Leftover Quilting: Carry-Along Blankie

I finished what will be the last of the Ladybug & Daisy line in my Etsy shop, mostly because I’ve used up nearly all the fabric I had leftover from the baby blanket I had made years ago. Okay, so I have enough fabric left to do another carry-along, but really, I need to work on something else.

From the crib quilt I made I had a few leftover squares that were already sewn together to form rectangles and really wanted to use them somehow in the carry-along blankie. I decided to go ahead and form two 4-patch blocks out of the four rectangles, which got me almost halfway done. As I was checking out the Moda Bake Shop for any ideas, I saw a small quilt done with pinwheels and slapped my head for not thinking of those for the other two blocks.

Always the adventurous spirit, I figured I’d try a method for making pinwheels (or any other square made with two triangles) that utilized two squares, fronts facing each other with a line at a diagonal down the center of the two. Straight stitching on either side of the line then using it to cut the squares in half afterwards to reveal two perfectly formed squares from triangles. I’m a chain stitcher so this went by really quickly. After pressing the squares, I sewed them into blocks and put them next to the 4-patch blocks I’d made previously. It needed something else, so I decided to frame the blocks in white and also make a border using the green ladybug & daisy print.

Once the front was put together, I sewed it onto batting and backing, quilted using a simple straight stitch, then hand tied some areas too. What can I say, I really like the look of a quilted blanket after it’s been washed, but I’m a sucker for the hand tied look too. Figuring the extra durability it will provide won’t hurt, I decided to utilize both techniques, especially since this was to be made for a toddler to carry-along with them wherever they go.

While it is sad to be finished with the Ladybug & Daisy line, I’m looking forward to picking out a new set of fabrics to form a similar set for a baby boy’s nursery. Part of me wishes I had enough ladybug & daisy fabric to make a diaper bag, but I know the miniscule amount won’t make one. Perhaps I should think about that when selecting which prints to use for the next line.