Free Baby Quilt Patterns - What You Need to Know

Free baby quilt patterns are a great place for the beginner to start. Using free patterns will help you get into quilting using simple and testing patterns. You also won't have to shell out more money on a pattern when you use a free one. Getting started already comes with the costs of all the supplies, so saving a little money on a free baby quilt pattern can help.

Types of Patterns

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When you begin to look for baby quilt patterns you will see there are a range of different designs available. There are different color options that you can use, from pastels to bold and bright colors. You will also notice there are designs that range from very simple block designs to integrate patterns.

Free Baby Quilt Patterns - What You Need to Know

When you are looking at the different baby quilt patterns available you will want to stick with the simpler patterns to begin with. Doing simple patterns in the beginning allows you to perfect your skills so that when you move on to the more complex patterns you have less problems.

Popular Options

Baby quilt patterns tend to fall along gender lines. There are some plain quilt patterns that are gender neutral, but generally patterns will be tailored to either a baby girl or a baby boy. For girls the popular patterns include flowers and dolls. For boys, boats, puppies and cars are favorites.

The gender neutral themes that are always popular include Noah's ark, animals, the alphabet, teddy bears and blocks. These can be made for either gender or just done in a neutral way. You really have a lot of control over what colors you use. If you change colors, don't forget to mark the pattern so you can remember what color you substituted in.

Where to Find Free Patterns

You can find free patterns for baby quilts all over the internet. There are many great resources that offer easy to download patterns that you can download to your computer and then print off. You will find patterns for everyone from beginners to advanced quilters.

Be sure when you are looking at the patterns that you read through the directions. You want to be sure you understand the directions and know that you can easily follow them. This is especially important for the beginner since your skill level is not that advanced. You do not want to tackle a pattern that uses terms you don't know or techniques that you are not familiar with.

As your skills advance you will find that you can easily adapt and change patterns to suit your needs. For example, if a pattern has many aspects that you love, but one thing you don't then you can learn to be creative and get rid of what you don't like. That is a skill that comes with time. To start with just look for patterns that you can use the way they are printed.

Free Baby Quilt Patterns - What You Need to Know

Simple Quilt Patterns for Beginners

If you are a beginner and you are looking for simple quilt patterns there is an array of different beginner's patterns available which can be obtained from either beginners quilting magazines or you can download patterns from the internet. There are many quilters that have given out really simple and easy patterns which make it far easier for those that have never attempted quilting before.

Simple quilt patterns come with detailed instructions and assembly graphics and patterns such as these are fast and easy to make. When it comes to choosing a pattern one needs to take into consideration the time it will take to make a quilt. Depending on the design a quilt may take months before it is completed and others may only take a day or two to complete.

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Quilt patterns can also be downloaded from the internet and most of these patterns are free. There are also quilting magazines available which include pull out patterns. If you have decided to take quilting classes you will be able to obtain patterns from your instructor as well as the necessary item needed for quilting.

Simple Quilt Patterns for Beginners

I suggest that if you are a beginner it might be advisable to start off by making a small quilt or wall hanging. Not only is this type of quilt simple to make but will make a fantastic gift for a family member or friend. Firstly you need to take the measurements to establish how much fabric and batting you are going to need. If you are not sure how to color code your fabrics then visit a quilting websites and look at some of the most exquisite quilts that have been put together by professional quilters and from there you will more or less have an idea of color coding.

You will need around five to eight different colored fabrics either plain or patterned or a combination. Once you have the fabric you need to cut strips as well as squares. Place all your pieces separately. You can now sew the squares together forming a pattern. Once you have sewn the squares together you then attach the batting and hand stitch it onto the squares, which will prevent the material from slipping when you machine sew the batting onto your squares.

Once that is completed stitching the batting onto the fabric you ready to attach the backing which should be a plain color. Follow the simple quilting patterns instruction on how to attach the backing. Once you have attached the backing then the last thing that needs to be done is the edging. This should take you around two to three days to complete.

You should view all the simple quilting patterns online which will give you a clearer picture. Once you have completed one quilt guaranteed you will soon be starting a second quilt. Keep your design as simple as possible preferably large blocks are ideal for beginners as they are fast and easy to put together. You will also be able to define if quilting is a hobby you would like to follow through or not.

Simple Quilt Patterns for Beginners

Quilting and Machine Embroidery Team Up for Beautiful Quilts

Embroidery machines can be used for piecing, quilting, and embellishing beautiful quilts of all sizes. With an embroidery machine, piecing is more precise, quilting is easier, and quilts can be embellished with embroideries ranging from redwork and outlines, to traditional satin stitch embroideries, to monograms, to perfect applique.

On the internet there are many resources for embroidery designs that are digitized specifically for piecing and quilting. Two designers who have published great print resources for piecing in the hoop are Eileen Roche from Designs in Machine Embroidery and Larisa Bland at Pieced in the Hoop.

