Recently, while trying to find a place to put away some newly acquired fabric, I realized that I probably own more fabric than I can ever actually sew. Which says a lot, since I am always making something!

A lot of the problem is that I buy fabric because I like it, not necessarily because I need it for something. I keep my buying to a minimum (usually around $35 a month worth of fabric) but since I AM so selective in my purchases, I tend to be even more selective when it comes to picking fabric for quilts. It’s high time I actually used those prints that I loved so much that I bought it right on the spot, right? It’s better to put them in something that will be used than to sit on a shelf with only a tiny portion visible.

So, I’m challenging myself to work on baby quilts throughout the next year in a Baby Quilt Bonanza, slowly working through that stash and using those precious prints! The quilts will be either gifted or donated, since I’m fresh out of babies myself, but there is already a home for these future quilts somewhere.

I have some criteria for my quilt pattern choices: they must be EASY, be FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY (or something I can quickly alter to be so), and really SHOW OFF FABRIC, with the prints as the main feature. Some patterns are not baby sized, per se, but things can be made baby sized just by eliminating blocks or borders. Simple as that!

For planning purposes, I’ll be using my Quilt Project Planner. I’ve been collecting patterns that I’d like to use for these quilts, and I wanted to share my roundup! Some are FREE! and I’ll make a note of those, and others are purchased (but, as a pattern designer myself, I’m a supporter of both camps!). Of course, people are always coming out with new patterns and so my list may change as I go, but this is a good starting point. I may or may not get to all of these, but they are all contenders!

1.  Easy Baby Quilt by Emily Dennis: This FREE pattern starts with 10″ blocks, and small amounts of neutral fabric. Totally doable, and it shows off the prints really well!

2. Lofty by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner: I’ve made two of these so far in my life, and I can vouch for how easy and stash-friendly this one is.

3. Jane’s Ladder by Allison Jensen of Woodbury Way: This is a FREE pattern on Moda Bakeshop, and while it isn’t as easy as some others, on a smaller baby-size scale and with some chain piecing, it can be done quickly!

4. Easy Charm Baby Quilt by Jessica Dayon: Also a FREE pattern, this is perfect for lonely 5″ squares. This one will be one of the later quilts I make, simply because I think I can get 5″ scraps from a lot of the other quilts, and I’ll get those cut as I go along.

5. Blooming Fields by Dana Willard of MADE: This FREE quilt pattern from Art Gallery one uses one fabric with strips longer than a FQ, so I’ll just be adjusting that a tad. It’ll make the quilt a few inches shorter but as a baby quilt, that’s perfectly fine!

6. Equilateral Triangle Quilt (like this Triangle Baby Quilt by Cloth Parcel, if you want a tutorial): Another FREE pattern, if you need one! I already made a throw size quilt like this, and it was just as easy as a simple patchwork quilt… except more exciting. I’ll be using a 60-degree ruler to help me get perfect triangles.

7. Meadow Walk by Sarah Nunes of Berry Barn Designs: This used to a free pattern when Craftsy was around (that’s when I downloaded it), but now is only a few dollars on Blueprint. I love her block arrangement, and I can see it really plowing through my stash.

8. Bricks Baby Quilt by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter: This one is another FREE pattern that fits the categories really well, with simple shapes and easy construction. She also has more sizes available in a whole pattern, for under $2, which is a smokin’ deal!

9. Charming Lucy by Andy of A Bright Corner: FREE yet again, and a smaller version of one of her cutest pattern releases this year!

10. Trixie by Melanie of Hello Melly Designs (yep, that’s me!): This was one of my favorite quilts to make, and it is just too precious as a baby size. I made some for twin babies and just need to make another!

11. Mayberry by me yet again: This is one of my FREE patterns, and just needs to adjust for size to be a baby quilt, and I’ll probably nix the border.

12. Wonky Star Quilt like this Big Wonky Star Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Company (the image is from Riley Blake Designs): I think I’ll do smaller squares than 10″, and add more wonky stars. It’s basically patchwork, but some of the patches have wonky “legs” on them! The Missouri Star version has a video that explains the method, but the pattern is also for purchase.

