Bluebird Park Car Seat Quilt {Tutorial}

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The winner is #127 – kimberlee!

While I was in CA visiting Jennie and family last May, we decided to visit The Intrepid Thread ! It was a perfect day for a car ride. We were so excited when we arrived to see such a wonderful quilt shop stocked up with our most favorite fabrics {you can read a little about our trip here}.

There was so much to look at, we had to take turns to take it all in {which I am sure we still weren’t able to}. We did manage to leave with a few purchases, only a few because time and two little ones did not allow more browsing and that did cut into our purchasing. We got to meet Julie, the owner, and she is very sweet and welcomed us, Silas, Norah, a good friend of Jennie’s, Cara and her little girl, Addi, strollers and all!

bundle

While we were there, Julie gave us a fat eighth bundle of  Bluebird Park by Kate & Birdie Paper Co., for Moda. It is so sweet and has really cute prints along with great colors. Jennie and I decided it would make a cute car seat quilt, similar to the one she had made for the Moda Bake Shop, it is called the “Sophie Car Seat Quilt“. I changed the quilt pattern and made hour-glass blocks instead, and I also used only fat eighths, so I pieced the back, the binding and the ties for a fresh, scrappy look. It was fun to see it all come together!

Note: Read all directions before beginning.  All seam allowances are 1/4″ unless otherwise stated.  Finished size is approximate 25″ x 33″.

pair of blocks

Cut 2- 6″ blocks from 20 fat eighths, 40 total.

swen corner to corner

With right sides together draw a line corner to corner and sew a straight line 1/4″ on each side of the line. Do this for all 20 sets.

sectioning block

Cut on the line.

DSC_0742

Before moving the blocks, cut from corner to corner on the opposite corners. (The pic. shows the pieces moved, but cut before separating).

two sides

Open the pieces and press seams to one side pair with another set.  Select 27 pairs for the body of the quilt, set the remaining pieces aside.

sewn half

Sew along the middle matching the seam lines. They will match if you press seams in opposite directions before sewing.

whole block

Open and press seams.

layout

Next lay your full blocks on point using up all of the full squares, arranging them in the pattern you like.

half block

Then, from the set aside half blocks, select 15 for the ends of each row.

corner

For two of the corners you will need quarter blocks {I used the seam ripper on one half block, so I didn’t have to do any extra cutting}.

Quilt top

The layout of the whole quilt will look like this. Begin by sewing whole blocks into rows and then adding half blocks to each end. When all the rows are complete, sew rows together and then end two corner blocks, mine are on the two bottom corners.

top

I added two strips to each side of my top so that it would be the width that I wanted, they were 2 1/2″ wide.

back
Since I used fat eighths, I cut them and pieced them into the back. It made it more colorful and I used up my pieces that were cut from the 6″ block pieces. I made it to fit the quilt front.

Make a quilt sandwich with your front, back and use batting, or we used flannel for our quilt {so it would not be too thick for milder climates}. The next car seat quilt I make I will use batting for a winter baby. Pin and quilt your quilt as you like. I free motioned mine and then trimmed excess flannel.

ties

The two ties are approximately 32″ long by 1 1/2″ wide, mine were also pieced from fat eighths. Cut them, iron them in half lengthwise and then fold edges toward center pressing line, the same as making bias tape or binding. Fold the ends of the ties in so they will be finished. Sew along long edges on both ties. These will go on after quilt is bound and quilted.

Binding

For binding we used 1 1/2″ strips of fabric to make a single fold binding. Measure all four edges of your quilt and add several inches for finishing. Sew it onto the front edge of your quilt, the same as regular binding. Turn toward the back, fold in half and machine sew or hand sew the same as regular binding. If you used batting rather than flannel, cut your binding 2 1/2′ wide so that it will wrap around the thicker quilt sandwich.

whole top

Quilt front with binding and ties added.

Back w-Ties

Here is the back. Now it is ready to keep your little one cozy while riding in his/her car seat or stroller.

And, because Julie really is so sweet, she’s offering a giveaway to you too!  To enter to win two charm packs of Bluebird Park, simply head over to The Intrepid Thread shop and let us know a favorite fabric you’ve been hoping to play with.  While you’re there, make sure to check out the Coming Soon section, which is filled with some lovely fabrics to look forward to {I am anxious to get my hands on some of the Andrea Victoria when it is re-released!}.

One entry per person, please.  The giveaway will be open through midnight, September 15th, with the winner announced on the 16th.

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206 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to get my hand on Theodore and Izzy! It’s just so adorable. Thanks for the tutorial. This will be perfect for my granddaughter!

  2. I have never seen the Bluebird one before now. I’m afraid I don’t keep up with all the latest, but I really LOVE it and if i don’t win it I will just HAVE to buy it. It is lush. jennylarking at gmail dot com

  3. So much to choose from but I would love Dream a Little Dream and Homegrown to name just a few. Thanks for the car seat quilt tutorial. I have a 2 month old grandson and our first granddaughter will be born tomorrow (!!!) so I need to get going on a couple of these! Cold Minnesota weather is on the way!

