If you have been a fan of Craft Passion’s Facebook page, perhaps you already know that I just bought a Bernina quilting sewing machine. This easy baby quilt blanket using the trapunto technique is the first project I did with this superb machine I have ever owned.
Prior to deciding on Bernina, I had been looking for a good quilting sewing machine with a long arm space that would be durable for my type of use, where I sew from thin to very thick fabric. My departed sewing machine may not have been tough enough to withstand my torment; it gave way and died on me just as I was getting started on this baby blanket. I was dissatisfied and upset because I needed to haul off at this early stage of my new hobby.
I went for a test drive on my friend’s Bernina out of desperation, and when she showed me the Stitch Regulator (BSR), I fell in love with this little gadget the moment I tried on freehand motion with it. Wow… that’s incredible; I never imagined freehand motion could be done so smoothly with so little practice.
The stitch is so precise that I can’t even do it with my old machine. I immediately called our local Bernina, and they sent me a B 550 QE three days later. I was overjoyed because I was able to finish the baby blanket for my distant best friend who is expecting a baby boy:)
If you are curious about what’s so special about this baby quilt, well… I quilted this baby blanket using the trapunto technique. The trapunto causes the prints on the fabric to “pop up” or be inflated, making them stand out more. The technique is simple, but it requires more steps and effort.
Look at the sun “floating out” of the blanket in the photo below; that is the effect of trapunto quilting. I wish I could show you the before and after photos, but stupid me formatted my camera’s SD card before realizing I hadn’t transferred them to my computer.
[Update] I used the same trapunto technique to sew my own quilt patterns for my children. They are completely free patterns and tutorials. So feel free to head over and get them.
WHAT’S NEXT:
- Start quilting and share your completed handmade on Facebook and/or Instagram. Remember to tag us, @craftpassion, so that we are able to see them.
- Pin it to Pinterest for a future To-Do List
- Share with your sewing groups for a sew-along event.
- Learn more about the basics of hand sewing and how to choose a sewing machine for beginners.
- Browse more free sewing patterns to make.
- If you like quilting, don’t miss the list of quilt patterns we have curated.
Easy Baby Quilt Sewing Tutorial
If you are curious about what’s so special about this baby quilt, I used the trapunto technique to quilt this baby blanket. The trapunto makes the prints on the fabric puff up to give it a dimensional look. The technique is quite easy but requires more steps and work.
Enjoy sewing them!
Materials
- Panel fabric
- Backing fabric
- Binding fabric, 2″ wide, slightly longer than the baby quilt circumference [don’t have to be bias cut]
- High Loft polyester batting
- Cotton batting
Tools
- A sewing machine that able to do free motion quilting and able to lower its feed dog
- Curved safety pins or spray-on temporary adhesive
- Ruler
- Roller cutter
- Cutting mat
- Iron
- Clover 1″ (25mm) bias tape maker (optional)
Instructions
MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO SEW TRAPUNTO BABY QUILT
High loft batting is for trapunto on the prints that you want to make it pops out, and, cotton batting is for the whole baby blanket.
a. Determine which objects/prints you want to apply for trapunto
b. Cut a piece of high loft batting slightly bigger than the print.
c. Place the batting at the wrong side of the fabric, under the print.
d. Secure with the curved safety pin and make sure it covers the whole print.
e. Change sewing machine presser foot to darning foot, if you are using Bernina, change it BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator).
f. Lower your feed dog. Stitch around the outlines of the prints with thread color closest to the print main color or the outline color. I used grey or blue.
a. Follow the outlines and free motion stitch 2-3 rounds, don’t worry that you can’t follow exactly.
Make sure the beginning and the end thread were overlapped, clip them off near to fabric after you have finished, or, you may bring the thread to the back, knot it and cut.
b. Turn to the wrong side and clip the batting near to the stitching lines outside the print.
a. After you have finished trapunto all the objects, sandwich the cotton batting with the top fabric and a backing fabric.
The batting should be around at least 1″ bigger than the top fabric and the backing fabric is bigger than the batting.
b. Secure with curve safety pins or spray-on adhesive.
c. Stipple stitch the area that you want them to “sink”, for these instances, the sky, the sea, and the border.
Start from the center and work towards the edges. When you reach the trapunto outline, go around it a little outside of its outlines.
Notice that the cloud, ship and the white part of the sea have no high loft batting underneath them to make the trapunto effect, it give a little raised effect but not as high as those with high loft batting underneath them.
a. Trim the quilted blanket to the correct size with proper right-angle corners.
b. Change presser foot to normal sewing foot, raise the feed dog.
c. To make the 1/2″ binding with mitered corners, follow this video I found on Youtube. Or, follow this photo tutorial at Craft Stylish.
A quilted blanket with trapunto effect is done, faster than I thought it would take.
Thanks to Bernina, I really love this new toy.
Barbara Gerrettie
Monday 5th of August 2019
Where did you get the Noah’s ark panel? I could not find the same one anywhere.
patti hover
Saturday 1st of August 2020
Where do you find the Noah's Ark Panel in Texas??
Elizabeth Percy
Saturday 28th of February 2015
What a beautiful thing. It may be your new machine is great but it is YOU who is the artist. The little faces on those whales gorgeous.
Craft Passion
Monday 2nd of March 2015
Thank you, Elizabeth :) I am floating around now :)
Virginia Kohr
Monday 23rd of February 2015
Where can I buy the panel for Baby's Boat Ride?
Craft Passion
Monday 23rd of February 2015
I bought it from a local quilting supply shop, Yee Button. Perhaps you can contact them to see if they still have the stock and able to ship internationally if you are not located in Malaysia. Good luck and happy quilting :)
Cook'
Tuesday 28th of October 2014
Oh! This is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing with us :)
Linda
Wednesday 4th of June 2014
Oh my gosh. Your secret garden is amazing!! I'd love to make it but I have only done one quilt before and have never done trapunto. Can you recommend a youtube video or other instruction to help me learn this technique? thanks