), and ordered some off of Etsy.

For quilting, I did in the ditch around the prints and the little stripe borderes, and than diagonal lines through the squares (which I feel is a little too "busy" for the table runner, but oh well). 

I'm so pleased with how this turned out and I really should get making a table runner for myself, or finished the placemats that I started ages ago.

Hexagon Coneystalk Quilt (Quilt 3)

Fabulous news from our house - baby arrived!  Our little girl arrived 5 weeks early which meant almost 2 weeks in the hospital, but everyone is now home safe and sound.  Thank goodness for family and friends - I don't know what we would have done without everyone's support.  My friend Su, helped me out with this quilt so it could be ready for baby. 

Su bought me this fabric bundle from Fabricworm as part of my Christmas gift.  Most of the prints are from Amy Butler's Cameo line, but there are also a few Japanese prints that give the quilt a vintage look (with a modern color scheme).

Wanting to do something special, and to try something new, I decided to machine piece hexagons to create the quilt top.  It was a lot of work and I'm really glad it was only a baby quilt.  Each side of the hexagon is a separate seam that needs to be anchored at the beginning and end.  Each one of those y-seams wants to be difficult and requires a lot of patience.  The good news is that while you are sewing, the seams may look a little less than perfect, but in the long run, they look fine.  After washing, you can't notice any minor errors.

I decided to add the triangle edge (technically called Prairie Points, but in our family we call them Coneystalks) and then free motion quilt leaving a 2-3" space from the edge.  Then Su hand sewed on the back for me and then I finished free motion quilting the space.

All the work was worth it for my new little girl!

Boxing Rings (Quilt 2)

I keep reminding myself that every day is one day closer to this baby coming, but it's very hard to be patient.  For once, I decided to be realistic and chose to only take on one major quilt before baby's due date in March.  I decided to make a birthday quilt for my lovely sister, who has been quietly begging for a quilt (she is one of the only ones in my family who hasn't received one since I began quilting in 2011).

 

We went through my stash for inspiration together, and she was very interested in some Heirloom prints by Joel Dewberry (she wanted something a little more grown-up).  I ordered a bundle in this pretty colorway and chose an off-white solid to mix with the prints.  I debated for many weeks on a quilt pattern.  I even thought about trying circles at one point, but finally decided on this design - one of my own.

The inner rings of the boxes measure 1" in width before sewing - finishing at 0.5".  My friend George can never understand why I like sewing with such a thin piece of fabric, but I love the challenge and especially the finished product.

While this design is fairly simplistic, I like it because it showcases these gorgeous large scale prints.  I used a purple minky for the back (it did pull through a little on the quilting), and quilted 1/4" from the main seam lines and also on the diagonal running through each block.  For binding, I used a gray Lecien stripe that I ordered in the fall.   The quilt finished at a very generous lapsize (around 56" by 78") and my sister loves it.

Meadow Storyboek Baby Quilt (Quilt 1)

I haven't had lots of energy for much these days, but I have finished 3 new quilts this year that I'm hoping to post about soon.  This is my first quilt of the year - a tumbler baby quilt for my best friend's first baby.

I received this lovely fabric, Storyboek Two by Birch fabrics (organic), for my birthday in the fall from my friend Su.  The fabric is incredibly soft and I love the colors - which I felt was just right for this particular project. 

I used my tumbler template again and used the 5" size.  I used 9 FQ and it made enough for the front (100 pieces) and enough for a single row on the back.  I had some scraps left over at the end.

My favorite part of this quilt is the back.  The gray used in this collection is very particular, but I felt that the polka dots matched the polka dots of the other fabrics and I just LOVE this yellow.  I'm becoming quite drawn to the my golden/mustard yellows. 

I did my usually quilting 1/4" from the seams.  I also like the binding I chose - the pin sized polka dots (Moda).  The ladies at my LQS wanted me to choose other fabric for the binding, but I stood my ground and I'm happy with my choice.

Meadowsweet Patchwork (Quilt 25)

Ironically, this is quilt 25 and I finished it the day before Christmas!  I finished a lot of Christmas projects this year - 6 pillows, 8 pillowcases, 2 covered journals, several sets of potholders, 9 dishtowels, many dishcloths and this quilt.

 

My friend Su had ordered these lovely prints awhile back that I made her Patchwork Pillows with.  She said I could keep the extra fabric as a thank you, but I really wanted to make her a quilt since she is very important to me.  I had to buy a few extra "almost solid" prints to have enough for the quilt.

