A few weeks ago one of my cousins asked if I would make her sister a special Christmas gift. She wanted to use her old bridesmaid dress from her sister's wedding to make a baby quilt for her expecting sister. I was really happy to help make such a special gift. We picked out fabrics that would go with the theme of the nursery and the bright pink bridesmaid dress: 8 cotton prints, 1 satin print to go along with the pink dress, 1 print for the trim and a soft flannel print for the back.
I cut the 8 cotton prints, the satin fabric, and the fabric inside of the dress into 4 x 4 squares using a rotary cutter, 4 inch width cutting ruler and a cutting mat.
I laid the squares on the floor until I worked out the pattern. I wanted the bright pink from the bridesmaid dress to be the focal point of the quilt so I used it the most. I sewed each row of squares into a single row. Once I had two rows sewn, I pinned the two together matching each corner and seamed together. Once all of the rows were together I sewn on the flower detail from the dress to the center of the quilt. I then measured the back flannel fabric and cut it to fit the front piece. I then used quilt washable spray to get the two piece to stay together as I seamed them together. I didn't need to use a quilt batting since I was using flannel and didn't want the quilt to be too heavy. I sewed the two pieces together by doing a simile line pattern that followed the seams of the squares.
For the trim I cut the fabric into long strips of 4 inch width and sewed all of the pieces together. I then ironed the strips in half, then ironed the edges into the middle seam. I basically made my own bias tape. I pinned the trim in place and sewed together.
This was a fun and sweet idea for such a personal and memorable Christmas gift. I hope she likes it!
