How to Make a Patchwork Quilt From Baby Clothes

A wonderful way to remember the first year of a baby's life is to make a patchwork quilt for the child from the baby clothes. These instructions are for someone with a basic level of sewing skills to design, coordinate, assemble, and quilt the variety of fabrics from the different seasons of the year.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• quilting needles
• quilting thread
• lap frame
• large safety pins
• double fold binding
• baby clothes
• fabric for backing
• fabric for borders
• polyester batting
• cutting templates
• cutting board
• rotary cutter
• scissors
• iron and ironing board
• spray starch
• chalk

1. Begin by gathering at least 25 outfits, preferably more. Cotton fabrics are soft but different materials can be combined to make a patchwork quilt. Wash and dry the clothes but do not add fabric softener.
   
   At the same time, wash the backing and border materials as well. The backing should be cut several inches larger than the intended size to allow for uneven cutting. Choose a soft fabric for the backing so it will be cozy and warm for your child.

2. Check for worn spots. Cut all of the good areas into 3" squares. Put the squares in one pile and save the smaller pieces for a different project such as a coordinating decorative pillow or a small child's handbag.

3. Iron the fabrics. Flimsy fabrics may need to be starched so they will keep their shape while being quilted. Some quilters prefer to starch all of the fabrics.

4. Mark a 1/4' seam line on the reverse of all 4 sides of the squares. Use a washable sewers chalk or other washable sewers marker.

5. Lay out the squares on the table and decide where the different colors and designs should be placed. This is the most important step in making a patchwork quilt. Look at the color tones, the direction of any stripes, the placement of solids between "busy" designs, and the mix of different fabrics (cotton, satin, corduroy, etc.). After you think that you have it just the way you want, walk away for a few minutes and then look at it again. When you have finished any rearranging, proceed to the next step.

6. Pin the top one row across at a time. Machine sew the individual blocks across the row. After the individual blocks in 2 rows have been sewn, pin the two rows together and sew along the seam line. Continue in this manner until all of the patches have been sewn together.

7. Measure the finished patches and decide how wide the border needs to be to bring the quilt up to the desired size. A solid border will frame the patches and give a more professional appearance to the quilt. Cut the material for the border and pin in place, making sure to fold and pin the corners on a perfectly aligned diagonal. Sew along the seam lines.

8. Now that the quilt top is finished, it is time to assemble the three layers of the patchwork quilt. Lay the backing on the table, put the batting over the backing, and finally the quilt top. Using large safety pins, pin the entire quilt from the center out to the edges. Keep the pins no more than 3 inches apart to keep the fabric snug during quilting.

9. Put the quilt in a lap frame and begin quilting in the center of the quilt. Use very small and even stitches. Remove safety pins when finished.

10. The next step in making a patchwork quilt is to attach the binding. Only use double fold binding as it gives a professional appearance with square corners that are nicely mitered. The finished binding (after the double fold) should be 1/2" wide. The last step is to pin and sew the binding. Now you have made a beautiful patchwork quilt from baby clothes that is filled with the memories of your darling's first year.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not cut the border fabric until the patches for the top are assembled. You will not know the exact finished size until then.

[musicdeb]

on 7/17/2009 Making a quilt from my daughter's baby clothes is on my bucket list!
Do you have a picture of one you have made?