 

I also quilted this quilt (like the pillowcases), using metallic thread.  I was a little nervous to quilt such a large quilt with finicky metallic thread (especially with minky on the back), but it was fine.  Reduced tension and a metallic needle did the trick!  Didn't have the thread break once.  And the minky back is so lovely!  I ordered it online (and was a little nervous if the color would actually match) and I couldn't be more thrilled.

 

Apologies for only the two photos - we had the coldest Christmas in a long time (which is saying something since I'm from Alberta, Canada!)

 



Chevron Quilt (Quilt 24)

Things have been moving slowly around here - I'm actually pretty proud of myself.  I've been trying to take it easy now that I'm in my last trimester of this pregnancy - yay!

 

This week, though, I'm hoping to get in a few posts since I still have two quilts from 2012 to post about.

 

This quilt was really fun - the LQS that I often shop at has a point system, and I had reached my $50 credit reward at the store (we won't talk about how much I had to spend to get that reward...).  I picked out fabrics I liked together and bought 5 different prints that matched - this is the first time I've ever mixed up a bunch of collections (but not through online shopping).
 

So much fun!  This chevron quilt is really easy - assembled using half square triangles.  I liked making my HST a little big and then trimming them down so that they are perfectly square.  This makes your chevron points nice and neat.

 

I quilted 1/4" from the seam (my usual), which I really liked as it highlights the design that the HSTs make.  I also used some cozy minky on the back which is totally winter appropriate!
 

I sold this quilt on Etsy already and I hope it's happy in it's new home :)

Christmas Quilt (Quilt 23)

So, like everyone else, I have been busy with Christmas projects trying to get gifts done.  I am a little slower than usual as I'm feeling tired & sick.  But it's all good because I will be getting a very nice little bundle of joy in a few months as compensation.  Our family will be welcoming another little girl into the family :)

 

This cute Christmas quilt I finished for the craft fair I did at the beginning of November.  It is made with Ann Kelle's Jingle fabric and also some Christmas-y prints from her remix collection.
 

When I saw previews for this collection, I knew I had to have it!  I'm a total fan of Ann Kelle's Urban Zoologie, so I guess this shouldn't have come as a surprise.  At first, I wanted fat quarters of the whole collection, but soon realised ordering some half yards of my fav prints would be more practical and economical.  I decided not to go with the blues from the line and stick with pink, red, white and green.

 

When I love a fabric line, I like to spotlight it, particularly with a patchwork design.  I did 4 patches on every other square to give the quilt some punch.  I was worried that it made the quilt look too busy, but in the end I loved it.  I had tons of positive comments at the show (everyone was drawn to it) and it sold.

 

I live in Alberta, Canada and it gets so cold during the winter; so of course the back had to be minky.  This is my widest minky quilt I've done on my little machine - finishing at 63" squared.  While the outcome is so worth it, I still don't enjoy pushing minky through my machine - it's so heavy that I have to take constant breaks to relieve my aching shoulders and back.  I also did quite a bit of quilting on this one - diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines.  Straight line quilting it not faster than free motion.

 

I added a band to make my minky wide enough for the quilt - something I've been doing a lot of lately.  I added the white & pink stripes on the side of the band because it reminded me of candy.

I hope the recipient loves this quilt as much as I do :)

Windchimes (Quilt 22)

When "Happy Drawing" came out by Ed Emberly, I was in love.  I love these cute drawings of animals and they are so "boy" to me.

 

The drawings seemed to need a special modern quilt design and I figured out a plan in my mind.  Not sure what quilts I was viewing, but I know amongst reading my favorite blogs, I was inspired with this quilt - "windchimes."

 

I'm so proud of how each block looks so precise.  It's not a complicated quilt, but probably my most "modern" quilt I have made - so much negative space.  For the quilting, I decided to make the "wind" for the the hanging chimes.  I did it all free motion and I love it!  The quilting surprisingly didn't take me long to do, it was just a challenge since I never, ever use my foot pedal (yup, my dirty little secret - I use my start/stop button on machine all the time).   I don't like doing longer lines down the quilt, but I made it work.  What makes it look good is the varying gaps & space between the wavy lines.

 

On the back, I used the dragons print and decided to use one of the applique pieces from the panel - the giraffe.  Just to be different :)  And of course, I already have Happy Drawing 2 (the sequel collection), coming in the mail.

See it in my Etsy shop.

Anchors (Quilt 21)

This is another quilt I finished awhile ago - it's funny to see pictures without snow since we have lots of it right now in Alberta.
 

