Sewing a Special Gift for My Daughter (Liberty Bow Quilt)

Finding the right gift to mark a milestone in your child’s life can feel overwhelming—how do you capture all the love, pride, and hopes wrapped up in a single moment?

For my daughter’s big senior year milestone, the answer came unexpectedly in the shape of a bow quilt block. Bows are everywhere in 2025 (have you noticed?), plus she adores them. The moment I saw the block, I knew it had to be part of her gift. It was stylish, personal, and meaningful all at once — exactly what I was looking for.

As sewists, we all wish for that perfect moment: when what we make is not only loved, but cherished. Of course, I hoped she'd like the soft, delicate Liberty of London Tana Lawns I picked (even if I know not every print might be her first choice). But more than that, I wanted her to feel seen. I wanted her to hold something in her hands that said, “You are loved. You are worth the time. You are worth the effort.”

When I finally gave it to her, my heart swelled. She lit up immediately — excited by the bows, the colors, the beauty of the quilt. But then, something even better happened when her brother said she made the quilt. She paused, looked up, and asked, “How?”

Not, “How did you sew this?” (our kids know we can sew, right?!) but: “How did you find the time?”

That question meant everything.

In the midst of senior year chaos — college apps, final dances, deadlines — I had carved out quiet time just for her. And she saw that. She felt it.

That kind of reaction is what pulls us back to our sewing machines time and time again. Not just to make something beautiful, but to pour our hearts into a gift that speaks even louder than words.

Because at the end of the day, a quilt isn’t just fabric stitched together. It’s time. It’s intention. It’s love.

Fun little side note: When I gifted this quilt, I happened to be wearing a Liberty dress that perfectly matched one of the blue bow blocks (Mrs. Stoneley B). She noticed right away and lit up: “You matched your dress to my quilt?!” I had to laugh and admit—it was a total coincidence! I wasn’t that organized. If you’re curious, the dress was made by Love the Label and I bought it from one of my favorite spots - K McCarthy boutique in Nashville.

Supplies

Pattern: Bow or Ribbon Quilt Block by HandmadeQuiltsNGoods Bow Fabric: Liberty Tana Lawn in 7 coordinating prints for blue blocks, and 7 for pink blocks *For this quilt, I wanted to keep the fabric selection minimal to let the bow blocks shine and create a soft, cohesive look. I used just a few carefully chosen Liberty prints, paired with solid backgrounds to keep things calm and timeless.

Solid White Fabric: White Pima Broadcloth

Binding: 2 1/2" x various lengths (Liberty same as the bows) to create the binding, that I tacked down by hand

Backing Fabric: Emma & Georgina N - one of my favorite pink Liberties in the quilt blocks

*Available at childrenscornerstore.com while supplies last.

Specs for my Twin Sized Quilt

7 coordinating Liberty prints for blue blocks: 1/4yd each

7 coordinating Liberty prints for pink blocks: 1/4yd each

White Pima Broadcloth background: 5.5 yards

Backing Liberty: 5.5 yards

I created 15 pink and 15 blue bows of the 12" x 12" blocks. I added 3" rows between each block and alternated pink and blue block across full quilt. This became a final size of 68" x 90" for a twin comforter. I used a different Liberty for the center of the bow of each block. To finish, I cut 2.5" strips and sewed together as the binding.

Project by Emily Douglas

Click the printer icon below for printable version.