A Sewing Journal - A Sewing Journal - Quick Baby Shower Quilt How-To. Have you ever decided you were going to make a little quilt for a baby shower of a friend or family member? Maybe even told someone you were going to? And then, oh my goodness, the shower is in two weeks! Eeek! Of course that has never happened to you, but just in case it does someday, here's a little tutorial on how to make a quick little quilt. Probably wouldn't even take you two weeks, maybe a weekend at most. The secret to making this quilt quick is it uses all of the following techniques which speed up the process: A small color scheme, rows (rather than blocks), flip-and-sew quilt-as-you-go technique, the pillowcase-method of binding and quilting with wavy lines (no accuracy needed).
I'm not giving measurements in this tutorial, more of a how-to. Tips for choosing your fabric: When making a quick quilt, you will want to stick with a small color scheme, 3-5 colors. Cut one strip of each of the fabrics you are auditioning for the quilt. A few flip-and-sew tips: Calming the senses with weighted blankets « Craft Nectar. Note from Weeks: Both my husband and daughter are restless sorts. When our daughter was little and we went to a restaurant, Bill would take her out to run up and down the sidewalk while I paid the bill so she wouldn’t start squirming at the table.
Those kids who kick the back of your seat on planes have the same issue. Therapists refer to them as “sensory seeking.” Bill has talked for years about finding a way to create a heavy blanket that would calm his and our daughter’s restless muscles. Like me, our daughter is frequently restless and, at the end of the day, often asks for a heavy quilt on her legs or for a deep-muscle massage. Little did I know that weighted blankets and vests are in widespread use as therapeutic devices for children and adults with sensory conditions including ADD and autism. You should ask your doctor or physical therapist whether to use a weighted blanket, and if so what the best weight is. You can make your blanket any size and weight you want. Like this: Minky Baby Blanket Simplified. Remember the minky baby blanket from way back when? I think I called it the perfect baby blanket. Well, I love them just as much now as I did in the beginning.
Knowing there were a few babies due to arrive in our crazy month of August I spent a day and made these 3 blankets. I love how quickly they sew up and cruised through them until it was time for the binding. And even though I had really cute coordinating fabric picked out for the binding I just couldn’t talk myself into going through all the work for the binding. The cutting, the ironing, the sewing–too many steps. So I cheated. Fold it over once. Then fold again and sew. There’s no messing with tricky corners of a binding, just be sure you have all the ends tucked in before you sew it up.
That’s all there is to it! It’s still the perfect baby blanket, just a lot faster! The original tutorial for the minky blanket is here with all the instruction of how to make this blanket (with a real binding). What’s your go to baby gift? Swaddling Blankets. I love making handmade presents in anticipation of a new baby. I will always remember knitting my soon-to-be niece a baby blanket while I was on a road trip through Europe many years ago. As I looked out the window and watched the fields and mountains pass by I thought about what she was going to be like with every stitch. What would they name her? Who would she look like?
In addition to heartfelt, I also try to make my handmade gifts practical. I actually made my first set of Swaddling Blankets a few years ago as a project for the Purl Bee. And one in crisp blue: I used the graphic Nani Iro double gauze stripes as the outsides and bright, lightweight Shot Cotton for the lining. Materials To make two 42-inch square blankets in either pink or blue: Cutting Cut the gauze and one of the shot cottons into neat 43-inch squares. Pin the cut pieces right sides together around all four sides. Sewing and Turning it Out Sew around the edge of the pinned pieces with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Finishing. Sewing: Lovey Boy and Square Satin Luxe Blanket. Perhaps it's the Celebration this past month, but I am sticking with the boy stuff for a little bit. There are two cute new baby boys who need (well, maybe not "need"...) something cuddly. I love minky and satin blankets--who doesn't? I've been making the girl versions up to this point but it was time for something a bit more masculine.
So here are the Lovey Boy and the Square Satin Luxe Blanket. Unlike the Luxe Lovey and Luxe Baby Blanket, these are ruffle free. I made the blankets 36"x36" before the binding, so they're a little bit larger. I sewed the binding in a contrasting white thread with a zigzag stitch. All wrapped up to gift: a Square Satin Luxe Blanket and a Lovey Boy. If you are interested in the tutorial to make a set click to read more. Materials: For the Lovey Boy: 2 pieces of minky, each 12"x12" (1/3 yard is 12"x60" so you can cut 5 12" squares out of it--if you buy 1/3 yard of 2 pieces you can make 5 Lovey Boys!).
You should have two square pieces of minky fabric. I can teach my child!: Make It: Taggie Blanket for Baby. DIY: Baby Rag Quilt. DIY: Flannel Baby Rag Quilt This is the softest little quilt made of flannel. The best part about it is how dang easy it is to make! All you need: 7 different, yet coordinating flannel fabrics cut @ 1/2 a yard each (so 7 half yards of fabric) 2 yards of solid flannel fabric for the batting (the middle of the quilt) (white is usually the best) about half a yard of matching fabric for the binding matching thread sewing machine scissors And here is how it is done: * Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 6 inches wide (one strip will be the front and one the back) * Cut strips 2 of each fabric @ 3 inches wide (one strip will be the front and one the back) * Cut 7 strips of solid flannel @ 6 inches wide (this will go in between the other fabric strips measuring 6 inches wide) * Cut 7 strips of solid flannel @ 3 inches wide (this will go in between the other fabric strips measuring 3 inches wide) Make a fabric sandwich like the picture above and below!
One side of the blanket is smooth while the other side is raggy.