Housetops Quilted

This is a lovely, soft quilt that I hope will be used daily by the baby. So I wanted a quilting design that enhances the softness as well as the durability. Baptist Fans work well with the spacing and direction changes. {And somehow, these colors are a bit off. Overexposed? The quilt really looks like the photos from the last post.}

Housetops quilt with Baptist fan quilting

I bought these darling bunnies on blue for the back and bound it with a tiny blue and white stripe. Stripes are our favorite binding, aren't they.

Bunnies on the back
of the Housetop baby quilt

Including conversation prints is always a fun game for me. Here are some sophisticated sparrows in orange rain (?), bicycles, and fish.

Bird, bicycle, and fish print
fabrics on the Housetop baby quilt

And I had to include these charming owls, my college mascot.

Owl print fabric
on the Housetop baby quilt

Each block is ten inches with four or five strips sashing two sides of a center square. I cut the strips 1.25-3” wide and combined them to reach the ten inch mark.

Previous post here.

Quilt Details

Size: 38" x 38"

Design: Housetop or Handkerchief Corners

Batting: Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon100% cotton

Thread: green Aurifil cotton 50/2 thread

Quilting: Free-motion Baptist fans

I believe the intended use of the quilt informs the type of care it requires. One of my goals is that people love, use, and even wear out the quilts I make. Of course, I'd like them to use them gently and take care of them - rather like polishing our shoes and putting shoe trees in at night. But most of my gifts are utility quilts, meant for daily use. I always include this information sheet... then I keep my mouth shut whatever they choose to do.

Caring for a Quilt is permanently linked on my Tutorial page. Other people have their own instructions. Quilt Care by Michigan State University is a good guide for utility quilts. On the other hand, The National Quilt Museum prohibits machine washing. They have excellent information for heritage quilts - or quilts we hope will become heritage.

What's your opinion?

Enjoy the day, Ann