Daisy Blue Fabric: Sweet Baby Quilt Projects

Quick answer

Daisy Blue from Sweet Little Friends is a soft, 100% cotton fabric perfect for baby quilts. Follow these steps to create a safe, washable quilt that's both adorable and practical.

How to sew a baby quilt with Daisy Blue fabric

1. Pre-wash and press the fabric: Machine wash the Daisy Blue fabric in cold water on a delicate cycle, then tumble dry low. Press with a warm iron to remove wrinkles. This pre-shrinks the fabric so your finished quilt won't distort after the first wash. Skipping pre-washing can cause uneven seams and a smaller quilt after laundering.
2. Cut your quilt pieces: Using a rotary cutter and mat, cut squares or rectangles from the pre-washed fabric. For a simple baby quilt, 5-inch squares work well. Cut an equal number of squares from coordinating solids or prints if you want a patchwork design. Always measure twice and cut once—fabric waste is hard to fix in small yardage.
3. Assemble the quilt top: Arrange the squares in a grid pattern, alternating Daisy Blue with other fabrics. Sew each row together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, then press seams open. Join the rows to complete the top. Pressing seams open reduces bulk and helps the quilt lie flat, especially important for a baby quilt.
4. Layer and baste the quilt sandwich: Place the backing fabric (right side down), batting, and quilt top (right side up) on a flat surface. Smooth out wrinkles and pin or spray-baste the layers together. Start from the center and work outward to avoid shifting. Using too few pins can cause the layers to shift during quilting, creating puckers.
5. Quilt the layers together: Machine quilt along the seam lines or in a simple grid pattern. For a baby quilt, straight-line quilting every 3-4 inches is sufficient to secure the layers. Use a walking foot to prevent the fabric from stretching. A walking foot helps feed all layers evenly, preventing tucks on the back.
6. Bind the edges: Cut 2.5-inch wide strips of coordinating fabric on the bias or straight grain. Join them end-to-end, press in half lengthwise, and sew to the quilt edge. Fold the binding to the back and hand-stitch or machine-stitch in place. Hand-stitching the binding gives a cleaner finish, but machine stitching is faster and more durable for frequent washing.

Product facts

• Daisy Blue from Sweet Little Friends by Gabriela Dachin for Paintbrush Studios: 100% Cotton, 44/45" width, 150 thread count, 3-5% shrinkage, machine wash cold delicate. Pre-washing is essential to control shrinkage and ensure the quilt keeps its shape after repeated laundering.