How To Make The Perfect DIY Quilted Baby Blanket

     When my grandson, Aidan, was just a baby, the idea for the perfect quilted baby blanket came to my mind.  He was just at the stage where he needed to be on the floor.  You know what I mean, exercising his legs and arms, the airplane moves, and the rocking back and forth on his hands and knees.

   We just didn’t have the perfect blanket to lay on the carpet for his exercise.  The receiving blankets weren’t big enough.  So many of the quilts had the high loft batting, which his face sank into when he laid down on his belly.  There is a need for a flat blanket with more body, something that would not wrinkle up when he is moving around. 

   That is when the idea for this quilt was hatched.  At the fabric store, I found that there is a 100% cotton batting that is thinner and less “fluffy” than other battings.  It is perfect. 

 

   The quilt in the picture above was the first.  The second is a cowboy pattern.  

   Although I planned to make one for Sophia, with working and watching two babies on my off days, that never happened!  Memphis is at that pre-crawling stage right now.  The other day, I realized that she needed one of these ‘special’ blankets.  Danielle helped me choose the animal print fabric below.  Isn’t it cute?

Supplies Needed

       First, you need 1-1/2 yards of two different fabrics and one bag of 100% cotton crib-sized 45″ x 60″ quilt batting.  You will also need 1/2 “double-fold seam binding, which you can purchase or make for yourself.  I like making my own and using another pattern to complement the fabric of the quilt.

Directions for making the seam binding can be found in this tutorial, which is pretty clear and easy. ►How to make continuous double-fold seam binding.

Directions For the Quilted Baby Blanket

   Wash and dry the fabric, so there won’t be any shrinkage after you have sewn the project.  Iron the fabric and I also lightly ironed the batting, to get out the set wrinkles from being in the package.

    Then lay the fabric right side down onto a hard surface.  Lay the quilt batting on top of the fabric, lining up with one selvage edge.

    Lay the coordinating fabric on top of the batting, backside down, right side up. Smooth the fabrics out nicely.  At this point, safety pin along the first edge, and then smoothing the fabrics out as you go, pin here and there to keep the fabrics in place.  

 

       Leave the selvage edges on until after the quilting is done.  Don’t worry about the frayed ends where the fabric was cut either.  Mark an angled line with a washable fabric marker from one side of the top layer of fabric to the other side. Using a T-square or a triangle, mark a right-angled line intersecting the first one. You can quilt any way you like.  I like the angled squares that this method creates.

Stitch through all three layers on top of both of those intersecting lines.

    Using a quilt guide attachment like the one in the picture, decide how big your diamonds are going to be, and adjust the guide.  

    Line the guide up with the first row of stitching and continue stitching across the quilt, clip the thread, and start a new row.  Then, continue stitching until the piece is completely quilted.

 Finishing The Baby Blanket

   The finished quilts I make are 46″ x 40″.   After you finish quilting, cut the quilt to the size you want.   I use a salad plate as a template to round the corners.  Just place the plate or bowl in the corner, lining it up with both edges, and draw around the plate or bowl with a washable marker.  Then, trim off the corners, and using the 1/2″ double-fold bias tape, finish the edges, and you are done!

Directions For Making Continuous Fold Bias Tape

Step by Step Directions For Making Continuous Double Fold Bias Tape

Photo Credit: myhumblehomeandgarden.com

Make matching or coordinating bias tape easily!

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