Harry Potter Baby Quilts, Onesies & Hats

As I mentioned yesterday, my friend Abbeeroad has recently welcomed twins into her family, and I had a wonderful time crafting for them.  Since I was making two of everything, I admit that I took a bit of a shortcut on the quilts.  They aren't traditionally pieced quilts, but rather whole cloth printed to look like it has been pieced.  The fabrics are literally called "Potter Cheater Quilt", and came from kritterstitches on Spoonflower.  They feature the Deathly Hallows symbol, tiny cauldrons, brooms, owls, Sorting hats, and lots more.  She has it in a few colorways, but seems to have since removed the coral & yellow print from her shop. 

The backings and binding came from a local quilt shop called Quilting Squares, where the ladies were quite excited to help me pick some matches.  This is the first, in shades of purple and turquoise.  I made onesies and hats to match, so each little lady got her own set. 

 

My neighbor has a small business doing embroidered baby clothes on her embroidery machine, and she took on the task of making me custom quilt labels to match each quilt.  Of course, it's just making me want a new embroidery machine all the more...

And the second one in shades of coral, yellow, and turquoise.

Meanwhile, I wanted to make another set of onesies to go with them.  I used the classic Potter font, and set up the text in the Silhouette software, then cut them from glitter heat transfer vinyl.  I've played with several types of htv, and the glitter seems to adhere the best, and wear well over repeated washings and dryings.  The hats were each made by stash-busting yarn scraps.  I can't remember the pattern I used, or I'd link it. They're quite chunky, with the body of each being made of 2 strands of yarn held together, with a contrasting band of Lion Brand Homespun.

All You Need is Love Onesies

I like making things for friends.  I like making things for babies.  And I really like making things for the babies of good friends.  These were made for the new babies of my friend Abbeeroad on Craftster, who just welcomed twin girls into the world.  I wanted to do something that would coordinate, but not depend on the other to be wearing the matching outfit.  So if one little lady spits up all over hers, her sister still looks stylin' in hers.  I found a retro font in my library, and set up the text in the Silhouette software, then cut them from glitter heat transfer vinyl. 

*Update 1/20/18: The girls wore these to the anniversary of the Women's March in NYC!  While they were bundled up against the cold, I love that their mom and I both know they were there. 

Corner Lot Wedding Quilt

I finished a new quilt!  And *just in time* for the wedding it was intended for.  I started it with 3 weeks to craft, and thought I'd have plenty of time, but each step took longer than anticipated.  Oh well, I love the result.  The pattern is called Corner Lot, and is available to buy on Craftsy, either just as the pattern, or for a kit in several color options.  I went with the kit option, with the "Modern Hand Drawn" fabrics by Lily & Loom.  It came with 2 layer cakes of 10" precut squares, a yard of binding, and 4 yards of backing.  While I LOVE the finished quilt, I wasn't impressed with the pattern writing.  The fabrics were good quality, but the backing fabric arrived stained.   :-[  Thankfully I was able to work around the staining.  The binding they sent was a stripe, and I improvised and cut it on the cross grain, so I could show the stripes to their best advantage.  If I had more time, I would have tried to do them on the bias, but time was of the essence.

Because some of the squares are white, and some are very pale pink & mint, I went with a white batting.  The only white that Joann's had in stock with a 1/16" thickness, so it's a fairly thin quilt, but being all cotton it should hold up to washing and drying on high heat. As I said above, I finished it just in the nick of time.  I actually had to leave TN for the wedding in NH with the binding sewn on the front, but not flipped over and stitched down on the back.  I did that part while staying at my parents house the day before the wedding.  I finished it Saturday morning, for a Saturday afternoon ceremony! 

I've since heard from the bride that when they got back to their apartment in Brooklyn, the heat was out, and it's only 64 degrees in there.  They've spent their 'honeymoon' as it is, snuggled under the new quilt.  Mission accomplished!