A Baby Quilt Top

This weekend I worked on some fabric that I had pulled from drawers earlier this year (school year) trying to make room for other fabric.  I had a drawer that had what I call "baby fabric".  Inside were pastels and baby prints, flannels for making blankets and just bits and pieces that I had been given or picked up over time.  I hardly ever used fabric from that box and decided it could be put to better use for other fabrics (like cream/white background fabrics). So, this little bit of fabric, that hadn't found a home somewhere else, has been shuffled from the top of one pile to another and I finally decided to do something with it.  I started out cutting the blue and white print for backgrounds of churn dash blocks (one of my favorites) I was only going to cut enough for 4 or 5 blocks, but then decided if I was going to make that many, I should make at least 9 so I could have a center for a quilt.  Then it was the blue prints turn and I cut it up, also.  However, I only had enough of it to make three blocks.  Hmm, I thought there was more there - and there was - just not of the right size to make more than three blocks.  I got those all made on Wednesday night and turned to finish something else up and left it all alone. 

On Thursday night I saw the green print - this one, believe it or not, used to be a dress.  I loved this fabric so much when I first saw it sometime in the late 80's that I made a dress out of it.  I wore that dress several times until someone asked if it was a maternity dress.  (pastel baby colors! empire waisted and billowing out in the wind - I was much, much skinnier and didn't look at all pregnant!!)  So, I really looked at it and decided it needed to be cut up and added to the stash.  Where it has been since about 1989.  It's about time I used this fabric up on something.  I cut enough to make 4 blocks and saved the rest to put as a border if I wanted to use it later or to make more blocks.  After sewing these four blocks, I put them on the wall and determined that they would need to be sashed and I could add in another color for 2 of  the blocks.  Looking at the pile of fabric, there was a yellow, pink striped and another white background blue/green print.  There wasn't enough of the pink to sash so that became the blocks and the yellow the sashing using the leftover blue for cornerstones.  I added what was left of the green pastel to make a small border and I think there is enough of the yellow for binding and that will pull it all together.  It's a nice size 52" square quilt for a baby quilt.  Now to get a backing made - going to use that other white/blue/green print and quilt it. 

 

It's a bit on the wrinkled side, but it's okay.  The green churn dashes really fade into the background fabric on those four blocks.   Here is a close-up of the green and pink blocks.  The yellow fabric has little dog paw prints on it. 

 

 

I also made two Kaffe swap blocks and took a picture, but with my camera so I will have to download them later.  However, they look all wonky and wrong.  I am debating making them all over again or sending them and seeing what the person, whose month this is, has to say about them.   I will post a picture this week and you can decide how they look.  I am not sure I would have picked that pattern for others to make for me especially since they have to be so precise and specific.  here is the link to the top, except she made several changes to the pattern.  After looking at this again, I may have to re-make the blocks.  I didn't trim them the correct way.  Maybe that is why they look so wonky.  (they actually aren't wonky, but just look like it) http://www.freshlypieced.com/2011/05/hexing-around-block.html