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Three other high quality resources for downloadable piecing-in-the-hoop designs are Kenny Kreations, Skeldale House, and Queen of Stitching. These are by no means the only sources for such designs, since this is a booming new area for quilters and embroiderers alike.

Quilting and Machine Embroidery Team Up for Beautiful Quilts

Hoopsisters create designs, which incorporate more embroidery in addition to the piecing, for complete quilts in the hoop. Some of the patterns are traditional, and some are contemporary art quilts. Jenny Haskins is known for her embroidered quilts, and she has just now come out with a book, A Place in the Sun, a quilt both appliqued and quilted completely in the embroidery hoop. Her other embroidered quilts are highly embellished and use many different techniques to achieve beautiful effects. Kenny Kreations, mentioned above, also has wonderful embroidered quilts, where embroidery is the focus.

Some digitizers have developed embroidery patterns for appliqued and embroidered quilt blocks. These are relatively quick and easy to create, and are much faster than traditional applique methods. A recent addition to the list of digitizers in this field is Lunch Box Quilts.

Many of the major digitizers have developed quilting designs for quilting blocks and borders. One of the strengths, however, of using an embroidery machine for quilting is that one is not limited to traditional quilting designs. Any outline or redwork design can be used for quilting with incredible, personalized results. A quilt sandwich is fairly stable, so most quilting in the hoop can be done without any additional stabilizer, making it very economical as well as fast, easy, and beautiful.

Machine embroidery can be used to make a whole quilt, or enhance a traditionally pieced quilt. The next time you feel intimidated at having to quilt a large quilt or pay for someone else to do so for you, consider using your embroidery machine to help you out. The possible combinations of hand and machine work are limitless, and the precision of machine embroidery can enhance your work, taking it to another level of beauty and quality.

Quilting and Machine Embroidery Team Up for Beautiful Quilts

Baby Quilt Projects: What Size Is Best?

One of the biggest concerns when planning to make a baby quilt or blanket - and with many baby craft projects in general - is deciding what size the item should be. Babies and toddlers at different growth stages will require items of very different sizes. While a newborn might need only a small receiving blanket, baby quilts of a larger size are more appropriate for a toddler who will soon be sleeping in a regular bed.

When considering the age and the size of the child you're creating a quilt or a blanket for, it's also a good idea to think about where the it will be used. A small "lap blanket" is a quick and easy craft project, and will keep babies warm and snug in a car seat or in a stroller. If the quilt is intended to be used in the crib, match it to the dimensions of the crib mattress. The standard baby crib mattress is 36" x 52" - take this into account when buying the fabric and definitely before you start cutting.

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In addition to sizing via the dimensions of the crib mattress, there are also several other universal sizes for baby quilts and blankets. These include:

Baby Quilt Projects: What Size Is Best?

32" x 40"

36" x 36"

36" x 45"

36" x 48"

36" x 60"

40" x 52"

45" x 60"

60" x 60"

These quilt dimensions are suitable for a range of different infant and toddler sizes, with the larger sizes being ideal for the child to grow into. For example, a 32" x 40" quilt is a great size for fitting inside the crib or playpen or later being used as a wall hanging; while 45" x 60" and bigger are considered a standard size to fit comfortably a toddler bed. Till this age comes they can also be used as generously sized floor mats for the young baby to play on. Large baby quilts can stay with a child throughout their early years, while the smaller ones often live on as keepsakes and heirlooms.

Regardless of the size you choose for your baby quilt project, this is a great gift for the little one in your life. Quilting is considered a very loving craft, due to the care that goes into creating blankets to warm and comfort friends and family. That message of warmth and love will really show in the finished product, making your baby quilt a cherished gift for years to come.

Baby Quilt Projects: What Size Is Best?

Jelly Roll Quilt - Ideas for For Making a Stunning Quilt From Your Jelly Rolls

Over the last few years, jelly roll quilt rolls have become a huge craze in the quilting world. Usually made up of a number of 2.5" strips, jellies make quilting easy - everything's already cut for you! All you have to do is sew. But a lot of people buy their rolls and then feel confused about what to do with them. There are an endless number of possibilities - here are a few different ways you can make a stunning strip quilt, usually in only a few hours!

1. Simply sew the strips together, lengthwise, to make a strip jelly roll quilt. Stripes are all the rage right now, and are also timeless. If you're looking to make an heirloom quilt, the simple strip piecing will never go out of style. To add some interest, cut a few strips down the center, or a little off-center to make thinner strips, and alternate them with the 2.5" strips.

