Zoo Baby Quilt

Fiber & Textile Completed Projects
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I’m expecting a baby in April, and my mom thought I might be bored while waiting for her to arrive. So she sent me 2 boxes of pre-cut fabric to ‘keep me busy’. It was all children’s prints, most of which I would not have chosen. To be honest, after losing several pregnancies, I felt overwhelmed by it all, and it was making me seriously anxious. So to try to get over that feeling of anxiety, I decided to put together a simple baby quilt without my usual planning and deliberation. I just dove in. I used 1 pack of jelly roll strips (4 each of 5 designs), 2 fat quarters, and 1 1-yard cut for the backing, to make this cheerful little zoo quilt.

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Actually, that’s not quite true. Mom sent 3 packs of the same zoo jelly roll strips, and I didn’t like one of the prints for this quilt, so I opened a second pack of them, and took out 4 of the strips I had used in the quilt itself, to use as the binding. The black and white print seemed to be the best match between the patterned front, and the turquoise polka dot backing.

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I started with just a basic Rail Fence pattern, alternating darker strips with white prints. But somehow the blocks still lacked contrast, and I kind of hated it by the midway point. So I added pink and lime green corners to each rail fence block, to create a secondary diamond effect.

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I used a 1-yard cut of turquoise with white polka dots for the backing, and had just enough.

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All in all, I’m happy with how it came out. I never would have picked the fabrics or the pattern, but it felt good to use stuff up right away, rather than have it sit around in my stash for years to come. And I was even able to use up scraps of batting that I pieced together for it, so it was an entirely free quit. Now to figure out what to do with the remaining 10 1-yard cuts, 4 fat quarter bundles, 12 loose fat quarters, 4 jelly roll strip sets, and 3 charm packs…

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It’s a really adorable quilt! I imagine one can easily run out of clean blankets with a little one, so an extra will be useful when the time comes. I don’t know enough about quilts and what these remainders can make, but maybe there are quick ways to make them into some things to donate? Foster kids or women & children shelters or the like since you’re not a fan of the materials.

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It turned out very cute with the addition of the pink and green diamonds; it seems like that really lightened and brightened it up. It’s great that you can now release the burden of feeling obligated to do something with the gifted fabric.

My son was an April baby also!

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It’s utterly charming, very cheery & bright, babe is sure to enjoy that. The binding might be my favourite part but I love the backing colour too. Since you’re not totally enchanted with the fabrics, it might make a good outdoors, car, stroller, floor quilt you wouldn’t mind getting a bit messy. @sloth003 mentioned her fam takes hand made quilts to the beach. The BEACH! That was a revelation to me, that you can happily love a quilt literally to death but it’s potentially easier to do that without regrets if you aren’t in love with the fabric :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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You have such an amazing eye for color, patterns, textures, etc…
And that anxiety won’t be gone until she’s cradled in your arms. Big hugs to ya!

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This is darling.

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Yeah, I’m thinking of whipping up some more small quilts this size to send to Quilts for Kids. It’s a wonderful charity that gives bright cheerful quilts to children in hospitals. Hospitals don’t allow kids to bring their stuffed animals, because they can’t be easily washed and dried on high heat, but 100% cotton quilts can be. I’ve donated to them off and on over the years. They even will send you a kit if you ask, because they get fabric manufacturers to donate discontinued designs to them.

Yeah. We love going to the Nashville Zoo, and can’t wait to take little Godzilla, so I was thinking this might be a good quilt to live in the car or with her stroller for impromptu adventures. Nothing so precious it can’t get dirty, then get thrown through the wash.

Being able to finally feel her kick, weeks after the books said I’d be able to, has helped a little, but I’m pretty sure I’m never going to feel safe that everything will be fine, after all our previous losses. (Turns out my placenta is directly in front, so it’s like she’s been kicking a pillow for a while!)

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My kid was very much not kicky until after she was born, and then she discovered room to move her legs and if you tried to swaddle her too tightly she’d kick her way out of the blanket. Babies have their own little personality quirks from the beginning. Here’s hoping things continue to go smoothly!

I like that the quilt has a bunch of black & white & bright colors to it-- it always bothers me a little when babies end up in rooms full of nothing but pastels, which their eyes can’t even properly see yet. And if it’s not your fave, then you won’t mind when it gets dribbled on in all the exciting ways that babies dribble… :laughing:

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I will have to come and meet you and Baby Godzilla when I visit my dad sometime! The Nashville Zoo I’m sure is different than my last visit; lots of work in progress many years ago.

My fav fabric in your quilt is the black and white-probably because I spied a bird first! The pink/green triangles was a very good idea!

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The Zoo has grown and changed drastically in the 8 years we’ve lived in Nashville. There are several completely new areas, and a few that were renovated and expanded. The new Tiger space is truly beautiful. And the Andean Bears are amazing. They sometimes like to stand in the water, right up against the glass, and bounce up and down along with the kids inside.

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So adorable. It will be loved.

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This is a really sweet quilt. I love that it’s clearly for babies/little kids, but it’s not baby-ish.

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I love this. It is so sweet and the colors are wonderful.

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Congrats! Your Zoo Baby Quilt is one of this week’s featured projects! You are awesome!

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Congrats!!! Can we start a baby will come pool? I am voting April 17th lol Just saying :slight_smile:

The quilt is lovely though and I love all the fabrics and how you assembled!

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It came together to make a darling quilt.
There is a guy at my work who’s baby is due April 17th!

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I’m not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but there are 5 babies being born at my husband’s company between now and April. The first was born on January 6th, there’s another due in February, twins due in March, and our little Godzilla due in April. Jim’s company is only about 30 employees, so it’s a rather high percentage of folks having babies all at once. LOL

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Thank you!

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This is so cute!! I feel like it would also be fun for playtime, I can see a little one racing cars down the “road” blocks!

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That is such a darling quilt!! I actually love the cute animal patterns, but I myself struggle to figure out how to put busy patterns like that together. Yours is so cheerful and really lovely! Great job working with what you have and making something really special!

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