Applique & embroidery on baby quilt?
02-22-2025, 11:27 AM
#1
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Location: NYC
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Applique & embroidery on baby quilt?
Im making a baby quilt that will mostly be a tummy time, heirloom piece. I'm considering using butterflies from the border fabric as raw-edged appliqués in the middle of the quilt and embroidering baby's name, NORA, in decorative capitals- 1 letter per square. Any tips on quilting those raw edges so they don't fray? Too small for a stain stitch around the raw edges. Are the appliqués a bad idea? How about the embroidery?
02-22-2025, 11:36 AM
#2
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Location: Southeast Georgia, USA
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there are products that are supposed to prevent fraying on raw fabric edges.
i've used june tailor fray block with mixed results. great if you don't plan to wash the item. not supposed to wash out, but it does.
i haven't used dritz fray check, but it's a popular product.
i've used june tailor fray block with mixed results. great if you don't plan to wash the item. not supposed to wash out, but it does.
i haven't used dritz fray check, but it's a popular product.
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02-22-2025, 12:01 PM
#3
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I see in your profile that you are a painter. There are fabric paints or inks that you could use for baby's name and embroider around the outside to finish the letters off neatly. Just a thought.
Upon further thinking about this another way would be to buy embroidered letters patches and apply them.
Upon further thinking about this another way would be to buy embroidered letters patches and apply them.
Last edited by RedGarnet222; 02-22-2025 at 12:05 PM.
02-22-2025, 12:07 PM
#4
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 836
Hmmm. I think the notion of “tummy time and heirloom piece” are a bit at odds.
In my experience, floor quilts are washed a lot and can experience a fair amount of pulling and rubbing against an applique.
They also need a thicker batt for all those times a head or chin slams downward.
Better, if you want a floor quilt, to use a different applique, turn the raw edges under, and stitch it down very close to the edge. A baby will love fingering the edge of the shape and trying to pull it up.
With my last one, I even took a matching polyester thread and sewed between the topstitching and the edge. It’s been washed a zillion times and still looks good, albeit a bit lighter.
hugs,
charlotte
In my experience, floor quilts are washed a lot and can experience a fair amount of pulling and rubbing against an applique.
They also need a thicker batt for all those times a head or chin slams downward.
Better, if you want a floor quilt, to use a different applique, turn the raw edges under, and stitch it down very close to the edge. A baby will love fingering the edge of the shape and trying to pull it up.
With my last one, I even took a matching polyester thread and sewed between the topstitching and the edge. It’s been washed a zillion times and still looks good, albeit a bit lighter.
hugs,
charlotte
02-22-2025, 12:47 PM
#5
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 25,186
Hmmm. I think the notion of “tummy time and heirloom piece” are a bit at odds.
In my experience, floor quilts are washed a lot and can experience a fair amount of pulling and rubbing against an applique.
They also need a thicker batt for all those times a head or chin slams downward.
Better, if you want a floor quilt, to use a different applique, turn the raw edges under, and stitch it down very close to the edge. A baby will love fingering the edge of the shape and trying to pull it up.
With my last one, I even took a matching polyester thread and sewed between the topstitching and the edge. It’s been washed a zillion times and still looks good, albeit a bit lighter.
hugs,
charlotte
In my experience, floor quilts are washed a lot and can experience a fair amount of pulling and rubbing against an applique.
They also need a thicker batt for all those times a head or chin slams downward.
Better, if you want a floor quilt, to use a different applique, turn the raw edges under, and stitch it down very close to the edge. A baby will love fingering the edge of the shape and trying to pull it up.
With my last one, I even took a matching polyester thread and sewed between the topstitching and the edge. It’s been washed a zillion times and still looks good, albeit a bit lighter.
hugs,
charlotte
You could make two of the same quilt -; one to use and one to srow awa6.
if i remember correctly, babies are good at picking at something if it gets their attention.
Dritz fray check tends to dry with a hard crisp edge. Not soft.
02-23-2025, 08:01 AM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: NYC
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Thank you all for great feedback. To be more specific, it's primarily an heirloom piece. I've started a tradition of making a quilt for the first child in my best friend's kids' family. They tend to be used for pictures rather than hard-used blankets and, to that end, I will add a hanging sleeve.
I use Dritz fray-check to stop ribbon from fraying but it does dry crispy like nail polish.
The appliqué is not for the name, I will embroider the letters. The letters and the appliqué butterflies will be in the middle of the quilt. I wonder if overlaying the middle of the quilt with tulle to protect baby and appliqués is worth exploring. I've seen that technique used in art quilts made with tiny fabric scraps.
Your valuable, expert thoughts?
I use Dritz fray-check to stop ribbon from fraying but it does dry crispy like nail polish.
The appliqué is not for the name, I will embroider the letters. The letters and the appliqué butterflies will be in the middle of the quilt. I wonder if overlaying the middle of the quilt with tulle to protect baby and appliqués is worth exploring. I've seen that technique used in art quilts made with tiny fabric scraps.
Your valuable, expert thoughts?
