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Monday, September 8, 2014

Time flies. But there's always time for a doll quilt!

“Time flies. Time flies faster every year. Time flies whether you're having fun or not, whether you're living your life big or small, whether you surround yourself with fear or laughter.” 
― Claire CookTime Flies: A Novel

Time is flying by - and it does seem to go faster every year.  It is now September, and I find myself back in Virginia for a month, working on getting the house ready to list for sale.  Somehow, I've got to make the house look like it is ready to be photographed for a magazine.  I made a list today of closets and cupboards and attic spaces that I will be cleaning out.  It's a time of reflection and retrospect, and also a time of looking forward to settling into a new house.

When I was last here, I packed up most of my stash, turned the quilt room back into a bedroom, and left a small upstairs room with a sewing machine and cutting table in it.  It is a temporary space for quilting while I'm here this month working on the house.  One of the last things I'll do before leaving will be to pack up this small space and remove the sewing machine.

Today, Sophia Grace and Rosie are quite happy!  They are sitting on the new doll quilt top which I just finished.  


  
When I packed up the quilt fabric in the quilt room a few weeks ago, I found a small pile of 1.5 inch squares and put them by the sewing machine. Today, I sewed them into four patches and then this doll quilt top appeared.  It really went together quickly!

Pic of the finished top, which is 18" by 23.5"






  I am showing you the unfinished back, so you can see the seams.  Final seam of the four patch is pressed open, and the row joining seams are also. 






If you'd like to make one, here's the skinny:

15 four patches are made with contrasting 1.5 inch squares, sewn together, 2 lights with 2 darks.

Background squares are cut 2.5 inches square (you will need 8 of them)

Cut the triangles by starting with three squares, each 4 inches square.  Cut each one diagonally into four pieces, giving you 12 triangles.

For the four corners, I cut two 3 inch squares and cut each in half, making 4 triangles.  They were a little big, but I was guessing on size.  No problem, as I trimmed them after sewing them onto the quilt.

The borders are cut 5 inches wide, and the side borders are cut 14.5 inches long, with the top and bottom borders 18 inches long.

I cut my border pieces a little bit longer, maybe a 1/2 inch too long, and then trued up the sewn pieces after they were sewn on.  For a little doll quilt, it can be done this way, without worrying about width at middle vs. width at top and bottom.

It really is an easy quilt to make.  You know you want to make one!

Monday mornings I like to look at Judy Laquidara's blog, for her Design Wall linkup, to see what other quilters are working on.  (Here)  Hope you have a great Monday!  I will be working on getting this little doll quilt finished, and of course, cleaning out the closets.

1 comment:

I am always searching for new ideas and your feedback helps me learn how to do things better. Thanks for stopping by! Note that I am not on the computer daily, so responses to your comments happen when they happen.....I'm 80, and I hope allowances can be made. 😊