I have a little boy (and love him and all the boy stuff that comes with him, for the record). But when I have the chance to make things that are girly, I get a little excited. There’s something pretty fun about pink and flowers and bows and frills.
My friend Ashley is having her first baby in the next few weeks, and I was thrilled to create a quilt for her. Ashley and her husband Pat created the most enchanting nursery, including crib bedding in gorgeous Dwell Studio Posey prints. I love this bedding – it’s full of florals and pinks and greens. It’s just a gorgeous mixture.
I wanted to create a quilt that coordinated with the fabrics in the bedding, but Dwell Studio doesn’t sell the fabric separately.
So, I got a little creative. (And this is a super simple tip to create a quilt that matches existing bedding.)
I bought a crib sheet in the matching pattern.
Using a rotary cutter, I sliced around the edges to remove the elastic band (and salvage the majority of the fabric). Once it’s lying flat, a crib sheet is roughly 51×35 inches. This is plenty large to use for a part of a quilt. In this case, I cut the sheet into 2.5 inch strips to use for borders and binding.
The pinwheels were created using Bella Solids charm squares (5 inch squares) in white bleached and pink. It was a happy accident that the colors were perfect together. And the pinwheels were a whimsical and classic addition to the fun and happy posey prints.
For quilting, I just ran some straight lines down the borders and called it a day. The backing is a simple pink pattern that coordinates well. And I spent a little extra time hand-stitching the binding. It only took a few hours, but I find that I prefer the end result when I have time to do it this way. 
I love finishing a quilt and running it through the washer and dryer to get the look of a well-loved, puckered quilt. And there’s something pretty special about seeing this pretty little quilt swaying in the breeze. (It felt like spring this weekend in the Midwest.)
Such a great way to work it all out, thank you!..I am hoping to use pinwheels in a ‘picnic’ quilt for some newly-weds in my life. I can use this idea for a baby quilt I went to make…As you did, I want to add some whimsical fun to these quilts!
Thank you for sharing your ideas…even if it was a while back!
Just Jan
Oh I love this! I hope to find some time before the baby gets here to make one for her. Great idea to use an extra crib sheet to match the pattern!
I always love your quilts! This one is darling. Great idea to use a crib sheet — I never would have thought of that!
Lovely! Sigh….how come I never have any girls?
Right??
Ooo so pretty. I just made my first to quilt squares ever to be added to a wedding quilt that one family member is making as a surprise to another family member, and once I got the hang of it (I haven’t really sewn since I was a kid), I could see how people get into quilting often. It’s hard work but you can see quite a bit of progress in a short amount of time and I love that positive reinforcement. I might actually attempt to go it alone and make something for myself soon! Love the tip to buy a set of sheets, too!
It is really motivating to quilt. I always feel happy with how it comes together and proud of the finished product. Like, “I did THAT!”
This is absolutely gorgeous! I’m sure she will love it! We had a friend make quilts for our boys and I treasure them.
The only thing I wish is that there was a way of make them last longer. Kids get into bigger beds so quickly.
Yay! I’ve missed sewing posts 🙂 beautiful quilt and excellent tip.
Thanks! I’ve missed my sewing posts, too. Looking forward to having more sewing time once we get into the house and I have dedicated space.