The Finished Product

So here is the final quilt. I showed it to my hubby and he "ooh, I get a new quilt!" I am pretty happy about how the whole thing came together. You can see in the second picture how much the denim frayed after one wash and two trips through the dryer.

A few lessons I learn:

I will be avoiding the light weight, stretchy denim the next time I make one. Even though the flannel has a tendency to grip whatever material, the stretchy fabric had a tendency to move.

One thing I didn't really think about was a seam around the outside edge. I will add it before the next wash. I'm not sure why I didn't think about it. I mean, what else will keep the fraying in check?

I didn't seem to have any issues with the fact that I didn't prewash the fabrics. There didn't seem to be any excessive shrinkage. I did notice that the colors of flannel seemed less vibrant. Also, I noticed the flannel picked up a lot of the little lint pills that came out of the dryer. Those are not always easy to get off.

If you are going to be washing this kind of blanket in your home washer and dryer, be prepared to pull a lot of lint out of both machines. And you will probably have to continue pulling tons of lint every time you wash it. Small price to pay though.

This blanket didn't turn out as heavy as I was expecting it to be. This is probably just because of the denim I used. I don't know that I will be jumping to make another of these in the immediate future. It's not that it was any more difficult than a regular quilt. I will say that personally, denim is not my favorite material to use. I will make another one but I will probably wait a couple of months before tackling another one of these. I have plenty of denim to work with!

So there is all that. It was an experience and one that was not as easy as I was hoping nor as difficult as I was expecting. But one I will be willing to try again.

I am going to taking the rest of this week off to focus on a big home improvement project and on family with Thanksgiving being just a few days away. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! I will be back next week to start preparing for the Christmas season... So many possible projects to work on!

Almost done...

The quilt is in the home stretch. With the blocks being pieced and put together, the size of the blanket is becoming clear and I can start seeing how my seam allowance wasn't exactly perfect. Of course, I didn't really stress about keeping them perfect. But that's okay.

I actually like the little imperfections that can be found in this quilt. I like them because they add to the homemade feel. I like that the imperfections show that someone took the time to make it rather than just went out and bought it. So, if you are kinda new to sewing or trying this style for the first time, don't stress about imperfections! Take pride in what you do, practice it and you will do just fine.

Okay, now that the little pep talk is done, I gotta show you the next step in the process. Clipping the seams is one of the last steps in the process. This step helps the material fray and become soft. It gives it the classic rag quilt look. You can see that I opted to have the seams on the denim side. I thought, when cuddling under the blanket, having the soft and flannel close to the body would be so much nicer.

Clipping the fabric can be pretty tedious. It seems to be much easier with the wider seam allowance. Especially if you separate the layers. I noticed in researching the process, the pictures of people clipping the seams all made it look so easy. Using the tips of the scissors like you could just sail right through it.

Well, you can't. The only way to really use just the tips of the scissors is to cut each layer of material individual. At least, that is the way it worked for me. That would have taken way too long. So, being very careful, I cut through all four layers by moving the seam further down the scissors. Yes I had to be much more careful, but I think it helped me get through it faster.

Anyway, tomorrow I will show you the finished product and give you some points based on what I learned through the process.

Let the Sewing Begin...

 Now that all the squares are cut, it is time for me to get to work sewing everything together. Here you can see two of the blocks I have assembled. (One is flannel side up and the other is denim up.)

You can see the quilt pattern is a super simple checkerboard. I really like this because this quilt doesn't need to be extra difficult to put together, just warm when it's done.

From my research I learned that you don't really have to do any traditional quilting on these types of throws. I opted to sew an "X" through each 6.5" block before assembling my finished blocks. I did this pretty much just for looks, and to help me hold my material straight as I pieced the blocks together.

The second picture is a close up of the back of the block. As you can see, I wasn't stressed about getting everything lined up perfectly. I feel this type of project will be fairly forgiving, of course I won't know for sure until I am all the way done.

