Crib Quilt, Part 1

My last quilting project was also my first. I wanted to make a quilt for the full size bed in Brysen's room, but I hate how the "full/queen" size blankets are barely large enough to cover the mattress, and I had a very specific idea of what I wanted, soooo, to a crafter, that means you just picked up a new project! I used a tutorial from Moda Bake Shop called Random Reflections. It wasn't so much of a quilt pattern as a how-to as it uses the Jelly Roll strip packs (2.5" wide strips" and is sewn together randomly. My kind of quilting! Anyway, here was the finished product:

I think it turned out great. Took a bit longer than expected, but don't they all?

Anyway, for the latest project I decided to do another quilt in red & white to go in the baby's crib. Maybe I should have done the small one first? Take it easy for my first project? Oops.
Here's a quick tutorial on how I got started with this one.

First: your pattern. If you're not using one you bought or found online, draw one. Here's mine, and it's a good thing I took a picture, because in the hour since I took the picture my daughter has made it disappear.

I like to decide on my finished size (52"x36" for a crib quilt) and go from there. Don't forget to add .25" to the edge of each piece for a seam allowance! For instance, if you want a 6" finished square, you need to cut a 6.5" square - .25" on each side of said square.

Next, cut your pieces. For this one, it's composed of half squares arranged to form a chevron pattern, so I cut 6.5" squares of each.

Nerd Alert: I watch sewing shows on PBS on Wednesday afternoon. One of them is a quilting show, and I've learned a lot from that gray haired lady from Nowhere, Wisconsin.. :) One of the things I learned was how to sew half-squares quickly and easily. First, cut your squares, then draw a diagonal line like so:

Pick the two that you want, and put them right sides together. Sew 1/4" to the side of the diagonal line. It helps to put a bunch together and chain-sew them. It saves time and a lot of thread!

 When you get done with the first side, flip those suckers around and sew down the other side! I like to use the edge of my presser foot as a guide.

After you have them sewn down both sides of your line, use your scissors or your rotary cutter (it's faster) and cut down the line.

 Voila! Press your seams flat. I use my rotary cutter and ruler to square them up again and cut off the little ears that stick out from the seam allowance.

Lay your little squares out so you can see where you're going to sew them next.

I guess it's up to you if you prefer to sew in columns, then rows, or vice versa. I prefer to sew a row together, then join rows when I have several done.

So that's where I am now. It doesn't take that long using this technique, but my sewing time is limited to when both children nap at the same time, also known as NEVER, or after they go to bed. This is two nights' worth of work between the designing, cutting, and starting to sew.

Next time I'll have the top done and show how to make your little quilt sandwich, which is every bit as tasty as it sounds. Or not... Happy sewing!