One of my favorite weekends of the year is the one where I head for the hills with close to 40 other quilters for a weekend of food, fun, and fabric. This year, while the upper midwest was getting snow, we got ice. We woke up Friday morning to a mercifully thin layer of ice that melted off by mid-morning. Our afternoon of fabric shopping was able to proceed on schedule.
When we got back we were treated to the sight of this pretty hexagon quilt top.
Some of our group still hadn't made it to the Lodge yet, so the ballroom wasn't quite full when this picture was taken. That's my stuff in the lower left corner.
This is a striking rendition of a
1600 Quilt. Follow the link to a short video by
Heirloom Creations on how to make one of these out of a pre-cut roll of fabric stips. The 1600 refers to the 1600 inches of fabric in the roll. Four of these put together will make a queen-size quilt.
Here's another one by QBFF A. It takes less than an hour to sew it together.
One of our members had been working on this
Jinny Beyer Moonglow quilt for years. The top is finally finished and isn't it gorgeous?
This applique quilt is based on traditional motifs done in modern, bright colors. Beautiful!
QBFF T. worked on this
last year and this year put the blocks all together. I love how it turned out.
And here is the fruit of my labor. It's the
UFO project that's due in June. I still have to attach 2 more borders to it. The pattern is "Just Zip It!" by
Carol Morrissey.
And here we are, the QBFF, together in pink & purple. That's me, the old one with my trusty back brace, on the left.
Good times. Good times.
Sounds like fun was had by all. What beautiful quilts! And that blue is so striking!
ReplyDeleteYes, that blue one is a neat quilt. T. had fun picking out all of the different blues and I think she did a wonderful job. Once she gets it quilted I'll get a picture to post here.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful quilts! I just love them ALL!
ReplyDeleteYou say that QBFF A quilt in red tones takes only an hour to sew? REALLY??? You got my attention. (It's prob my favorite on this page!)
That's called a "1600 quilt" because it uses 40 40-inch strips of fabric. You can buy precut rolls of fabric which is what QBFF A used (saves a ton of time when you don't have to do the cutting yourself!). There's a fun video here on how they're made. Yep, you can really do them in less than an hour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EomX7t7to_o
DeleteIt was a Jelly Roll Race!!! So cool.. and in only 35 minutes!
DeleteIs it more difficult (in general.. not just for this pattern) to make a queen size quilt? Or is it just basically more fabric and more sewing? And then there's the time to sew the layers--the batting and then the bottom layer--and quilt them together, right?
Yep, it's pretty much just more fabric and more sewing. Depending on the pattern, most quilts are constructed from smaller units and it's only at the very end when you put the units together that it gets a bit awkward with all that fabric in your lap--mostly you're making sure you don't stab yourself with the pins holding the units together, lol. Sewing the layers together--the quilting--is harder and it does take some practice. At that point the quilt is very bulky and a big one is hard to maneuver under a typical home machine because the harp is so short.
DeleteOne thing to consider is making the top yourself and then having someone else quilt it. There are thousands of people out there now with in-home quilting businesses who will take your finished top and quilt it for you at a very reasonable price. They have long arm machines set up on frames that make quilting something that big really easy and fast. You'd have to call around and see, but some local quilt shops also have the machines set up in their shops and you can rent time on them. That's how one of my friends quilts her big tops. She can take a quilt into the shop, put it on the frame and have it done in just a couple of hours.
You are so good, Phyl. You answered every one of my questions! Thank you. And the tip about having someone else quilt it makes SO much sense. I would totally do that. I mean.. if I ever made the cover. LOL. I tell you.. that jelly roll pattern is tempting me to try! Maybe I should start with a pot holder or something. ;-)
DeleteLOL! Well, I'm just trying to convert another quilter :) If you have a local quilt shop, stop in and see if they have any of the precut jelly rolls. Most do these days. You can also find them online. "Jelly Roll" is a trademark of Moda Fabrics. Other companies use different names, such as "Tiki Roll" at SewBatik Fabrics, etc. Anyway, since it's just straight seams, it doesn't get any easier than one of these. Feel free to email me if you want more help! Do it. You know you want to :)
DeleteI DO want to. Especially since the quilt that we've been using on our bed for ohh.. the last eight years has started getting pretty tattered and it needs to be replaced. (I bought it from Pottery Barn all those years ago and I LOVE the colors and patterns and can't seem to find another one like it). I just don't know if I could even survive straight lines. My machine tends to make me curse like a sailor. LOL!
DeleteWell make sure you let me know if you give it a go. I am confident you can do it!
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