Quick Baby Quilt with a Panel--Christmas Idea

Getting Back in the Groove with a Panel

Very briefly, I have been on a hiatus again. Life got crazy busy this year between the garden, greenhouse, family, and first grandchild. Yes, we got the blessing of our lives a few short weeks ago, and it's as good as everyone said it would be. I'm elated, and sewed my little heart out before she arrived! That's all for another day, but today let me show you what I did with a simple panel left languishing in my stash for the nursery at our house. This type of project makes a darling Christmas gift for someone on your list whether young or old as it's a quick and economical make overall. 

Three Quilts Done and Dusted

Twin Quilt No.1

I started twin quilts for twin girls back in January 2023. I had a sense I wanted them to coordinate, but not match, and be nothing too fussy. The girls are early school age, and I hoped they would grow with the sisters.

Stars Upon Stars July

Plugging Away

If I was going to make progress on this block, I had to give something up. So the minute I finished breakfast, I was at the sewing machine in my pajamas. Yesterday I squeezed in 2 half blocks, and today the same plus a corner. The final 3 are underway, and I should be able to finish it by tonight. We've had house and garden projects without end to work through this spring, and sometimes I'm just too tired to work on something hard. 

Aeroplane Blocks

Aeroplane Blocks

You know the scenario. Your niece/sister/neighbor is having a baby, and you think, "Oh, I'll make them a quilt." Then Quilter's Block kicks in. Not like a quilt block, but the mental block as in, "What will I make?"

To tackle that block on my creativity, I started with rules such as, "What can I make with my Accuquilt die system that will be fast and fun, and can I learn something in the process?" No, this isn't an ad for Accuquilt, but I've invested a lot in one, and haven't used it as much as I'd liked. I purchased and used several specific dies, but also the 10" QUBE kit, and the cellophane was still on the QUBE. It was time. 

The Quick-i-est, Fabulous Baby Quilt!

Original Concept Post by Jen Eskridge

Based on "Huge No-Waste Flying Geese with Fat Quarters"...but My Way

A dear friend called with a quilt emergency. Could I make a super quick quilt for a baby shower in a matter of weeks? There were boxes we had to check, and one of them was a hint of something with aviation. Sure! I know something about that.

Secret Surprise Quilting on Back

ABC Child's Quilt

I realized the other day I had not posted in some time. I'm keeping very busy quilting for clients, and at a time like this that's good. Each day seems to bring a new twist with the sunrise. Ohio has had rising Covid cases like most other states, and it has inched closer to my circle. Many members of the extended family, and our children's families have it, and we are hoping for uncomplicated cases. I'm thrown back to the days in the past when I'm sure many women felt helpless with the diseases that swept through their own lives, and like them am finding relief in turning fabric into something useful.

Having so much on my mind makes me long for simple projects, and small quilts. When a few last minute Christmas quilts came in, I was tickled with this small one. It was for a little boy, and he loves trucks of all kinds. Instead of a basic E2E, I wanted it to be special when he flipped it over to the red backing.

Baby Postcard from Sweden & Dragger

Vibrance!

Many long months ago I promised a baby quilt for a friend--a grandmother-soon-to-be, and immediately after my life was swamped. It was one big thing after the next. Life can be that way, you know. My sewing projects were shut down tight. Six long months later the storm of activity has officially passed, and we're all breathing easier, thank you. I am gratefully, intentionally back to sewing. It's like a dream waking up with permission to say to myself, "Today I am going to sew!" And sew, I have.

One Patch Cross Baby Quilt

One Patch Cross Quilt

The one patch is my go-to method for creating anything quickly and accurately! I've found nothing to match the design potential with ease and speed of sewing. I spent more time selecting fabrics, cutting, and laying out this design than in quilt top construction. This baby-size top was sewn together in little more than an hour. A quick trip on my longarm with a medium, monster-y meander went quickly, and check out my 3 layer floating method with magnets to secure. (This time I meant to do it!)  Binding was cut from the leftover backing, and machine stitched. 

Vintage Lone Star Baby Quilt

Vintage Lone Star Baby Quilt

A local friend who deals in antiques calls me when she has quilts. I'm so grateful! This time I went through the pile of quilts and tops in her shop, and asked what else was she hiding. "Uh, just this little one," she said. It was a 35" baby quilt in a Lone Star pattern, worn, soft, and sweet as could be. Oh, it was going home with me!

I asked as many questions as I could about where this quilt was from, who she got it from, etc. Dating and placing a quilt where it was made or used are one of the most interesting parts of quilt hunting for me. I always gather as much information as I can before I leave the buyer, and write it down. I only knew it was sourced locally, likely in Coshocton county, Ohio.

Back at home, I went over the quilt in good light to find out what I could about the fabrics, construction, and any other little secrets it had to tell. Everyone wants to know, "How old is this quilt?" These clues can tell us a lot.

