Blooming Baby Blanket

Yay for free pattern Fridays! I'm going to try and institute a weekly update of free patterns. To start out most will probably be other peoples, but I'll get my own in as often as I'm able. And for the inaugural pattern it's one of my own!

Stuffs You Need:

9 - pieces of a Layer Cake (tm - Moda fabrics) or 10" square pieces of scrap

1/3 yard - border fabric.

4 yrds - jumbo ric rac

scrap for appliqué flowers (one piece of layer cake piece will cover it)

2 - crocheted flowers one small one less small (or ribbon flowers, or none)

1 yd - 45" wide backing (I pieced two pieces of scrap flannel from the back of another quilt)

150" - bias tape (about 4 yrds)

batting, thread, etc.

Cutting:

1 to 9 - 10" squares as needed, in various coordinating colors

4 - 2 1/2" x width of fabric strips for border (I used about 14 charm pack squares cut in half and sewed them together into 4 - 7 piece long strips to bust some scraps)

Putting it Together:

1. Lay the 9 squares out so that they are balanced in color and pattern size. Sew them together three rows of three squares each. Press the seams in alternating directions. Sew the rows together till you have your giant nine patch. (Note: When I did mine I didn't have enough layers cake pieces left so I cut a 10" square and flipped it over to get a more muted look. You can see it in the top picture; it's the yellow polka dot. can't even tell it's the backside. It's like doubling your stash!)

2. Next attach the border strips to the two opposite sides. Press to the darker fabric and trim off the tails (make sure it's square when you do) Attach the two remaining border pieces, press and trim square.

3. Now for the applique! Take your fabric and iron on the wonder under (or whatever it is you like). Once it's cooled trace the flower pattern and pull up the paper sheet just a little around one corner. This makes it ten times easier to get it off once you have it cut out. then you don't have to pick at the edge and fray your fabric. Cut them out and peel off the paper the rest of the way. Arrange them onto the blanket. here's where you can get creative. Blow the flowers up, shrink them, scatter them around, put one in each square, etc. You don't have to stick to what I did. Iron them on but don't stitch them on quite yet.

4. Layer backing, batting and top. Pin or baste into place.

5. Next attach the jumbo ric rac over the seam between your giant nine patch and the border. I didn't bother pinning it because the ric rac is so big you can just take it slow and lay it as you go around. It's pretty easy. I finished my ends with a dab of fray check cause it's the least fussy way (in my humble opinion) to do it.

6. Using a small, tight-ish (half way to a satin stitch) zig zag stitch around the edges of the flowers. To finish quilting either do a large flower motif like I did (I sketched it strait onto the fabric) or follow the lines of the squares, or do whatever suits the theme of your fabrics.

7. Bind, wash and enjoy!


Click on the image for a full sized resolution to print out the applique pattern