Two Quilts, One Week

Two weeks before Christmas was busy. I had just about everything ready, except for the quilts.

The first one was for Jeff's sister and her new husband. They got married 4 days before Christmas and I so wanted to make them a quilt. I had the idea in my head for months, but just needed the push to get started. I ordered a jelly roll and some yardage of Momo's Freebird (I LOVE precuts...some of every fabric!) and used Kona Bone. I had in my mind a rail fence type pattern, but I was so nervous. I kept going back and forth trying to decide whether I should do what was in my head, or find a pattern online somewhere. The pattern in my head won out, and I LOVE IT!


After the top was done, I spent many pregnancy insomnia hours stressing over how scrappy to make the back (as no one seemed to have enough of ONE fabric for backing) and worrying about my free-motion quilting skills. Oh, and what fabric to do the binding, that was a worry too.

The back ended up pretty scrappy, but again, I LOVE how it turned out and couldn't imagine it any other way.


I did the machine quilting in a swirly pattern (way easier than I thought) that turned out wonderful, got it bound (in the light blue Balls in Sky) and washed (my favorite part...it always looks better all crinkly!) hours before we left for Utah.

I also made some throw pillows, I found this great tutorial for no-hand sewing pillows...totally up my alley. I did that in the red ones and wished I had done it for the brown ones too. Oh well. I was glad they turned out so well, as for some reason pillows have frightened me for a long time!

A 72"x72" cuddle quilt and some throw pillows, what could be better for a newlywed apartment!


So, now looking at this quilt, my only wish is that I would have taken better photos. I totally forgot about taking photos until we were at the wedding luncheon. We were trying to get all the food ready, and everyone was running here and there. I grabbed Sarah and hurriedly took these photos as I set up the quilt on a chair. So Judy and Chris, I hope you love it. Take some better photos and send them my way :)

The Second Quilt was for my mom. She has been requesting a denim patch quilt for YEARS now (and strongly hinting--no telling--that she wants one every time she gave me an old pair of jeans). We made it Queen-size, and it turned out so cozy!

Jeff and I have made several of them over the past 7-8 years. We cut up old jeans into 6-inch (or sometimes 4-inch) squares, sew them up all patch-work-y, usually in a 9-patch pattern, and use a flannel flat sheet to back it. We always use the 10oz polyester batting so it's thick and heavy. We tie it with crochet thread and give the fitted sheet and pillowcase away too.

This was a whole-family effort. Jeff cut the squares, I sewed them together, and Jeff, Sarah, Eliza, and I tied it one night while we watched White Christmas. I bound it the next day (just with fold-over from the back), and done!

Mom loved the quilt, she even cried.


I should have taken better pictures of this one too. I think I was so enthralled with just getting these quilts DONE that I didn't document them very well. That's OK though. Learning for the future :)

Now if I can just get to those other quilts on my list...