Working on Takeshi's QuiltThe boys Christmas quilts were finished just in time for Christmas, and I do mean just in time! I was pulling Ernest's quilt out of the dryer at about 11:00 pm on Christmas Eve, and had it ready to go by midnight. I will never again question the high cost of handmade quilts. There is so much work involved and it is very time consuming. Here's proof...
- 3200 corners
- 2000 yards of thread
- 804 quilters safety pins
- 160 finished blocks (480 total cut blocks)
- 20 hours of machine quilting (just quilting the top, this does not include sewing the blocks together)
- 19 bobbins used
- 8 hours of hand binding (plus numerous scratches from dangerous pins)
- 6 nights up till midnight (including 1 am and the midnight before Christmas)
- 5 days in pajamas
Of course, I probably should have started sooner, 2 weeks before Christmas is not enough time! It was all worth it, Takeshi and Ernest LOVE their quilts and were wrapped up in them all day long.
Ernest's Fabric
(bottom fabric is for the back of the quilt)
Takehsi's Fabric
(bottom fabric is for the back of the quilt)
I followed Crazy Mom Quilts "How to Make a Ragged Squares Quilt" tutorial. It's very simple, and the top came together quickly, but progress slowed down when I started to machine quilt. It was very hard wrestling that much fabric into a machine for quilting. I swear I have bigger muscles now.
Takeshi's Finished Top
Hannah also helped me decided on the binding. Since this quilt had a scrappy look, we used all the long scraps to bind the edge. You can see the different fabrics along the edge in this picture.
Here's the back of Takeshi's quilt. You can see the square pattern here.
Hannah also participated in making the quilts. She helped me pick out which squares should go where, getting pins on blocks, & taping the quilt to get reading for basting.
Ernest has always loved blue, so here is his finished quilt.
Another View
and the scrappy binding
Hannah is getting a quilt (purple, of course) but I ran out of time to finish hers. I'm going to started my presents for next year in February, I'm taking January off!
6 comments:
Wow! Two in two weeks?!?!? And they look huge! Congrats on the finish. . . ;0) They are very pretty!
How amazing! They look so cozy!
I loved hearing about the details and numbers involved in making a handmade quilt. I have always been amazed by how long they must take, but now I know!
I really like the scraps for binding. It ties the quilts together so well.
I bet your neck and shoulders are so sore. But, it does look worth it. So beautiful. I am glad to hear how much the boys loved them. Wrapped up in them all day...as a mom and the seamstress you couldn't get a better Christmas gift than that. :) Great job, Lisa!
I also liked 5 days in pajamas...that is how I finish ALL of my big projects. For me, everything does down the drain in the house, no one gets fed and I am in my pajamas!
that's always been on my to-do list ... but it is a lot of fabric to make them, great job girl ... i'm super impressed! :)
those are beautiful!!! I didn't know you were such a seamstress!
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