Saturday, November 19, 2011

Bibi quilts? (sort of)


Little bits of fabric
Sewn into a quilt
Form a loving blanket
From which memories are built.
And when you seek comfort
In the middle of the night
It will keep you snug and warm
Until the morning light.
~ Sue Mullane

Issa and Mae's Aunt Juju is having a baby, and the shower is tomorrow. While at work on Wednesday, I decided I would make a little rag baby quilt, with Kathy's help. She gave me the basics, I jotted them down on a piece of muslin, and came home to begin cutting out 6 inch squares.
I cut out the pink and green flannels that I had in my stash. Knowing it wasn't enough, I got up Thursday morning and embroidered the pink squares with baby endearments. After I finished, I went to Joann's to find some more flannels.
Kathy recommended the walking foot, and that was the only way to go. I made little 6 inch sandwiches with warm and white batting (cut to 5 inches) in between 2 squares of flannel. I just stitched a big X from corner to corner on each of my squares. I made the little crib quilt 7 squares across and 9 squares down.
I cut 126 six inch squares from my 5 different flannels. I cut 63 five inch squares from the warm and white batting. There is no way I would attempt this without a rotary cutter, so I had to get over my fear. I still remember the young woman in the store with the big slice in her hand that was the result of a slipped hand while she was cutting.
After I had my 63 little sandwiches, I began to sew them into strips with half inch seams. You sew them together with WRONG sides together so that you will have a seam on the front to snip and fray. I tried using my 37 foot, but the walking foot was necessary, my fabric slipped without it. I did have to increase my presser foot pressure. I sewed my 7 strips, laid them out on the bed and admired my work.















After I sewed the seven strips, I put them together into the solid quilt. With Kathy advising me throughout the day with text messages, Iused 1/2 inch seams. When the strips were all together, I did one last 1/2 inch seam around the perimeter of the little quilt.




Here I am almost done. I had to send Joe to Hancock's to pick up a pair of rag quilt snips, which resemble gardening shears. The last step in the quilt is to snip all of the raw edges, which are on the front of the quilt, through almost to the seam line in 1/4 inch increments. This takes a while! My poor arthritic thumb is aching.
But this is the easiest little project that looks much more difficult than it is. I hope Aunt Juju likes it.

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