Modern baby quilt part 1

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Hey there! I’m excited to share part one of a two part series with you today. I spent the last few weeks finishing a quilt I started last summer to use as a picnic blanket, and I really got into it. So much, actually, that I wanted to make another quilt. I wanted something a bit more time-manageable, though, so I thought I’d try a baby quilt with a modern touch- a cross. It seems like crosses are popping up everywhere in the design world, not really as a religious symbol so much, but as a modern design element. I really like the geometric look. In fact, the first table runner I made was several blocks of wonky crosses.

Here’s what you’ll need:  (31.5″ x 44″)

1/4 yard of white sheeting fabric and 1 & 1/2 yards of grey sheeting fabric
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The first step is to cut out your squares. For this quilt, which will be a finished size of approximately 30.5″ x 42.5″(depending on your seam allowance, of course), I used 35 7″ squares. 9 are white and 26 are grey.

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The next step is to make a small stack of squares for each row. The pattern is as follows(G= grey & W= white):

Row 1: GGGGG

Row 2: GGWGG

Row 3: GGWGG

Row 4: WWWWW

Row 5: GGWGG

Row 6: GGWGG

Row 7: GGGGG

Once I had a stack for each row made up, I put my stacks in order, and just got to sewing!

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I sewed each row, then laid them out in order as they were completed. Once all 7 were finished, I pressed ALL of the seams open, then flipped the rows over & pressed the top to smooth it out.

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Once each row was pressed, I pinned the rows together, two at a time, and sewed them together.

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I pinned rows 1 & 2 together, then 3 & 4, 5 & 6, then pressed those seams open.

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Then I pinned & sewed row 7 to the bottom of 5 & 6, and sewed rows 1 & 2 to 3 & 4, then the remaining two pieces together. Honestly, it’s not imperative that you attach them in that order, but you do want to use caution so that you don’t accidentally sew the wrong rows together. It’s never fun to seam rip!

 

IMG_0311Next up, you guessed it– press all the seams open!

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When you’re finished pressing the seams open, iron the top of the quilt, to smooth out any wrinkles, then trim your edges.

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This is what it should look like! I’ll be back next week with directions on how to finish!