I should start with a confession: I broke my pledge and bought some fabric. BUT it wasn’t to make something to me, so I decided that was a loophole. I wouldn’t have been able to complete the project with fabric from my stash. 

A friend at work was due to go on maternity leave on Friday, and the tradition is that staff choose different baby related items to put together to create a hamper. The last time we did this, I made a quilt as my contribution, which was very well received. So this time, I decided to make another. 

As I did for my first two, I referred to this tutorial for guidance on technique. I used a total of six fat quarters, cut into 6″ squares which left very little waste. I laid them out six squares wide and nine squares long, which created a decent sized baby quilt.  I took a photo as a record of order. 

 I’d been advised that the mum to be was planning a nautical theme for the nursery. I was certain that I’d have no trouble in finding fabric for the theme. Wrong. I’m not sure if it’s because I wanted the colours to be baby-friendly; not all bold or too deep, or whether it’s down to the change of season and new fabric collections featuring Autumn and winter colours, but it was ridiculously difficult to find what I wanted. In the end, I found this bundle on Etsy. I also purchased a metre of silvery grey dimple plush for the back. 

Rows came together quickly and I pressed seams to the left. Seams somehow matched up better than last time, and the topper came together fairly easily. I revisited the tutorial for guidance on assembling the layers and pinning. 

Because this quilt was destined for a November baby, I chose a medium weight batting, thicker than I’d used before. Even with my walking foot and extension table it seemed tricky to sew straight whilst stitching in the ditch, but I decided this added to it’s homemade charm.  

 There was less pulling and puckering than last time which I would attribute to more comprehensive pinning.  

   I was happy with the completed quilt, and loved the look and feel of the plush reverse side. It was given to Chloe, the mum-to-be at a lovely tea and cake filled baby shower that replaced Monday’s staff meeting. She was very pleased and said it would match the colour scheme. I think this kind of quilt is a perfect baby gift and I definitely hope to make more. What do you enjoy making as gifts for newborns? My quilt-related resolution for next time is to start a little earlier, and allow more time for fabric sourcing.