Things Your Baby Does Not Need

Cut the number of 12 and a half inch muslin squares you will need for your finished project. You could cut one if you just wanted to make a single block for learning purposes.

Just roll the blankets up into tight rolls. Then place them in a circle on something solid. Do this for two or three tiers. You can tie them in place with pretty ribbon. Then add some rattles, baby toys tied to the "cake". It makes an adorable and useful baby blanket gift. To keep this gift in a reasonable price range you can get soft fleece blankets really cheap at a dollar store.

Continue sewing additional fabric rectangles to sides 3, 4 and 5 of the center piece. Note that new angles can be created as you go, and excess length can be cut off. Trim any rectangles that extend beyond the foundation fabric even with the edge of the foundation fabric.

Some women used larger scraps, and often the block's strips were a variety of widths. Scrappy strips were asymmetrical and uneven, or pointed, or on the bias. Whatever fabrics were available, they were used as is. There was no time to waste cutting them to size. Women used an old blanket or quilt as the filler and tied the layers together; winter was near -- no time for quilting it.

When you store your handmade quilt in a closet or drawer, if you feel the need to wrap it up in something, use tissue paper rather than a plastic bag. Storing it in a plastic bag for a long period of time may result in yellowing and discoloration.

Blanket Quilt These 4 pieces of quilt frame were then placed on top of a kitchen chair and tied with, you guessed it, old sheet that had been torn from worn out bed sheets. Then a clamp was placed in each corner to keep the right angle of the frame in place and checked often with the square my father used for building the baby cribs, beds and toddler beds.

Though quilting was initially carried out to provide warmth and protection, today's quilts have become pieces of art as well as treasured heirlooms. Some have been passed down throughout family and other collected at auctions and flea markets. The have a timeless beauty of their own.