Blog / baby quilt

Almost a year after starting this quilt at a Vermont sewing retreat, I finished it (and just in time for the baby boy we're expecting next month!). I've long admired the Sunrise Quilt pattern by Carolyn Friedlander, the paper-piecing pattern which this quilt is made from, and really enjoyed having the chance to finally work with it. 

The bulk of the quilt's prints are from a jelly roll of Carolyn's Doe fabric collection, which I paired with solids, as well as prints from Maze & Vale, Umbrella Prints, and Cotton & Flax. The white sashing is made from solids and nearly solid prints, all pulled from the scrap bin. 

To create the coordinating back, I used a long-hoarded Cotton+Steel print by Alexia Abegg called "Painted Indigo," and two other Carolyn Friedlander prints. To quilt it, I kept things simple and stitched in the ditch (no need to mark!), which created a pretty texture and transferred the sunrise shape to the back of the quilt, which I really love. 

The quilt is now hanging in our nursery, ready and waiting for its owner to arrive.

Early last summer, I sent a quilt to Utah-based photographer Mandi Rae for use in her new daughter's nursery. In exchange for the quilt, Mandi used her talents to capture photos of the quilt alongside its new owner, Ruth. 

All photos by Mandi Rae Photography

Ages ago (I honestly can't even remember when!), my friend Natalie and I decided to make a small dent in our respective fabric stashes by creating collaborative quilts together to donate to the charities of our choice. Our idea was to pick a block pattern, each make 1/2 of the blocks needed for a quilt, and mix them together. We then split the basting, quilting and binding duties. 

Though this is a very informal project, we did want to create labels for the quilts so that they could both be identified and numbered. We came up with the name "The Modern Quilt Collective" and I designed a simple label which I printed through Spoonflower. Each quilt is hand numbered. 

We both really like the quarter log cabin block, so for this first round of quilts we made, we stuck with that design. This large rainbow quilt went to a family in Newport, NH, who lost their home to a fire. (Photo by Natalie.)

We also made a batch of baby quilts using restricted color palettes, which were sent to recently resettled refugee families in California, who are either expecting, or recently had, a baby. I loved shipping these quilts out knowing that they were destined for brand-new babies!

As you can see, we stayed scrappy on the backs as well. It was so nice to use up so many cuts of fabric!

I was able to connect directly with these families through the amazing organization Miry's List. You can either donate directly to Miry's List to support their work, or purchase needed items from families' Amazon wish lists. These tangible items help families set up and start their new lives here in the US, and perhaps bring some comfort during what otherwise must be a very disruptive time in their lives. I highly recommend checking Miry's List out if you're interested!