A little backstory: A couple of years ago, I found out I was pregnant for the first time at the doctor's office. Unfortunately, I miscarried not long after. I was absolutely devastated. And then it happened again, not long after. It was a particularly dark season of life (I talk more about this in my personal blog). This time a friend of mine told me about the Rainbow Baby - a baby born after a miscarriage, like a rainbow after a storm - and introduced me to an online community of other mamas who had experienced pregnancy or infant loss. It was so wonderful being a part of this community! Listening to their stories of loss, sharing my own, and sharing moments of hope glimmering to encourage each other through the loss. As I processed my grief, I allowed myself to be consumed by quilting and the quilting process, growing as a pattern designer. Baby quilts and baby quilt patterns were (and still are!) my favourite to make, and I spent a significant part of my time as a quilter making them.
About a year-ish later, we had our own little miracle child, a rainbow baby, who was born after loss(es). Through my losses and birth of my rainbow baby, I had the privilege of connecting with so many mamas, both online and in person, and sharing my story. They in turn told me their own stories of loss and hope. This year my heart has been so full as many of these mamas have welcomed rainbow babies or are waiting for the birth of their rainbow babies. Listening to these stories of hope, and reflecting on my own, I wanted to create a quilt pattern for a baby quilt that captured these emotions. One afternoon of sketching, and the Rainbow Stars Baby Quilt was born. I do want to acknowledge that it is not a guarantee every mama who experiences loss will go on to also experience the birth of a rainbow, and I know there are many mamas (and dads) out there who are currently in a season of loss - I see you. But I also want to take a moment to celebrate the rainbow babies, the babies born after the storm. The pregnancies filled with hope and anxiety (I talk more about my experiences of pregnancy as a loss mama on this blog). This quilt, the Rainbow Stars Baby Quilt, is dedicated to these precious babies and their precious mamas.
About the Rainbow Stars Baby Quilt
Let's talk about the quilt pattern itself. I wanted to make this a beginner friendly quilt pattern, a quilt which comes together quickly, with not too much in terms of fabric requirements. I also wanted a larger-than-normal baby quilt, so it could grow with bub, a customizable quilt so makers could add their own personal touches to the quilt and one that uses larger cuts of fabric to showcase some truly yummy fabric prints out there! I do believe this quilt checks all these boxes.
The stars add a touch of skill to the quilt, which is otherwise a super beginner friendly quilt (i.e., this could be your very first quilt!). Any of the star blocks can be swapped out for a letter initial, adding the possibility of customization, and as a quilt that finishes at 40" by 52", it is on the larger side, compared to other baby quilts. For my cover quilt, I opted for colours that are not quite rainbow colours, so it is a slightly understated rainbow, but you can make this with rainbow colour fabrics to make it a true rainbow quilt. My husband is a big fan of bird fabrics, so I went with a bird themed quilt, with fabrics by Jocelyn Proust (available at Spotlight Stores) featuring some lovely Aussie birds, but the possibilities truly are endless! Even with the size of the quilt, you can get away with using 1/4 yd or 1/4 metres of fabric for the main fabrics in this quilt and you do not need to piece or purchase double wide backing fabric for the quilt backing - win, win!
I love how this quilt has turned out, and I look forward to making more!
To make this quilt, get the quilt pattern here in my Etsy store: Rainbow Stars Baby Quilt or type this in your browser: https://cecesquiltsandthings.etsy.com/listing/1718065988
You can also browse through my other baby quilt patterns here: Etsy Shop or type this in your browser: https://cecesquiltsandthings.etsy.com
Don't feel like you are able to make this quilt yourself (you really can, I promise!)? I can make one for you! Fill out this form and I will get back to you: https://forms.gle/JjJfZZiqZ9WZAZnh9
Happy Sewing!
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