A Baby Blanket made from Vintage Sheets

It’s been so long since I made a baby quilt, and it was so very refreshing.

I love BIG quilts. Most of my quilts are much larger than the average throw sized quilt. When I sew quilts, I want them to be big enough for two people to be covered from their necks to their toes.

Making a baby blanket from start to finish in less than 24 hours was quite rewarding. But it was also because it was a last minute gift idea for Christmas.

Family Christmas festivities were approaching and my husband mentioned that we hadn’t bought anything for our six month old niece yet. He asked if I wanted to make something instead of buy something. I scanned my shelves full of too much fabric.

Then begins the debate of trying to decide what fabrics to use and what would be thoroughly enjoyed instead of folded in a closet for the next ten years.

All of us who enjoy gifting handmade know the debate of whether the gift will be wanted and appreciated or whether it’s just best to buy some cute clothes from Old Navy.

I suggested a picnic blanket. It can be used outside. It doesn’t have to be treasured and hung for decoration or used on a bed. The trunk of a car is appropriate for a picnic blanket.

I cut 150 squares each measured 4.75 inches. These blocks were a bit smaller than the typical five inch blocks that I use for simple patchwork, but since the blanket was smaller than usual, I thought it was appropriate for smaller blocks too.

The finished size was about 42 inches by 64 inches. It was a bit larger than a typical crib or baby sized blanket. I had to add an extension on the crib sized batting I bought since the quilt was a little taller than standard sizes.

Like I mentioned above, I sewed this quilt in less than 24 hours from start to finish.

What’s my best tip when you’re short on time?

Cut strips of fabric. Sew them together. Then cut them apart.

In other words, since my blocks were 4.75 inches, I cut strips of fabric that were 4.75 inches. I sewed five strips together. See the picture above.

I ironed the seams.

Then I cut vertically through all the strips. I cut, once again, 4.75 inch strips. The result? I already have rows of blocks sewn together.

I had to be super careful at the end to ensure color was balanced throughout the quilt, but my plan worked well for a small blanket.

I usually sew the blocks into nine patches and then sew the nine patches together to make the blanket. Sewing strips together and cutting them into rows is much much faster. But, like I said, you kind of have to be careful to balance pattern and color. When you cut the strips down into rows, you end up with a repeat in the order of color and blocks.

You’ve probably seen these patterns around here before. I have a soft spot in my heart for vintage sheets. I kind of have a growing soft spot for all things of old, but that’s another story for another day.

I sewed a huge blanket a while back with many of these same patterns. The bright florals bring a smile to my face. We do have a few vintage sheet picnic blankets that live in our van, but we don’t have vintage florals scattered throughout our home.

Many of my vintage sheets have been made into products for my small Etsy Shop. This gifted baby blanket was somewhat a relief, though. When I sell products, I do my best to make them as perfect as can be. Vintage sheets can sometimes throw you a curve ball, though. A tiny spot here and a bit of yellowing there can turn an almost finished project into a really frustrating project.

Any other vintage sheet lovers feel the pain?

A gift, though, is a bit more freeing if a small unexpected spot shows up. When someone is paying for something, I feel exceedingly more pressure to strive for perfection.