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Softball Jersey QuiltI took all the softball jerseys from my granddaughter's years of playing softball and made her a huge quilt from them. She cherishes this quilt and it brings back lots of memories for her.

 

From Rags To Blankets

From Rags To BlanketsThis is a art and craft project that transforms all of my old clothing, that is too worn to wear and too damaged to donate into warm blankets for my bed-in order to prevent the textiles from going to a land fill.

 

Community Quilt Block - finished block for the guild

Community Quilt BlockI went to a meeting of the local quilter's guild special interest group, Community Quilts. They makes quilts to donate to DSHS foster care (given to foster care children when they graduate from high school), a local veteran's home.

 

How Many Squares in a Fat Quarter? - stack of fat quarters tied with ribbons

How Many Squares in a Fat Quarter?While sorting through the my stacks of crafting supplies I found this useful information card and wanted to share it with other quilters.

 

Crown Royal quilt on bed with puppy

Crown Royal QuiltThis is my second attempt at making a quilt. My first one like this. I looked on Pinterest and found this quilt so I just kept looking at the picture on Pinterest and tried to get it like the picture.

 

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Use Old Blankets for Quilt BattingOld wool like blankets make great filler or batting for quilts, especially the scratchy ones.

 

finished quilt

Harry Potter Paper Pieced QuiltBack in 2011 I began a longer than intended project of making my grandson a Harry Potter paper pieced quilt. It was finally finished last year, and to his credit he still loved it despite the wait. I have posted a few blocks along the way.

 

Finished Quilt

Adding Embroidery Details to a Baby QuiltI made this baby quilt for my most recent grandchild. Each of his siblings received a very similar quilt when they were babies. They are all made using 1930s reproduction print cotton quilting fabric and a pattern I saw years ago in a book on making quilts using reproduction fabrics.

 

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Quilting Show BoutiquesIf you sew, go to your local quilting shows and visit their boutique shop. You will find many discounted items for sale such as sewing patterns, notions, yarn, fabrics, books, and magazines. They also have some nice handmade items other than quilts such as table runners, placemats, purses, etc.

 

Complete quilt.

Chicken Scratch Prayer QuiltUsing checkered fabric, polyester fleece, and 2 colors of embroidery thread, I created a prayer quilt for my friend that will soon have major surgery.

 

Harry Potter quilt in process.

Update on Harry Potter QuiltThere is light at the end of my two year long tunnel, regarding the Harry Potter paper pieced quilt I began in the spring of 2011.

 

Quilting Memories for the Future

Quilting Memories for the FutureMy earliest memories of my grandmother are connected to her busy with some kind of needlecraft. She was keen on sewing, quilting, and crocheting.

 

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Thanksgiving QuiltGive each member of your Thanksgiving family/friend dinner a square of cloth and ask them to write the year and what they are thankful for. Do this each year until you have enough to make a quilt. It's interesting to see how young people have progressed in their priorities and to be able to read what people were going through at the time.

 

Vanishing cabinet and more.

More Harry Potter Paper Pieced Quilt BlocksI finally believe that I am homing in on this project. After months of working on it as time allows I now have 77 blocks with maybe 4-5 to go. Then begins the piecing, including sashing and borders.

 

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Pricing Homemade QuiltsI take the total amount of materials and mutiply it by the number of hours to complete the quilt and arrive at my price that way. Has worked for me for some time and I feel comfortable with the formula.

 

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Recycled Quilt BattingOld cotton and wool blankets, cotton towels and other pieces of cotton and wool make great batting for quilt projects. Cut the fabrics to fit you project, then make the quilt sandwich. Quilt it as you normally would. To finish it faster you can tie the quilt.

 

Five paper pieced quilt blocks.

More Harry Potter Paper Pieced SquaresI just wanted to share the latest batch of paper pieced blocks for the Harry Potter quilt. I am making some progress, in fits and starts. Here are the latest

 

Flower Garden Quilt on bed.

Handmade Flower Garden QuiltI made this quilt quite awhile ago, in the late 80s. It is entirely handmade. I cut the hexagons for each colored flower and strung them on thread in little stacks, to keep the pieces for each block together.

 

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Quilt Made from Graphic T-ShirtsI have made a quilt out of my son's favorite graphic T-shirts. I just kept saving the shirts. When we had a few dozen, I cut huge squares with the designs, and the plain sides the same size.

 

Quilt made from concert t-shirts.

Reuse Favorite T-shirts As A QuiltThrough our teenage years, my brother and I went to hundreds of concerts. We've collected many a precious T-shirt while following our favorite bands on tours. Now we have outgrown them, but wanting to keep them alive for our memories, we've had our mother turn the T-shirts into quilts.

 

Crown Royal quilt lying on the lawn.

