Monday, July 23, 2012

A Scrappy Modern Baby Quilt



Ever since my littlest was born 9 months ago, I have been wanting to make her both an I spy baby quilt and a quilt with her name on it.



I also have been trying to pull from my scrap box for most of my recent projects.



So, using mostly scraps of prints and solids, I made her this scrappy modern baby quilt with some I spy on the top and bottom and some flaps in the middle that reveal her name when lifted.



Unfortunately, the quilting is, um, atrocious!  But the intended 9 month old recipient certainly doesn't mind and I have to say, I don't mind it either.  If you read my blog, you may know that I am searching for a new sewing machine and have been using my kid's inexpensive, manual machine which has a tiny harp space and no walking foot or FMQ capacity.  I actually don't really mind using it but when I went to quilt this - yikes - yes, I really need to go shopping!  My oldest daughter told me that she actually likes this quilting and since it isn't FMQ, she decided to call it "freestyle quilting"  But, I still think it is time for me to pick out a new sewing machine and buy it!  I am sure my daughters are nodding their heads in agreement reading this as they really want their sewing machine back.


I haven't hand-stitched a binding in a long time but there was no way this machine and I would have made it through machine-stitching this one!  I forgot how much I love the look and process of the hand-stitched bindings.


I went with some colorful fabrics for the back to offset the browns and greys used for the top.  I also used some flannel on both sides thinking the baby might like the different textures.


I'm still working my way through this quilt and I am now SO glad that I decided to hand-quilt it!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced, Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story, and Sew & Tell at amylouwho.

33 comments:

  1. What a brilliant job! Love that quilt.

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  2. That is such a cool quilt Beth!

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  3. Fun! I really like the lift up flaps!

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  4. I love the flaps and the mixture of neutrals/browns on the front. So fun! www.paperstarfish.prettyposies.com

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  5. Nothing like trying to wrestle a quilt through a machine to highlight the need for a new sewing machine! Such a personal quilt though, it will be lovely to share it's provenance with your daughter when she is older.

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  6. the baby quilt is amazing. i love the little flip up patchworks!

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  7. Beth, what a sweet, adorable quilt. I so love how wonderfully scrappy and modern it is. Way to go, girl!!!!

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  8. Love the colors! I gave you the "One Lovely Blog Award" because I like your blog so much. Stop by and "grab" your award!

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  9. That is such a fun quilt! Loving the idea and the binding is super cute! =D

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  10. I love the peekaboo aspect, Beth! Very clever!

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  11. Wow! Congrats on a finish, it looks beautiful! I love how you have both browns and greys in the quilt - they really compliment the bright prints. The binding is super cute, too!

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  12. This is an amazing quilt - love those lift up pieces!

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  13. Your little one will surely love it and have lots of fun "spying" her name as she gets older. Seeing all the hand quilting going on is sparking my interest.

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  14. wow, what a fun quilt! I think the quilt just adds to the textural feel. I adore the flaps over the letters!

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  15. I absolutely love this, Beth! The colors are perfect, and the print scraps you chose are divine. What a lucky little girl she is!!

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  16. This is adorable! I love the flaps, and I think the freestyle quilting suits the modern piecing perfectly.

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  17. Wow you did it on your daughter's machine color me impressed!! Love the neutrals with the splashes of color.

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  18. It's adorable! Love the bright and cheery colours!

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  19. Very cute! I love the little flip tabs!

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  20. Super cute, Beth. I love the fabrics and the flaps hiding the letters are such a great idea!

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  21. Love this beth, so many great things all in one! And I think the quilting looks just fine =)

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  22. I like it. I think the quilting adds to the creative, scrappy look of the whole thing and when baby gets a bit older, you can use it as a fun game. Try to follow the lines, without picking your finger up and missing any. It will be hours of a maze game. hehe

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  23. LOVE this quilt -- The flaps with the letters below, the improv piecing, the back, and even the quilting. The whole project is adorable and she will treasure it as she grows. Thanks for sharing.

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  24. What a great idea for a quilt! The flaps are an inspired touch - love it!

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  25. The hand stitching is great and I think the scrappy bits are a bunch of fun. Good for you making do with what you have and using the little machine to create a wonderful quilt. I brought home a new machine last night - deciding on what to buy is so hard.

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  26. Beth you are so creative! Your projects always break boundaries and you seem to constantly be exploring new and different ways to create. Bravo!

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  27. I love the interactive nature of this quilt! What a fun little project. It makes me want to start one. This would be so fun with I-spy charms as well.

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  28. this looks like a quilt that will be getting alot of love! It's so special! the fabrics are great and the factt that you get so much done with a baby in the house, on a child's manual machine make sthat much more special. Kids don't care about perfect stitches, they just love that you took the time to make something for them.

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  29. Wow! I totally love this baby quilt! The neutrals with brights, the offsetedness, and the super I Spy flaps! And the binding!

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