Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project: designed with Bernina Quilting Foot #29

Difficulty level Intermediate
Time to Complete Weekend
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Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project
Picture: Nick with Baby Quilt

Our sewing expert, Nicholas, shows you how to create a beautiful quilt for a baby. He designs the quilt using Patchwork Foot #97 and Bernina Quilting Foot #29 to stitch around lettering and decorate by free motion quilting. This project requires you to get creative and really express yourself! We hope the special little one that you make it for really loves and cherishes their mini quilt.

You will need:

  • Bernina sewing machine
  • A range of fabric strips for the log cabin blocks, from ¾” to 1 ½” wide
  • Scraps of coloured fabric for the appliqué
  • Backing fabric approximately 22” x 22”
  • Wadding approximately 22” x 22”
  • Binding fabric - ¼ meter
  • Fusible web, such as Bondaweb or Steam-a Seam
  • Fabric basting spray
  • Thread
  • Rotary cutter, scissors
  • Cutting mat, 6.5” patchwork ruler (optional)
  • Quilting Foot #29
  • Patchwork Foot #97
The Bernina Quilting Foot #29 is May 2018’s Accessory of the Month at a 20% discount! The special offer price is £24.80 – this promotion will run from 26th April 2018 until 31st May 2018.

Click here to visit the Bernina online shop.

Find out more about Quilting Foot #29 by clicking here.
 

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Instructions

There are more instructional images to guide you available in the project’s downloadable PDF.

Stage 1

Begin by making a pieced background for the appliqué. This is constructed from 9 improv log cabin blocks that don’t use precise measurements and are quick and easy to make. Take a square of fabric approximately 2”, cut a strip of fabric a little longer than the square and attached to one side using a ¼” seam. Press the seam.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 2

Trim this first log with the edge of the centre square, place another strip, right sides together, along the next edge, sew and press the seam as before.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 3

Continue to add strips, working around the square in an anti-clockwise direction until it is large enough to be trimmed down to 6.5” square. With my blocks, I found I needed to add two complete rounds to make the block big enough. When selecting strips for the “logs”, be sure to vary the width to add variation to your blocks. Make 9 blocks in this way.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 4

Using a ¼” seam, join the blocks together, first into 3 rows of 3, then join the rows together to complete the quilt top. Press well using a hot iron.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 5

Baste the quilt top using temporary fabric spray. Firstly, place your backing fabric, wrong side upwards, onto a table. Spray one side of the wadding with a light layer of adhesive and smooth onto the backing fabric carefully to avoid wrinkles. Spray the other side of the wadding and layer the quilt on top. Press lightly with a warm iron, taking care to avoid getting any residual spray on the base of the iron.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 6

Next, prepare your appliqué shapes. Use a computer to print out the baby’s name and date of birth. You will also need a template of their hand print. The applique works best if a simple, clean font is used. My letters are approximately 1.5” tall. Cut out the templates and draw around them onto the paper side of your fusible web, remembering to turn them so the letters are reversed.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 7

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the web onto the wrong side of your coloured fabric scraps. I used a different colour for each letter but feel free to use what you have. Cut out the pieces with sharp scissors.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 8

Position the letters and handprints onto your basted quilt, using a ruler for accuracy if you wish. Again, following the manufacturer’s instructions, press each letter to secure it to the quilt.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 9

Attach foot 29 to your machine and lower the feed dogs. Stitch around each letter, securing your thread at the start by stitching on the spot for 2 or 3 stitches. Limiting the speed of your machine will give you more control and help you to achieve even stiches. Watch Nicholas demonstrating this step below:

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 10

Once all the appliqué is secure, quilt the background using free motion quilting. I used a meandering zig zag, but feel free to use whatever design you like. You can watch Nicholas free motion quilt the background using foot 29 here:

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 11

Once the quilting is complete, trim the quilt to remove the excess backing and wadding.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

Stage 12

Cut your binding fabric into two 2 1/4” X WOF strips, join together using a ¼” seam and press in half length ways. Use the binding to finish quilt, taking care to miter the corners, either using machine for the front and back or finishing the back by hand.

Picture: Nick’s Baby Birthday Mini Quilt Project

And breathe...Your fabulous mini quilt is now finished!
 

 

Bild: 125 years Kleid

Bild: 125 years Kleid

Bild: 125 years Kleid

Does your baby quilt look amazingly adorable?

We bet it does!

Make sure to check our website regularly as we will be putting out a brand new project, designed exclusively by a Bernina UK team member, EVERY MONTH!
 
Next we will be bringing you summer vibes with a fresh and fabulous Free Motion flower project. The flowers will be constructed using the Ruffler Foot so come here, check it out and discover the endless creative possibilities with Bernina...

Put a Spring in your step...the flower project...coming soon!