Saturday, April 28, 2012

Second Annual Baby Quilt For Youth Auction

Last year I sewed a baby quilt for the youth auction fundraiser.  Well, I've decided to make it a tradition.  Or if not a tradition, I at least did it this year again too.

For last year's blanket and the baby blanket I made for our nephew Asher, I used quilt kits which contain the right amount of already matched fabrics for you to then cut out and piece together, including the backing. Well, I went to Joann's with the same plan this year, but those kits were nowhere to be found. I was informed that they no longer carried them. Whop whop. So, I opted for another method of cheating, which saved me even more cutting than those packages would: a package of already matched and cut out squares. 


Ding ding ding! We have a winner!  So much fun and so easy.  Just have to spread them out, arrange them, and get to sewing!  The disadvantage is that the squares don't come with a backing, so I purchased some yellow flannel to use for that.  I also wanted some kind of border around the squares to close them in and also to make the whole thing a bit bigger, so I used the flannel for that as well.

Here is the top, minus the border: 


I was AMAZED at how well all my corners matched up.  There are only two that are less than desirable and all the others are either perfect or very close.  Another plus to having someone else cut out your squares: you know they are all actually the same size!

There ended my cheating ability and I was faced with actually cutting and measuring the border.  Dun dun dun.   

See you think I'm a real seamstress but really I only know how to make rectangles and squares and I prefer if someone else does all the measuring and cutting for me...   I intend to someday invest in a rotary cutter and mat and maybe then I will be better at that part.   But, never fear, my measuring and cutting of the border went just fine and the top turned out cuuuute.


I had fun working with these fabrics that are super cute and springy but weren't the typical girly pink and purple or boyish bugs and dinosaurs or something.

I had enough yellow flannel left to more than cover the back, but not so much that I needed to strategically measure and cut it in order to salvage the remainder.  So I just laid the quilt top on the flannel with one edge lined up, pinned, sewed, and chopped off the excess!  Then I turned it right side out through the hole I left and ta-da!


Like last year, I ended up doing the hand stitching part in the youth room. I kind of like doing that, since this blanket ultimately benefits the youth.  I said a little prayer for whoever buys it at the auction and whatever little child will be kept warm and comfy with it.


 And there you have it! 


Want a sneak peek of what my next sewing project will be?  It's another baby blanket, but this one is very, very special.  I don't think I have mentioned it here yet, but Trent and I have a niece on the way!  Trent's sister, K'Lee, and our bro-in-law, James, are expecting the birth of their daughter in August.  Asher Boy will have a little sister!


Her baby blanket is gonna be purty.  Stay tuned...  :-)

No comments:

Post a Comment