The Starting Point:
This project began with the simple desire to make something personal for a friend’s baby. When thinking about what to gift, a quilt felt like the most fitting choice, a handmade object created slowly and with care. I love the idea of a baby quilt as a companion through different stages of life: something that can offer comfort in the early years, wrapped around small shoulders and perhaps even kept long after its practical use has passed.
The inspiration:
The friend is living in the Middle East, and the moon felt like a meaningful place to begin. One of the things that stood out to me while spending time there was how different the moon feels compared to the UK. It feels larger in presence, brighter in the night sky, and often glowing with vivid tones of red, pink, and gold. I intend to let these colours find their way into this quilt, where repeating half circles echo lunar phases and cycles. Islam also follows a lunar calendar (the Hijri calendar), where the sighting of the moon determines the start of months and guides important moments such as Ramadan and the Hajj. Altogether, this felt especially fitting for a baby quilt: comforting, symbolic, and care.
The design:
The colours I plan to use will be bold blocks softened by gentle tones, giving the quilt a distinctly modern feel. The design will echo my friend (the baby’s mum) whose textured plaster artwork has a strong architectural quality, combining structure with abstraction. The crisp circular shapes, created through stark contrast against a neutral, softly textured white background, will allow the colours to truly shine while reinforcing that contemporary look. This contrast will not only reflect the structural, architectural nature of her artwork, but will also mirror the experience of seeing the moon suspended against the night sky.
I originally planned for all the circles to face the same direction. However, after spending time on Pinterest, I came across an image of a cushion design by Campbell Soup Diary where the circles were rotated by 90 degrees. That simple shift had such a strong visual impact that I knew I needed to alter my original design — even though it meant unpicking my blocks and reattaching them.
I was particularly drawn to Bauhaus principles. I loved how it achieved such bold visual impact while staying true to simple geometric forms, and how rotating the blocks enhanced the sense of movement and balance.
Materials used:
- Thread
- Fabric scissors
- Rotary cutter
- Circle ruler
- Quilting ruler
- Array of cotton fabric
- Backing cuddle fleece fabric
- The Warm Company Warm 100 Cotton Wadding
- Cotton binding
The Sewing:
At the start of the project, I was torn between using appliqué, which is where smaller pieces of fabric are overlaid and stitched on top of a larger background, and patchwork quilting, which involves sewing fabric pieces side by side so that the seams are hidden from the front of the quilt. I ultimately chose patchwork quilting, even though it can be more complex, as it requires careful accuracy to ensure the size and shape of each block fit together neatly. Despite the extra challenge, I personally prefer the finish it gives: cleaner lines, crisp edges, and no risk of fabric fraying, which can sometimes occur with appliqué.
Using a circular ruler proved invaluable for this project, as it ensured all of the circles were uniform and consistent. There was some trial and error in finding the right combination of circle size and outer background block, as patchwork quilting relies on seam alignment rather than the edges of the fabric pieces themselves.
When sewing the half circles into the background blocks, I found it especially important to match the mid‑points of both pieces. Starting from the centre and working outwards helped maintain the curve of the circle and ensured the pieces came together smoothly, without this, it was all too easy for the block to end up slightly skew‑whiff.
tHE Quilting:
I was inspired by the reserved quilting style of Campbell Soup Diary, stitching parallel to the direction of the half circles, which allows the crispness of the shapes to shine through while reinforcing the clean, geometric feel of the quilt.
The final piece:
I’m really happy with how this quilt turned out. I love the style and colour palette, and I think the finished piece has a strong visual impact. It feels true to the modern, simple look I was aiming for, with a subtle nod to the inspiration of the moon without being too literal. The vivid colour used for the binding adds an extra lift and helps the quilt really pop, while the soft cuddle fleece backing gives it an added sense of comfort and cosiness.
To finish the piece, I embroidered the baby’s name and the year it was made, with the hope that it might become a companion throughout his life. The final quilt size ended up being 43″ by 42″, making it both practical for everyday use and special enough to be held onto long after.
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