Best Regarding Baby Blankets

Never use the normal wash and spin cycle on your washing machine. Use the gentle wash and spin cycle and let the machine spin only long enough so the quilt is not dripping wet. Remove your quilt from the washer and roll it up in an old blanket or two or three large towels laid side-by-side.

With a memory book you need to make a decision at what point you will pass it on to your child. You can avoid this decision by having two memory books - one for you to keep always and one for your grown-up child. Another way to do it is to wait until your adult son or daughter seems to be settled in their first house after college or after their marriage or first child.

If one is machine piecing they can use the flag method and join a few pairs of patches at the same time. The right sides are pinned together in pairs. Using the foot as a guide one along the seam line machine stitches. Between the pairs a short uncut thread should be left. Each is then cut into units. Enough pairs are then joined to make a patched piece. Avoid bulk by pressing flat to one side the patch seams.

If you have the means to give a big item as a gift, you can still have it personalized. Again, personalization makes an impression. Have baby's initials put on his or her crib or armoire.

Make bookmarks. Cut the block into strips about three inches wide. Fuse them to another piece of fabric cut the same size. Hot glue rick rack around the edges for a no-sew finish. Crafty people comfortable with sewing may use a zig zag or satin stitch to finish them out. If hand stitching, use a blanket stitch to complete the edge.

Blanket Quilt A no sew blanket is a great option for people who just don't want to sew. It is easily made with only scissors and your own two hands. It simply involves tying two pieces of fabric, usually fleece, together. You can easily find instructions for making this type of blanket online.

A century ago, cigar companies tied a bright colored silk ribbon around a bundle of cigars. Women stitched them together with black or colored embroidery floss stitches onto a fabric foundation block. They were not cut or curved, but placed side by side. Cigar company ribbons had fancy logos and used attractive fonts in black ink on yellow or orange ribbons. The various advertising on the ribbons added decoration to the quilt block. Green, pink and purple ribbons were occasionally used in the block designs, signifying a rare cigar.