Ask Penny Halgren

Easy Baby Quilts

 

Easy baby quilt patterns make the best gift for baby and mommy! Moms can never have too many baby quilts and one made especially for her baby will certainly become a treasured heirloom.

It isn’t necessary to spend hours toiling away on a baby quilt, easy baby quilt patterns make just as nice gifts!

If you want to try quilting, an easy baby quilt pattern is a great way to start. The completed project is much smaller than a full or queen size quilt. Easy pattern plus smaller project equals a completed success!

The appliqué technique is one of the easiest ways to make an easy baby quilt pattern come to life. With appliqué, fabric is sewn to the quilt’s top layer to form a pattern or design.

If appliquéing by hand, many quilters use a blanket stitch to sew the fabric to the top layer. If using a sewing machine, quilters often choose a satin or zigzag stitch.

Two popular easy baby quilt patterns done by appliqué are Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Sam. It is easy to make your own appliqué baby quilt pattern by using art from simple coloring books.

Look for coloring book pages that have thick, simple lines. Trace the design onto your fabric and cut out. It really is that simple.

Alphabet blocks also make easy baby quilt patterns. This design is often seen as a three-block dimensional pyramid. Each dimension of the blocks can be a different color or fabric pattern. Some choose to appliqué or embroidery the letters A, B and C onto the three blocks.

A nine patch is another easy baby quilt pattern. The nine patch, a pieced quilt pattern, would allow you to work a multitude of colors into the baby quilt. The same, simple nine patch takes on a completely different look when stitched in light pastels or in bright primary colors.

The “Happy Hearts” design is also an easy baby quilt pattern. It works nicely for both boys and girls. By folding fabrics and piecing them, you create a heart block. Depending on your choice of fabrics, it could be as feminine and frilly as you would like, or it would be just as adorable in various primary colors, camouflage, or other prints.

Simple strips pieced together also create an easy baby quilt. Stitch strips of fabric together lengthwise or widthwise to create the look you prefer. Again, colors make all the difference. This easy baby quilt pattern can look very complex and involved, just by the fabrics you choose.

Perhaps the easiest baby quilt pattern of all doesn’t really involve a pattern at all. Simply go to your favorite fabric store. Buy a print for the top and a solid coordinating color for the back side.

Sandwich your fiberfill between the printed and solid color layers. Pin to secure as needed and begin quilting. Finish the quilt up by completing its edges. If you feel like you need to be more creative with the quilting since you did not spend a lot of time on piecing a quilt, feel free to do so. If using cowboy fabric, why not quilt a rope design? Or, if making a quilt with ballerina fabric, you might choose to quilt with a ribbon design or even a girly flower design!

A yo-yo quilt is another easy baby quilt pattern, especially if given to an older baby. Some are concerned that the fabric yo-yos might leave tiny openings that a newborn could tangle a finger or toe in.

Try to remember that no matter what easy baby quilt pattern you select, you will no doubt be creating a memory of your own to share with the baby in your life!

baby quilt with hearts elephant baby quilt
Quilts with hearts are always fabulous baby quilts. This quilt was made using one piece of already-quilted fabric and machine appliqueing the elephant and ball on
top. The edges were covered
using simple binding.

 

Happy Quilting!


Penny Halgren
Master Quilter

 





Article Details

Last Updated
26th o March, 2011

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