A Baby Quilt for September's One Monthly Goal

As I pondered my choice of a goal for September my first thought was just survive September.  August was a challenge but perhaps less so than September will be.  There's too much on my plate and part of what made August busy has shifted into September.  But really, just getting through the month isn't much of a quilting goal.  So I reevaluated.

I want to make a baby quilt for my new grandson, arriving in November, but time is short so I have to choose a simple pattern that I feel fairly certain I can make quickly and quilt easily.  I decided on an autumn theme.

I considered maple leaves but then saw the quilt below in Summer 2017 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects.  The blocks are 13" square!  And a baby quilt!  I don't know why large blocks for a baby quilt should be such a novel idea, but it was.

And then I remembered this Simple Whatnots pattern by Kim Diehl, and wondered how it would look as a 12" block.  Just fine, I thought.  I don't have the pattern but I don't want such small blocks anyway.

So I glued together some graph paper and drew up a pattern.  I wouldn't have needed one for a 12" block except that I wasn't sure the size for those tiny on-point squares in the center.  These blocks look like they have small squares placed on top of larger squares, then sewn diagonally.  In truth the size doesn't matter but for aesthetic appeal, I think it will make a difference.

Then on to choosing fabric.  The fabrics below, with colors that are close but not exact, are candidates for autumn stars.  Some are reproduction-style, others are ones I thought might work.  Would you add or remove any for an autumn color palette?





















Instead of using a light fabric for the stars I'll use colors as in the first photo.  I'll need only 12 fabrics  so I suppose I should audition 12 together at a time and see what I think.  Or maybe just begin by making a star with one of the fabrics I definitely want to use.  What shall it be?!

Before I make stars I need to choose background fabric/color.  It's more like me to use a variety of fabrics for the backgrounds but using the same fabric might unify the quilt a little more.  And I plan to use sashing as in Kim Diehl's quilt.

All that being said, my One Monthly Goal for September is to make a dozen 12" autumn stars (including all the decisions leading up to the finished stars).  I also hope to get them sewn into a top but am not claiming that as part of the goal for September.

And about the survival goal:  I'm sure I'll survive, just possibly a little worse for the wear.

I'm linking this post One Monthly Goal - September Goal link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Patty.

--Nancy.
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