At any rate, I am piecing this as I would any other quilt, except I am using a roughly 1/2" seam allowance. All that extra allowance is what will be frayed and fuzzy looking in the finished project. So far, I am happy with how this is going together, but I will have to see how I feel after putting some of the blocks together. I am noticing that sometimes, just because of the thickness of the materials, these can be a little difficult to get through the sewing machine.

When all the blocks are done, it will be time to assemble the whole quilt. I will work on that part tomorrow. For now, I'll focus on getting my twenty blocks (made from 80 smaller blocks) finished. Then I'll start being happy that it is almost done!

The Tedious Part...

I'm one of those people that loves instant gratification. Today's part of the quilt was a little difficult for me, just because it was so tedious! I had to cut all the material!!! I know - it's hardly traumatic for a person that enjoys quilting, I just don't like it.

Anyway, I decided to use 6 1/2" squares for my quilt. For the 44"x55" quilt, I figured I would need about 80 total squares, so I set to work cutting my 6.5" squares out of both the denim and the flannel.

 Here you can see that each stack is about the same height, which might hint at the fact that I used a lightweight denim. All the denim squares were cut from the legs of the pants.

(I am working on a project for the pockets that were left over. I really don't like wasting anything that I can use. Stay tuned and see how that works out!)

In the close up picture you can also see the different shades of denim. You will notice that there is a total of 40 yellow flannel squares and 20 of each red and brown. The reason for this is that I had more yellow on hand.

From what I have gathered, denim and flannel quilts each lend themselves nicely to simple square patterns. So that is what I am going with - a nice simple checkerboard pattern.

Once you have your squares cut, take a break. I did! Tomorrow we start sewing, which won't be that difficult, but again a little time consuming. Of course, by the end of the week, it will be nice to have a quilt to cuddle under. I will just keep reminding myself that the gratification may not be instant, but it still won't take that long!

Upcycling For Warmth

It has been getting cold out there. You can't deny it, winter is upon us. I try to clean out my house in the fall to make room for all the new toys and treats I will get over the holiday season. This year, the cleaning out includes a pile of jeans that have been either worn out or just don't fit anymore. The first thing that came to mind was a denim quilt. Of course I've also been itching to do a flannel quilt, so I compromised and am doing a denim and flannel rag quilt.

So this week is all about the process of making such a quilt. Kind of a week long tutorial based on my experience. Naturally, the first step is gather your materials. I have a ton of denim floating around the house, so I gathered up the lightweight pairs of jeans for this quilt. I really don't want it to be overly heavy. (Afterall, with the fireplace we have, we don't need super heavy blankets!)

You can see there are different shades of denim in the mix which I think will help create an interesting pattern in the finished quilt. In all, I used five pairs of jeans.

I lucked out on the flannel. I found four remnants, each just about a yard. I bought them when I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them but wanted to do something autumn-ish. At any rate, those are the colors I used. Fortunately, I won't have to worry about batting for this quilt, which I really like because it is one less expense. I didn't use all of the flannel, but I'm sure I will use the left overs for something else. In all, I believe I used a little less than three and a half yards.

For those of you playing along at home, on the first day you just need to find your supplies and wash and dry them. My research showed that nearly everyone says to wash it. I only saw one site (a fabric store) that didn't say to wash it. So I am going to skip the washing step and by the end of the week, we'll know if that was a mistake or not!

To recap, you need:

-multiple pairs of jeans (don't buy them, use what you have, if you have to buy them, get them from a thrift store!)
-roughly 3 1/2 yards of flannel - I am estimating for a 44"x55" finished quilt and 44-45" flannel material
-thread
-basic sewing supplies (sewing machine, rotary cutter, ruler, cutting mat, etc.)

