Friday, July 2, 2010

Another "Baby Signs" quilt


The blue and green "Baby Signs" baby quilt is in a box to be mailed away now to its new owner.  I hope that Baby Max will get many hours of warmth and comfort from his new quilt made especially for him!


I like that little quilt so much that I'm in the process of creating a whole new one, similar to it... not exactly the same, but similar. I never make 2 quilts identical. That's rather boring, and I usually like to try something new with each quilt I make. And not only that, I like to think that each recipient will have a unique quilt, unlike any other in the whole entire world! How many things can you say THAT about!?!


Here are some of the blocks getting pressed, an important thing to remember to do. Pressing helps to set the stitches and also ensures that your blocks become the correct size. 

If you aren't sure that your blocks are all the same size, then make sure to measure them with your ruler before you sew them together. Otherwise your block rows won't line up properly and your quilt will probably end up being wider at one end. 

What to do if your blocks are not quite the correct size :
You can take some seams out and resew them, either a bit wider or a bit narrower depending if your block is too big or too small. If the blocks are just a bit too big, you can also trim them with your ruler and rotary cutter, but if you do, then try and trim a tiny bit off each side (not just one) to try and keep the block centered looking.



First row of blocks sewn together



Panda block details


I love this little quilt as it is so easy and quick to make, but  the finished product looks more difficult than it really is.  It's my own smaller version of the "Baby Signs" pattern in the July 2009 quilter magazine. My version  also has 9 inch blocks, but it ends up being only about 42 inches square in size with only a very narrow border around the edge. It can easily be made into a little larger quilt, just by adding an outer border to it, or make the larger version in the magazine. (59" inches.)

Have fun with your quilting! That's what makes quilting so addictive!  :D