Monday, February 4, 2013

February Goal + Looking for recommendations

With success at reaching my January goal in the Lovely Year of Finishes, I'm excited about February!
I had trouble picking a goal, because a) it's a busy month for me (speaking at my guild...yikes!, planning a 4-year-old birthday party, finishing a few tutorials I've promised people, on top of all the usual day-to day fun of work and home life) and b) because I was torn between what I want to do vs. what I should do. So ultimately I'm going with another seasonal choice, because after February I am not going to care about a snowman quilt.

February's goal: Finish quilting and then bind my snowman quilt.

And now I'm looking for recommendations. I am helping a mom friend of mine who is not a quilter make quilts for her two children, a 4-year-old boy and a 9-month old girl. I'm looking for suggestions of  easy quilt patterns (either tutorials or patterns from magazines, books, single pattern purchases, etc.) you really like that would be great for kids' quilts.
 I'd also love to hear about any fabric collections you particularly love with the kids' ages and genders in mind. My friend would like these quilts to last (I don't mean durability, but more that she wants them still to appeal to the children as they age.).
Please share your recommendations in the comments section!
Thanks so much!


8 comments:

  1. I've been teaching some teens to sew & they are making the Line Dance quilt by Pink Chalk Studios http://www.pinkchalkstudio.com/blog/2012/10/16/what-were-making-big-dot-quilt-back

    it's a great size for babies or kids, or for a tv/lap quilt & uses a charm pack and 1 1/2 yards of fabric. An easy pattern to learn on but cute, not boring!

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  2. There's that great girlie nautical fabric line called Out to Sea. It's whimsical but perfect to grow up with. And I saw a great square-in-square quilt pattern with that same fabric that looked easy. Lemme see I I can find it...

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  3. I am in love with the fabric line "The Sweetest Thing" by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake. I'm making a quilt out of it right now for myself!

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  4. You know I'm not a great piecer, so whatever I do has to be easy. I think your friend might like the Quilt Along that Terry is doing at Terry's Treasures (on my sidebar). It is a free Moda pattern and very easy and would look so cute in kid fabrics. Good luck.

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  5. I just bought a new magazine that has a bunch of easy patterns (17) from Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Co. It has a lot of easy stuff in it. Not all are geared toward babies/kids, but they could be with the right choice of fabric. That Peace Quilt I made was really easy.

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  6. There's so many quilt patterns out there Ellie, it'll be hard to choose! I think Thimbleblossoms by Camille Roskelley, has a couple of great simple layer cake patterns called Piece of Cake (or similar) that would be a great place to start. Then your friend can pick layer cakes that appeal to her and will age with her children.

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  7. I love and have used many times for both babies and adults a pattern called Crazy Eights. Eights comes from the required 8 fat quarters. There are 4 simple blocks (all squares or rectangles). When I want it bigger, I just pick 16 fabrics or cut twice as many from the original 8. The last time I made this one, I used Laurel Burch fabrics - bright and fun for a youngster, but very appealing for older kids and even adults!

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