If you’re a new grandparent who quilts or your family is expecting a new baby soon, you’re likely planning a special quilt for the new arrival. Adding a coordinated stuffed animal to your quilt can create the ultimate new baby gift: you’ll keep them snuggly warm and give them a first friend!

Our first blog post featuring quilt and toy combos was so popular that we’re back with a second installment ~> AND we’ve expanded the featured quilts to include some LESS traditional options, such as minky blankets, panel quilts, and even a toy made from an upcycled old quilt.

Let’s take a look…

 

Lots of Quilters Sew a Funky Friend as their First Toy Project!

If you’re new to sewing both quilts and soft toys, here’s a great example of how to ease into both projects. To make a quilt without too much patchwork, Kristie Pierce used “quilt panel” fabric, which has large designs that you can top stitch. She chose the Baby Bunny pattern which is an easy pattern without too many pieces, plus it was designed to be baby-safe and just the right size for infants.

 

Ben Darby also used the Baby Bunny pattern as one of his first toy sewing projects, and he paired Baby Bunny with this beautiful quilt and a few other toys. What a lucky kid to get this gift set!

Click HERE to buy the Baby Bunny pattern.

 

And Audrey Gorvett made a colorful statement with her first Funky Friend! She sewed Digger Dachshund using cartoon character fabric that ties in with the bright yellows and reds on the quilt.

Click HERE to buy the Dachshund pattern.

 

 

Elephants on Parade!

Everyone loves elephants, so they’re a natural subject for baby quilts. Elise Luce added a fluffy Ellie Eephant made in faux fur to her pastel alphabet block quilt. She also added crinkle plastic to Ellie’s ears for sensory play!

Here’s another vibrant Ellie Elephant and quilt combo. Mary Shaw paired a hot pink Ellie with an eye-catching quilt featuring some neon pink, showing that all baby quilts need to be pastel!

 

Sharon Hale also used Tula Pink fabric for her Ellie Elephant and quilt combo. I love the mix of green and pink! 💗💚

 

Judi Mullen sewed this striking Ellie Elephant with batik fabric ears to match the back of her colorful quilt.

Click HERE to buy the Elephant pattern.

 

 

Any Animal Makes a Great Quilt Combo Gift!

Mitch Monkey has enduring appeal as a baby gift due to his floppy limbs and friendly face. Cindy Smit sewed up a baby-safe Mitch with felt eyes to accompany her adorable monkey quilt.

Click HERE too buy the Monkey pattern.

 

 

If you’re looking for a trendy gift, a highland cow theme will fit the bill. Cindy Breaux Breville made this adorable Harmony Highland Cow to go with the fun texture of a rag quilt.

Click HERE to buy the Highland Cow Pattern

 

Looking for a gift idea with a little more “bite”? This amazing shark quilt looks fantastic paired with Sammy Shark, both sewn by Elise Luce.

Click HERE to buy the Shark Pattern.

 

 

Carrie Anciaux chose Kiki Koala to match one of the animals represented on this quilt for her newborn grand-niece. The tiny pink bow on Kiki’s ear is a cute touch.

Click HERE to buy the Koala pattern.

 

Wonderful Woodland animals & quilts!

Woodland animal theme fabric gives you lots of options when selecting a coordinating Funky Friend. Mariah Wagner chose Sue Squirrel to match this pretty purple quilt, which features birth stats on one side.

Click HERE to buy the Squirrel pattern.

 

Not a quilter? Try a “blanket” gift combo!

You don’t have to know how to do patchwork quilting to make a cute blanket & toy combo gift. Ann Wall embroidered a puppy on a dimple minky blanket and paired it with a Puppy Dog Pete toy with denim accents.

Click HERE to buy the Puppy Dog pattern.

 

Some quilt shops sell large fabric panels big enough to serve as the entire front of a blanket. Kathleen Hailey backed a nautical themed fabric panel with blue fleece and then made a matching William Whale toy.

Click HERE to buy the Whale pattern.

 

When Kathy Ghavimi decided to donate a baby gift to a charity auction, she sewed up Fifi Fox and paired her with a blanket, washcloths, and burp cloths!

Click HERE to buy the Fox Pattern

 

Have Quilting Skills? Try These Funky Friends!

If you’re a quilter who has never sewn a 3D toy before, the Silly Scrap Snake Sewing Pattern is a good place to start. You can use your existing quilting skills, such as matching up fabrics and sewing strong, straight lines. Elise Luce used fabrics from multiple quilt projects in this gift set.

Click HERE to buy the Scrap Snake Sewing Pattern.

 

 

If you enjoy free-motion quilting or topstitching, you can put those skills to work making Belinda Butterfly. Belinda’s wings include a top stitching template, and you can make the design as easy or complex as you want. Amy Smith presented Belinda along with a gorgeous matching quilt.

 

Sandy Cline added applique hearts on Belinda Butterfly‘s wings as part of a gift for her grand-niece. Sandy used remnants from the baby quilt she made so the toy would match.

Click HERE to buy the Butterfly Sewing Pattern

 

Finally, some upcycled quilt gifts!

A lot of work went into this memory toy and quilt combo, both made from neck ties! Cora Turner used the free Honey Teddy pattern to compliment the quilt.

 

Looking for a FREE easy teddy bear pattern?

Honey Teddy Bear is a free pattern that I give to my newsletter subscribers as a thank you gift. If you haven’t got the pattern already – scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up for my newsletter.

 

And a toy sewn from a quilt!

I’ve seen several toys made from upcycled quilts of the years, and I especially like this Easter Bunny Buddy sewn by Kim Maddern. Kim transformed a great-grandmother’s quilt into a gift for her great-grandson’s first Easter.

Click HERE to buy the Easter Bunny sewing pattern.

 

Want to win a
FREE toy pattern?

 

It’s so EASY to enter the Pattern GIVEAWAY!

 

ALL you need to do is post a photo of a FUNKY FRIENDS FACTORY toy that you have made on the Funky Friends Factory Facebook Page .

At the end of each month I draw a winner and post the winner’s name on the Blog the following MONTH. I have an Album on Facebook for all the MAKEROFTHEMONTH winners. You can check it out HERE!

 

 

NOT on Facebook? ENTER by email! 😀

*** You can send me your photos by email too!

 

So come on! Share your photos  ~> The next winner could be YOU!

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Till next time,

Happy Sewing,
Pauline
xxx