Riley Blake Rag Lap Quilt - Embroidered Heart Detail

A beautiful pieced embroidered heart in the corner of this lap quilt is one way I can subtly tell my recipient I love her.  This machine embroidered heart is an Anita Goodesign design and I have "signed" several of my quilts this way.  One half of the heart is applique and the other half is a beautiful filigree pattern. I like the fact that the applique blends right into my quilt..

 

If I had to choose a fabric line that I'm drawn to the most, it would have to be Riley Blake Designs.  Her bright, whimsical designs always catch my eye.

"Quilt-as-you-go" rag quilts are simple and sew up so easily, they are my first choice for quick gifts.  But lately I'm getting in the mood to do some more detailed piecing with my ever growing stash. I'm excited to embark on an anniversary trip Scandinavia soon and I'm sure I will come home inspired to do some cozy, winter quilting. 

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy

Sunny Rubber Ducky Rag Quilt - Baby Gift Set

I went treasure hunting in my fabric stash and discovered some super cute rubber ducky print flannel that I just knew would make the perfect snugly rag quilt for my friend's new baby boy.  I also unearthed some bright sunshine prints in coordinating colors.  Don't you love shopping in your own fabric hoard?

It only takes a couple of yards of designer fabric to sew up a rag quilt, especially if you back it with some solid flannel.

I already had some cute ducky peel off stickers from Elizabeth Craft in my stash, so I put them on some double stick tape, sprinkled on some microfine glitter and painted the adorable ducky with my copic markers.  You can see how I did it here.  I attached my image to an embellished flip card cut from a Sizzix die.  

Here's my fun gift all ready to wrap in a pretty bag. I think my duckies will make my new darling baby friend giggle. And I found almost all my materials in my own craft room. I'm going to have to shop there more often.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy

Cheery Rag Quilt and Card - For My Sweet Friend's Little One

These fun rag quilts are my answer to being machine quilting-challenged.  I can just sew as I go and end up with a soft, fluffy finished quilt - no top quilting necessary. Babies seem to be fascinated with the texture of these quilts and, happily, they get fluffier the more they are washed. (Both the babies and the quilts.😄)

I bought these adorable bright cotton charm squares in a kit at my fabric store a while ago and decided they would make a perfect quilt for my friend and her little baby girl.  I linked directions for this quilt in an earlier post here.

I used premium quilting cotton for the bottom and top layers on my blocks and white cotton flannel for the batting.  This produces beautiful fraying on the finished quilt. These vibrant colors and dainty prints are delightfully girly and  the juvenile patterns are adorable.

The quilt is reversible because the back is just as pretty as the front! 

I almost always make matching cards for my gifts, just because I can...and it's loads of fun trying to match colors and designs.   The card base was made from the Sizzix Framelets Die Set - Friends Forever Step Ups.

The cute onsies were die cut with the Sizzix Triplets "Oh, Baby" die set. I've made several of these cards for friends because it's easy to adapt the onsies for a boy or girl just by changing the colors.  It would be fun to match the print on them to one of the fabrics in the quilt. I'll try that next time!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy

Sew-y Saturday - Shabby Chic Rag Quilt

It feels like I've made about a hundred of these fun rag quilts, but  maybe scores would be more like it. The fact that they don't need to be quilted makes them such an attractive option for a baby or lap quilt.  

My favorite fabrics, even for baby quilts, are these vintage looking cotton florals and  calico prints. The shabby chic look is very popular, even with young moms. I use white cotton flannel for the batting and the three layers of cotton fabric fray beautifully.  Some people choose to use flannel for their quilts and opt for only two layers.   It works anyway you choose, as long as you use cotton fabric for the fraying. Here's a simple Beverly's tutorial on the basics of making a rag quilt. 

When I first started making these quilts, I had to hand cut the fringe in the raw edges with scissors.  It's an easy process and can go quite fast when you get in a rhythm, but it is a little tedious. My whole world changed when I got an Accuquilt Go for my birthday and found out they had actual rag quilt dies. Although it's a little tricky to sew straight on the fringed edge, it's much faster than snipping the fringe manually.  Once the fringe is cut, all that's left to do is throw the quilt in the washing machine and let the magic begin.  The seams get softer and fluffier with every wash. My husband and I each cuddle up in our own rag quilt every night in front of the TV.  Everyone needs a blankie, don't you think?  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy