Quilting Memories For The

We have a wonderful family tradition of everyone making at least one homemade gift for Christmas to give another family member. My children have all made at least one blanket to give a family member. The fabrics are fun to choose and put together as we think of the personality of the family members. We have a daughter very much into music so there are always musical motif fabrics in her quilts, a son who loves insects so a quilt with ants or other insects are often made for him. There is the wonderful John Deere fabrics to make beautiful quilts. If you have a hobby or interest there is sure to be a fabric just right to personalize your blanket.

The next time you are trying to figure out just what to get for an upcoming baby shower, think of the impression your gift will make if it is personalized. Even if mom and dad have not announced the baby's name, you can still have the child's last name added to any gift you choose. If you decide on a baby blanket, quilt, or pillow, ask the parents what theme they have chosen so you can coordinate your gift.

One nice thing about down throw blankets is that they have natural oils in them. These oils keep the material warm. The feathers are also kept soft and fluffed up without clumping. Therefore, washing the blanket should be done carefully. The blanket shouldn't be washed a little too often as it might wear off the natural oils. It's best to use detergents that are chemical free. Of course, don't send the down throw blanket for the dry cleaners because the chemicals used there would surely leave a stain on it.

Choosing for the right blankets for baby is simple. Just check look first on its quality. It should be smooth and soft. Next is to inspect the manner by which it was tailored. And lastly, see if the price is right.

Blanket Quilt Lay out of the quilt: Lay the quilt backing out on a flat surface (such as a bed) and then place the rows sewn together on top of it. This way you can visually see how long to make your rows and also see how you would like to arrange these rows. After you have decided - sew these rows together. Iron the seams open.

A great way to make a memorable quilt baby blanket gift is to get the whole family in on it. Each family member can make a square or two. You can use cloth markers to inscribe special messages from each member. You can choose to have everyone work on the same type of squares or you can have a mix and match baby quilt with a variety of square patterns. Both are lovely.

Double-Sided Bias Tape. You'll use this to make the trim. There are other ways to do it, but this is one of the easiest, and will give your baby quilt a nice, finished look. Try to pick bias tape that compliments the fabric. For example, if your fabric has a pattern, pick one color in the pattern and choose bias tape to match. If you want the bias tape to sort of blend in, try to match the fabric's background color.

Shortly after her death I came across the quilt that she made for my mother a few years before losing her eyesight. Suddenly it began to dawn upon me. When I looked at the quilt, I did not see a blanket. Instead, I saw a scrapbook made from material. It was as if, by looking at the quilt, I was paging through my family album. I remembered the times when we baked cookies with my mother, the times when my sisters and I played with our tea-set, the first "Superman"-movie I saw with my dad, my first day at school, the visits we had with our grandparents and many other special memories. Each memory was carefully interwoven into this quilt.