If you’re new to our blog (or haven’t checked in for awhile)… first of all, WE’RE PREGNANT! And I decided I wanted to make a baby quilt for the little tyke. We thought it would be fun if you guys would send us scraps of fabric as your own little contribution to the quilt. I love things that are sentimental like that!
Fabric started flooding in, and it was the highlight of my week to check our PO box each Thursday while the girls were in preschool. Many of you wrote the sweetest notes and/or shared a story about why the fabric they were sending was special or meaningful to them. THANK YOU! This baby is already so loved and spoiled!
I decided to take pictures of each swatch of fabric with it’s corresponding note/envelope so I could always refer back and remember. These will be fun for baby girl to look at someday too! We got swatches from SO MANY places… even Japan, Bulgaria, and Norway.
While I have a tiny bit of experience sewing, I don’t know the first thing about quilting. So I was so excited when my mother-in-law Diane offered to help me with this! Before our big quilting weekend, she had me iron all the swatches.
Then Diane and I sat down together and had a little powow about what pattern to use and how large to make the quilt for a crib/toddler size mattress. We settled on 40”x60” and this awesome rail fence pattern (inspiration photo from here).
Nick effectively took over parenting for the weekend, and Diane and I got to work cutting strips of fabric. 130 of them to be exact.
I chose this pale baby blue print as the fabric for the block borders and the quilt backing because I loved the subtle pattern and pale blue. Cutting these strips went much faster than the individual scraps because we could fold and cut many strips at once. These little pizza-cutter-looking slicers are SO AWESOME.
Diane was very patient and explained the basics… and let me jump right in on her very awesome sewing machine. I have to admit, after all these months of anticipation and beautiful fabric at my doorstep, it was such a rush to actually start sewing. Nick, his dad, and Diane and I all helped lay out strips of different patterns and colors to make each block. It was fun having everyone help! I wish I would have gotten a shot of the boys helping. They were really into it.
After sewing up these squares? My feet looked like this:
I’ll pause for a moment while you pin that pic of my swollen feet.
…
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After recovering from what felt like full-fledged pre-eclampsia, we jumped back in the next morning. It was so much fun laying all the squares out on the bed and deciding which ones should go where. So many fun colors, textures and patterns!
Next order of business is to start sewing this bad boy together! We sewed it into strips of 4 squares, and then sewed those strips together.
…until we had THIS!
Meanwhile, Nick was watching a lot of cartoons.
If you’re from the Midwest, you know we got quite the snowstorm over the weekend. Nick and his dad took the girls out for a bit, but that didn’t last long with all the wind.
We had such a fun weekend with family, and I was so happy with my baby quilt and the time I got to spend with Diane. We didn’t even mind being snowed in and having to stay an extra night! It was a looooooong and sketchy ride home, but we made it!
SO! We still need to have the quilt bound and quilted with a machine, but I think we have arrangements made for that! I’m sooooo excited for it to be completed!
Thank you so much to those of you that sent fabric to contribute to this meaningful project. And huge thanks to Online Fabric Store for sending us this backing fabric, as well as batting. Such a fun group effort!
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AHHH!! This is turning out SO perfect. I love how much sentiment is wrapped up in this quilt. I hope baby girl sy feels all the love when she’s wrapped up tight in it 🙂
That turned out very cute! You probably have enough left to make some matching curtains!
For sure enough to make some throw pillows. I’m thinking about doing little somethings for the twins so they feel like they’re a part of it all. 🙂
Beth, how beautiful and Hooray for Online Fabric for sending you those goodies. I love their fabric. Rest tyour feet girl. LOL, have a great week.
Rail Fence is a wonderful pattern! I made it for my third baby last year and it now “my pattern” and I don’t know if I’ll ever want to use another one. I love all the different fabrics and how you arranged them! And I know those swollen, sitting-at-the-sewing-machine-all-day feet all too well…
To help your poor feet and legs, get some fluffy pillows.Put enough of them on your mattress to make a gradual slope from just above your knees to your feet. If you don’t have a pillow top mattress, get a memory foam topper and put that over the pillows. Cover the whole thing with your mattress cover and bottom sheet. You will wake up with comfortable feet and legs.
Good ideas! Definitely going to try this!
just a thought….you should also make something for the girls with the gathered fabric. It doesn’t need to be a quilt or blanket, but a project that comes from your readers to the girls at this time before the new little one changes their world will show them they are important too. (not that they don’t think they are) just always helps to have something for the Big Girl, mommy’s helper! Maybe an apron or rag throw rug or fun skirt. I love the quilt. great pattern. I have only one thing home made left over from the baby days (30 yrs ago) a crocheted crib blanket, and I wish I had more. Enjoy!
Girl ~ those feet and ankles look familiar. It will be 42 years ago in Aug that I could have matched your swelling, however, I looked swollen all over. You on the other hand are the poster mommy for adorably pregnant. Love the quilt and love the fact that you and granny are making this together. I’m guessing you were at Diane’s house? Tell her I need to know where she got the chicken pictures on the wall behind you in the picture just before the one of Nick on the couch in his most adorable lounging outfit. Vikki in VA
Yes it was Diane’s house. And those chickens are her artwork! She’s VERY creative! That design is called Zentangle, and she sells them for $150 each (12×12 framed) if you’re interested!
It is beautiful and what a great memory quilt for the baby. I refrained from pinning the sexy feet picture because you already have enough fans, right? 🙂 Awesome post. Thanks for sharing the beautiful quilt!
Thanks Beth Ann! Did you see your pretty floral print in there?!
Adorable quilt! My grandma and I made a quilt for my first son and it’s such a special momento and memory. 🙂
It looks great! You did such a good job on it. Quilting is so addictive and a great stress reliever. 🙂 I see my fabric in that stash, so glad to be a part of this wonderful memory. I saved fabric from everything I made my daughter as she was growing up, she’s 29 now. I have lots and lots of 4 inch squares that are being turned into a memory quilt for her. Stay warm !
This is such a cute idea! I want to try making a quilt sometime soon but I have no idea where to even start! You made it sound not so daunting.
Find a friend to do it with! So much more fun. 😉