Grandson's Quilt

Currently my husband and I are the proud grandparents of FOUR grandDAUGHTERS.  I've longed for a grandson!  I love my granddaughters very much!  I have loved making pink quilts and attending tea parties and playing Barbie dolls.  However, probably because I had 3 girls myself, I've wondered what it would be like to have a grandson! 

Our oldest daughter is due in late October and she is having a boy!  She and her husband are so excited!  My husband and I are excited!  Unfortunately, she lives about 12 hours (driving) from us and we can't get out to see her before the baby is due.  So I shipped her 3 things I made for the baby.

The first was a quilt:

This quilt was a breeze to make!  I had a coupon for 50% off one item at my LQS (Local Quilt Store) so I obtained the fabric "layer cake" for about $20 dollars.  The border, binding and backing were all in my stash.  I used the MODA line "Ten Little Things" because my daughter loves owls and the fabric had trucks and things on it!   I'll do a separate blog on how to use a layer cake to make this quilt.

Here are some closeups of the fabric.

 I backed it with some soft flannel and it looked like this:

I quilted this with echo quilting - just sewing around each triangle.  I used a low loft cotton poly blend batting.   The back is a piece of baby flannel that I had.  I like to back baby quilts with flannel, I think it makes them softer. I hope she likes this!

My other two handmade gifts were self binding receiving blankets.  Here is what they look like:

These are literally the easiest thing I've ever made!  I mean E-Z!  It takes a 40" square of the print flannel and a 30" square of the solid, about an hour and you're done.

I learned how to make these from Jenny at Missouri Star Quilting's YOUTUBE video lesson - here is a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwdNqMZ8Ro

I can recommend this pattern to anyone.  It is fast, easy and not expensive at all.  If I were to do this over again, I'd get some extra flannel and make some matching burp cloths!

Anyway these all went in a UPS box and should arrive at her home tonight!  She promised to call me when the box arrives and open them with me on the phone.  I can't wait!

What's around the bend?  I'm working on another quilt with the same pattern using a layer cake, except this time I'm documenting the steps so I can post it for you to use.  Look for a blog sometime in the near future with the instructions.