I have such a bright, cheerful quilt to share with you! This is the second time I have made a whole cloth baby quilt for a customer. The first time was last fall, when I did the elephant quilt. Check it out here for the details. I very much enjoy making these. This quilt was a simple project because there is no piecing involved. My customer really loved the Mexican Dress fabric from Art Gallery Fabric’s Fiesta Fun line. This is actually the second time I have used this fabric line in a baby quilt. The first time was when I made the Knock Knock quilt while pattern testing for Sarah Goer. The colors in this line are a fantastic mix of brights and pastels against a pure white background. It is a lot of fun for a baby quilt. There is much for baby to look at!
My customer and I emailed back and forth numerous times one night as she selected the backing and binding fabric. After having two boys, she is expecting a girl. She wanted bold and bright colors so she went with a Ta Dot polka dot fabric from Michael Miller. The polka dots were used for both backing and binding. I really think this was an excellent choice.
Rather than put the dots right up against the floral fabric, I suggested using a flange in a solid deep orange (Pure Elements in Tiger Lily from Art Gallery also).
I think it is good to have a break between the bold orange dots and the busy floral fabric.
Quilting this was a lot of fun. For the most part, I outlined bits and pieces of the floral design. As I moved from one part to the next, I would add a loop or two. Having this busy print was like having a stencil for the quilting. I didn’t outline everything though. For a baby quilt, I like to have some space between the quilting to keep the quilt soft.
The quilt finished at 40″ x 40″ and I gave it one trip through the wash before packaging it up to send to Texas. Hopefully Baby Camille will get lots of use out of this quilt for a long time to come!
Just in case you are in need of some gorgeous color in your sewing room, I do have all of these fabrics in stock in the shop. 🙂 I will be linking up this week with a few of my favorites. Check the tab at the top of the page for links!
Also, I want to let everyone know I drew two names for the giveaway of Carrie Bloomston’s book! Congrats to Susan S. and Nancy H. Here are their comments:
Susan S. said: “I would like to design a house that perfectly fits my life style and compliments it’s surroundings.”
Nancy H. said: “Great interview, Bernie. At one time, and not too long ago at that, I would have said that my one wish was owning a cozy, welcoming quilt shop where people felt as though they were home. Now, it’s a tough choice. The simple answer would be to finish my quilt in time for the show in two weeks! But I think it should be more substantial than that. You’ve really stumped me!”
It was so interesting to read the responses to my question, ” what would you try if you were guaranteed success?” There were lots of interesting ideas put forth. Thank you for joining in!
Love that print, and the quilt looks so soft and cuddly. It’s a great baby quilt Bernie, and I’m sure Momma and Baby will love it!
Thank you Beth! It was a fun quilt to make. 🙂
That is such a good idea for a baby quilt! It showcases that gorgeous print so well. Great call on the flange. Love the quilting too. 🙂
It is a gorgeous print – it begs to be fussy cut or left whole. So much potential!!
So sweet, and what an excellent way to use a pretty, large print that you just hate to cut into!
Exactly! It is so pretty just left on it’s own. Have a great day Karen.
So cute, and perfect for a baby girl! I love the big polka dots for the backing, too. The outlining was a great quilting choice, just enough texture while showcasing the print. What a happy little quilt!
I love the polka dots too. The quilt used every last bit I had of that orange color but it was the perfect way to use it.
I love the print and I love what you did with it. The best part – you knew when to stop. let the pretty fabric do its job and overcrowd it with too much of this or that. Simple, Beautiful and Elegant. I am off to explore the goodies in your shop 🙂
Hi Preeti! Thank you for the sweet compliments. I couldn’t see stippling over the print. It didn’t make sense to do that. I am happy with the results! 🙂
I think the solid flange works beautifully to frame the quilt and give just a touch of separation between the top and binding. Beautiful work, Bernie, and I hope the quilt gets a lot of use and love.
Thank you Yvonne. I have put a flange on three or four quilts now and I really love the effect. Have a wonderful (probably very hot) day!!
Gorgeous! Some fabrics just need to stay whole. 🙂 I really love the colors & the flange – it’s the perfect touch!
Yep, so true. A member of our sew along group chose this for her shirt and wants to fussy cut so certain elements are centered on the front and back. I am looking forward to seeing this finish!
Could you tell me the size of the quilt and did you have to piece it? I would love to try and make one like it but need to know how much fabric to buy from your Espy site.
Hi Patti:
I didn’t piece it. I started with a piece that is 44 inches by 44″ so I would have enough room to square it up after quilting. If you by 1 and 1/4 yards of the front and back, you will have enough fabric. There are some really nice prints in this line that would be fun for the backing and/or binding. Click here to see them:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleandFoot?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&search_query=fiesta+fun
The solid color coordinates are great too. The green and both shade of orange work perfectly with the Mexican Dress fabric.
For the matching solids, click here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleandFoot?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&search_query=pure+element
Let me know if you need any help. I am happy to work with you. 🙂
Adorable! I have admired that fabric for a long time, and I love what you did with it. Such a neat idea to use it as whole cloth and to let the pattern guide your quilting. And the polka dots! That little baby girl is a lucky baby indeed!
Thanks Janine! I really like the fabric too. When I was selecting the lines for my initial order for the shop, I knew I wanted this one. I just love the bright colorful prints. 🙂
What a lovely happy baby quilt, and I can see faces in the fabric, it was the first thing I noticed. It’s such a wonderful way to make baby quilts.
Yes, I love these whole cloth quilts. So pretty and the focus is on the stitching which is great practice for me. I just bought a piece of minky, which I have never used before. I am going to give it a go with another whole cloth quilt. Hope all is well Kate!