Well! Is it a cot/crib quilt, baby mat or a toddler blanket? I’m not sure, but one thing I know for certain is this quilt is FINISHED! A UFO parked in the early part of 2022 is my first completed quilt of 2023 🙂 Definitely a cause for a little celebration 🥳 My celebration includes a half price discount on the pattern price – just £3.50 ’til 25th January ’23 🙂

The quilt was cut and pieced as the prototype and pattern-test for my ‘Trip Around the Stars’ quilt pattern. I wanted the quilt design to be accessible for makers just starting out patchwork quilting and to provide more experienced quilters with an attractive, quick-to-make quilt, ideal for a new baby gift. In my minds eye cot/crib quilts still feature as a part of nursery decor but I realise the current advice to parents is to avoid using blankets or quilts but to place their young babies in cosy, but not too warm, ‘sleep bags’. Maybe quilts for cots are becoming an aesthetic addition to a nursery more than a practical piece of equipment? Maybe as cot quilts become a thing of the past we’ll just be making baby quilts to use as play mats or sofa/car blankets?

My finished prototype Trip Around the Stars quilt measures 43″ x 52″. Suzy of Suzy Quilts quotes the standard size for a crib quilt as 36″ x 52″. I’ve slightly  adjusted the borders in the final version of the pattern to produce a quilt measuring 40″ x 52″.

I used a light grey fabric (‘Big Star’ by Michael Miller Fabrics) featuring uneven five point stars as one of the main fabrics and for the binding. The five point stars were the inspiration for the free motion quilting pattern of wonky five-point stars linked by a curvy meander. I chose to keep the quilting fairly open, aiming for gaps of around 2″ between the stitching.

For the backing I used one of my favourite extra wide fabrics, ‘City Travelers’, in grey.

I am very happy with the finished quilt. I guess it could even be used as chair throw or wall hanging to add a soft welcome to a baby’s bedroom. I wonder if you are adapting to the changes in the recommendations for baby bedding? Maybe changing the size and use of the baby quilts you make?

Allison

Click on the picture below to find out more about the Trip Around the Stars pattern and to take advantage of the celebration discount 🙂