Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern

It's believed that very small babies respond principally to black and white. If that's true, your favorite newborn will respond with pleasure to the Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt. The finished piece measures approximately 50 X 64 inches. Download a photo and the patterns for the Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt in this four-page PDF.

Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
The Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt brightens the room
with the help of these formally-attired fellows.

You'll Need:

  • 1 yard black solid
  • 1/2 yard white-on-white print
  • 2 yards white solid
  • 1 yard bold black-and-white stripe print
  • 1 yard black-and-white penguin print
  • 31/2 yards coordinating backing fabric
  • 1/2 yard fusible webbing
  • 21/2 yards quilt batting, 54 or 60 inches wide
  • Tracing paper
  • Template plastic
  • Freezer paper
  • Penny
  • Glue
  • Pencil or chopstick
  • Black and white thread
  • 12 tiny squeakers (optional)

See the next page to learn how to take these materials and turn them into an adorable baby quilt.

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How to Make Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern

This exciting high-contrast quilt is sure to stimulate baby during playtime and keep him or her warm and snuggly for quiet time. To get a closer look at the quilt and its patterns, download this four-page PDF of the Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern.

To make the Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern:

  1. Download penguin patterns. Fold tracing paper in half and trace patterns A and B, aligning center edge on fold. Cut out all patterns, including penguin head C. Place alignment line on head even with line on body; tape head in place. Glue penguin and piece B to template plastic and cut out.

  2. Trace penguin onto freezer paper 12 times (6 with heads facing right, 6 facing left). Cut out. Iron freezer paper pieces to wrong side of black fabric. Cut out pieces, leaving 1/4-inch margin of fabric outside penguin. Clip penguin at underarms and along curves.

  3. Trace piece B 12 times on paper side of fusible webbing. Iron webbing to white-on-white. Cut out. For eye, trace penny 12 times onto paper side of fusible webbing. Iron to wrong side of white-on-white; cut out. Cut twelve 121/2-inch squares from white.

  4. From black-and-white stripe print, cut sixteen 21/2 X 121/2-inch strips for vertical sashes and five 21/2 X 45-inch strips for horizontal sashes. From penguin print, cut six 31/2 X 45-inch strips for borders and six 31/2 X 45-inch strips for binding.

  5. Press 1/4-inch seam allowances under for all penguin bodies. Fold 12 white squares in half and press lightly to crease. Remove freezer paper from penguin and lay penguin on square, using center crease as guide. Head and feet will be near top and bottom of each square (at least 1/4 inch away from each). Pin to square. Make 12.

  6. Using black thread, machine stitch around edges of penguins, being careful that all edges are folded under. Remove paper from B pieces. Place on penguin, right side up. Center belly piece and fuse. With white thread in sewing machine set to satin or close zigzag, stitch around all edges.

  7. Peel paper off 12 penny-shaped eye pieces. Place eye on each penguin and fuse. With white thread and satin stitch, stitch around all eyes.

  8. Cut 2-inch slit in fabric behind belly appliqué -- don't cut through white fabric! Stuff 5 X 5-inch square of batting, using pencil or chopstick, into slit. Push batting to edges of belly. If desired, insert tiny squeaker into each belly. Stuff all bellies, but don't sew slits shut. Lay out completed blocks in 4 rows of 3, using finished quilt illustration below as guide.

    Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern
    ©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
    Penguin Frolic Baby Quilt Pattern

  9. Sew 121/2-inch strip of black-and-white stripe print to right edge of each penguin block. Sew sashed blocks together into 4 horizontal rows of 3 blocks each. Sew remaining four 21/2 X 121/2-inch strips to left side of each row. Press seams toward sashes. Sew 45-inch strips of black-and-white stripe print to top of each 3-block row and to bottom of last row. Press seams toward sashes. Pin and sew 4 rows together.

  10. Measure quilt from center top down to bottom edge. This is the measurement for borders of 2 long sides. Sew six 31/2-inch strips of penguin print together end to end. Press seams in 1 direction. Cut 2 strips to measurement. Pin and sew strips to long edges. Press seams toward border. Measure from center of each long edge across to opposite edge. This is the measurement for top and bottom borders. Cut 2 strips to measurement. Pin and sew to quilt. Press seams toward border.

  11. Cut 51 X 65-inch piece backing fabric. Layer quilt front, batting, and back; baste.

  12. Quilt around outline of penguins and around outside of bellies and 1/4 inch on inside of bellies. Echo quilt around penguin bodies, spacing quilt lines about 3/4 inch from each other. For borders, trace penguin head pattern around borders in chalk and quilt. On striped borders, quilt along 1 edge of each black stripe.

  13. From penguin print, cut six 33/4-inch strips for binding. See How to Quilt to stitch binding to quilt.

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