embroidery hooded baby towel

I have a couple of cute baby projects to share that I made for Sewing Quarter in celebration of Natasha's baby shower recently.
This adorable hooded baby towel is based on one I had as a child, that my kids all used too! It's a combination of soft plush fleece fabric and towelling. Neither of which is easy to hand embroider but I used the brilliant Stitch-n-Tear with DMC perle cotton #5 and it worked really nicely!

embroidery hooded baby towel charm about you lucy brennan

In a few areas I cut away the plush, inside the bubbles for example, and I outlined the house with back stitch twice to get good definition. My tip for tearing away the Stitch-n-Tear is to hold your finger down on top of the stitches as you tear the paper away to stop them pulling. It's so easy to use that I can see it becoming a staple, tracing the pattern directly on to the paper means that it can be used on dark fabrics without the issue of transferring the design!

embroidery hooded baby towel charm about you lucy brennan

I have created a few designs featuring priarie points recently, they are so easy to do and add a touch of whimsy. This fun appliqué quilt features concentric circles too.  

prairie points quilt charm about you lucy brennan

The fabrics are Bloom Beautiful by Shell Rummel mixed with a few solids. I kept the quilting simple, echoing the circles from the centre outwards. I also decided to curve the corners using the Creative Grids curved corner cutter ruler. A simple way to soften the edges and give a sweet look to the quilt.

prairie points quilt charm about you lucy brennan

Lastly a more traditional looking quilt, with cute teddy bear appliqué centre and borders. In the corners I added in 3D pinwheels for some texture and interest. They are so easy to create and look very cute on a baby quilt. I made a slightly scrappy binding to use up fabric, it's my favourite kind of binding!

applique teddy bear quilt 3D pinwheels

I'm currently spending time with family, including my sister and brother-in-law and their one year old daughter. I'm reminded of all the things you need when travelling with a little one and also all the joy of seeing them learn and explore. My lot are having such a brilliant time playing with their cousin and making her giggle. Children grow so fast and family is so precious.

I hope you're all enjoying August and spending time with people you love!