Start to finish in TWO hours!! + TGIFF

Thursday, October 31, 2019

I have a friend that is a foster mom. One day last week, she got a days old baby boy. I was knee deep in making deadline quilts, but I could not stop thinking about making a quilt for the baby! I continued sewing the quilt with a deadline, and tried convincing myself that I just didn't have time to make one. But then, as I was sewing the binding onto a deadline quilt, I remembered the "3 hour quilts" that I had made before (here, here, here, and here). Surely I could come up with an extra 3 hours!


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

So just as soon as my needle took the final stitch on the deadline quilt, I threw it in a heap and ran to my fabric stash to pull fabric for a baby quilt! The race was on!


I grabbed two mini charm packs that I got from Pineapple Fabrics a couple years ago, a piece of polka dot backing fabric I got from Connecting Threads, and my bolt of Kona White.


Mini charm packs from Pineapple Fabrics

I cut a one-yard piece of Kona White and trimmed off the selvages to make it 36" square.

I laid the polka dot backing fabric on the floor with the white square on top and cut around it to make the backing fabric. After taping the backing fabric down, I laid a scrap piece of Warm & Natural batting on top, then the 36" white square on top of that.


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

Using my acrylic ruler and air erasable fabric pen, I drew a grid of horizontal and vertical lines onto the top with lines 5" apart.


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

I placed the mini charm squares onto the grid - one in each square. Then I pinned each square in place, which pin basted the quilt at the same time.


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

I put the walking foot onto my Juki and threaded it with 50wt Aurifil White #2024.

Then I stitched from edge to edge, 1/4" inside the edges of the squares. This sews the squares down at the same time that it's quilting the quilt. Quilt-as-you-go is my favorite way to make a quilt fast!


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

After doing all the horizontal stitching, I turned the quilt 90 degrees and stitched the other direction too.

I grabbed a colorful dot fabric from my stash and cut four 2 1/4" wide binding strips.

I trimmed the extra batting and backing fabric off the quilt, then machine stitched the binding on (tutorial here).


Machine binding

I dropped the quilt in the washing machine with two Color Catchers and checked the time. 


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

Exactly TWO hours!! 


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

After washing and drying the quilt, I trimmed up the extra threads from the frayed fabric squares.


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

The quilt is super soft and crinkly, ready for tummy time!


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

I took these few pictures the next morning and sent it in the mail to my friend so she could get it right away to use with the baby.


Quick and easy quilt as you go baby quilt

This is my 5th quilt using this technique. This was my fastest time, and although I don't think I can do it much faster, I do know I'll be making more of these in my future!

It's so incredibly quick and easy, and it doesn't use much fabric at all. It's at the top of my list for using up my stash and making a quilt that's made to be used and loved!


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14 comments:

  1. Ok, I'm confused... you said that you used mini charm packs - aren't those 2.5" squares? But then you drew lines 5" apart. I love the quilt and that idea that it's quick and simple, but am really confused about the measurements. Help an old gal out here, will ya? And, apparently, I'm a no-reply blogger ( have no idea what that is or how to change it) so my email is sunshinerandall@yahoo.com Thanks :)

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  2. What a neat idea! I'll have to try that sometime. I'm sure your friend will be so pleased with the quilt. Happy stitching!

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  3. Not three days, just two hours!!! You are awesome!!! The mom and baby will love the new quilt!

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  4. So super speedy! And a great way to use those mini charm packs we all have laying around because they are so darn cute. :-)

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  5. Two hours that is impressive and a lovely quilt too!

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  6. Thanks for showing this technique. I can’t wait to whip up some of these cuddly quilts.

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  7. What a sweet gift! I am sure the baby will love the contrast of those squares against the white.

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  8. I love it - what a fun and fast gift!!!

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  9. If anyone could pull off making a quilt in two hours...it was you! You blow my mind! This quilt is going to get a lot of love I'm sure!

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  10. Such a quick and thoughtful gift. I have no illusions about how long it would take me. A lot longer than 2 hours but still could be done in a day. You are such a generous friend. I am sure the baby will use it often and the foster mom will always be filled with happiness when she sees it.

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  11. How do the frayed edges hold up after repeated washings? I am a Project Linus Chapter Coordinator and often we have to make quilts in a hurry to fulfill requests from hospitals. Sure, I need to make something quick, but I also want something that will last for years. I want a quality product that would reflect positively on the Project Linus charitable organization.

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    1. Hi, Anna! I've washed mine several times. The edges of the small squares do fray. After the first wash, I trim the extra threads before gifting. But they only fray up to the stitch lines. The resulting frayed edges are super soft. I have a couple of these quilts that we use at home with my children, and they have lasted through many washings!

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