Personalized Selecting Gift - Just For My Choosing
Embroidered Baby Blankets This gift will work whether you know how to embroider or not. You simply purchase a lovely baby blanket. This is key to this gift, make sure you get a really nice blanket. You then simply embroider (or hire someone to do it for you) the baby's name, date of birth, height and weight on the blanket. This will be a keepsake a new mom will cherish forever. She will also save that blanket for her child when they have their first.
For making perfectly straight cuts, choose a thick, clear acrylic ruler. A good size to start with is a 6x24" rectangular ruler marked in 1/4" increments.
Blanket Quilt It is pretty to learn to sew quilt squares, you can do it by hand or with a machine. You can find an entire kit at the craft store that will provide you with the instructions, and all the material you need to make a square. Most of these kits you buy one square at a time, then put them all together. This makes quilting a little less overwhelming, since you only have to focus on getting one square at a time done. When it comes to the actual quilting of the blanket you can do it yourself or you can also pay someone else to do it for you. There are machines that make quilting very easy, but unless you are going to do a lot of quilting it might be more economical to have someone else do the quilting or do it by hand.
First, a quilt has three layers of fabric that have been sewn together. If it doesn't have three fabric layers, it would be just a blanket. The top layer, also called the quilt top, is the visually stunning side. It can be made up of hundreds of quilt squares fit together in indicant geometric patterns. There are no limitations to the colors and fabric designs you can use. The easiest way to get started is to purchase pre-cut quilt squares or jelly rolls from online fabric retailers. Purchasing pre-cut quilt squares not only saves you time but also gives you a chance to make a quilt from several different designer fabrics without purchasing multiple yards of each style.
First up is the baby quilt or blanket. Useful most of the year, it can be a little much for your bundle of joy during the summer. But for spring and fall, and especially winter, it will keep your new child toasty and snug. Most people will have more than one blanket for their child, either from previous children or from gifts, so this may not be too necessary.
Set your sewing machine to the standard seam allowance used for quilts, which is an exact quarter inch seam. One way to improve a block that is either too large or too small is to use the freezer paper method and square up the block before sewing it together. Gridded freezer paper makes the job easier, but the plain freezer paper will work to help make the block more even.
Comfort Food: Exchange a bite of Mac and Cheese or Beef Stew (ok Bourguignon, you Julie and Julia Fans!) as a promise to nurture one another. Serve it at your reception. Have it on your buffets when you entertain during the fall, or have the annual mac and cheese (or whatever) party once you're married.
Never hide your lovely handmade quilt in a closet. A handmade quilt is like a masterpiece of artwork that should be used and displayed. Properly cared for, your quilt can be displayed and still maintain its beauty.