Crown Royal Bag QuiltThis Crown Royal bag quilt was fun and easy to make. I split the bags in half and cut the sides to get a straight line and uniform size. To square off the bags, I made a triangle pattern to get a straight line.

 

Photo of Quilt made from fabric sample

Fabric Sample QuiltWhen I worked at a wallpaper store, periodically they would toss out outdated books and I would save the fabric samples. Eventually, I had enough to make a quilt and then bought enough of the navy fabric to finish it.

 

Five women holding finished Mason jar quilts.

Yearly Quilting BeeEach year, our family honors my grandmother who was a great seamstress and quilter by having a gathering we call the Barnhouse Bees. Every time we meet, we choose a theme for the following yearly bee.

 

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Remove Pressure Foot For Machine QuiltingQuilting is my hobby. I have heard of many, many different ways to machine quilt. Some people or books insist that to do free-motion quilting on the machine you must get a special presser foot, called a darning foot.

 

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Shop Second Hand For FabricI have been second-hand shopping for several years. I got a beautiful ski coat with real fox fur on the hood for $5. I have also bought shoes that were just like new.

 

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Use Fleece as BattingI don't quilt, but I do enjoy sewing small "cozy" projects that are quilt-like. When I need batting for these small projects, I buy fleece remnants from the remnant rack at the fabric store.

 

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Use Phone Book Pages for Paper PiecingUse pages from your old phone books for paper-piecing when making quilts. You can trim them down to whatever size you need. The paper is thin enough to tear away fairly easily from your stitching, and the torn pieces can then go into the paper recycling bin.

 

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Make Quilt from Old Sweat PantsA friend gave me some sweats she couldn't wear anymore, but they didn't fit me or anyone in my family. I decided to try to make a quilt. I used light green, black, and red sweats and made a lap quilt. It's really warm and great for using during trips.

 

Old Sweatshirt

Make Quilt From Old SweatshirtsSweatshirts can be recycled to make good quilts. They are warm enough that just a backing rather than adding batting may be sufficiently warm if a lightweight quilt is desired. I often alternate sweatshirt materials with jean material.

 

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Make A Quilt From Secondhand FabricsMake a quilt easily and cheaply. Use a flashy fabric for the top made from cheap clothing from the second hand shop. Use a mattress pad for the batting, and a nice fleecy or soft bedspread for the backing. Sew together and put a few ties into the center for stability.

 

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Ceiling Tiles for Quilt Staging WallWhen organizing my sewing room I decided to make a staging wall for my quilting projects. Take left over or used ceiling tile and attach to wall. Use straight pins or tacks to attach material. You can paint these tiles to add color.

 

Paper heart shape stapled together.

Staple Pieces Together Before Cutting Multiple SetsWhen cutting several of the same shape, staple several layers of the paper needed or fabric needed and cut several at one time. If you are cutting paper put your staples outside your pattern lines on three sides.

 

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Memory Quilt from Kids ClothesI made a memory quilt of my son. I cut out pieces of some of his tee shirts, and also transferred pictures of him at different ages and put them on cloth, then put it altogether as a lap quilt.

 

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Recycle Mattress Cover for Quilt FillingWhen making quilts, I use old (clean) mattress covers for the fill. Cut to the size that you need.

 

Blue and light biscuit quilt.

Biscuit QuiltHere is a picture of a biscuit quilt (crib size) I made for a friend whose nursery was brown and greens. They are so fun to make! Just cut your squares (great use for scraps)! The top one should be about 1 inch larger than the bottom square.

 

Dog on quilt.

Small Pet QuiltsUse scraps of material to make small tied quilts. Size depends on pet, however 3x4 feet works best for most cats and small to medium sized dogs. Use fleece for the backing and quilt batting to fill.

 

Quilted table runner.

Quilted Table RunnerHere is a lovely quilted table runner that is easy to make. You use charm squares and arrange all the different colors as you like them.

 

A pillow made from Crown Royal bags.

Crown Royal PillowI made a pillow using Crown Royal bags. I couldn't find any cool patterns online that utilized the unique Crown Royal signature logo, so my mother and I designed our own pillow.

 

Magazine Photo Bedspread

Magazine Photo BedspreadI made a very pretty bedspread with pictures I saved from magazines a friend gave me. I used iron on paper and muslin cloth cut into 12 inch squares. Hope you can see how I did it, thanks.

 

two finished quilts

Quilts from Thrift Store FabricsMy 85 year old mother-in-law lives with me. We've been buying fabric and notions at thrift stores for about a year now, costing us 2 dollars a Walmart sized bag. We decided it would be neat to make the family quilts for Christmas.

 

Stick figure drawing.

