Monday, November 9, 2009

My First Finished Quilt - A Nap Quilt

This is my first finish for a quilt.

Project Started 1992 - finished November 2009



I started the quilt when my son was in preschool. I'd take a quilting class in the room that was next door to that so I could hear the kids as I was sewing. This particular quilt was done with templates. It was called a crazy quilt block. Each student was asked to bring in two fabrics they did not like. I think she asked us to bring a dark and a light fabric. Then we passed the fabric around and we each got a template piece - and we cut up the fabric. Then somehow it was distributed. One of the ladies cut some of the blocks backward and threw away the pieces. I grabbed all those and the scraps that were left behind. I had fun sewing these blocks and made enough for two of these nap quilts. To make it larger I added the pieced border. I was thinking I'd bring it for A to take naps on - instead of beach towels.

But I didn't finish this in time for that - as now, instead of being 4-years old,  he is 21.

Well, I finally decided I wanted to finish some quilting things up so I brought it to one of the Super Saturdays that the Adult Education has - and it was the same teacher! So like 17 years later she finally showed me how to finish it.  (Her "Quilting" classes are really all about piecing.)
  1. Tape the backing down - then to tape the batting on top - pin and sew together.
  2. Tape the front down and tape the sewed back together - pin and sew together. She had me use the edge of the tape to create the curved corners.
  3. Sort of roll the quilt inside out - to birth the quilt - sew up the hole.
  4. Make a double loop with the yarn to do the ties. (I ended up using crochet thread as the yarn was very difficult to pull thru. She was suggesting I do the loops in the center of the pieces but I decided to do them in the intersections.
It was fun to do the loops while sitting in the den with B & A watching TV. First I did all the corners - then I adding some about an inch all the way around.

I gave to him, telling him the original reason (for naps). I asked him to use when he fell asleep in front of the TV for his head...

The next morning when I came downstairs he was on the sofa and had the quilt wrapped around his shoulders. Wish I'd taken a photo, but at least I have the memory.

Added 7-26-10:  Caught him sleeping with the quilt..!