Quarantine Quilt 1

Quarantine Quilt 1

60” x 72”

Back in the early days of Covid the month switched and as I looked for Morning Make ideas I decided I needed sewing in my life right then and there. The kids were home and our days had a somewhat leisurely start to them as we navigated school at home. It meant I could putter in the sewing room a little, even if they woke up while I was at it. It meant I could finish what I started each day.

Originally, I chose the low volume X Plus blocks because I had some left over from when I filmed and promoted my Creative Live class on Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics. I thought that they could all play together in a big quilt, because you know I almost never make a small quilt! As the month went on and the reality of our times sunk in I decided that I wanted this quilt to be a specific monthly marker, with no additions. April has 30 days, so 30 quilt blocks.

The kids helped me baste the quilt. I clearly remember we cleaned the floors together, put on the Taylor Swift album (the only time I listened to it but people were raving so!) and ended up having a long conversation about Black Lives Matter and white privilege. The quilt really is a product on its time. To be clear though, it’s just a quilt.

The quilting is nothing fancy, a topstitch instead of a ditch stitch on all the seams of the blocks. Pretty blue Aurifil thread that happens to match the binding. In between the blocks I used the all purpose dove grey. Together, they give the quilt definition more than texture.

The binding, incidentally, is the only fabric I purchased for the entire quilt. Everything else I had in the stash or scrap bins. Yes, my collection of low volume fabrics is that deep. I was ordering the batting and saw the fabric on the site for one of my favourite local shops, My Sewing Room. It was fate. Especially because I already knew what I was using for the backing.

I’ve had this fabric in my stash for years! To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what I would ever use it for, but I loved it so. It seems very, very appropriate for a quarantine inspired quilt. Doesn’t it just evoke HOME? With all apologies to my Mother-In-Law who also likes the fabric, I used everything I had to make the backing.

No fancy quilt picture for this project. It was made at home, inspired by home, and will be used at home. Although, not yet. We are having a gorgeous month so no extra quilts needed yet.

Oh look! That Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class is on sale!

Orange is for Nerds

ORANGE IS FOR NERDS

84'' BY 84''

As my son's 4th birthday approached in March I frantically tried to get his special orange quilt done in time to celebrate. For one, he'd been asking for it and was being remarkably patient for a maniac his age. Two, I really wanted to surprise him with this gift, especially because I hadn't made him his own quilt yet. Finally, a quilt is a not a toy to add to the clutter in the house.

Unfortunately, I never got it finished in time for his birthday. However, by not trying to keep it a secret I could pull it out when he was awake and actually get it done. Bonus, he helped me attach the binding to the quilt. Memories built right in.

The quilt started as samples for a Scrapper's Delight class. That is a pattern from Sunday Morning Quilts and was written by Amanda Jean. The same fabric then became a variety of log cabins and was used for more samples for my Improv Log Cabin class. I still have all the other samples, but stuck with the quarter log cabins in this quilt. 

To make this many blocks I cut up a whole bunch of strips in oranges, greens, yellows, and low volume prints with those colours plus blue and black. It was a bit of a hot mess on the days I sewed, with strips and trimmings flying everywhere. I would chain piece, often 7 blocks at a time. It took me 3-4 hours to get all seven blocks done - there is a lot of piecing in there. Each block was squared up at 12.5'' by 12.5''. There are 49 of them in the quilt. If there was a bit at least 1'' wide after squaring up I used those as a strip in another block. It provides great dimension and movement in an already busy quilt.

It's a bit large for my boy's double bed, but that just means there is plenty of overhang and snuggling room. And something tells me that there will come a time in his life where this quilt seems small.

I waited until Carkai from Carolyn Friedlander was released because I wanted the Bones print in this blue for the backing. Nothing else would do. The whole thing is simply quilted with an improvised grid (meaning: I didn't mark) in Aurifil 2235 - pretty much an impossibly perfect orange. The grid was easy with my walking foot. With such a scrappy design there was no point in doing detailed quilting that would only get lost in the fabrics. 

Orange is my son's favourite colour. We think we know why too. My husband has a great orange jacket (so does my daughter, actually). The first couple of times the kids commented on his jacket he always responded with, "Orange is for nerds!". Now it is a family joke. This all started as my boy was learning to speak so he got in on it from the get go. So now it is his favourite colour and the quilt has its name.

Not sure how often he'll be pulling his quilt off the bed for slides at the park, but it sure was fun to do this with a friend for a photo! As soon as we came home he had me spread it out on his bed, ready for nap time.