“Sweet Pea” for Ana

I finished up a baby quilt this week for a friends newborn baby girl I really like the pattern and how it turned out. The pattern is from Camille Roskelly’s quilting book “Simplify” and is called “Sweet Pea”. (I’m linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts “Finish it up Friday”)

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This pattern was quite easy to put together., The middle is made up of charm squares all from my stash. I made the quilt a little bit longer, adding 2 rows, then the pattern calls for. This was my first attempt at a scalloped border and I’m very please with how easy it was!

I used an unknown type of pink fabric that someone had given to me. It seems that once people know you sew/quilt, they love to give you their leftovers. Does that happen to you? I always take what they give, but I don’t always keep what they give. I think it’s a polyester of some sort. It quilted alright, even though it was a bit stiff/thick, but it softened up nicely once it was washed. It wasn’t quite wide enough, so I pieced it with a cute “baby” material from my stash.

I made a quilt label – finally!!! – for her quilt. I printed this off my printer, using the Bubble Jet Set solution. I’ve used this several times and it always works! I used a multi strip fabric that pulls in all of the colors from the middle. Score!

But I’m not so thrilled with the ‘swirls” around the outer border. I used Superior Thread’s King Tut,, which was gifted to me, that I have never used before. It’s 100% Egyptian cotton and it is a variegated pink thread and is very pretty.. I’ve heard good things about this thread, but I must admit I’m not impressed. I had to change the tension with every bobbin, and sometimes with the same bobbin right in the middle of quilting! It just went goofy on me. I normally use Essential Threads, from Connecting Threads, which is 100% cotton thread, so it wasn’t that. I guess my machine just didn’t like that thread. I’ve though about picking out the pink, but my husband says I’m being silly and I’m the only one whom it bugs. So far, I’m listening to him. But I haven’t gifted it yet…

Over all, though, I’m happy with this little quilt. I love putting words and/or names in my quilts and babies are no exception!

I also made 2 bibs for Ana, from this tutorial. I made them reversible and they came together so easily!

I made one for my 3yr old and one for my 19 mth old, too.

I made 4 gowns, from this tutorial by Quilt Story, with matching hats, from this tutorial. I was going to wait until her baby shower to give the gowns, along with the quilt and the bibs. But the shower is going to be sometime this month or in May, and I was afraid Ana wouldn’t fit them by then. So I sent them off this week. Stupidly, I forgot to take any pictures!! I assure you, though, they were quite cute! I bought knit shirts from Goodwill, which afforded enough for the “dress” part and I used the hem of the shirts for the casing for the elastic.. With the remainder I made the hats. The tutorial has you cutting off the Onseie, but I didn’t do that. I kept the whole thing intact, sewing the knit bottom 1 1/2” under the arm.

Quilt stats:

Pattern: “Sweet Pea” from Camille Roskelly’s “Simplify” book

Fabric: all from my stash

Quilting: by me on my Brother Innovis 800x

Size: 46” x 53”