Calendula - pink and white version

April 9, 2024

We welcomed my sister and brother-in-law's new baby recently - my only sister and it's their first! My sister asked for a cotton-backed quilt to throw down on her floor and use as a playmat, or take to parks and sit on. I made her a very practical, gorgeous Grow Wild baby quilt and then...well...I couldn't help myself...she was getting two quilts because I had enough backing to make a coordinating Calendula quilt!

I had enough Rifle Paper Co Garden Party floral left from the Grow Wild backing for the plus blocks. (Formally named My Tribe, if you've seen this pattern before.) To highlight the beautiful main floral I chose the beginner version of the two-color option in the pattern, which leaves the center of the plus blocks whole rather than a square-in-a-square.

Did you know there are four different quilts you can make from this pattern?!

We like options!

I had some Kona Snow stashed away for the background and then I squeaked out a remnant of a pink Art Gallery Pure Solid for the chain blocks (I don't know the specific color I'm sorry!). It wouldn't be a June Thimble baby quilt without a soft, snuggly minky backing.

I used bamboo batting for the first time and was very pleased - I'll splurge on that again if I have another special quilt planned! I quilted this one with simple straight lines to maintain the soft drape and machine bound with a pink Rifle Paper Co Basics in for a sweet little detail.

Want to know my embarrassing secret? I gave this to my sister at her baby shower and while taking a photo of her with the quilt I noticed The Oopsie...I had sewn in a block upside down!! I awkwardly told her I had to take it back home and would, ahem, re-gift it the next weekend. Luckily this was a small section on the edge and a little quilt surgery and invisible stitches fixed it.

I think this one turned out so beautifully light and soft - I can't wait to wrap up my newest niece in it for those fleeting newborn naps.

This is an incredibly fast project - I sewed it up on a whim in an afternoon. The beginner modification of either Calendula version is the most beginner friendly pattern in the fleet right now.

Fabrics used:

Main: Rifle Paper Co Garden Party
Accent: Art Gallery Pure Solids - specific color unknown
Background: Kona Snow
Binding: Rifle Paper Co Basics - Tapestry Lace in Blush

Pattern Details: Calendula Quilt

How about 20 quilts in one pattern?! Calendula is a beginner friendly pattern that comes in two variations, five sizes, and either variation can be modified to an even simpler block.

Choose from a scrappy design or two-color version
Want a faster, simpler block or featuring large scale fabrics? Choose the beginner modification that uses a solid square in the middle of the plus blocks
Layer cake and fat quarter friendly
Includes sizes baby-king

Skill level: Beginner

Find Calendula in the Pattern Shop