i’d been jonesing to make a quilt and was seeing some really cool whole cloth quilts pop up lately (like this and this and this), which made it seem even more attainable in the short term! then our friends had a new baby girl, H, causing my “i wanna make a quilt” feeling to quickly bubble over. also, i just really, really wanted to sew with this lovely vintage sheet i thrifted months ago. it’s so soft.
the backing is denyse schmidt scallop stripe in rose.
i did the ol’ machine stitch the front side, handstitch the back side method for the binding, which is a mustard-y kona cotton but i’m not sure which. the finished size is 36″ x 45″ (i just used a package of craft size batting). perfect size to wrap a small person in.
i actually thought up, started, and finished this quilt the same day, working during naptimes and finishing the binding after bedtime. it’s that quick! this is only my fourth quilt and only my second with batting, so i’d say whole cloth is the way to go for a beginner. so easy, but you learn all the steps. i loved the scallop shape of the back, so i mimicked it in my quilting. i used a dinner plate to create the shape, and laid a big measuring stick across the quilt to keep them straight. (PHONE PHOTO ALERT!)
i made little marks on each side of the plate with my water soluble pen once i knew how big i wanted the scallops, then traced around the plate, repeating until i had my quilting pattern. the scallop rows are about 6″ apart.
i quilted it with a walking foot, pivoting at the corners. i also added a pink appliqued H, so she knows it’s hers. 🙂
once the quilt photo sesh was done, Em wanted to take some pictures with my camera, too. she was very interested in capturing the flowers and grass and our shadows. i think she did a pretty great job, wanna see? the shadow is me holding onto the camera strap for dear life in case she dropped it…
not too shabby for a 3.5 year old, in this humble mother’s opinion! have a wonderful weekend!
skirt as top 
this is so adorable-lucky little H=great work!
What perfect timing! We have this beachouse and it has these UGLY old bed covers that stay on the beds when no one is there and even when we’re there if no one is staying in that bed. I soooo want to do this for those beds. Just give it a fresh look! And I just started thinking of making some thrifting trips to find the right ones for the rooms just yesterday!! I love the combo of these colors! And the quilting pattern.
it would be PERFECT for that! whenever i find good sheets like this at goodwill, i snap them up!
Really pretty! I love the idea of using a vintage sheet. I’m gonna pin it. 🙂
Absolutely love the colors, and the dinner plate scallop method is great!
beautiful quilt! funny cause s has really been into taking pictures too. i let her use the point and shoot though. em’s pictures are really cool!
thanks! made me so nervous – it’s a heavy camera even for me! she handled it well, though. 🙂
Ooooo, that’s a really good idea. I just saw a vintage sheet in Goodwill the other day, but I left it because I was too lazy to stand in line. Darnit – it would have been perfect for this. Good job!!
thanks! oh yeah, i know. i force myself to buy them even though i don’t have room in my sewing room. always ends up worth it to have them around…
Such a pretty quilt! And I can’t wait to try your vintage sheet idea:) little H will love her quilt!
such great colors! what a beautiful gift. okay, now i’m feeling inspired to try a whole cloth quilt…
DO IT!
Simple and beautiful. I have wanted to make a quilt but dont have the follow through for a normal one. I think I’ll try this soon.
so cute !!!!!!!!!
Darling! I have fabric that I got at Bolt (!) when I was there to make one of these for Ollie. Pieces quiltd are of course darling but these are so soft and practical.
Also, Em’s pictures coordinate so nicely with your quilt photoshoot –so look out…future blogger I think;)
yes, ollie’s quilt! i have the in-process photo pinned, even – love that thing. i’m sure she’d blog now if she had the chance. ha!
Beautiful, a gorgeous gift. You have been busy since I last dropped in.
How cute! I have a vintage sheet in my stash that I’ve been wanting to do something with. This may be the perfect project! Visiting from kojodesigns–Heather @ NoBusinessLikeSewBusiness
Wow, I love this! I really love how you did the scallop quilting to echo the back fabric. (Hey I just noticed my link in your sidebar- thanks amiga!)
Love the final, simple, clean look! The shot folded in the tree is really great!
I’m sure they’ll love it!
oh, I love vintage sheets ! wouldn’t if be nice if they still made those? your quilt turned out super sweet 🙂
Great job! Love the scallops!
yup, love this quilt!!
Great idea! I have a way too many vintage sheets that I can’t seem to cut up or part with- this is perfect. You’re blog is fantastic!
beautiful! i’ve never made a quilt before — this seems like a nice, simple place to start. perhaps obvious question, but: do you do the binding or the scallops first? thanks!
thanks, nikki! you do the quilting first – the binding is the final step. i found a series of great quilting basics tutorials here: http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/quilting-basics.html
awesome — thanks!