My Birthday Quilt Tradition

It all started after I made a few quilts and knew that I would want to have a special one for myself, but I didn’t know exactly how I would be able to select that one…

It was 2020, I had been sewing since 2016 but had never made a quilt before. After sewing many bags and masks during those years, it was time for me to learn something new.

I made my first quilt top in March and April of 2020, it finished so large that I could not quilt it on my small domestic sewing machine at the time, so I tucked it in my closet for almost a year when I finally decided to send it to a long arm quilter, and it is the only quilt that I have not quilted myself from over 100 quilts I’ve made to date from wall hangers to large throw sizes.

After making that quilt top that I couldn’t quilt, I made another quilt, a bit smaller, like a throw size to practice free motion quilting. I finished it and felt ready to keep quilting in order to improve my skills.

I started making baby quilts and I absolutely loved it! I made several and sold all of them (thanks to so many costumers I had from selling bags and masks in the previous years), I was so excited, but also felt like it was time to make something a bit more challenging.

I decided I wanted a quilt that I would be able to use to cover myself, or to hang out on the couch reading a book, large enough but that I could quilt it myself. After diving into the world of quilting, I wanted to make something that not only would represent my personal style, but would also be just mine.

I chose to make the Carpenter’s Star quilt from Jenny’s tutorial on Youtube without the borders, I had just a small sewing machine at the time, I had to make it work.

I pieced and quilted it with free motion quilting on my small Brother sewing machine (the one in the picture below). For the top I used second hand floral fabrics and a white bed sheet for background, and a floral light blue bed sheet for backing.

It was the beginning of August 2020 when I finished piecing this quilt, and August is my birthday month. I was absolutely loving the quilt. This quilt was coming out just as I wanted, I would actually be able to use it as planned because even though I made it without the borders from the original pattern, it still finished at 71in square, pretty large and challenging for the sewing machine I had at the time.

And that’s how my first Birthday quilt was born!!! When I saw it finished, just a few weeks from my birthday I knew I would want a special ONE every year, and that’s how I started my Birthday Quilt tradition.

For the second year, 2021, I hadn’t planned anything and the truth is, I had decided not to continue with the tradition as I was grieving my father’s death. I didn’t feel motivated or have had any idea what type of pattern I wanted to work on for such a special project this was meant to be.

It was July when my quilty friend told me about a quilt along from Tied With a Ribbon for the Confetti quilt pattern. She proposed we did it together (this is a dear quilty friend of mine that lives in Brazil). She would do it there and I would do it here, and we’d keep each other accountable. This was a blessed proposal, I couldn’t refuse and best of all, this one would be my 2021 birthday quilt!

I used Kona solids and a printed fabric I found at a thrift store, from Hoffman Fabric collection called ‘Rainbow Batik’, that is not actual batik, but it has a batik look. Someone from Hoffman Fabric told me this was a collection released in the late 80s and it was very popular through the early 90s.

For the backing I used another second hand printed fabric that I have no idea who the manufacturer or collection was, unfortunately.

After making these 2 quilts, I decided every birthday quilt would have to be colorful or scrappy, and I didn’t really have to choose an specific pattern, I could create my own. So for the 3rd quilt, 2022 I used traditional granny square blocks and scrappy borders that I designed myself.

Back in 2021 and 2022 I was working on many different projects with different fabric companies and designers, which I am happy to say it still continues today, so for that quilt, I chose to make each block using fabrics from each of the collections I was working with at the time. As I made 16 blocks, but had less collections than that, I also used some blocks to put together my favorite selections of vintage and second hand fabrics from my personal stash. For the backing I used muslin fabric.

For the border of this quilt, I used what is commonly called “fabric tape”, it’s when you sew scrap fabric strips to paper receipt rolls (or light interfacing rolls, so no paper tearing is needed). and use them for a variety of different projects, I like using it to make quilt sashing and borders.

I love quilts set ‘on point’, so I used this layout. Overall, my excitement about this tradition returned in full power, as I was able to make my 3rd birthday quilt meaningful again!

For this year’s quilt (2023) I knew what fabrics I wanted from the beginning of the year. Since several months ago (or maybe since over a year ago?), I have been obsessed with Lori Holt fabric collections for Riley Blake Designs, all the vintage vibes and her wonderful colors stole my heart and I knew I had to make my 4th quilt using one of her collections.

It was around that time that I had made a project and blog post for Riley Blake Designs using Bee Vintage collection, you can see this post here. The quilt along for this collection was right before my birthday and I had already been crazy about the collection, so at that point I had set what specific project I was going to make.

This is an applique quilt, so even though I used machine applique technique, it still took a bit longer to complete. I worked on this quilt from July to the end of September. I changed the original style of the sashing and also did a pieced backing, as I noticed last minute I wouldn’t have backing fabric enough to cover the 64in x 76in that the quilt top finished at.

I free motion quilted it and for the binding I used large running stitches. This quilt is pure JOY!

For each of these quilts, I add a custom label I sew using the letters on my sewing machine.

I always add the year and the title ‘Birthday Quilt’ plus my regular quilt label.

I almost forgot to mention that I generally start my birthday quilts one or two months before my birthday that is in the end of August. I try to be loyal to my personal style, to free myself of any trends and to make what makes me happy.

In general, I have never had any specific traditions that I followed, except for stuff we generally do on holidays, for example. One of my dreams growing up was having some traditions of my own, and today I have a number of them! I love bringing home a fridge magnet and a keychain from every trip I take, I bake apple pie every first week of Fall, I always make a handmade birthday card for my husband, just to name a few.

The Birthday Quilt tradition is so special to me because I see it in a way that I am keeping these quilts safe. When I will no longer be able to enjoy them, people will know (if the label is kept at least), that this was a special quilt, whoever owns it in the future will know these quilts had a purpose and they were loved for a specific reason, and by a specific person.

We quilters make hundreds of quilts, some of us thousands. I particularly want to have my own few quilts, with my memories imprinted on each through the process I cherish so much while making them. The details I told you in this post about each one are just a few details. I have many more wonderful things to tell about them, and I can’t wait to do so for the years to come, and many more quilts to come, God willing.

I hope this post has inspired you to start and create new traditions, and maybe your birthday quilt tradition!!

Thank you for reading, for allowing me to share this piece of history of my life and for enjoying my work.

Stay blessed.

Daisi Toegel