Baby quilter needs fresh ideas
JJDYER
writes:
>
>Help! Am about to start my 3rd baby quilt in a year (2 new nephews, 1
niece!)
>and am bored with all the usual baby quilts! I did a Noah's Ark, and a
>Sailboat, and am stumped for the 3rd. Am thinking of designing a "Little
>Engine
>That Could" quilt, but am REALLY SICK of applique--does anyone know how I
>could
>strip piece a train motif??BTW, for my own daughter I did a Double Dutch
>chain
>because I prefer the "old-fashioned" look, but somehow, for boys I think
I
>need
>something more exciting. Any ideas?
Whenever I see a really good juvenile print, such as a Hoffman animal
print, I buy a yard. Then I pick a simple block with a large square in
the center, or other large patch in it. I add solids, polka dots, or
stripes for the other pieces and sew about 12 blocks.
Then I usually add sashing and borders (quick) and tie the quilt, which
come out about 36x48". I use flannel for the backing. Once I used
flannel for the binding, but never again. Too hard to get the needle down
into all that fuzz. Anyway, these quilts can be about a 1-2 day project,
if you keep the block simple, and kids love them. (Generally, the parents
and grandparents haven't a clue how simple they are to put together.)
I just finished one with a scuba-diving cat print made into snowball
blocks (look like goldfish bowls). Real cute!
Hope this helps.
Joan Dyer
Dyanne Kruger
>
>Help! Am about to start my 3rd baby quilt in a year (2 new nephews, 1 niece!)
>and am bored with all the usual baby quilts! I did a Noah's Ark, and a
>Sailboat, and am stumped for the 3rd. Am thinking of designing a "Little Engine
>That Could" quilt, but am REALLY SICK of applique--does anyone know how I could
>strip piece a train motif??BTW, for my own daughter I did a Double Dutch chain
>because I prefer the "old-fashioned" look, but somehow, for boys I think I need
>now they're all married and having babies right and left--I may have been
>foolish to have started this "baby quilt thing" in the 1st place!! Kathy
>
i too prefer strip piecing to applique. am new to quilting but the
passion appears to have come non too soon... my daughters are now
grown and already am blessed with a new grandson and granddaughter.
for the granddaughter i did my first *finished* quilt (crib-size). simple
pieced blocks each with a white goose and pastel background. it was so
easy and fun that i ended up hand quilting it! got the pattern from a
book "Quick Country Quilting". If you can't find it, i can xerox the
instructions and send to you.
for the grandson, mom decorated his room in a fishing motif. i found
a kit for a darling wall-hanging of strip-pieced fish done in various
plaids (each fish has a little folded "fin" that's 3-D). machine zig-zag
stictched some lines & hooks with worms on some and embroidery floss
"fishing ties" on others. turned out really cute. our quilt guild here
on Vashon Island just started a "library" of quilt books/videos/etc. so
i "lent" the kit to it (pretty good idea huh?). if you want, i could get
the instructions and send a copy.
and finally under the "quick/easy" ideas catagory:
any simple block design can be customized to boy or girl just by
choice of colors and/orfabrics eg. plaids, boy motif fabric for boys
vs. pastels, flowers, girl motifs for girls.
personally, i'm not crazy about making a big deal about the distinction.
how bout a car mechanic motif for a girl or a cooking motif for a boy?
how are we to ever stop this pre-destined enculturation layed on these
little "carte blanche" minds? nontheless, i am as guilty as anyone..
i.e. "pretty" for a girl and "tough" for a boy. just my .02
hope this helps - happy quilting!
Ekaterini Nickolopoulos
<jover...@shrsys.hslc.org> wrote:
>Help! Am about to start my 3rd baby quilt in a year (2 new nephews, 1 niece)
>and am bored with all the usual baby quilts! I did a Noah's Ark, and a
>Sailboat, and am stumped for the 3rd. Am thinking of designing a "Little
>Engine
>That Could" quilt, but am REALLY SICK of applique--does anyone know how
>I could
>strip piece a train motif??BTW, for my own daughter I did a Double Dutch
>chain
If you are in a fabric store sometime soon, check out p. 82 of Singer's
"Quilt Projects by Machine" There is an ADORABLE train quilt that
says it's blindstitched applique. Somehow that sounds easier than
regular applique, although as I don't know what it is, I couldn't
tell you :-)
It might give you an idea, though. Another thought is that maybe
you can concoct trains along the lines of strip-pieced houses?
Katerina