A Baby Quilt Top

When Kayla was home over the weekend, she said she wanted to have a crafty day with me. She’s due with her baby on the 17th and can feel her time clock measuring free time clicking away. She thought we could squeeze in one last hurrah before baby Pins makes his way into the world.

I pulled out the Featherweight and set up shop at the table.

I really didn’t have a project seriously in the works but I had been playing with a box of leftovers that a blog reader had sent.

These yellow half square triangles and the four patches were in the box too. I had one design I was playing with but Kelli came up with this…

I liked it. I thought I would make four of these giant blocks, put them together and I’d have a baby quilt.

Then I counted the half square triangle blocks and there wasn’t enough. Bummer. Any yellow I had didn’t match so back to the drawing board.

I put the project away and pulled it out this day. Kelli was gone and Kayla was here. I hoped she might have an idea.

We putzed and played moving piece around. We ended up realizing that the half square triangle blocks were smaller than the four patches so I needed to trim the four patches.

Notice that I put the 2″ mark in the center of the block. I made sure the ruler lines matched the seam lines. Then I cut the side and top off.

I rotated the block. I lined it up again and cut again. It didn’t take long at all all and I had this….

and then I had this…

I liked it but it wasn’t big enough. Hmmm. Okay…back to the box these scraps all came in. Hmmm. I had more scraps….so more four patches.

I would make a row of four patched around the outside. Here it is with four patches on two of the sides- with Rosie working on her quilt posing skills.

…and here it finished but not ironed.

I made this entirely from the scrap box a blog reader sent to me. It is kind of fun to have put it all together not using a single fabric of my own. The plan is to iron it and submit it for publication. I don’t know it they will take it or not. If they don’t, Kelli and I will write it up as a free pattern on the blog. It came together so nicely. As of now, I’m thinking it needs a yellow binding. It sure is a scrap buster quilt!!

…and while I was working on that, Kayla was working hard on her next baby afghan. It’s going to be Chicka Chicka Boom Boom themed.

She got along a lot further than she expected to, in fact, she’s about two rounds away from a finish and it turned out really cute. You’ll have to watch her blog, Stitchy Lit, for when she releases the pattern. She has a few other tutorials and patterns there that are really cute. Go check it out!!

I’m working on coming us with the next baby quilt from the gifted box of scrappy leftovers. I had so much fun making this baby quilt that I’m excited to start another.

UPDATE:
I had a whirlwind of a time since finishing this quilt top. I submitted it and it was picked up immediately by American Patchwork and Quilting. They wanted it ASAP so…New Year’s day while I was sick I ended up at the quilting machine trying to get the longarm quilting done on this….then binding.

It went out in the next day’s mail…so be watching upcoming issues of American Patchwork and Quilting. I’m not sure when it will be published, they didn’t let me know. Isn’t it fun to know the story about the quilt before it’s even published!! You’ll have to wait until then for a full view of the finished quilt though. I love it’s scrappy goodness…and I had so much fun with this…I’m working on another.

The HUGEST shout of to the reader who sent the box with the triangles and fabric goodies. The outside of the box says, Becky in AK and I think that’s who sent them…but I could have consolidated things into one box.

If you sent these to me THANKS SO MUCH. I had a blast making the baby quilt and I think it’s so fun that someone else did a little bit of the sewing. Whoever sent them, please leave a comment. I’d love to thank you!!