Little girls and their baby quilt just go hand in hand with buttons and bows - right? Think again.
Those pink and lacy decorations create a baby quilt with the little girl or princess touch. A bow here or a few small buttons there are lovely adornments. How could these few, simple additions, which dress up the baby quilt, become such a hazard to a baby or a young child?
A child loves to play with anything they can touch and pull on. No matter how securely you place and sew on the buttons with good quilting thread. Over time they will wear with the constant everyday child's play and eventually be pulled off. The buttons can be easily be swallowed by the child.
Ribbons and bows can also become a problem but they do not have to be detached to become a hazard. Babies can twist their little fingers in and around the ribbon cutting off the circulation to their small hands or even the toes. During sleep these small fingers and toes can be caught in the bow causing the same loss of blood flow to the extremity. Even though, as in a button, the quilter might securely attach the bow to the baby quilt, over time these bows and ribbons will also become loose and break from overuse. Depending on the length of the ribbon, strangulation could result if the child were to put the ribbon around their neck.
If you plan to have the quilt as wall hanging with all the buttons, bows, and other attachments that would bring out the best of your work because little fingers will not have access to these tiny little parts, think carefully. As you secure these attachments to the baby quilt, do so with quilting thread and be sure you have knotted them tightly in place. Many families place a wall quilt over the baby's crib or cradle and having any of these attachment falls off would be dangerous to the child. If the quilt hangs low enough for a toddler to crib and those ribbons are within their grasp, these become a source of enticement to pull and play with them. Hence, the problems that result in cutting off the circulation or possible strangulation are still within the baby's reach.
Little girls with their buttons and bows are probably best left to story books until they are older. Safety should be first when designing your baby quilts.
Come and choose one our handmade children's quilts, a lasting keepsake, a unique birthday gift, or Christening gift, for that special "little one." Visit my website: http://www.uniquebabyquiltboutique.com/ and chose of one unique handmade children's quilt from my collection for your child's birthday or other special event.Sharon Camp, The "BabyQuiltLady," has been quilting for over 30 years.
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