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2. Use the "log cabin" design to make your jelly roll quilt. Rolls are absolutely perfect for making log cabin quilts. The log cabin block is created by starting with a center square, and then sewing on "logs" by turning the block 90 degrees repeatedly. Most people create the block so that half the block is one color, and the other is a contrast fabric.

Jelly Roll Quilt - Ideas for For Making a Stunning Quilt From Your Jelly Rolls

Since all your "logs" will be the same width, 2.5" strips work great for this pattern.

3. Create a jelly roll quilt made up entirely of squares-in-squares. Start with one square cut from one strip, and then sew another fabric in a square around it. Then choose another fabric and sew another square. Repeat a few times until you have a block with several square-in-squares, and then repeat for another 12-16 blocks to make a nice-size throw quilt.

Whether you're a beginner or an expert, making a jelly roll quilt is fun and easy - and you'll be amazed at the visually impressive effects you can get making blocks with just 2.5" strips. And if you haven't already gotten into this method of quilting you're wasting time and money - not to mention developing carpal tunnel syndrome! - buying and cutting your own fabric!

Jelly Roll Quilt - Ideas for For Making a Stunning Quilt From Your Jelly Rolls

How to Make a Crazy Quilt Block by Block

The challenge of making a crazy quilt is the lack of a pattern, which makes you rely upon your own sense of design to lay out the fabric pieces. A good way to meet this challenge is to think like a painter. The muslin base is the canvas. The collaged fabrics are the first color and the embroidery and embellishments are the ongoing layers, which add depth and texture.

The hardest decision is in choosing your colors and materials. Remember to always use complementary ccolors in a selected tone of pastels, dusties, or jewel tones. Strive for a pleasing mix of textures, patterns, and solids. As you sew make sure the pieces complement each other in color and fabric type. Above all, remember to never put pattern against pattern to make sure your beautiful embroidery stitches will show up! Always bounce a solid fabric against a patterned fabric.

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For a crazy quilt, large or small, you should work on a square or rectangle of muslin or plain fabric. Working 12" or smaller is recommended so that the piecing is easier to handle.

How to Make a Crazy Quilt Block by Block

First decide on the finished foundation (muslin) size for each block and cut the muslin one half inch larger than the desired finished block size. This allows for any puckering or tight tension variations that could draw up the size. You can always cut the finished piece down to the proper size later. Also remember that the finished block size in this case is the unfinished block size for your quilt. You will have to have a seam allowance to sew your blocks together into a quilt. A half inch should provide this necessary allowance.

Here is a basic Crazy Quilt pattern you can use to try your hand at crazy quilting. Just remember that you can do this many different ways, and that this is only meant as a suggestion.

Cut the number of 12 and a half inch muslin squares you will need for your finished project. You could cut one if you just wanted to make a single block for learning purposes.

For each block you want to make also cut a five-sided piece of solid fabric. Make the sides angular, not parallel. Don't make it too big or too small roughly about a ninth of the block (like a tic tac toe pattern on the muslin foundation square). It will serve as your crazy, off center middle of your design.

Also cut 2 to 3 inch wide strips and then cut them into rectangles of varying length.

Start Making Your Crazy Quilt Block

Place a five sided center piece close to, but off center of your muslin square. Make sure none of the sides line up parallel to your muslin square's sides. You want this a bit funky. Make sure this is right side up (as in the right side of the fabric.

Now place a patterned fabric rectangle on top of the longest side of the five-sided piece, aligning the edges with the longest side and right sides facing. Stitch a quarter inch from the aligned edges through all 3 fabrics.

Right-handed quilters will be more comfortable working clockwise around the center piece and left-handers working counter clockwise.

Now use a steam iron to turn and press the rectangle over the seam allowance, pressing away from the center piece. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line to remove the bulk in your design.

With right sides facing each other, place another rectangle, this time a solid one, over the first rectangle and edges even with side 2 of the center piece. Always cover the previous piece (in this case the first rectangle). Sew from the edge of the previous rectangle to the edge of side 2.

Turn and press this rectangle over the seam allowance, again pressing away from the center piece. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line.

Continue sewing additional fabric rectangles to sides 3, 4 and 5 of the center piece. Note that new angles can be created as you go, and excess length can be cut off. Trim any rectangles that extend beyond the foundation fabric even with the edge of the foundation fabric.

The rectangle that will cover side five will be long, as it must extend beyond the fabrics on both angles 1 and 4. To add interest and create a more collaged look, consider the following options: Pieced rectangles, pieced and curved shapes, and pieced fans.

Now that you have completed the first go-around and shapes have been sewn to all five sides of the center piece, it is necessary to cut more angles from the pieces you have sewn down. Be brutal in cutting back, cutting from seam edge to seam edge, trying to achieve at least five more angles. Work toward a variety of shapes and sizes.

Be sure and press each piece over the seam allowance as you go and to use rectangular pieces and cut back for more shapes and sizes after each go-around. Also remember solids then patterned pieces.