This Anchor baby quilt is made with leftovers from my Sailboat quilt (#15), I made awhile back.  This fabric is from Dear Stella.
 

I was able to order my favorite print from this line for the back, hence the name anchors.  There seems to be a lot of nautical themed fabric lines popping everywhere, but I really like the true navy blue in this particular line, Anchors Away.
 

When I was at my LQS the other day, one of the women there said something about the simplicity of some of my quilts (and not in a very particularly nice way).  I don't really care though, because I really like how simple looks modern (although not all modern is simple, even if it looks that way).  Patchwork is also such a great way to showcase fabric.
 

As usual, I quilted 1/4" lines on either side of the seams and I decided on this cute gray polka dot as the binding.  I just love stripe bindings, but my LQS doesn't carry much in the way of stripes.  They do however, carry gorgeous polka dots, which I'm binding a lot in lately - not a bad thing at all.

See it in my Etsy shop.

Trains on the Go (Quilt 20)

This past summer during my "fabric fast" of trying not to buy anything, I did treat myself once to this cute train print by Ann Kelle (I love her fabric!) and bought 1/2 meter.  I figured I would try to use my stash to make up the rest of the quilt and came up with this design.

Getting all the trains to be cut even in those long strips wasn't easy, but I love the look.  I chose some of my favorite colors from the print and raided my scraps and stash to find matching fabrics (trying to stay pretty mono-chromatic).  I used the white strips in the quilt to calm down the design a little bit.

I was still feeling a little apprehensive about the design of the quilt until I found that I already had this great zigzag for backing (another Ann Kelle) that matched the colors perfectly, and then I straight line quilted it.  I love the Xs going across the small squares.

I also really like that this isn't a "blue" quilt.  A lot of baby things tend to be either "blue" or "pink."  While this quilt has cute little trains in it, the main color I would say is turquoise.

This quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop.

To Market - Flea Market Fancy Baskets (Quilt 19)

Here is my first post in trying to catch up with all the work I've been up to.

Most of the quilts I make are gifts, but I do participate in one swap -  the DS Doll Quilt Swap on Flickr.  This was round three (I've participated all three times - DSDQS1 & DSDQS2).  I decided to go a little more modern this time and try out Gwen Marston's Liberated Baskets (from Liberated Quiltmaking II).

This quilt was a lot of fun and I enjoyed adding the handquilting and making a cute back.  For those who have not tried this before - I highly recommend it.  I was first inspired when I saw Blue Elephant Stitches' baskets.



Craft Fair

Blogging has had to take a back seat due to a craft fair I participated in this past weekend.  I've been prepping for over 2 mos, but October I was really working it.

I was able to get plenty done for the sale - I hope to blog about lots of the projects soon.  I had 10 baby quilts finished (5 girl, 5 boy), 6 potholder sets, 15 taggie quilts, 1 Christmas quilt and a whole bunch of jewelry.

I love this craft fair - not because I make tons of money (although I did pretty well this year), but because of the people.  Sometimes the online world seems a little out there and so its nice to interact with real live human beings.

My sister was a huge help that day and we had a blast together.  

My space turned out to be fantastic - I was able to hang my quilts from a wooden framework already hanging above.  I was also in a hallway that everyone had to walk through twice.  I had to get some extra lights (it was a super overcast day), but I liked the atmosphere.

I had lots of really nice comments on how lovely my quilts are and that my quilting is very good.  I can't deny that it feels really nice to have your work appreciated.

I will probably be back again next year.  I only do one sale (this one) and it keeps my stress down, but it's fun to prepare for.  All the items I made (and didn't sell) I can use for gifts, sell on Etsy or keep for next year.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Lego Quilt

I thought for the Blogger's Quilt Festival, I would share my Lego quilt I made in September

 

I made this quilt for my nephew who loves Lego!  I searched the web for ideas, but eventually decided on my own idea for the quilt.  I thought, wouldn't it be cute to hand quilt little circles on 'lego blocks' so they puff out?  Cute yes, but lots of work - 289 circles to be quilted!
 

 

I had lots of fun doing this quilt and really enjoy all the bright colors.  I even designed a lego man's head for the back and paired it with these adorable owls.
 

 

Quilts Details:

Final Measurements: 53" by 53"

Special Techniques: Hand quilting

Quilted By: Me!

Best Category: ROYGBIV, Throw Quilt, Hand Quilted

 

Thanks for reading :)