Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Give The Gift Of A Handmade Baby Quilt

By Mamie Conrad


Finding great ideas for a baby shower gift can be tough, but keep in mind that things made by hand are particularly special. Giving a family a handmade baby quilt is sure to thrill them. It is often easy to whip up, as well, and will prevent you from giving another boring gift. Things made with love are always best.

While a blanket is a good gift and no infant can have too many blankets, you want this to be something special. That means choosing a design that will thrill tiny eyes, but also appeal to adults. The best way to ensure that the blanket will be well used is to find out what the nursery theme is or if the family has chosen a specific color they plan to use with the baby. Then you can plan your quilt around this.

You need to select the design very carefully. There are several ways to go about this, including looking through quilting books and magazines or checking online for interesting patterns. Do not pick something too difficult for you, it is best to go with a simpler option if your sewing skills are not great. Basic strips or blocks are a good design for beginners.

Those with more experience can enjoy a more complicated design or technique. There are also many special piecing methods that may make the quilting experience easier for you. These include strip quilting and paper piecing.

The fabric for the blanket is also important and should be chosen with care. You can find hundreds of cute designs, so pick one that matches the nursery in color or theme to really give a useful gift. You can certainly choose other cloth, though, making it with anything you find adorable. It will still be loved.

A fun idea to create a true keepsake is to use old clothing that belonged to the parents. Baby clothes or other items that the family has kept can be special and turned into quilt squares that will remind the child of his family no matter where he ends up. This will likely be passed on to various generations and can be a special way to commemorate occasions in the life of the family.

Another option is to use a kit. If you are not that great at doing the cutting part of the quilting, then buying precut squares or triangles may help. You will be able to skip the tedious measuring and cutting and simply sew everything up according to the instructions. With hundreds of quilt designs available, it should be simple to find something that fits the family.

Some people simply cannot sew at all and for these folks, it is possible to purchase a handmade baby quilt to gift. While it does not have the same touch as if you made it yourself, it is still something very special. You will find that premade blankets range from simplistic to very complicated, so even if you do have the skills, but not the time, you can buy one that is better than you might make on your own.




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