A Quilt That Grows with your Child

Using the fabrics of their clothes, or patterns that reflect their interests, add to the blanket each year.

Jun 12, 2006

For those of you who cry over movies and get that hitch in your throat at long distance phone commercials at Christmas time, this quilting project is right up your alley.

I am the self-proclaimed queen of sentimental. Saving memories is huge to me. Years ago when my daughter was small I wanted to make a quilt that marked the milestones of her life. As she got older she joined in and it became a creative bonding time.

A few years ago, I was blessed with a grandson. I wanted to do something really special for him to mark the moment. As my daughter outgrew her maternity clothes, I chose a couple to use for fabric for quilt squares. For the backing, I chose a couple of old clothing items from my husbands and of mine.

As I was deciding what type of quilt to make, I was rapidly running out of time. I had only gotten a 2' X 2' section done when he arrived. Funny thing was, that was just the right size for his little body. I came to the conclusion that I needed a style of quilt that could be added to over time.

I chose to use 8" squares with outside seaming so I could add to the quilt each year as he grew and could save his special outfits and blankets that he outgrew to use for fabric. As he began showing his preferences and realizing at first how fascinated he was with cars and trucks, it was a natural step to use fabric with cars and trucks for some of the backing. As months went by he developed an obsession with Nemo and all things fish. I now had the other fabric back for the 1st addition.

At age one, I added a top and right side of squares on the original 2'X2' quilt. This made the quilt 32" x 32". Just his size at 1.

The next year I added a bottom and a left side. I chose to have the original quilt in the center (the heart of the quilt) but I could have also added a top and side repeatedly on top of the previous one to finish with the beginning quilt in the bottom corner.

This year the back was all about dogs and Hotwheels. My daughter enjoys the time we spend planning and quilting together and as we continue to add a row and column each year, alternating which sides we add the new rows and columns to. My daughter will have hours of story telling to her son about all the time we spent making the quilt and about the different fabric choices. The baby will eventually have a memento of his youth to show his children and tell all of the stories that go along with all of the different fabrics.

Cut batting into 9 squares 9"x9". Decide which design you want to use for the quilt top by laying out all of the fabric in three row of three. Rearrange pieces until you are happy with your design. I find it best to draw a small diagram on a piece of paper indicating which pattern goes where so I don't loose the pattern halfway through.

Slip a piece of batting under each of the squares. Pin the squares together. Flip the whole top over. Now design the back of the quilt laying out the fabric the same way you did for the top. When all of the squares are just where you want them, add this diagram to the last.

Without moving anything. Unpin the first square. You should have two pieces of fabric with a piece of batting sandwiched between them. The right sides of the fabric will be positioned on the outsides. Sew a line from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. Now sew a line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. This will create an "X" across the fabric. Do the same for each of the 9 pieces.

This is why you have your diagram. As you are removing pieces to sew it can get hard to remember the placement of each square front and back without your diagrams.

When all 9 squares are done. Take the top right square and the top center square and position them sandwiching the back fabric in the middle. Sew the two pieces together on the sides that will be adjoining when opened up. Your raw edges will be on top.

Take the bottom right and the bottom center squares and repeat the process. You now have a top piece, a center piece, a bottom piece and three side squares.

Sew the top piece to the center piece by sandwiching the back fabric again and sewing the seam that adjoins when laid flat.

Sew the bottom piece to the top piece by sandwiching the back fabric again and sewing the seam that adjoins when laid flat. You should now have one large 6 square piece and three squares.

Take the top remaining square and center left remaining square and sandwich them with backs together and sew adjoining seam.

Take the two-square section and the remaining square and sew adjoining seam with backs together. You now have one large 6-section piece and a smaller three-section piece.

Position the pieces next to each other to insure right placement. Then fold back the three-square piece under the six square piece to sandwich the fabric backs. Sew adjoining seam.

When open you will have three rows of three. Sew a ½" seam allowance around all four outside edges.

Where the raw edges are, using your scissors, cut slits every 1/4 inch without cutting into the seam surrounding the edges. Do this to all edges.

Wash and dry quilt each time a new area is added. When the cut raw edges are washed and dried they fray and create an interesting effect.

My plan is to continue until I reach the size of a twin bed. You can stop or continue at any point along the way.

The copyright of the article A Quilt That Grows with your Child in Quilting is owned by Mary Welling-Bonney. Permission to republish A Quilt That Grows with your Child in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.