Zoo Baby Blanket

Completed December 2008
I know almost nothing about making quilts. But I love quilting stores and find some of the cutest fabrics there that I attempt to make into something worthy. I'd had this super cute zoo print fabric for a year or two. I believe it's Alexander Henry fabric. I finally found the perfect use for it: a baby blanket for Monkey #2. I started the project before he was born (in fact, I went into labor a few hours after I was working on it one night), but didn't finish it until 8 months later, just in time for baby's first Christmas.


(Monkey #1 is holding it up for me. See his fluffy hair?) This quilt very closely resembles my dear friend Brinna's baby blanket that her grandmother made her. I'm not sure if I did that on purpose or not. The prairie point edge (as I'm told it's called) certainly was taken from her blanket. I really like the way it turned out.


Here it is, all folded up, looking cozy, and ready to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. You can kind of see the quilting. I just outlined a few of the characters/scenes sporadically. The large giraffe print is minky. It's so soft, and lines the back of the blanket (found at the Fabric Center --They have the best minky prints). I love rick rack! (This rick rack was purchased from my local fabulous quilting store, Material Girls, which, by the way, has a giveaway on April 15 at Give Away Today)


Here's a closeup of the personalization I did on my sewing machine letter embroidery. I believe the green and brown polka dot fabric is by Moda. The yellow was from a fat quarter, but I don't remember any more details about it.


Here's the little monkey himself, at 10 months old, wrapped in his blanket. It's a good size: small enough to take with us on trips, and big enough to cover him in the crib and while nursing. I suppose I could measure it since that size description was vague. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Right now the baby is upstairs in his crib with the blanket, probably in a very similar position to this.