Quilter with Commitments

Yes, it's good.

Did you ever have to practice musical scales when all you wanted to do was play the new song? I feel a little like that with learning EQ8. I wasn't proficient with EQ7, and didn't get a lot out of the money I spent years ago. I think I believed that playing with the program would be enough to get it, and I was mistaken. I needed real lessons, and never got them. This time I prepared better, and bought the books. I'm roughly halfway through the Beginner Lessons, shout out to Anja, and this is definitely the way to go. I do not always feel like doing the lessons, but I am committed.

Yellow & Black Baby Quilt

A Baby Quilt to Donate

My scraps are like rabbits. They have had offspring, and are on at least a third litter by the looks of it. I decided to squeeze one baby quilt for charity out of the lot of them before sorting. 

Half Hexie Flimsy & Backing

Whirligig Half Hexies

Such an interesting perspective of hexies taken at an angle. You can see it's a flimsy already. This is a quick quilt.

Mermaid Baby One Patch Finish

Mermaid's Song

Song

Go and catch a falling star,

Get with child a mandrake root,

Tell me where all past years are,

Or who cleft the devil’s foot,

Teach me to hear mermaids singing,

Or to keep off envy’s stinging,

And find

What wind

Serves to advance an honest mind.

~John Donne, 1613

Check out the rest of the poem, and a brief analysis at Interesting Literature. If you've heard bits of this without knowing the rest, it will make much more sense.

Mermaid Baby One Patch Quilt

"Mermaids & Seahorses, Oh, My!"

Way back in January I ran a post called 27 Quilt Finishes in 2017. I spoke up for fewer commitments to free myself up. This has been good. I've really plowed through my Pile of Unloved Projects. I would say half are done. That gets a quiet little woohoo from me to myself. I'm staying on track with my goals. 

I also said, "Make what you love, and use what you have." So in the midst of pulling out fabric for my last class, Chain Piecing & Webbing, I happened upon this piece of mermaid fabric, and a bit of Mendocino seahorses. Not from the same designer or even stylized the same, but I still liked them together. Golly, I don't think any fabrics in this quilt came from the same company let alone designer, but the variety was interesting. 

Giant Rose Star Quilt

The Kite Shape:
Working with 60 Degree Shapes

The kite shape was never on my bucket list of "Have-to-make that!", but likely because I didn't know its capabilities. I hadn't had much experience with it, and needed to know how it related to other shapes in the 60 degree family. 

Did you know the kite shape is a combination of a hexagon and a small triangle married together at one of the six sides? Many of our first shape experiences are as children, and most of us did not encounter it. It's rarely included in shape sets or math books, and we have limited exposure.

3D Groovy Wrapped Star Finish

Wrapped Star

I have been buried deep in books about making 8 pointed stars. Construction methods, math, templates, names, and yes, new quilts I want to make this year! I think I'm in love with these versatile blocks! Technically, my 3D Groovy star is a Wrapped star as it has 4 strips to each star point, and perhaps also because of the 4 patches in the corner. I could not tease out if the pattern would still be called 'wrapped' without those, or if there were variations related to how the colors/values were used. It's nitty-gritty, but good to know.

You can see the first post about this project Star Quilt from Strips: 3D Groovy

Busy, Busy Design Wall!

Cutesy Pie: Quilt No. 5

I'm wondering if this post should have a subtitle of, "How Quilters Survive Winter" Do you have time for a brief catch up? I need a cup of coffee, and a little break from these past busy days. I can't believe it's Wednesday already, and more snow is on its way. We are winter weary here in Ohio. Not just from snow, but from flu, colds, and all the miscellaneous viruses we've been fighting. Sewing group was cancelled again for the month because many are recovering, but I still did a good clean up and reorganization in the studio. The tables even got washed down and disinfected. 

3 Baby Quilt Finishes

So Close to the End of this Love Affair

I adored this fabric when I first saw it so I bought enough. I purchased 1/2 to 1 yard of most fabrics in the line knowing there would be enough for twin baby quilts last summer. (Seriously, how well do you estimate yardage when you're not sure what you're doing with it?)

Farmhouse Star Baby Quilt Finish

Farmhouse Star for Baby

There is an indecisive moment just before you start guiding a long arm machine. It's deja vu if you aspire to writing. You have a plan, but a creative muse swoops in and takes over your hands. In the first several seconds of stitching, you are fairly committed. Thread goes down faster than words on a keyboard, and is far more permanent! So went this baby quilt. I had one thing in mind until I stared at the flowers in the border print, and suddenly my original idea disappeared. 

Farmhouse Baby Quilt & Stars

Farmhouse Star 

The plan I had for January was to sew a stack of baby quilts with stash so I had some on hand. Little did I know that most of what I sewed would be spoken for before I had finished. The baby announcements just keep coming!