Cookie Monster Preemie Quilt

I've been going through a couple scrap bags I had from quilt guild and cutting the pices into sizes I use ( 2 " and 2.5" strips and squares, 1.5" strips and 5" squares). In doing this, I came across a piece of cookie monster novelty print. It was just over 11 x 18". Not big enough for a preemie quilt but it would be if borders were added to 2 sides. I then looked for border fabric and scrap fleece for the back and had some that would work nicely.  After some cutting and stitching, I soon had another preemie quilt, just in time to add to those I'm donating to charity at quilt guild tomorrow night. 

4 Preemie Quilts

4 little preemie quilts (18" square) 

I finished these today. Two of them use squares left over from other projects. One is a leftover block with borders added and the top left one is made from a fat quarter and a couple strips from the scrap basket. These will go to the local ICU. In addition to using scraps or small pieces of fabric, I also use scraps of fleece as backing, sometimes piecing 2 or 3 pieces together to make a piece large enough to back these little Quiltlets. I have found that the seams of the fleece lay flat very nicely if stitched with a 1/2" seam allowance and lightly pressed or steamed. Typically I put 4 lines of stitching on these, just enough to quilt them together. 

From Discards to Quiltlets

When piecing a quilt or sewing a garment, there are pieces we discard. Some pieces are too little to use. From person to person, the determining of what is trash and what is useful differs. Some people prefer not to keep and use any of the scraps so they discard or give them away.

For a quilter, scraps must be greater than 1/2" wide as seam allowances are 1/4". Some may keep 1" strips or squares. Others may think those are too little to use. Personally, I will keep a 1" strip for string quilts but I determine 1" squares to be too small to keep.

Sometimes pieces are larger and they can be cut into whatever sizes the quilter frequently uses. I use leftover blocks and pieces up to 18" square for preemie quilts which are 18" square. 

Here are 3 preemie quilts I finished this morning. They were made from discarded fabric that I brought home from quilt guild. The bottom one was made from squares that someone had cut. Chances are these were leftover from other projects but there were enough for a cute little preemie quilt. 

Preemie Quilts

4 more preemie quilts finished this morning. I've been working on these a little at a time. They were done all except for the turning of the fleece over to the top of the quilt, stitching it down and trimming the raw edge.  It took less than an hour to get that done and now 4 more preemie quilts are ready for donation. 

More Preemie Quilts

Found some more cut squares, enough for preemie quilts, in the scrap pile I've been sorting. Went ahead and put these together. A few of the squares were already stitched into blocks of 2 squares.  These blocks make a baker's dozen I've finished this month. I'll take them and turn them in at the next quilt guild meeting. I've been praying that they'll be a blessing and an encouragement to the families of the preemies they're given to.

Preemie quilts

This month I brought home from quilt guild - a big pile of fabric scraps. While sorting through the scraps, I found quilt blocks and precut squares. Most of the blocks were not square or uniform in size. So after trimming and squaring to make uniform sizes, I was able to do some stitching and from scraps, I now have 10 preemie quilts to be donated to our local NICU. The photos show the results of this week's sewing.

Preemie Quilts

Today I made 2 preemie quilts, starting with previously completed blocks that were left over from another project. These 2 little quilts will be given to the local NICU through my guilt guild. These little quilts are 18" square and the backing is fleece.

Preemie Quilts

Two more preemie quilts completed!  The centers are from a piece of fabric I brought home from quilt guild one month. The fleece backing for both of these was what I had left over from the ugly fabric challenge quilt I finished this week. 

Preemie Quilts

I started 2015 with the making of some preemie quilts. These little quilts are 18" square and are donated to the local NICU. The preemie quilts is one of the charity my quilt guild does. A couple of these are a square of fabric (a great use for a fat quarter) while the rest are a quilt block with borders added. All are backed with fleece.

Preemie Quilts

I made 5 more preemie quilts this past week. They're all backed with fleece and are quilted. They were donated to charity through my local quilt guild. 

4 preemie quilts

1 more preemie quilt

Baby and Preemie Quilts

This little baby quilt was made from a set of cat and dog prints I brought home from quilt guild. I had told them I'd put them into a baby quilt for our baby quilt project. I was pleased with how it turned out with the exception of the light border. That piece of fabric was a blend not 100% cotton. It didn't lay and stitch up as nicely as cotton does. So I learned that I definitely prefer cotton for quilt projects. 

I have two preemie quilts finished. The first uses the last of the farm animal prints  I was given at quilt guild last month. The other preemie quilt uses a couple blocks I made ages ago when I wasn't so careful about 1/4" seams. (I've learned a lot about quilting since these were made.) The star points are cut off or not sharp but the little preemie baby won't care. He or she will be glad to feel something soft and warm. 

Tulip Preemie Quilts

Here's a photo of 2 preemie quilts I turned in at quilt guild last night. These were cut from panels and made up into cute little preemie quilts. 

Tiny Apples Preemie Quilt

In looking through some fabric today, I found a piece that was 18" square. No reason to cut fabric that size when I had one and it was a small print with tiny apples on it, just right for a preemie quilt. 

Preemie Quilts

Two more preemie quilts done!  The top one includes 2 pieced blocks I got from my guild's cash & carry table to which I added 2 floral squares and borders. 

The bottom one uses the last of the Blue's Clues fabric. 

Now I'll see what else I have that will make a cute little quiltlet. 

Preemie Quilts

These 2 preemie quilts used the last of my large dog and cat prints. What a great use for them!  

Now I'm working on some baby quilts using some squares I brought home from quilt guild Wed. 

2 Preemie Quilts Finished

I completed these 2 preemie quilts (18" square) this afternoon. I had the tops done so just had to add fleece backs, quilt and bind by folding the backing to the front and trimming. 

Until I started making these, I didn't realize how many pillow top type fabrics I had. This is a great use for them!  

Shipshewana

My friend Jan and I spent a couple days this week in Northern Indiana. We went to the Topeka Quilt Show, the Shipshewana Quilt Show and got to all the shops in this year's Shop Hop. What fun!  Luscious fabrics, beautiful quilts, exquisite quilting and eye candy and great ideas galore!  

I bought some new patterns, fabric (mostly fat quarters - they're addictive, you know) so now I'm ready for new things as well as motivated to finish what I've already started. 

This quilt is an interesting way to use strings. The zig-zag is fun but , if I try this, I think I'd turn it so that it looks like stacked blocks.

Quilt I'm most likely to make. This would make a great baby quilt with lots of novelties. 

One of the fat quarters was a cheater fabric (looks like a quilt). I chose to use it for a preemie quilt so cut an 18" square and put what I didn't use into my string box. 

ABC Cat #2

I thought I should have another little ABC cat piece of fabric and I came across it today. So....

It's a piece of fabric no longer. I added a couple of borders to the cat fabric, quilted with a fleece backing and another preemie quilt is finished. 

2 more preemie quilts

2 more preemie quilts are finished and I have 8 little tops ready for backing. 

Kitten with yarn

This is #2 from that panel of 6. 

ABC Cat 

This center is left over from a piece of a printed panel I'd already used. It's not a leftover any more and I had some apple fabric which went well with it. 

Preemie Quilts

I completed 2 more preemie quilts this week and have cut backings and also cut and/or stitched tops for several more. So...there will soon be more pictures coming. 

Blues Clues 3

I found another piece of this fabric so made #3 and have #4 cut and ready for border and quilting. 

Playful Kitten

I had some fabric with kittens and puppies on it. This is one of the kittens. I have enough for 5 more block centers (10" finished) and all of the pictures are different so each little quilt will be unique.