13. Lattice Baby Quilt by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter: Like the Charm Baby quilt, this is a FREE pattern that uses 5″ squares so I’ll be holding on to scraps as I go!

14. Up and Away by Art Gallery Fabrics: This is a simple FREE quilt that is like the Meadow Walk pattern, but with a totally different arrangement. I like the low volumes in their sample, so I’ll probably try and do the same!

15. Easy Herringbone quilt by me: This FREE tutorial is for a baby quilt, and is sooooo great. I love the gentler lines of this herringbone, and no HSTs! I’ll probably make the strips a little fatter in my next version.

16. Fun Neighborhood by AccuQuilt: Another FREE pattern, but is written specifically for die cutters. I just plan to cut my own pieces! I think this pattern is such a cute house pattern without the doors and chimneys that make those houses take a little longer.

17. Fast 4-Patch by Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter: Another FREE pattern by Amy! Just so you know, Amy’s blog was one of my main educational sources when I was learning about quilting. It’s great that she is STILL a go-to even though I’m pretty darn good on my own now! I’ll make a few adjustments to this tutorial for my FQ stash and it’ll be a real winner!

18. Safari Squares by me but influenced by Cluck Cluck Sew: I basically copied her elephant quilt (from ages ago now!) with a few changes, but it’s simple squares and QSTs. Just pick a square size, and make QSTs the same dimensions! I’ll to a run-down when I get to this one again, since it’ll be more scrappy this time around.

19. Broken Lattice by me again: Another FREE pattern, but I’ll just do a smaller size this time! I like the large scale blocks, it makes a few HSTs feel like so many more!

20. Proof Positive by Cloth Parcel: A Plus quilt is a great quilt! This FREE pattern shows how to make it, but I’ll use less neutral blocks than they did. In fact, I’ve already made a plus baby quilt as part of my bonanza, but I’m itching for another!

21. Flower Market Quilt by Amanda Niederhauser of Jedi Craft Girl: Easy to adapt this FREE pattern into a baby size, and the blocks are just as easy as pie! I like how the center block is perfect for featuring favorite prints.

22. Baby Boy Bug Quilt by Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew: This oldie is still a goodie, and her tutorial shows a stack-n-whack method that’s basically my idea of a brilliant idea to speed up the process. It’s not a pattern (the tutorial is based on another tutorial based on another tutorial ha ha!) but it is has all the info needed to get the blocks made. One of my first quilts used this tutorial and I still love it!

Okay, so there are 22 of the patterns that caught my eye as something I needed to make! Well, I can’t say that- I think in my searching I found 158 quilts or so that I’d love to make, but isn’t that how it goes? Narrowing it down was hard! I’m actually keeping a running list on Pinterest too, when I need a quick link! Hopefully this post holds me accountable for really buckling down and getting these quilts made. I don’t have a specific timeline, but I’d like to have one of these quilts in the works all the time. I tend to make larger quilts, but it can burn me out- it’ll be good to return to these smaller quilts in between.

If you are ever looking for a place to start, here are some tips on finding tutorials or Free patterns:

  • Look on manufacturer websites: Riley Blake, Art Gallery, Moda, Bernatex… if a fabric manufacturer has a website, they probably have links to free patterns or tutorials!
  • Find your favorite quilt blogger: As I mentioned earlier, Amy of Diary of a Quilter was basically my online tutor when it came to quilting, and she has a treasure trove of information and freebies that are helpful in a pattern pinch! Check the website of your favorite quilters to see if they have tutorials or free patterns (like in my shop 😉 )
  • Check your local library: my library has a few quilting books that I’ve used! I always check when I go to see if a new one has popped into the rotation.
  • Surf YouTube: Lots of people have video tutorials online, like Missouri Star Quilt Co or Fat Quarter Shop. Sometimes watching a quilt actually being made is easier for some people to follow than a paper pattern, even if it means pausing a lot 😉

Now I hope to update my blog with finished baby quilts more often now! I hope you discovered a quilt you’d like to make along with me too 🙂