Today I will show you an easy baby quilt pattern that is perfect for beginner quilters, can be customized for boys or girls, and will match your nursery decor depending on the fabrics you choose.
[Edited: June 23, 2020]
This baby quilt pattern is fun and fast, ideal for that baby gift you need to whip up: it is called “Color Happy” and was just published in the Summer 2019 issue of Quilter’s World magazine. It measures 41″ x 52-1/2″ with staggered rectangular blocks.
If you are a beginner quilt, this pattern is ideal for you. As a veteran quilter, you will appreciate its simple design and quick construction for those times when a handmade gift is the only thing that will do, and time is short.
Whether you are making it for a girl or a boy, count the number of prints you will need, purchase them from the same fabric collection (or pull them from your stash), and refer to the instructions for cutting and assembly.
How to choose fabrics for a quilt
When selecting fabrics for a quilt, keep in mind the value of the fabrics (dark, medium, light) and the scale of the prints (large, medium, small). As you group the fabrics you will use, ask yourself: is there a lot of contrast among the fabrics?
If your selection is too busy (too many prints of varied scales), introduce solid colors or fabrics that ‘read’ as solid (they are tone-on-tone, the prints are small scale and of only two colors, etc. This way, the eyes will have a resting place, and the prints will be appreciated.
Notice the mix of large and small prints, colors, and how I placed the block placement: there is contrast between them.
I chose the Hand Picked fabric collection by Riley Blake Designs. Above are some of the fabrics I used – aren’t they gorgeous?
They are perfect for a baby girl… You can use novelty prints for little boys, too, as the rectangles are big enough to showcase snips & snails & puppy dogs tails…
Again, pay attention to the fabric placement and repetition so you can achieve the same look as I did in mine.
Another idea for an easy quilt involves simple squares and embroidery, such as the Noah’s Ark quilt I made for one of my grandsons. If embroidery is not your thing but you like applique’, take a look at this quilt book with baby quilt patterns for ideas.
The quilting is simple so the fabrics can shine. I used free-motion quilting as I stitched bit loops allover the quilt top. You can also trace a grid over it using washable fabric marker and, using the walking foot, quilt it with large stitches for a modern look.
Color Happy, this easy baby quilt pattern has easy-to-follow instructions to help you have this project finished in no time at all.
You can find the Summer 2019 issue of Quilter’s World online or at a store near you. This issue is packed with cool projects so you do not want to miss it. You may also want to go to Annie’s online catalog for other great patterns, online classes, and notions.
I have another project on this issue which I will show soon. Until then!