Have Kids Draw Quilt SquaresRecently, my 4 year old grandson drew a picture of himself and me, and I got to thinking that it would be a very nice picture for his little brother or sister that is expected in the spring.

 

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Quilt Batting With Recycled Plastic BagsI normally use cloth bags for groceries, but occasionally forget to put them back in the car, so I have a few plastic bags in the house. I picked up a footstool with a vinyl top and wooden legs at a yard sale for $1.00.

 

Fussy cut quilt.

Granny Quilt With Novelty PrintsI had a lot of novelty print scraps of fabric. I started cutting my scraps into 1 1/2 inch strips for rag rugs. Then I thought, "What better use can I get of these cute motifs?", a quilt of course.

 

Stuffed square quilt.

Easy Pillow QuiltThis is one of several pillow quilts I made last winter. I got the idea from a lady friend who showed me how to make them. It's an easy way to have a lightweight multi-colored quilt for your bed.

 

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Use Painters Tape For Straight CutsToday I was cutting some strips of fabric with my rotary cutter and a ruler. My ruler kept slipping, causing my cutting line to go crooked. This has happened to me so many times. It drives me nuts! Then a light bulb went off in my brain.

 

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Use Sheets For Quilt BackingI just recently learned to quilt and for the backing of the quilt, I used a king size sheet for my queen sized bed. I wanted a solid color and didn't want to spend $4 a yard when I could get a sheet at Walmart for $5 and get the color I wanted.

 

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Memory Quilt from ChildhoodThis is a tip for people into quilting, or just into family heirlooms. When my son was about two years old he wanted to build a tent. I got out an old white sheet and hung it between two chairs.

 

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Recycle Old Clothes As Quilting SquaresWhen I no longer need an item of clothing, I cut it apart at the seams and use the pieces to make quilt squares. I only use 100% cotton, that has been washed many times and will no longer shrink.

 

Bookcase quilt.

Bookcase QuiltWhat Not to Do on Your Bookcase Quilt. This is more of a "don't do this" craft tip. I used some transfer sheets from a local source to print out the pictures and frames for this bookcase quilt. These are NOT washable!

 

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Storing Embellishments for Making PursesI have really gotten into sewing purses in the last year or so. I use a lot of the Barbara Randle crazy quilting patterns. They call for a lot of embellishments.

 

A quilt made with a flip flop pattern.

Flip Flop QuiltI made this quilt for my sister-in-law for her birthday. I just traced my daughter's flip flops, I used buttons and ribbons for the "straps" of the flip flops and sewed them top blocks.

 

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Backing Your QuiltsI make many quilts for charities, as well as for other gifts. The perfect backing is a sheet. Twin size is the right size for the quilts our church makes for charities...

 

lime green flying geese baby quilt

Labeling Your QuiltsI like to sew a lot. I wanted to make my friend's first baby a special quilt. I made the flock of geese pattern. The quilt was unique and I had a lot of fun with it.

 

A sports themed quilt for a young boy.

Keepsake Sports QuiltSeveral years ago I picked up a huge piece of material, the size of a twin bed, with a football field and player on it. My grandson has loved to spread it on the floor and have his own football game on it.

 

Jeans Quilt

Jeans QuiltI had 5 pairs of my children's old jeans and were beyond repair. So I cut them into 8 x 8 squares and some were 8 x 4 rectangles. I arranged them as I desired.

 

Butterfly baby quilt block.

Mamaw's Keepsake ComforterThis is my first and hopefully not last attempt at making a keepsake comforter for a new granddaughter. It was made with 8" squares of pale pink, purple, and yellow cotton with an off white backing and edge.

 

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Flannel Shirt Memory QuiltMy husband and I lived on a farm and through the years he wore and wore out many flannel shirts. I saved them all and finally made a crazy quilt from the best parts of them, including some pockets and buttons.

 

A quilt made from recycled jeans.

First Jeans Quilt with PocketThis is the first quilt that we made with our old jeans. It came out sew sew. Notice the pockets on the bottom. What a great place to put our clickers in.

 

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Covering Stains on a QuiltI bought an old quilt at a yard sale. It had several stains around the edges that would not come out. I quilt myself, so I searched through my material and found very similar scraps and one identical.

 

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Use a Gridded Stabilizer When QuiltingMake the quickest most accurate quilt you'll ever make using a gridded stabilizer. It's made with one inch squares, but you can use any size squares you want. I place the squares in the area I choose, use the tip of my iron to make them stick till I get all the squares on.

 

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Quilting When You Don't Like To SewFor people who want to quilt but hate to sew, there are many books in the library just for you. You'll find choices for simple or complicated patterns. Calendar quilts are often done by hand because they use so much applique.

