Quilt As. Comforter: A Bedding Dilemma

You don't have to be an expert quilter to make a special handmade baby crib quilt. First, you need to choose the perfect fabric for the baby crib quilt. If you're unsure of what design you might prefer, either take a trip to your local fabric store, or go on line to the one of the many retail dealers for their collections of ideas and baby crib quilt patterns. If this is your first attempt at the art of quilting, it is best to keep your pattern simple. Choose colors that are appropriate for the baby's gender, unless you do not know that, than yellow or white is a safe choice. Be sure you wash and lightly iron all fabrics before you start to cut.

First decide on the finished foundation (muslin) size for each block and cut the muslin one half inch larger than the desired finished block size. This allows for any puckering or tight tension variations that could draw up the size. You can always cut the finished piece down to the proper size later. Also remember that the finished block size in this case is the unfinished block size for your quilt. You will have to have a seam allowance to sew your blocks together into a quilt. A half inch should provide this necessary allowance.

Quilting Fabric. You'll need two squares of fabric that are the exact same size. You can use any sized fabric you want, but these three sizes work best for a baby blanket or quilt.

Blanket Quilt In addition to the ten ideas for creating other items from your old or extra pieced blocks, you could consider donating your extras to charity. Local senior centers that offer quilting classes might welcome the gift of some prepared blocks. If you are interested in keeping the money yourself, you can sell your extras. Advertise them in a local paper or in online classifieds. You should also consider an online auction. Try selling them in a yard sale.

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.

If you are starting from scratch keep a few things in mind. Keep your time constraints in mind when deciding what type of baby quilt to make. A crocheted version takes the longest amount of time, a patchwork version requires a great deal more work than say a tie version.

If you want your custom blankets to look more personalized, you can have one large photo, or a collage of photos printed on them. Images should be of high quality so they will look better in the finished product. Certainly, your blanket will be a gift that will always be treasured.