FUN FACTS

Having a new edition to your family or to your extended family is one of those times that can truly bring us all closer together. How better to express the joy of the occasion than by creating a personalized patchwork quilt for the newborn that resembles your love. Designing a patchwork quilt for a baby should be easy with so much inspiration and with nine months notice you certainly do have time on your side to plan your design properly.

If this is your first quilt it might be wise to begin with a simple design such as the one-patch block pattern. There are many resources and patterns available online for patchwork quilt beginners on the internet, at the library and at local bookstores. There will be a few additional considerations for the quilt design considering it is for a baby. You’ll also want to be sure there’s no irritating fabrics or little embellishments that can be pulled off.

Before choosing the quilt block size, determine the size requirements of the finished quilt. Is the quilt going to be used in the bassinette or the crib? Are you going to make it purely to be used as a decorative item in the baby’s room or as a wall hanging? Do you wish for it to be an item that accompanies the mother to the hospital to be used to bring the baby home? If the quilt is for a crib or bassinette you will want it to be the same size as a standard blanket that would fit that item, with room to spare around the edges to tuck baby in.

The color choice and overall theme for the babies quilt will be very different to a standard quilt. You may wish to use neutral colors if you are still unsure of the baby’s gender. You will need to decide if you would like to stay with soft and pastel colors or go for bold and daring. Although babies like big bold colors it may not be in the same taste as the other decorations in the nursery. You can also ask around to find if the parents have a theme planned for the baby’s room.

There will be so many choices for patterns at the fabric store or online, just be sure to choose 100% cotton and be sure to pre-wash your pieces before stitching. Some themes that might be suitable for a baby girl could include princesses, butterflies, fairies and soft cute animals. For baby boys you could decide on themes such as trains, toy soldiers, farm animals and puppy dogs. If you really want, you could choose them all; that’s the beauty of making a patchwork quilt.

No matter what design or color scheme you choose, you can be certain that a patchwork quilt made especially for baby will be one that is cherished for many generations to come. It’s a gift from the heart, made with loving thoughts for the lucky child that receives the prize.