  4. I love Bluebird Park!! My fav coming out in September is Dream a Little Dream. Absolutely adorable!! Love it! Thank you for the chance!!

  5. The Bluebird Park fabrics and your quilt are adorable! I’m also drooling over Paloma and about a dozen other things in Julie’s shop!

  6. I just got some Koi from The Intrepid Thread which I had been looking forward to playing with for ages. Next on my list is possibly Angela Walter’s Legacy.Thanks for the giveaway.

  7. Beautiful little car seat cover. I think I have this bookmarked to make some day. I always enjoy checking in with your blog. I do like the Bluebird Park fabric and was so excited to find lots of Happy Go Lucky fabric when I checked the Intrepid Thread. Great giveaway.

  8. I adore the Briar Rose Frog Pond in Blue and in Lilac – frogs are so cool, especially when they are fishing from the banks!!! Bluebird Park is awesome too 🙂 Great giveaway!!!

  9. The Intrepid thread has a great selection. I love the Briar Rose Frog Pond fabric in lilac. It’s both beautiful and whimsical. And I love the stroller/car seat cover you made too. This would make a special shower gift. Thanks for sharing!

  10. Love this little quilt, thanks for sharing the tutorial!

    I’m loving this Bluebird Park, which I haven’t seen yet, but I’m also dying for Kate Spain’s Sunnyside…I think it would be perfect for a Swoon quilt, another project on my to-do list!

  11. What a great project, thanks for sharing. . I went over to Julie’s shop not that I had to I spend lots of time there anyway and have a long list of things I would love to be able to get, right now the list is topped by Acacia by Tula Pink

  12. Aside from Bluebird Park, I would really love to add Gracie Girl to my stash! Thanks for the opportunity to enter the giveaway!

  13. I would love to have some Sunnyside to play with. Thanks for the giveaway. I wish I lived near Julie’s store, but I will have to just keep buying from her online store.

  14. I actually would like to play with some solids. Moda Bella Solids to be exact, so I’d have to list that as my favorite. Lucky you that you got to visit the shop, I love them on line. Thanks for the chance to win.

  15. I would l love to play with Moda’s Sunnyside collection, it’s beautiful. Thanks for the chance to win! I love the porcupines, so cute.

  16. That’s an adorable little quilt — thanks for sharing your tutorial!

    I haven’t managed to buy it yet, so I still want to play with Briar Rose. 🙂

  17. I’ve actually have my fingers crossed that I’ll get my hands on some Hello Tokyo when it comes out later this month. Such a great fussy cut print. I definitely see some a fun quilt out of bundle of those pretties.

  18. Such a gorgeous quilt and a great way to use fat eighths. I would like to get my hands on some Lush Uptown – gorgeous fabrics 🙂

  19. I am totally in love with Poppy Modern… I don’t know what I would make with it… But I simply must have it! Sometimes its nice to dream big!

  20. Twice as Nice is catching my eye…Love your little blanket, those hedgehogs and bikes are so cute. 🙂 Thanks for such a wonderful tute and give-away.

  21. I would love to use Thesaurus and Spring House and Collage. It’s too hard to decide between those three lines, I love them all! 🙂

  22. Love the car quilt!

    I love to have heather Bailey Lottie da, and for the coming soon, I like Joel Dewberry Botanique.

    Gina

  23. Hi! What a beautiful quilt – great pattern to show lovely fabrics! I wish to get Kate Spain’s Sunnyside! thank ypou for a great give away!

  24. I would love to play with some Florence or Gracie Girl. This is the first time I have seen Bluebird Park and it is adorable! Thank you for sharing!

  25. I would love to get my hands on all of her fabrics but my favourite at the moment is Thesaurus. I love text fabric at the moment and this really appeals.
    Julie has such a great shop and her service is brilliant too!! Thanks for sharing this post, I love the car seat cover.

  26. Thank you very much for the wonderful tutorial..
    i love the Enchant Series and Thank you for a chance to win.. 😀

  27. I really like the Bonjour Mon Ami range as it is so pretty and versatile too. The seat cover is amazing, it is great what you can do wit small amounts of fabric. Thanks for a sweet giveaway too, the hedgehog fabric is adorable.

  28. My favorites are Thesaurus Flower Fields and Circle Grids. But also likenIn From the Cold series too. Many thanks for the great giveaway!

  29. So excited to find your blog. What a great project, and on my list for the next friend’s baby. I love the Intrepid Thread, and Sun Prints by Alison Glass is my current “want”. Now I’m off to explore your blog!

  30. I really love acacia and of course blue bird park. What beautiful charity quilts it would make. babscorbitt@ gmail dot com

  31. What a great pattern; your instructions and photos are easy to follow. I’m liking the Collage fabric line. The colors are great and I like the patterns.

