Finished! Earlier in the summer I was asked to prepare a
small quilt to be tied up at Camp Liahona for the girls from the Merced
California Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was put
in charge of the Craft Shack (What a joke! I’m not really crafty. In fact, I
told them to call me Sister Quilty and the other Craft Shack worker Sister
Crafty.)
I had this fabric set aside for a child’s quilt to be donated for
Gateway Quilt Guild’s “Quilters’ Embrace” program, so decided to accomplish two
projects in one.
SHOW:
This is the finished product. I bought the three fabrics
with the orange as part of a 50% off Red Tag special. I added the one turquoise
from my stash, and later added the green and the floral on navy blue to add
some contrast.
Because I knew I would be tying this quilt, I made up a
design in increments of four inches. I haven’t decided if it is a four patch
design, or a one patch surrounded by a very large lattice. In order to help the
1/4 inch seams to hold together through multiple washings, I finished the seam
with a super wide feather stitch. I later wished I had used the default feather
stitch size and the darker teal blue that I used to border the blocks.
I originally planned on a 41” x 48” child’s quilt with
the flannel backing. I expanded it by adding a border in some of the woven
fabric used in the blocks on front. I used 1/2” seams and sewed a reinforcing top
stitch since flannel tends to be a loose, soft weave.
To finish it off, I used a binding cut from one of the
orange fabrics and added a label. Quilters’ Embrace may add their label, but I wanted
to show that it was tied as part of an outreach program. Actually, the girls
were more into painting, cutting and pasting when at the Craft Shack this year,
so it was the adult leaders who stopped by on their breaks who helped tie the
quilt.
TELL:
I put my wooden clothes drying rack to good use while
assembling this quilt. By hanging the rows as I sewed the blocks together, I
was able to keep them straight while I put the main body together.
I have a system that works for me to help me keep my blocks lined up and my seams squared. I use the long quilting pins to hold the lengths together. However, when it comes to where the seams join, I use the thin, silk pins. I pin whatever raw edge is facing back, and is at risk of being bent forward. By inserting the pin from left to right, I do not need to worry about my quarter inch seam guide getting hung up on the pin. I can use my left hand to remove the pin once the needle tacks the underneath edge in place, although, with the super thin pins, it is not always necessary, especially if I am using a size 14 or larger needle. I find that the bargain straight pins at the discount stores are too thick. I purchase the thinner ones at a fabric store.
MY TEMPLATE FOR TYING:
I have a fabric template I use for tying quilts made out
of a yard remnant of one inch square gingham. I cut holes four inches apart.
For this quilt, I knew that I would be having more than one person at a time
tying this quilt. I made three smaller templates out of opaque plastic. I use 2
mil plastic painting drop cloths I purchase at K-mart.
Because I knew all the blocks were in increments of four
inches, I used a yardstick to measure out four inch blocks in black. The black
lines were intended to be lined up with feather-stitched block seams.
I used red for two inch guidelines to show where the ties
should be placed. I folded the plastic where the lines crossed, and snipped an
opening. I drew a line around the edge of each hole so it would be easy to see
where to place each tie.
