Jelly Belly Bean Quilter: Baby quilts

I love making baby quilts to celebrate the start of a whole new life. I've recently completed three of these quilts. Three new babies yeah!

I started the first two quilts at retreat with Judy in Ballarat in August. We stayed at a small two bedroom unit and it was perfect for what we needed it for. It was a rather cold weekend mind you! Judy and I went to all our favourite quilting shops and I bought this fabric for my first quilt at Spotlight. This is for my son's friend's mum who was having her first daughter after having four boys. I wanted something pretty and girly.

I made simple nine patches. I unpicked lots of not so simple nine patches and I sewed blocks in the wrong places and unpicked rather a lot of sewing. I would say I made this quilt five times ha ha but it turned out nicely in the end.

I actually finished the quilt top at retreat and was really happy I'd actually done something for a change!

I finished sewing the binding and the label at another retreat in September just in time to hear the baby had been born! Welcome to the world little Kelsey!

After finishing that top I started on the foundation paper pieced fox for the next quilt.

This is the third time I've pieced this little Sleepy Fox by 3rd Story Workshop. It has some tricky parts but it does come together well in the end.

Here he is quilted.

I finished stitching the binding and label at the September retreat once baby Zachary was born and I knew his name. This is my best friend from high school's sister's baby.

I just put him sleeping on a simple background so he'd be the main focus. I used wool batting in this quilt because the mum uses the quilts on the floor during tummy time.

During the August retreat Judy worked on these blocks.

Then she made use of the design floor to position these previously made triangles.

And finished the top!

She also left the rotary cutter open! Bad bad Judy! Never fear though, I am always on hand to capture your naughiness!

My daughter asked me to make the third baby quilt. It's for her friend back in the UK who had a baby girl Ottilie! I suggested a panel so that it would be a fairly quick quilt to make and thought she'd appreciate the Australian animal theme.

The panel was long and thin so I had to add to it. I tried adding baby's name first but it wasn't grabbing me.

So I hand stitched her name instead.

I quilted this one with one of my favourite circle designs and I was very brave and stitched the binding on while I was quilting. I think this is how I'm going to do all my quilts from now on!