  32. I went to Intrepid Thread (amazing website) and my favorite fabric was Bluebird Park because I love the colors and patterns. Thanks for the chance to win!

  33. I am still wanting to play with Briar Rose but I also like Bluebird Park. It looks like it would be a fun fabric to work with. Thank you for sharing.

  34. I love Briar Rose by Heather Ross. Would make a gorgeous dress for my little girl. 🙂 Awesome tutorial! Thanks for the chance.

  35. I love Briar Rose, but I also would love to play with the Kona Cotton sunrise and sunset bundles. Thank you for the tutorial- so cute!

  36. I love, love, love Briar Rose collection – I think the Calicos are my favorites although those froggies are darn cute! Thanks for the tute – great pattern – good baby gift.

  37. Hello. I would love to play with all of the Christmas print fabrics. I love to sew quilted Christmas gifts for family and friends

  38. Oh, what a fun fabric site! I love them all, but I would have to say I would have fun with – Field Day – Bundle in Grey!

  39. I am currently in love with Bluebird Park! I already purchased one charm pack, but having two babies coming along in the family, it would be great to have a couple more and make them two baby quilts! Thanks for this giveaway!

  40. Bluebird Park is the one for me. I have a list of baby quilts to make for some special little someones (yep, a bunch of them, including twins!), and I’m going to be scheming to include Bluebird Park in each of the quilts, I think.

  41. I’ve been wanting to play with a Very Merry Christmas. The colors and prints are so fun and will make a great holiday quilt.

  42. there is so much to choose from but Sunnyside is really beautiful. Thanks for the chance to win this great fabric.

  43. I love Acacia by Tula Pink but the Bluebird Park is so so cute!!
    BTW I made the Sophie car seat quilt for my daughter-in-law and her sister and they love them!!

  44. I would go nuts there and want a little of this and lots of that. I like to get FQ so I can try lots. I love circles and dots. The Christmas fabric was nice. The trees would make great postal cards.

  45. I really love Simply Style and am hoping to get that fabric collection. In the “Coming Soon”, I spotted a cute fabric called Theodore and Izzy that might make some cute things for my Grandchildren.

  46. I love the Sea Glass and Sunnyside collections. And Squared Elements look like a great basic blender! I also really like the scalloped edge print in the Koi collection.

  47. it’s actually Blueberry Park I’m waiting for! I love the rabbits and the hedgehogs. Sunnyside looks like a nice collection too and of course Scrumptious!

  48. New quilter here, thanks for the giveaway! I love the hedgehogs and the Everyday Scissors…what a great fabric shop!

  49. It’s always a hard choice with fabric, I love the cute Bluebird Park prints but I also have my eye on a couple of Briar Rose prints and almost all the Florence ones.

  50. Oh I love this carseat cover! Great design and great fabrics – you’ve done a great job. Thanks for sharing it with us. And thanks to you and Julie for the giveaway! I love so many of the fabrics she has in stock, but especially Glimma. There’s something so refreshing about those earthy colors!

  51. WOW! So much is coming out! Legacy, Dream a little Dream, Enchant, Hello Tokyo, I agree with Andrea Victoria!, True Colors!!!, and Fox field-but that will be awhile! Thanks for the chance to win. I REALLY love this fabric!

  52. I really love the Bluebird Park. I haven’t seen it before and it is so cute!
    Love your tutorial too. Thank You to you and Julie for the great giveaway.
    Hope I win.

  53. I am all about Tula Pink these days, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Acacia! Love the hedgehogs on the Bluebird Park fabric too! Thanks for the giveaway!

  54. I placed an order with The Intrepid Thread yesterday! I really like their online shop. I keep eying the Nordika fat quarter bundle and that may be my next purchase.

  55. What a fantastic post…a tutorial AND a giveaway…woohoo!
    I enjoyed looking at all the fabrics over at Intrepid and will have to get some of the Sunprints text fabrics…love words on quilts. But my fave is probably the Gracie Girl collection…yum! Happy Quilting!

  56. Getting in the spirit of Christmas – I really like “Merry Little Christmas”. It is so festive and vintage. I love Miss Three’s new blanket, I know it will be a treasure long after she out grows her car seat. XOXO

  57. I love what you have created…baby throw for a shopping cart!!! I would love to win this offered bundle!! I do craft fairs and it would seem cool to create something from this bundle…..or several things!!!
    Thanks for the offering!
    Gay ♥

  58. Julie’s shop is awesome and I just finished a quilt with one of her bundles. She’s great at putting fabrics together. I’d love to build my stash with Squared Elements. I’d love to see her shop in person!

  59. I’ve gotten to go to the Intrepid thread a few times and it is a fun place!! I’ve spent too much money there!! 😀 I love the Dovecote line! thanks for hosting!!

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