As soon as my daughter and son-in-law announced that they were expecting, I began planning a quilt for the new baby. Since we’re all dog crazy in this family, I decided to do a puppy quilt and start this baby off right!
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| 43″ x 57″ |
The celery green, aqua, and brown color scheme isn’t tyical for a baby quilt, but I think the quilt has a nice, happy look to it, with playful puppies frolicking across the surface.
The patchwork star blocks alternate with snowball blocks to make a nice secondary pattern.
I drew the seven puppies and cut them from tan polar fleece backed with Heat’n Bond Lite fusible web, then ironed them onto the background.
I used the polar fleece so busy little hands could feel the soft texture of the puppies’ fur.
Each applique was then satin stitched with brown thread, making them durable and ready to withstand lots of washing and drying.
Satin stitching was also used to embroider my grandson’s name and birthdate in the borders of the quilt. When you don’t own an embroidery machine, you have to get creative!
My technique for doing the lettering using hand-guided satin stitch embroidery is this:
1. Lay out the lettering on the computer
2. Print it at the desired size.
3. Trace the letters with an ultrafine Sharpie permanent pen onto Solvy water-soluble stabilizer.
4. Pin the Solvy in place on the quilt top.
5. Satin stitch the lettering, using the traced lines as a guide.
6. Tear away the Solvy or dissolve it in water.
It’s quicker than hand embroidery, but it takes a lot of attention to detail to get nice, neat results.
Soft turquoise polar fleece covers the back of the quilt, and a thin white polar fleece was used as a filler, making the quilt really soft, warm, and snuggly.
The quilt is entirely machine quilted and was primarily done free motion. I quilted bones (doggie treats for the puppies) in the green border and a grid design in the turquoise border.
Nicholas loves his new quilt! And I love that sweet little baby!
6 Comments
What a great gift from Grandma, I am sure the quilt will be as cherished as that little bundle of boy. Enjoy.
Precious baby – darling quilt!
Darlis
You should publish the pattern. The pups are adorable as you did them, and would look great in redwork too.
Yes! Publish the pattern! This is a FANTASTIC quilt.
Karen
Please, we need the pattern. Such a beautiful quilt!
great