Pages

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Sydney's Texas A & M T-shirt Quilt

T-shirt quilts are not my favorite quilt to make but the joy they generate in the grandchildren is worth the effort. I have my own version of making the quilt. I cut the motifs out as close to the design as possible, then add strips of different colors to make them a size that will make rows for sewing together. I am not too fussy about sizing just as long as the rows are parallel. Sometimes I sew two designs together if they are small. Because it is knit fabric I sew all the blocks on the serger to keep the fabric from stretching. Once all the blocks and rows are assembled  I place the top on a piece of fleece that has been pieced to fit. There is no other batting in the middle, just the two layers. I then tie the whole thing together at the junctions of the blocks. The fleece is then trimmed one inch larger than the top and folded over to make a binding. I use the multiple zig zag stitch to sew the binding down. The quilt has a very scrappy look when finished.


"By George" Challenge

Las Colcheras Quilt Guild has an annual President's Challenge. The challenge for 2010 was titled "By George".  The fabric for the challenge was designed by George Mendoza, a blind artist living in Las Cruces. The quilts were displayed at the Brannigan Center in Las Cruces. Because of a rare cold front that put the area in a state of emergency the opening reception was postponed by several days so I missed seeing all the quilts on display. I was at home battling frozen water pipes and waiting for a plumber. Ribbons were awarded but I did not receive a ribbon. However, I did receive a greater honor (in my opinion). Mine was one of the quilts chosen to travel around the US with the fabric manufacturer.