A modern half-square triangle baby quilt in pinks

September 12, 2024

So I have a gift giving formula for baby showers - that may seem impersonal, but I had to adopt this formula a few years back when we had a whopping 7 baby showers in one year! I was struggling with trying to find the balance between the joy of a handmade gift, what I felt was practical items as a mom of two, and what first time parents put on a registry. By having a formula, I felt like I was able to meet all those different criteria and still fit in my budget.

The formula is a blanket (handmade) + a version of my children's favorite lovey (a jelly cat blanket soother) + something very practical from their registry.

When it comes to picking out a design for a quilt for a baby shower gift, I rely very heavily on the style of the invitation and the pattern/ colors/ or themes that reoccur in the registry items. Like the gender neutral woodland themed buttercup I did for my husbands coworker earlier this summer - the more obvious the theme the easier these are to design.

So when I got the most recent baby invitation for a dear family friend having their first, a girl, I was at first totally stumped. The invitation was a soft sand color with simple script and the registry was almost all solid warm neutrals with very feminine ruffles and lace. So I did what all good quilters do best and creatively procrastinated by working on other not-time-sensitive projects, until I was staring down the barrel of this impending deadline and finally made a plan. With limited time I knew it needed to be fast but I also desperately wanted something that would appeal to the parents style. And here comes our modern half-square triangle baby quilt tutorial to the rescue! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner!

If you aren't familiar with this one I highly recommend checking it out. It comes together super fast (a single day for me) and is also a great project to start on as a beginner! Designed for a charm pack, it is also a great stash buster too.

But to keep to the parent's design choices I carefully selected a combination of warm soft pinks from an assortment of yardage and combined it with a favorite solid to use on baby quilts - French General in Oyster.

This project got the required minky backing from Shannon Cuddle in Blush and I went with my new favorite panto stencil of freeform clouds to keep the blanket floppy and soft.

For binding I couldn't resist running out to grab more yardage of Koi Pod Smile and Wave in Peach by Ruby Star Society. I find so many ways to use that series, it never sits long on my shelf.

All in all I couldn't be more thrilled with how this project turned out! It has a contemporary look with soft neutrals and perfect for a modern little girl nursery.