Thursday, September 15, 2011

Baby Quilt Kit Tutorial - Intro & Getting Started

This Baby Quilt Kit Tutorial includes a series of five blog posts.
  1. Intro & Getting Started - You're Here!
  2. Cutting the Fabric Pieces
  3. Machine Piecing the Quilt Top
  4. Layering, Basting & Quilting
  5. Binding the Quilt
Cuddly Quilt Kits are a popular line of baby quilt kits available in the Weekend Kits store.  I decided to create this Baby Quilt Kit Tutorial to help beginners work through the process of making one of these soft & cuddly quilts for baby.  For the Intro post, I'll be discussing everything you need to get started on your baby quilt kit project.

All of the Cuddly Quilt Kits have simply pieced patterns, easy for beginner quilters.  I'll be making the Simply Chic pattern for this tutorial, but the same quilt making process will apply to any of the Cuddly Quilt Kit designs.  Visit the Baby Quilt Kits section of the store to choose your favorite design & be ready to quilt along!


Cuddly quilt kits include all the fabric pieces you need for the quilt top and backing.  You can see the quilt pattern for each kit by looking at the product tag tied to the front.  Each collection uses a variety of fabric types & textures.  The Simply Chic baby quilt includes plush, cotton, flannel, eyelet, and satin fabrics.

The Cuddly Quilt Kit instructions provide a simple turn-inside-out method for finishing the quilt, which does not include batting or binding.  For this tutorial, I'll be using finishing methods that do include both batting & binding steps.  Three quilting options will be discussed - machine quilting, hand tying, or a combination of both.

Materials List:

The following is a list of materials you'll need.

1) Cuddly Quilt Kit of your choice - see all the fun baby & kid-themed fabric collections in the Baby Quilt Kits section of the store.

Note: Do NOT prewash the Cuddly Quilt Kit fabrics.

2) Quilt Batting - I'll be using the Warm & White Cotton Batting in Craft Size, 34" x 45".  This high quality batting is also available in the Warm & Natural version.

The Craft Size batting works well for the Cuddly Quilt Kits.  The size of your completed baby quilt will be about 30" x 36".

This easy to work with batting can be quilted or tied up to 10" apart.

3) Quilt Binding - You'll need 4 yards of double fold bias tape to bind the edges of your quilt.

4) Embroidery Floss - If you decide to hand tie your quilt, you'll need embroidery floss in a coordinating color and a curved needle for hand tying quilts.

Quilting Supplies:

The following is a list of recommended quilting supplies.

1) Quilting Thread - I recommend using a quality cotton machine quilting thread in a neutral color for piecing & quilting.  I'll be using a spool of YLI Machine Quilting Thread in White for the tutorial.

2) Quilting Pins - You'll need these for pinning long seams together prior to machine stitching.  Quilting Pins are longer than regular sewing pins, which is helpful when pinning bulky layers of fabric.

3) Basting Pins - You'll use these to hold the 3 layers of your quilt together prior to machine quilting and/or hand tying.   I'll be using Basting Pins which are equivalent to size 1 safety pins.

4) Binding Clips - You'll use Binding Clips to hold your binding in place while hand stitching the folded-over binding edge to the back.

Quilting Tools:

This tutorial assumes basic sewing & rotary cutting skills.  The following is a list of quilting tools you'll need.
  • Sewing Machine
  • Rotary Cutting Tools
  • Iron & Ironing Board
  • Press Cloth
  • Tape Measure
  • Seam Ripper
  • Scissors
Once you've gathered together all the materials, supplies, and tools discussed above, you'll be ready to move on to the next post in the Baby Quilt Kit Tutorial - Cutting the Fabric Pieces!

Weekend Kits offers a unique collection of Art & Craft Kits across a variety of crafting categories.  Our goal is to help make crafting convenient, easy, and fun for all skill levels!  Stop by today & be ready to make a baby quilt on your next Weekend at Home.

Thanks for visiting the Weekend Kits blog.

2 comments:

Sandy said...

Thank you for doing this! I look forward to the rest of the series.

Sarah at Weekend Kits said...

You're welcome Sandy! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. The next post in the series - Cutting the Fabric Pieces - is in the works!