I am working on my second quilt ever...it is going to be a cute little crib size dinosaur blanket for my nephew, I have the appliques all handstitched and ready for a quilt...but no quilt to put it on! I would like to do something simple but cute, a simple square/rectangle combination...any ideas or advice?

Can you post a pic of what you have? It may help with some suggestions.

Medallion quilt patterns maybe be what you are looking for. They have them that are squares and rectangles.

Really all I have are my cute dinosaurs :) I am going to make some trees and stuff too, but I need to get a quilt before any of this goes anywhere! I'm just not knowing where to go with it at all since I've never done this before..ANY advice is great advice! Thanks!!

You could just get a peice of fabric the size of the quilt you are wanting to make. Lay it out and then place the dinosaurs where you think they need to go. Make the scene, pin them down, then you can sew them all down once you are sure you have everything where you want it.

I wish I could go so basic, but I'm just such a go-getter that my brain won't allow me to go that simple! How sad, right?

You could do as Terri suggested, on a smaller piece, then add pieced blocks or borders around it using fabrics the same colors as the dinosaurs.... Maybe more dinosaurs in the cornerstones, too...

Maybe in the border a pieced block and then another appliqued block with dinosaur foot prints....

Are 4 inch blocks gonna kill me? Or is it not too hard?

What size are your adorable dinosaurs?

They are an average of 6in x 10in, trees, volcanos, rocks and water to be added to the mix! YAY quilting and stitching!

http://www.ohfransson.com/photos/quilt_gallery/15.html

This is cute- sort of a backround with the animals on top.

I keep getting a mental picture of a whole scene (landscape type) on a solid or indistinct design background with borders around it. Maybe even hills and valleys appliqued to provide a setting for your figures.

Or you could do it like window panes or a slide show with each of the figures in it's own maybe 12 inch square with sashing between....maybe make the sashing out of small squares of coordinating prints that would have the colors you are already using.

Ya! I am totally thinking of ways to do landscape in a totally cute style (i'm thinking potterybarnish...) I love the stitching that I've done and I wanna keep that throughout the whole design. Right now I am attempting (not totally sure I can do this...) to do a pattern with 6 inch squares and three 2 inch rectangles....

if you have any tips on how to make THAT work i'll accept it! haha

You have AWESOME ideas, thanks so much!

What fabrics are you using for your blocks? I'm not getting a visual there yet...

Okay so I just got really overwhelmed, oops! I totally had this visual of the intense pattern then as I was piecing just the squares together I realized how hard it would be.

SO.

I am using cotton blends, white, light blue, and a medium shade of blue. I am just going to do 6x6 in squares then I will applique on the designs (dinosaurs, landscape and such) then i will do a topstitch of probably just basic lines over the whole quilt, but around the appliques... I think that made sense...

Well done! I was thinking ... four patches, or Rail Fence, but the plain blocks/squares work also!
You are going to be a superb quilter, methinks! <wave>

You can do this..... 2 1/2" squares and 2 1/2" X 4 1/2" rectangles. I used dinosaur and mottled solid for rectangles and white with a scribble look on it. Very quick and easy.

sounds like it will be really nice!

that's what I was going to say

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I have sewed together 3 strips of 9 squares in length...turning out...decent. Could be better, but I'm learning!

And Omak, thanks for having faith in my abilities! Haha

:thumbup: Anyone who can make the applique shapes you did, can do ANYTHING! ... talent is like that <wave>

haha Oh you are too sweet! I'm just crazy, and I've probably worked in kindergarten too long haha, dinosaurs are great! :)

Maybe some fabric that has grass or trees on it. You could put them all over or natural looking, like they are grazing or playing.