Hour Glass Block Tutorial

The Hour-Glass Block that is demostrated in this video from Missouri Star Quilt Co. can be used to create some very dramatic looking quilts. If you notice the quilt in the background on the video was made with Hour Glass and Nine-Patch blocks (which I posted the video about a couple of weeks ago). It is a very simple block that can be used to create very intricate looking designs and Jenny does a fabulous job of teaching how to make this block. Enjoy!



Happy Crafting All!

Half-Triangle Block

Triangles can be very intimidating if you are new to quilting. Cutting and piecing them seems so tricky when you start thinking about lining up the corners and points just right. Well, the ladies at the Missouri Star Quilt Co. have taken a lot of the mystery out of the Half-Triangle Block in this video. What a wonderful job Jenny does explaining the process and showing, step-by-step, how to make this traditional block as well as a couple of it's many uses.

Enjoy!



Happy Crafting All!

Four-Patch Quilt Block

Here is another wonderful video from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. I love their videos because they explain things so clearly and concisely - much better than I could! The Four-Patch Block is another basic block in quilting making and is very versatile. Have fun with it!



Happy Crafting All!

Nine-Patch Block Tutorial

I recently came across this fabulous series of how-to videos that beautifully illustrate how to make different basic quilt blocks. This series was put together by the ladies over at Missouri Star Quilt Shop. I'm sure you will find it incredibly helpful, and hopefully it will inspire you to get out the sewing machine and some beautiful fabrics and have fun!



Happy Crafting All!

Simple Quilting Resource

I love when I can finish a throw quilt in a day or two. That is no easy feat, but this book makes it possible. Think traditional crazy quilts on a large scale. It is so easy and fairly quick because you don't really have to worry about precise cutting. I've made two quilts from this book and I'm planning on making a few more for Christmas gifts.

If you are new to quilting and wanting something that can offer some instant gratification, this is the book for you. I've already recommended it to several people and they love it. For more information, be sure to check out the authors website and blog at http://www.crazyshortcutquilts.com/ .

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 6

We are in the home stretch. Everything for your beautiful baby quilt is done - except the binding, the very last step.

Attaching the binding can be a very frustrating process for new quilters. I have been quilting for a few years and it is still the only part of the quilting process I truly dread. Rather than drag this out, lets get to the instructions so you can finish up that quilt!

First, you will need to get out those four 2.5" strips of Fabric B that you set aside all those weeks ago. You are going arrange them with right sides facing, to create an 'L' shape. Then you will draw a diagonal line as shown in the picture below.

Join the two pieces by sewing on the line you marked. Then trim the triangle of excess fabric and press the piece open. Repeat this step until you have all four strips connected into one long strip. Where you connect the strips should look like the picture below. Trim the ends at a 45 degree angle.

Once you have all four connected and the ends trimmed, it is time to press your binding. Fold the binding in half as you press to create a strip of material that is double thickness with the right side facing out. (This is where you can see the reasoning for connecting the strips with an angled seam. Once the fabric is folded in half, the seam will not over lap which reduces the bulk that you will be sewing through when you attach the binding.)


I have been contemplating the best possible way to explain the final binding process. I have realized that I probably could not write instructions that would be clear enough to guide you through this very important step. So, when you have finished assembling your quilt binding, please watch the video below with Eleanor Burns showing you how to finish binding your quilt.




The very last step to any quilt is sign it. I use a fabric marker and will write my name, pattern name, date the quilt was made and who it was for on the back of the quilt, generally along the binding. I like to keep the signature subtle and small on the back.

Now that your quilt is completed, it is time to sit back and enjoy the efforts of your hard work. You should be proud of yourself. It can be frustrating, but hopefully you made it through the whole process and have a beautiful baby quilt for your own little one or to give a very special gift.

Congratulations on completing the quilt! I hope you had fun!

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 4

If you have been following along with me, by now you have sewn all your blocks together in the pattern of your choice. Hopefully it all came together fairly easily for you and you are ready for this weeks instructions. Now, because lasts weeks instructions were a little involved, this weeks homework will be fairly easily.

