Southern Quilts Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 I love to make charity quilts - for new babies, missionary "projects", people having to stay in the hospital, stuff like that. The only challenge is that I don\'t always have time to make a traditional quilt when the need arises. What ideas do you have for making a quick quilt or maybe blankets or something from the heart that would only take a few hours to complete? Ultimately I\'d like to have a long arm, slap a couple of pieces of fabric on the frame and quilt a whole cloth quilt for someone, but I don\'t have a LA yet. Thanks so much for sharing all your ideas! Denise in Georgia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 Hi Denise. What you could do is buy the fabric with pre-printed panels on them. Some of these panels look like patchwork blocks but are just printed directly on the fabric. You could use one of these as a quilt top and quickly make a quilt in a matter of hours--no piecing necessary! I\'ve seen some really cute panels designed for baby quilts, too. Even flannel quilts with the big print designs would make a cute baby quilt without piecing. You could pillow case these and turn right side out so no need to add binding around the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 If you know how to crochet, you can get a yard of quality flannel and crochet a blanket stitch and then two rows of scallop around the edges, makes wonderful baby blankets....big enough to hold a baby. (for summer babies I use seersucker) Also, you can make tops by using 3 or 4 coordinated fabrics, cut into 8x10 or some other convenient size and put 2" sashing between, add a border and you have a baby quilt (or lap quilt) that can easily be quilted on your DSM. Hope this gives you some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Big block patterns, such as rail fence or Turning Twenty, go together very quickly & look more complicated than they are. There is a series of baby quilt books by Ursula Reikes (sp?), that all can be put together in an afternoon. When I want to make a charity baby quilt & have no inspiration, I just pick up open that book at random & make whatever comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Don\'t know about the rest of you, but usually the binding is what keeps me from finishing a charity quilt. Then.... I went to the Rocky Mountain Quilting Museum in Golden, Co. and saw art quilts with SERGED bindings. Eureka! Great for quick-finish, sturdy charity quilt bindings. And I can use the odd color cones of thread that my brother bought for me/my serger at a yard sale. Kids love bright colors, right ? ! Where else would I use that hot pink cone? I also saw quilts with burned edges, seems quick, but doesn\'t seem to fall in the "sturdy" category. As for the tops themselves, my fabric angels have aligned me with three donations so far of deceased quilters/no-longer-quilting people\'s UFO stashes. So I have tops galore. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonnieReece Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 A quick, easy quilt is a rail fence. If it is strip pieced, it goes together in a couple of hours. I quilt it using a serpentine stitch rather than a straight stitch. A serpentine stitch has more give so the threads won\'t break if the quilt is pulled on the diagonal. Use a bright print and a couple of bright solids and you have a cheery quilt that the recipient will love. The rail fence is also the pattern I use to teach someone to quilt. It has the least seam matching of any pattern. Bonnie Reece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Quick Charity Quilts DH and I have been donating newborn quilts to a hospitals\' preemie babies dept., I use a lot of juvenile prints and bright colors as well as panels. I use lots of big pieces of nine patch, border with some solids. I make do with my stash and quilt very loose meandering and loopy loops stitches. Two hours to sew and quilt each. What I do is load 2 quilts at the same time. Binding is whenever I could. So far I average 12 of these in a year. Corey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarthaProvencher Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Someone demonstrated a really fast technique at our guild (Billie Lauder?) It will take longer to describe than to do. You stack 3 pieces of"square" fabric, (full width and 44 or so inches long). You cut through all three thicknesses into an offset nine patch (making a narrow border and a big center and cornerstones). Then you lift the top fabric off the center piece and put it at the bottom of the stack. Lift the top two fabrics off the cornerstones and put them at the bottom of the stack. Then you sew those pieces together, top fabric to top fabric, middle fabric to middle fabric, bottom fabric to bottom fabric. Using, say, a juvenile big print and two coordinating prints, you end up with 3 crib size quilt tops. Sew the backs on, pillowcase style, layer batting inside, quilt, finish the final edge however you want, and you don\'t even need to "bind." Is that at all clear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebFigved Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Necie, I go along with what Shana posted. Whole cloth baby fabrics are fast to quilt and are fast. I also suggest just making flannel blankets (@1 yd or 1-1/8Yd square) and hem them. Mothers always need receiving blankets. My group at work just finished 40 for a charity project. Cuts down on cost too by not having batting and backing. We do however, also make flannel and cotton light blankets (no batting), and baby quilts. But those baby quilts take a lot more time and money. Have fun. Deb Figved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingstitcher Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 A large heart cut from squares of 9-patch or 16-patch (3"-4" squares) appliqued to the center of a quilt is cute. Then use that fusible ribbon to outline the heart and make a string type double bow on the top (fusible bias ribbon bends really easily and you can even make your own from fusible web that comes very thin on a flat spool). It\'s really fast and very cute. How thoughtful and generous of you to take the time to make something darling to donate. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbaum Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 I have found that the turning twenty pattern works well for fast quilts and you can use your scraps and it still looks great. Good luck with your choice and what a wonderful thing your doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Quilts Posted June 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 I\'ve seen several ideas that can keep me busy for a while! Thanks so much! I especially liked the "no-binding" ideas because that usually slows me down. Thanks again and I\'ll let you know if I come up with another short cut! Necie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladyinthread Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Denise, I do a ton of charity quilts. One of my favorites is just a big hunk of fabric for the middle (usually a novelty or floral) and then two borders. The middle is 1 3/4 yards for the 60x70 size quilt. Then a narrow border of 2 1/2" and then a large border of 8 1/2 inches. I also do them smaller for kids -- 1 1/4 for the middle but cut it so it\'s 27 x42 or so and then the same inner border and a 6" outer border. I can sew one in 1 1/2 hours and I\'m slow. You can see them in any of my charity albums at http:/community.webshots.com/user/ladyinthread Joann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Rolek Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 I have found Hancock Fabric and Joann Fabrics has pre-sewed patchwork and I would purchase it when one has a couple and just buy yardage and put a back on them. I believe they are about 3 in finished blocks. I have bought some and want to make a jacket out of some. Debbie R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randijoy Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 I stack 10 coordinating fat quarters, square them up if needed, and then cut them in fourths (down the middle, rotate and then down the middle the other way) Then I have 40 big blocks that I just strip piece into a fast quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.