Fiesta Fun – A Whole Cloth Baby Quilt

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!

20 thoughts on “Fiesta Fun – A Whole Cloth Baby Quilt

  1. Linda

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Mari

    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!

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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.

      Reply
  3. Preeti

    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 🙂

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

    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.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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!!

      Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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!

      Reply
  5. Patti A.

    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.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  6. JanineMarie

    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!

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kate

    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.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      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!

      Reply

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