Things Child Does Not Need

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.

If you aren't a crafty person, don't worry about it. Buying a beautiful baby blanket can be just as special. No one says you have to spend a lot of money for something to be from the heart. The same goes for crafts. Not everyone is artistic and crafty. If you don't have to knack for crafts, use your talent of choosing a beautiful blanket. Think about it, wouldn't you rather have your child get a beautiful blanket that they purchased than a 5 inch lopsided crocheted blanket?

Now, women are making selvedge edge quilts, using strips cut from the sides or edges of cotton fabric. The selvedge prevents unraveling and holds onto hooks during the printing process. This edge is mostly white with the manufacturer's name and logo, the designer or collection's name, and a chart of the colors used printed on it. Selvedge edges are cut completely off and thrown away. Today, they are saved for a new purpose.

Blanket Quilt Dress up an old jacket or cardigan by heat bonding a block onto the center backside. Use fabric paint to trim out the edges of it or add an anti-fray product to the edges. If you are accustomed to sewing, add a zig zag or satin stitch to secure the edges and add a nice finish.

String quilts made by women in Gee's Bend, Alabama, and Mid-western Amish communities, have become an art form. Their stringed blocks are often square in shape or close to it, with one above the other. Sometimes sashing strips divide the blocks. The Amish string quilts can look like stacks of small squares. This pattern is named Coins.

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.

Then we have the bumper. Bumpers go around the inside of a crib and provide padding between the slats of the crib and your precious baby's noggin. They also provide a way for your child to keep their arms and legs inside the crib while they sleep, thus helping to prevent any late-night cry sessions because an arm fell out the side of the crib, then got twisted. It's a fairly necessary piece of equipment, but can be used as a step when junior gets older, so it has it's time and age limit.