Mostly, I’m working on enjoying a long weekend. Â My, oh my, this is exactly what I needed.
Kelli was home on Friday afternoon (I took the day off) and we sewed! Â It was awesome. Â Remember those scraps that I told you yesterday…well I actually got them the Saturday before. Â All week I was busy measuring and planning and even doing a bit of sewing. Â I really had no idea what they were going to be.
They quickly went from this…
into sewn quilts.
I started out with two different types of pieces. Â The big triangle you can see on the left and the little scrap left overs on the right.
I started with the triangles first. Â I quickly sewed them into blocks. Â I ended up with 30 blocks that were 7 1/2″ unfinished. Â I laid them out and saw this…..
Hmmm…the colors are a little bit lighter than I wished they would be and the layout really didn’t do much to jazz it up. Â That left me playing and trying this layout. Â Better I thought. Â This puts the “darker” colors together and that makes them stand out a little more.
Then I tried this. Â I loved the little zig-zag pattern it made between the blocks.
I thought I would give this layout a try but then I realized I would need two more blocks. Â That wouldn’t be a problem. Â I measure and calculated and figured out what I needed for two more.
Before I knew it, the top was together and it was time for to trim up the off set blocks. Â Ruler down and remembering that I would need the 1/4″ seam allowance, I trimmed.
For some reason this always makes me super nervous.
There were some border pieces that were sewn together but not nearly enough of them so I started sewing some more. Â Â I am TERRIBLE at figuring borders with stuff like this. Â I ended up laying it out on the bedroom floor and struggling through it with Kelli’s help. Â First off we had to figure how big the outer alternating square border was…the figure the size of the inner quilt and subtract the difference. Â Well that was all complicated by the fact that the alternating square border had to match at the corners with a solid square. Â We ended up doing something that isn’t my very favorite…the sides got a 2″ cut border and the top 2 1/2″ cut border.
This is the top now…as is. Â I debated about an outer border but for now, have decided against it….but should you all chime and and tell me to add one, I could easily be persuaded. Â Connie would tell me to audition some and I just might do that yet. Â I am almost thinking a colored border to liven it up a bit. Â Feel free to chime in. Â Opinions welcome!!
That left me the remaining scraps. Â Would there be enough for a quilt..and what would I do with those?
I played around, pulled some of my batiks and ended up with blocks that look like this….Dark blocks with a light pinwheel and light blocks with a dark pinwheel. Â My initial worry though was that some pinwheels went one direction and some the other. Â UGH!
I ended up deciding that I didn’t care what direction the pinwheel centers went and laid them out like this….
UGH. Â Not enough for a baby quilt and off kilter in that the corners don’t all end in a dark blocks….so I made more and quickly had it into a top.
If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen that I asked for a border opinion on Friday. Â I wanted to know which border fabric to use.
Pink overwhelmingly won…so pink it was.
Here is the finished top.
Both of these were a fun challenge to make.  There have been so many babies coming along lately that I’ve been struggling to get baby quilt done.  This was the boost I needed.  I now have two finished.  There is one baby on the way  on Hubby’s side of the family and it’s not know if it’s a boy or girl.  One of these will be headed their way if it’s a girl.
Had I done these completely on my own, Â I would have chosen darker batiks to make more of a contrast but I still like them as is and am super happy that the scrap bag I got gave me the push I needed to get a couple baby quilts done and ready when the need arises. Â I’ve debated on putting them in the stack of quilts to be quilted but the other part of me is screaming FINISH THEM!!!
I ended up grabbing the first top and pulling a couple batiks….do I add a border and which one if I do?
This one is especially light colored. Â I really wish it were brighter. Â The batiks I have are all pretty bright too….this is why I was thinking leave it as is…Chime in. Â What’s this girl to do?
Leave as is!! It’s a beautiful softly colored quilt, just waiting for that slender binding you like to use. Any of those border fabrics seems to pull the attention away from the colors in the quilt.
I really think it is perfect the way it is. I know babies like bright things, but I am sure the mum will love the pretty pastel colors.
I think I would add the softest blue border so to keep it light and then it could be for a baby boy. Wonderful fun from someone’s scrap bag.
If you want it bigger, use either that lightest border fabric or the white if you have more. Then a colored binding for a final touch of color. I like bright baby quilts, but this is a beautiful sweet quilt someone will love.
I must design like you, Jo, because I love the green in the corner. It still keeps the quilt very neutral. Is it big enough without a border, though, or you just feeling like it needs a little more? Many new moms these days like really neutral, so without a border may be just the answer. Any way you make it, it will be beautiful!
I think what ever you pick will be wonderful, I would use a light color and then add some pop with a brighter binding. Both of these quilts turned out really cute.
I would agree with Elizabeth, and go with the lighter blue with some pink and green in it for the border. Then, for the binding, a patterned white with maybe green or lavender giving the flange look with the two colors. But either way it will be a beautiful baby quilt.
So fun and awesome they were made from your thrifting finds. Based on the tones of the last quilt I would use the lighter pink. I think it matches the tones of the quilt the best.
I would add another border of white then don’t add the binding yet . save the binding for when you know who’ll receive it.
My second idea is to add the white border. Then sew scraps of block fabrics together to make a pieced binding. It would be interesting and unique!
I would add another white border and a colored binding. It would make it a little bigger and the colored binding would finish it.
I would do another white border, and then for the binding I might do the green (it is neutral, so it could be for a boy or girl). A second option would be to do alternate colors of pink, blue and green in the binding – but you might not want to have that many seams in the binding.
My first thought, when I saw your quilt, was to add a blue boarder. The blue you show is great. Then you will have a boy quilt and a girl quilt. I love them both. Aren’t scrap quilts the best?
I think it would look nice with another border like the last one, staggered so the colors are over the whites. It would give better balance to the inside.
Honestly, it’s very pretty as is. Why don’t you just get an awesome fabric for the backing!
That’s very pretty
I think the colors are awesome! They look like they are colored with crayons – perfect baby quilts!
Good job on both quilts. On the first one what about a white border and then use one of the bright batiks as binding?
I like the blue-with-bits-of-pink batik. The green is too dark and heavy, and would “confine” the quilt.
I would leave it as it is. It looks pretty and just right for a baby. You did really well to make two quilts from your bag of scraps.
I would also leave as is. Sometimes, less is more.
I love anything batiks so would say it’s great the way it is. But if you want it bigger, I might go with the white and then any of your choices for a binding.
I would add the greenish border. It solidifies the edges and makes it more stable. How big is the quilt without border. Make the border what is needed for the quilt to last a tad longer for “the baby”.
I love what you did with the thrift fabrics! You always come up with such fun stuff! I know whatever you decide to do will look awesome! I like the both the soft blue print, and I also like the bright green to balance the pastels.
So, now you are inspiring me to check out thrift stores for fabrics. (Never occurred to me before) Thanks Jo!
Love both of these baby quilts!!! The things one can create with scraps; beautiful quilts!!!!