After the foundation piece has been completely filled with fabric strips, trim the block to the desired size. Press the block on both the front and back. Don't leave any loose pieces.

You can add embellishments of ribbons, trims, and laces, stitching them from edge to edge of the foundation piece so that the ends will be included in the seam allowances. It is best not to attach these embellishments parallel and too close to the edges of the block as these spaces will be covered with embroidery stitches.

Sew your completed blocks together. You can add embroidery stitches over the seam lines joining the blocks. Some suggested embroidery stitches include the French Knot, Lazy Daisy, Blanket Stitch, Herringbone Stitch, Chain Stitch, and the Feather Stitch.

Sew in any borders between blocks and finish your quilt top.

How to Make a Crazy Quilt Block by Block

Make A Rag Quilt - Easy Instructions

We have several of these quilts made by my mom and she used flannel, which makes the quilt very soft. Flannel is a good choice because you need to choose fabrics that will ravel and fray. This project is quite easy (if you can sew a straight line and have patience) and could make a wonderful baby/child gift if made with Disney Flannel.

No batting is needed if you use flannel because the flannel thickness is sufficient to give your rag quilt a
substantial feel. You may use batting to make your quilt thicker, and these instructions will describe both with and without batting. You can also use more flannel as a filler if you want to, but this is optional.

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There will be two layers for this quilt: top (frayed side) and a bottom. Cut Squares for the top and the bottom the same sizes. 8" to 10" is about right for a large quilt but you can make them larger if you want to simplify or make them smaller if you are up for more detail or are making a smaller quilt.

Make A Rag Quilt - Easy Instructions

Determine the amount of material and squares you will need: If the quilt size you would like is 64", you will need eight 8"squares on a side, times 8 rows or 64 squares. These squares will be 10" by 10" to allow for the ragging, so you will need a total yardage of about 5 sq yards for the front and 5 sq yards for the back. For a baby size quilt (36") you will need about 1 1/2 yards for the front and 1 1/2 yards for the back (assuming 36" fabric width). For a child or baby size quilt you will probably like to use smaller squares. You could use a 9x9 pattern with 4 inch squares (6" cut square size) or a 6x6 pattern (with 8" cut square size). Experiment with square sizes to get the look you like. This is a good opportunity to use Fat quarters for a variety of patterns.

Cut 64 squares, each 10" square of your top and bottom fabrics. Use a variety of flannels combining different patterns and solids. Lay out the squares (on a floor will do) to see the overall effect and to determine how you will want to sew the pattern blocks together.

If you decide you want to use batting as a filler, cut the squares of batting 2 inches smaller than the top and bottom squares. If your quilt has 10 inch top and bottom squares, you would cut the batting at 8" or less. You will need to quilt the squares before you join them into the quilt. Create a sandwich with your top square, batting and bottom square, then sew an "X" through the sandwich before joining them together. You do not need to do this step if you are using flannel. Keep the right sides out (on both the top and bottom).

When making a rag quilt without batting, you can use your same material as your filler if you want the blanket to be heavier. In this case, the filler pieces can be cut the same size OR Smaller as your top and bottom squares, and you should join the 3 pieces of material together to form a block prior to joining all the quilt blocks together. For filling squares you can use any kind of flannel (but if you cut it the same size as the top and bottom squares you will see it when you fray edges). Inexpensive flannel from your local fabric store is fine for this purpose. If you do not want to see the filler flannel, make it smaller than the top and bottom (similar to the instructions for the batting above) and stitch it in place using an X, or a stitching pattern of your choice. You don't have to have a filler if you don't want to.

To sew a rag quilt: Use a 1 inch seam allowance so that you have extra fabric on the seams for raveling. A 10" square will be an 8" sewn square. We will use as an example a quilt with 10" squares which will be 64" x 64". Adjust for your chosen size squares.

Once your blocks are made, sew blocks together with ONE INCH seams, 8 sets of squares into a row. You will sew so that the raw edges are toward the front/top face of the squares. All blocks face front so that you can have them showing from the front of the quilt. Make 8 rows of 8 squares each.

Next, sew rows together, matching seams. Sew with raw seams toward front of quilt. Sew the seams open to reduce the bulk of sewing over seams turned to one side.

After you have joined the 8 rows, sew an inch inside the outer border all around the quilt.

Cut the seams: This will take a while. With sharp scissors snip into the one inch seams, being careful not to cut the seam. Make a cut every 1/2 inch or so. Cut the outer edge the same way. A spring loaded pair of scissors is a good investment if you are going to make more than one quilt.

Wash to Fray: Run the quilt through a regular cycle of wash and drying. You may have to run it through a few times to make the edges soft and frayed.

Make A Rag Quilt - Easy Instructions