First Birthday Quilts

Way back when I was pregnant with Samantha I wanted to make a quilt. I'd been sewing since I was a little girl, and had recently taken it back up again (although all I was sewing were tote bags for my knitting projects and simple skirts for myself). But a quilt - that's just cutting and sewing straight lines, right? I bought a bundle of fabrics at JoAnn's, and cut it up into squares. And the squares sat and sat and sat.
The spring of 2009 my mom and I went to visit a real live quilt shop, right here in my town! I knew NOTHING about how much fabric it would take to make a quilt, or really anything, but I picked out some fabric already cut into little squares and some yardage that I liked that I figured I could use as a back. I had gotten the book Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts for Christmas that year, and there was a cute coin quilt in there I thought I could make. I ended up using a tutorial over at the Moda Bake Shop though, since I had charm squares, and wasn't brave enough to figure something else out.

I cut my charm squares in half, and sewed them together in rows, added some white sashing, and learned to baste! (Thanks internet!) I used painter's tape to mark diagonal lines and quilted it. Added some binding, and voila! A first finished quilt! (The fabric is Wee Play, and if I had known then how much I would love it, I would have bought a lot more! I do have a jelly roll stashed away for someday!)



Since I had made a quilt for her first birthday I figured I had to make quilts for Ben & Ellie's birthday as well. When Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips line came out I loved it. I had a gift certificate I had received for Christmas, and I had seen previews of her Little Apples line too. I figured these two lines complimented each other and would be cute for twin quilts! I purchased a jelly roll of each, with no plans for what I would make. This spring I got down to business, and spent a lot of time looking through my quilt books, my flickr favorites and my pinterest quilt board. I decided on two patterns (they also happened to be from the Moda Bake Shop!), and started cutting.



Ellie's quilt used the Cartwheels pattern and Kona White. I wish now I had added borders to the quilt, but it it still cute.



Ben's quilt used the Charming Maze pattern and Kona Coal. I love it - so cute and the maze actually 'works!'

Three kids, three first birthday quilts! And the twins were even done in time for their birthday! (Samantha's was about 3 days late!)