Making Doll Quilts

Many quilters nowadays are creating smaller projects, like wall hangings, postcards, mini quilts, and framed fabric art.  Fabric and fiber artists often seem to be getting away from the larger bed quilts.

However, as I think about it, the small quilts aren’t entirely new.  My grandmother made quilts for my sister’s and my dolls.  She took the scraps from her larger quilts and other sewing, then created these tiny coverlets for us. 

We loved them and used them.  Unfortunately they wore out, so I didn’t find them with the few dolls’ clothes my mom had saved as memorabilia from our childhood.

However, these could be called the mini quilts of a generation or two ago.  We didn’t consider them art, just something Nanny made with love and gave us for our dolls.  You also could make tiny quilts, trying out various patterns, for youngsters in your life.

The following books do give you ideas for patterns and directions:

Great Little Quilts: 45 Antique Crib & Doll-Size Quilts with Patterns and Directions by Eleanor Levie.

Small Endearments: Nineteenth Century Quilts for Children and Dolls by Sandi Fox.