The Easy Way Out......

Since we started talking about quilts, I decided to show you how to take the easy way out. If you want to make a quilt, no fuss no muss....this is the way you do it.

See all of the pretty quilts to the left. They're not really. All of the overlapping quilts on the bottom are one piece of fabric that I purchased at a quilt shop a few years ago. Some of it can be pieced into a very convincing antique quilt. Sometimes, as in the Rusty Needle, I simply put a bit of light weight quilt batting, felt or flannel behind it and fold it up to look like a very impressive and convincing, antique folded quilt on a shelf. That's about the easiest thing you can do. Or you can fold it in a long triple fold to lay at the foot of a bed. In that case you have to glue under the edges to make it look finished.

Then there are the whole quilts that you can make from the other fabrics on the pile. Just about anything with a small square motif will work. See the blue plain and patterned four patch fabric in the center? Tessie will be working with a piece of red in the same pattern to show you how to do it.

I about fainted this morning when she told me that she was tired of puce. "I am on a red kick now. No more dull pucey colors!" I think maybe the fact that I started a red and white quilt and refused to switch to puce may have had something to do with the decision. Whatever happened I am so relieved to be shed of the puce. Red will do just fine. I actually like red. I wonder how long the color change is going to last. Next week it will probably be taupe.

Anyway, we took a piece of the top layer that allowed about about two inches overhang on either side of a 4 1/2" bed. A standard bed would be about 6" long so I allowed two inches for the end and one inch extra for a generous turn back at the top. In other words, the quilt will be about 9" by 8". This sounds like a lot, but I don't like to have to fight with the sides not being long enough to cover the sideboards. You can make yours to fit whatever your bed measures.

I cut the top and a piece of flannel the same size. Then I cut a back piece that was about 1/2" larger all around. (Tessie couldn't handle the scissors. She was afraid of cutting her foot off.)

We lay the backing face down on the table. Next we centered the flannel on that with the 1/2" showing all around. Then we lay the top face up. It should be the same size as the flannel.

If you have not done any quilting before, it is a good idea to run a long basting stitch from corner to corner each way and around the edge of the quilt to hold the layers in place. The stitches can be removed after you finish quilting.....Be sure to use a contrasting color so that you can see it to remove.

In this case, I started at the very center and did small running stitches out to the center of each edge. I had a cross of stitches. Then, always starting on the center line and working out, I did a line of stitches on either side of the center line.
(three rows of stitches going in each direction)

I kept doing this until I was to the edge. It will depend on what fabric you use. I did this in white so that it would contrast with the red to be seen. The reason for working from the center out is so that the fabric will not stretch out of shape. It should stay square and not have to be blocked.

The last step Is to roll the edge of the backing around to the front. I start in the center of one side and blind stitch it to the front of the quilt and miter the corners as you go.

You roll the edge and stitch all the way to the corner then fold the next side into a triangle shape and fold the edge inside and put a couple of stitches in to hold the angle. Then just continue blind stitching the next side.

You can insert a thin wire at the edge as you stitch if you want to be able to drape it on the bed when you finish.We didn't do it on this one. Tessie may want to fold it somewhere for display. After all, it's her first quilt.

She is now poking and prodding me to get back to work and finish the last bit. She complained that her fingers were sore. I guess I should finish it. I think she is loosing interest fast.

See you tomorrow.