Baby Quilt to Toddler Blanket

I have been putting off completing a baby quilt for 3 years. I know, I know, bad grandmother. I wanted to make my grandson a quilt before he was born. I started on it with the best of intentions, got behind schedule and then abandoned the idea.

At first, my design was fairly straightforward. I would make the quilt in the design of a closed duvet cover, and then embroider significant images and phrases that meant something to both the mom and dad. I even consulted the parents on color choices before I picked out the fabric. Believe it or not, the father wanted blacks and grays. I thought that those colors were unusual for a baby but I complied.

I had everything that I needed and started sewing the quilt on the machine first. When I started to put in the polyester fiber fill inside the covering, it occurred to me that I could upcycle one of my older quilts that needed saving. I love quilts and I have bought and been given several really nice and old quilts.

Older quilts used to be made with 100% cotton instead of polyester. They were hand sewn from start to finish and took a long time to construct due to the careful cutting and laying out of all of the small pieces. I damaged one of my quilts by washing it in the washing machine one too many times. It was fragile and could not take the agitator motion.

I decided that that quilt would make a better middle section for my grandson's quilt than the polyester fiber fill. I inserted the old quilt between the inside and outside covering and started to baste it together. That's as far as I got.

The next thing that I know, the baby was born so I bought him a quilt and put my handmade quilt away. Every now and then, I pull it out to work on it a little bit more. My grandson is now three years old, so this quilt will end up being a junior blanket.

I do intend to finish it eventually, but at this stage in the game, the quilt has to look really good. I hope that it will eventually become a family heirloom. I am no longer making promises of delivery dates. Hopefully it won't turn out to be a college quilt. I'll keep chugging away at it until it is finished but I also have other ongoing needlework projects that need my attention, like that second sock. 😃 Have a great day.