 

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Easy Two Colored QuiltIf you just want to make a quilt and you don't have a huge fabric stash, just do a two colored quilt. First remove the biased edge, rotary cut the fabric in long six inch strips, alternating the colors as you sew. End the piece so one color is at one end and the other color is at the other end.

 

Quilt with a capital A.

Amanda's "A" QuiltMy daughter's name is Amanda and I wanted her quilt to be special just for her. So I made her an "A quilt".

 

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Carrying and Storing Quilt SquaresWhen you are working on quilt squares, a perfect carrying case for all your stuff you need is a pizza box. The squares stay nice and flat and all your tools and thread fits just fine.

 

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Designing Your Own Quilt SquaresIf you have grid paper, it's fun to design your own quilt squares. Keep it simple, but make sure you have lots of colorful fabric, and you'll be sure to have a great quilt. I like to use a color wheel. I have huge doubts about my tastes in color combinations, but I'm getting better.

 

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Signature QuiltsQuilts for children and teens can be designed with light colored strips where friends and family can sign their names. It's called a signature quilt. I made one for my daughter-in-law for Christmas, now she already considers it an heirloom, as some of the relatives have passed on.

 

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Quilting Tips and TricksQuilting tips and tricks from our readers. Quilters are all fabricaholics. I don't even throw tiny scraps away. The tiniest scraps go into a jar labeled "quilt jelly". Larger pieces about the size of the palm of a baby's hand come in handy when you're doing applique.

 

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Trim and Measure as You GoAs you're making your quilt squares, press each time you finish a seam in a pile of squares. If you trim and measure as you are building your seams, your quilt will be much more accurate.

 

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Templates for Quilt PiecesFor drawing quilting paper-pieced blocks, I take a piece of template plastic (available at Joann's very cheap), and then cut small grooves using an Exacto knife and a cutting mat, corresponding to the lines of the pattern.

 

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Buying Needles For QuiltingAlways buy the best quality of needles to sew your quilt with and use a nice sharp one each time you sew as a sharp needle forms the best stitches for your quilt.

 

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Family Member's Old Clothes QuiltAsk one of the elder family members to let you take their old shirts or dresses. Cut them up into strips or squares and make a quilt for the persons child or grandchild. It doesn't have to be fancy. What a treasure this was for my stepdaughter to get a quilt made out of her daddy's old shirts.

 

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Make a Quilt With Cartoon Character SocksWhen my boys were small they loved wearing the character socks (Batman, Spiderman, Looney Tunes, etc.) As they grew older or wore out a pair, I saved them to make a quilt. I'm going to use the socks that don't have holes in them to make a "wheel" pattern and use solid fabrics as the background.

 

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Using Dryer Sheets When QuiltingWhen quilting with thin, flimsy fabrics, use "used" fabric softener sheets as an inexpensive backing. It gives it body and makes it a whole lot easier to work with.

 

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Adding Water To Your IronI do a lot of quilting and, as you know, you have to iron a lot of quilt pieces. I was always running out of water for the iron. I have found a really neat way to have lots of water and be able to pour it in your iron without spilling it everywhere.

 

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Iron-on Backing For Quilt PiecesI use iron on backing to make the quilt pieces easier to work with.

 

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Iron Quilt ScrapsBefore starting a quilt, be sure to iron the scraps you plan to use.

 

Indian Blue Jeans Quilt

Indian Blue Jeans QuiltBlue Jeans Quilts don't have to look like they are made from old blue jeans. I made this one using a purchased panel from Walmart and different colored old jeans plus some beads and a fleece backing to make this Indian style quilt for my sister.

 

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Grandma's Fan PatternThe papers that come on the back of panty shields have just the right curve on one end for the Grandma's Fan (quilt) pattern. Just fold the other end in the get the straight edge you want.

 

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Storing Large Quilting Pattern PiecesTo store larger pattern pieces for applique, I just roll them up and put them in a empty paper towel cardboard tube. I store them in a box large enough that if the pattern is longer than the tube it won't bend or tear.

 

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Using Small Fabric Scraps For Quilt TopsEveryone who sews has lots of small scraps. I use mine to make quilt tops. Cut muslin or light color fabric into strips 4 inches wide and as long as you want the quilt (maybe 3 yards). Or you can cut squares about 10-12 inches.

 

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Make a Jersey QuiltTake the jerseys you have accumulated and make them into quilt squares. This is a neat keepsake. My son is in hockey and has a lot of jerseys.

 

Two quilts.

A Quilt for My MomThis is the second quilt I made. For this one I used some of my kids old clothing...most she bought for them :). I cut them into squares and purchased a dark blue sheet for the back. It's a quilt made by her first born with her grandbabies clothes in it.

 

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Quilt from Kids ClothesFor an easy Christmas gift, save your used children's clothes. Cut out as many squares and sew them together to make a front cover for a quilt.

 

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