The first step this week is to out four strips of Fabric B which were set aside when we started. You will need to sew one strip to each side of the quilt, adding the only border to the quilt. Press the top to smooth it out. Once you have that done, the top of your quilt is finished! You should be proud of yourself! You are half way to having a completed quilt ready for your own little one or to give as a gift.

Now, get out your backing material (Fabric D), and your batting. It is time to make your quilt sandwich. You are going to need a fairly large area to work. I will generally lay everything out on the floor at this point, however if you have enough space on your dining room table, I would recommend using that surface.

First, you'll need to press your backing material flat. Lay it out on the work surface. Then open up your batting, unroll and unfold it, smoothing it over the backing material. Use your hand to smooth it over the entire backing material; it will sort of adhere to the back material and not slip too much. Next, lay your quilt top over the batting and smooth it down with your hand as you did the batting.
Once you have it all smoothed and flattened, grab your safety pins and start pinning through all three layers. I prefer to use safety pins for this step because, even though they are a little more work to get on and off, I don't have to worry about stabbing myself on a straight pin while I'm working.
As you can see, I put one safety pin in the center of each fence rail block and along the border. You really need to use a lot of pins so that your materials don't shift and move around as you are quilting. Nothing is more frustrating than working so hard to quilt the layers together only to find out it shifted and won't lay flat once it is done.
After you it is pinned, trim the backing and batting to 1.5" - 2" larger than the quilt top, all the way around. Then, starting from one side, start rolling the quilt like cinnamon rolls. Go ahead and roll the entire quilt and set it aside until next week. As I said, this week is pretty simple. It is very important though, that you roll the quilt from this point on. If you fold the quilt in half, you risk shifting the material or allowing the batting to bunch or crinkle. This can cause problems when you are quilting with your machine.
So that's it for this week. Now you have a good idea of what your quilt look and feel like. You can feel the actual weight and texture of finished quilt. Next week we will do the actual quilting through all three layers of your quilt sandwich! Until then...

Happy Crafting All!!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 3

By now you should have all your quilt blocks ready to go. Last week you had your fabric washed and pressed; cut into strips and those strips were sewn together and then cut into your ready-to-use fence rail quilt blocks.

This week is when the fun really starts. Gather your blocks and lay them out on a work surface to design the look of your quilt. It is crucial to know how you want your quilt to look finished before you sew any further. If you make a mistake, you can fix it by taking the blocks apart and resewing them, however that can be hard on the material and it is time consuming. That is way knowing what you want the finished piece to look like before you start is so very important.

There are two popular ways to use fence rail blocks, the first is a very traditional look achieved by alternating between vertical and horizontal lines in the blocks giving the quilt a stair-step look, as showing below:
The second is the one I prefer because of the cute pinwheel-esque design that is achieved with with teal and purple fabrics, as shown below:
To me it gives the quilt a little more personality and focus. However, the design is your choice - I just wanted to illustrate a couple of the options available. Play with your blocks until you find the look you want. Now we get to start sewing your blocks together.

There are two ways to do this:

1. You can sew strips of blocks together, six block long, and then sew your six strips together to form your quilt top.
2. Sew sections of blocks together and sew those sections together to form your quilt block.

I prefer the latter, especially when using the fence rail block to make the pinwheels. By sewing four blocks together to form a pinwheel, I know that I am correctly placing the blocks for the pattern. Also, I find that sewing long strips of blocks together can make it somewhat cumbersome and difficult to line up seams at the block corners so I have always tried to construct smaller sections that will be sewn into the whole. (Hopefully that makes sense.)

Once you have finished sewing your blocks together, sit back and relax, you are done until next week. Are you feeling good about the progress you've made? You should! Your quilt top is nearly completed. Next week you'll finish the top and prep the piece for the actual quilting. Trust me, it won't be as difficult as it sounds!

Happy Crafting All!


I love this layout simply because