Tag: quilts for kids

A quilt for a kid, part 3

I made a whole quilt!

In addition to picking up knitting this weekend, I also finished my first-ever quilt: it is officially quilted, bound, labeled, folded, and packed up to ship back to Quilts for Kids. If you’ll be so kind as to hold on for a moment, I’m going to FREAK OUT ABOUT HOW I ACTUALLY MADE A WHOLE QUILT.

Ahem.

When I last posted about the quilt, I had just started quilting by using my sewing machine to “stitch in the ditch,” or stitch along the seam lines formed when assembling the top. I admit to prioritizing speed over precision here a bit:

Stitching in the ditch: surprisingly difficult

As it turns out, quilting like this isn’t particularly thrilling. I’m finding it more of an exercise in repetition and meditation. Also, watching Netflix helps.

Once I had all of the horizontal and vertical seams quilted, the quilt looked like this:

I went back through and quilted diagonal lines as well, to comply with the QFK rules on how close quilting lines should be. The next step was to trim the batting and the backing.

I folded the back over the edges of the quilt to bind it, rather than using a separate binding, following the step-by-step instructions in the Quilting By Machine Singer Sewing Reference Library (which I picked up for $3.00 at a used bookstore—yay!). The book recommended trimming the batting 1/4″ from the edge of the quilt top, trimming the backing 1″ from the batting, machine basting around the quilt 1/8″ from the edge, folding over the backing twice, top stitching, and then removing the basting. For what it’s worth: removing the machine basting took longer than all of the other steps combined, and I’m pretty sure I could have skipped it.

I zigzagged the binding rather than doing a straight topstitch (zigzagging helps the quilt avoid snagging on IV lines and other medical equipment). Once I finished the binding, I sewed on the label they provided, washed and dried the quilt, and got super excited at the thought of sending my first ever quilt out into the world to be used and (hopefully) loved. YOU GUYS! I MADE A THING!

Quilts for Kids quilt
Finished size: 36.5″ x 41.5″

PATTERN: Simple four-patch provided by Quilts for Kids

FABRIC (all provided by QFK): hot pink and white batiks; solid orange; pink and orange “vroom! vroom!” scooter print from Monica Lee Timeless Treasures (Google tells me this is no longer in production, but you can pick it up on Etsy or eBay)

NOTIONS: Mettler Silk Finish Cotton Thread in Muslin, Quilter’s Dream 100% cotton batting (Request, which is their lowest loft)

TIME: I made this quilt over three weekends (see part 1 and part 2), working maybe 5-6 hours per weekend. The fabric came pre-cut, which definitely saved time. On the first weekend, I assembled all of the four-patch blocks and started sewing them into rows. On the second weekend, I finished the rows, sewed the rows together, added borders, pinned together the quilt sandwich, and started quilting. Last weekend, I finished quilting and bound the quilt. Ta-da!

A quilt for a kid, part 2

In which I make it to the actual quilting part of quilting.

In between singeing my taste buds off and watching a ton of Ugly Betty (how did I miss this show when it aired?), I put in a few more hours on my Quilts for Kids quilt this weekend.

Last weekend I pieced the four patch blocks and started sewing them into rows, alternating with solid blocks of this fun pink and orange scooter print. This weekend I finished the rows, sewed them together, added borders, made my first “quilt sandwich,” and (!) actually quilted something. Ta-da!

A quilt for a kid, part 1

I can already tell that the kid who gets this quilt is going to be awesome.

I posted a few weeks ago about signing up for Quilts for Kids, a project that donates handmade quilts to kids who can use them. My quilt kit arrived right before I left town for a few days to make paper flowers and hang out in my favorite city on Earth, and I couldn’t find a time to sit down and open it until yesterday morning.

Verdict: it’s pretty cool, and I’m SO EXCITED for the kid who gets this quilt. The kit comes with a simple pattern (mine is a simple four-patch that alternates with a plain block) and all of the pre-cut fabric you need for both the front and back. All you need to do is set up your sewing machine and go. Which I did, with glee.

Quilts for Kids

I signed up to make a quilt for a kid who could use a quilt.

I spent a few hours this weekend planning out my next few quilting projects and wishing I lived closer to a giant fabric warehouse where I could look at every shade of cotton solid next to every other shade instead of fretting about whether “mustard” or “curry” or “sunny” (which, to be honest, all look pretty much the same online) would go better with a particular print.

Then I woke up this morning and stumbled across an old Craftsy blog post on quilting for charity, and remembered that the reason I took up this hobby in the first place is not to make works of impeccable art but to make usable things—things that people can toss over the backs of their couches, curl up with when watching a movie, find their cats tunneled under when they come home from work, and spread over their beds each morning. (If they happen to look nice, too, well—that’s a plus.)

In that spirit, I’ve signed up to make a quilt for Quilts for Kids, a project that works with hospitals and shelters across the country (PDF) to donate handmade quilts to kids who either have life-threatening illnesses or are survivors of abuse. Quilters can sign up for a free kit, which comes with a pattern and all the necessary materials (donated by fabric companies or paid for by other organizations), or can buy their own fabric to use. I’m excited to make something truly usable, and I can’t wait to get started.