I was so excited to hear about the second Charley Harper line from Birch. And is it okay to admit that I think I like this one even better the first? The elephants, the penguins, the koalas – just too much cuteness for one fabric line! As soon as I saw the fabrics, I knew that I wanted to make a quilt that included all (or at least almost all) the adorable fabrics so I started piecing together fussy cuts of each print combined with the gorgeous blender fabrics to create this improv baby quilt.
A few notes:
– This quilt is put together improv-style. It is comprised of 7 sections/blocks – each section is a different size -and the sections are then put together like a puzzle.
– If you are fussy cutting your fabric as I did, sometimes the section of the print that you want to include is too big or small for the size stated in the pattern. If your fussy cut is too small, just cut a small strip of a blender fabric to sew to one side of the fussy cut until it is the size needed. If your fussy cut is larger than the size needed, just trim a little away from one or more of the blender fabrics surrounding that print.
– This is a personal preference but I always cut my pieces larger than needed and then trim after they are sewn together. The sizes listed below are exact with no wiggle room. Decide what works best for you.
– For this pattern, all measurements are listed width x height.
– All seams are 1/4″ and you can press either open or to the side depending on your preference. If you follow the pattern exactly, all your blocks will be square or rectangle with straight lines. However, when I sew improv-style, I like to not have everything so exact – if you feel the same, just trim a little here and there throughout the pattern.
Charley Harper Nurture Baby Quilt
finished size: 38″ square
Materials I used for this quilt:
FQ bundle of Charley Harper Nurture (you’ll have plenty leftover; you could also use large scraps)
1 yard of mod basics in cream
1/2 yard of feathers in mineral for binding
1 1/2 yards of backing fabric
Constructing the Blocks:
Block 1
Cut the following pieces: 5″ x 4″ (a), 8″ x 4″ (b), 2.5″ x 7.5″(c), 3.5″ x 7.5″ (d) , 7.5.” x 7.5″ (e), 12.5″ x 1.5″ (f)
Sew a to b. Sew c to d to e. Sew a/b to the top of c/d/e and sew f to the bottom of c/d/e. Trim to 12.5″ x 12″
Block 2
Cut the following pieces: 8″ x 2″ (g), 8″ x 4.5″ (h), and 8″ x 6.5″ (i)
Sew g to the top of h and i to the bottom of h. Trim to 8″ x 12″
Block 3
Cut the following pieces: 9.5″ x 4.5″ (o), 9.5″ x 3.5″ (p), 3″ x 6.5″ (q), 7″ x 6.5″ (r), 2.5″ x 6″ (s), 7.5″ x 4.5″ (t), 7.5″ x 2″ (u)
Sew t to u and then sew t/u to s. Sew q to r. Sew o to p. Sew o/p to the top of q/r and sew s/t/u to the bottom of q/r. Trim to 9.5″ x 19″
Block 5
