All parents know there is that one special quilt we feel comfortable taking anywhere. It’s cute enough to face public scrutiny, soft and cozy enough for baby to cuddle, and simple enough in construction that we’re not paranoid about exposing it to daily wear and tear. Yes, we’re talking about the whole cloth quilt.
Whole cloth quilts are a breeze to make. They are the perfect quilt for showing off those prints that you just can’t bring yourself to cut up into little pieces. Because of their simplicity, moms aren’t afraid to use them again and again and again.
When I saw Jill Howarth’s Once Upon a Rhyme fabric collection, I knew immediately I would be making a whole cloth quilt. The main print is A-MAY-ZING! Each little nursery rhyme vignette is absolutely adorable.
The artwork has a very sweet and simple retro feel to it, evoking memories of childhood.
The book print is fabulous! Book lovers everywhere will swoon over the idea of walls and walls of glorious printed pages – on fabric!
This baby quilt requires just three fabrics:
*Quilt Top – 1 1/4 yard Once Upon a Rhyme Main Aqua
*Quilt Back – 1 1/2 yard Once Upon a Rhyme Books Blue
*Binding – 1/2 yard Once Upon a Rhyme Toss Green
For the thread, I used this lovely Aqua Aurifil thread.
***Finished quilt measures approximately 39” x 42”.
Directions:
Make a “quilt sandwich” (quilt back + batting + quilt top). I like to have my quilt back measure a few inches larger than my quilt top, which is why the quilt back fabric measurements are larger. The selvedge edge sides will be the same here, so lay out the layers carefully, trying to line up the sides as closely as possible. Baste. *I decided to spray baste the layers of this quilt because spray basting helps the quilt layers to stay put better. Since the side measurements of the quilt top and bottom were the same, I wanted as little shifting around as possible. After spray basting the layers together, I run the iron over the surface to smooth out any wrinkles and to help the adhesive to really bind itself to the fabrics.
Normally, I machine quilt with the quilt top facing up. This time, I decided to turn it over and use the book shelf lines as my quilt guide, for a simple straight line quilt. This worked better than I had hoped. The aqua thread blended in beautifully, and following the shelf lines gave me perfectly spaced straight lines.
For the binding, I used this sweet Greet Toss print. Aren’t those itty bitty flowers just so sweet?
Here are a couple of close-ups of the cute little nursery rhyme vignettes. There is Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty Dumpty, Hickory Dickory Dock, Jack & Jill, and more!
This sweet blanket has me reminiscing about trips to the library, where the little ones and I would find a quiet corner and pour through stacks of storybooks. It is a quilt that is meant to be loved and cuddled and dragged around the house and made into play forts, only to be tossed in the washer and dryer, ready for the next childhood adventure! Once Upon a Rhyme is available now at local and online quilt shops, so you can make your very own Library Day whole cloth quilt today!
You can follow talented designer Jill Howarth on Instagram @zippyboro.
Be sure to share your Once Upon a Rhyme projects with us on Instagram using #rileyblakedesigns.
Happy Sewing!
