"Charming" Animal Baby Quilt

I have been participating in a charm square swap. I send charms (5" squares) to 10 people and they send them to me. I have accumulated quite a pile in several months. While on retreat, I was sorting through and thought I had enough juvenile animal charms for a baby quilt.

My friend Barbara was working on a version of "Disappearing 9 Patch" on retreat and I decided to do this version for the quilt. It is simple: just make 9 patch blocks and cut them in half vertically and horizontally. Re-arrange and sew into new, more interesting blocks.

Here is a single block. The yellow made up 4 of the squares and the animal prints the other 5 of the 9-patch. I originally cut black Kona cotton, but then I decided black might not be great for babies and used the cheerful yellow.
This will be donated to my Guild's "Comfort Closet" to give a newborn a cozy start.

Tiny Baby Grow!

I am always looking for new patterns for preemies, to donate to Wee Care. I sometimes wonder if parents of boys/modern moms would like a knit option as opposed to the lovely smocked gowns. I know in New England, smocking isn't common even on girls, nevermind boys. I found this free pattern for a knit sleeper. I think in England these are called a "baby grow". I think that's a great name for a preemie outfit, since growing is their primary job! Anyways, this is an easy and  quick little pattern due to the lack of gussets or shaped feet. I need to try it on a doll, but it looks like it is nicely proportioned.

Here it is next to my iphone 5- not as big as the iphone 6 or 7! It is probably about 12" long total, so maybe it would fit a 3-4 lb baby? I want to try it again in a boyish knit.

It fastens with just 2 little Kam snaps. It is true what everyone says- the Kam snaps are easy to apply and I like the plastic for casual baby wear, since there is no danger of metal prongs if they come undone.
What do you think? Would  a preemie parent like this option?

Pretty Smocked Baby Gown

I smocked this little baby gown for Wee Care. It has been a work in progress for awhile. Like so many of my projects, it just needs a hem and fastenings.

It is white Imperial batiste. I had always wanted to try this embroidery design, from Vermillion. They have the loveliest cross-stitch designs I have ever seen for machine embroidery. In fact, they also offer charts for hand cross-stitch- but that would take me too long.

The white shadow is the stabilizer I need to wash out. This design is actually 1/2 of the original, which is a square of ribbons. Possibly because I cut it in half, it stitched with many jumps and traveling stitches, but I love it anyway!!

I smocked a few simple rows to match the colors in the embroidery and bound the neck and sleeves with bits of yellow cotton gingham left-overs from another dress.