Quilt vs Blanket

I often get questions about my listings of quilts & blankets~ what's the difference? I thought I'd take the time to explain it then refer people to this post!

BLANKETS (or patchwork & minky blankets) first picture. These are patchwork or single fabric on one side, minky on the other. The 2 sides are attached all the way around the outside 2 times for durability. There is nothing in between, there is no attachment in the middle. The top & bottom pieces move independently. I have had many orders for this type of blanket up to twin size. I think it is a 'look'. I started making these because with less labor involved, I can charge less. I think everyone should be able to have their own blanket or throw!

QUILTS These have patchwork or single fabric on one side, fabric on the other. There is cotton or cotton/polyester batting in between. The layers are quilted together throughout & a binding is applied around the edge. I machine sew both quilts & blankets. Quilts have more 'ingredients' & more work, so the price reflects that. Originally I didn't think I would make and sell quilts because they are so time consuming. I found that more and more people were asking for them. What I decided to do is just keep the pattern simple~ basic squares or what I like to call 'random patchwork' and outline quilt to keep the time down to keep the cost down.

I will say that both are beautiful and I LOVE make both of them. Its kind of like your kids~ they are different, but you love them equally. Hopefully that explains the difference! :)

Ooh La La Liberty!

I have the priviledge of working with a Liberty fabric for a patchwork/minky blanket for Kim! Its the fabric on the left. I had only heard of this fabric before, never worked with it. It IS $40/yd!! Kim is an accomplished sewer and fellow fabric lover and really wanted it for her daughters blanket, so she bought a half yard for it and had it shipped to my house. She also picked out all the fabrics except for 2 purples I am considering adding pending her approval. Looking at the pic, I like the woodgrain from Eva Basic Grey. It goes with the bird theme. Anna's flowers on the left looks good, but not great. Too many new colors. I think photos of fabric groups really help in decision making which is why I frequently post fabric groupings on my flickr site to help my customers decide on fabrics. Even if she doesn't want the woodgrain added, this blanket will be fabulous~ I'm looking forward to sewing it up and playing with the famous Liberty fabric!!

I Won!!!!

I am so excited, I won the entire collection of So St. Croix in fat quarters, woo hoo!!!!Jennifer Paganelli was having a giveaway on her blog, http://www.jenniferpaganelli.typepad.com/ and I got to be a winner! If you haven't seen her blog, it is full of creative ideas for her fabrics and patterns. She is seriously one of the nicest people you'll meet~ commenting thoughtfully on pictures posted in the Sis Boom flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/458917@N25/pool/. I met Jenny through the flickr pool and she also won. She sews the most amazing clothing, here's her blog~ she's already been busy with the So St. Croix fabrics: http://sewprettydresses.blogspot.com/2010/02/so-st-croix-part-3.html. Can't wait to get these beauties and show & tell about it!!!

Yay, Spray Baster!!

I am really loving the spray baster, 505 Spray & Fix which temporarily holds the quilt layers together. I just put towels around the quilt to catch the overspray & reuse the towels a few times before throwing them in the wash. It doesn't gum up the needle & keeps the layers smooth & intact. I can't wait to quilt this one with fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli & Tanya Whelan!

Been Busy

I've been wanting to do a new blog post, but need to finish this order up so here is a pic of more of the custom bedding I've been doing. There is a sea of blue & green in every room ~ practically~ downstairs!! I love this initial pillow. Its for an 18" pillow. What have you been sewing?

Choosing Minky

Which minky would you choose to go with this future random patchwork & minky blanket? I sewed up a block using all the fabrics that will be in this blanket for Alexis to see. She wants the double sided minky spa fleece and I think either of these would work. Which one looks better? I used mostly Anna Maria Horner fabrics with one Sandi H (butterflies) and one Amy B (dots).

Planning a Quilt

How do you plan a basic patchwork quilt?? I do quite a few quilts & minky blankets using 8" squares so I can reasonably price them. I would enjoy doing more intricate patterns, but my labor cost would go way up. Usually, this is the perfect venue to show off all the amazing prints. This is a quilt I will be starting soon for Patrice using Moda fabrics. (The squares are overlapping in certain areas~ they are all 8.5" squares). What I usually do is make a graph & give each fabric a short name like RD for red damask or BF for brown floral and put it in each square on my paper. Then I pin together the squares and sew them all up. Now I have a road map to reconstruct the layout I made earlier without worry. There are so many techniques for every aspect of quilting that I was wondering if you do it any different? My husband said take a picture~ which I did, but now I have to run to the computer to keep checking the order. Tell me your thoughts! :)

Duvets!

This is one of 2 queen size duvets I will be making for sisters. I laid it across my daughters bed to take a photo and to make sure everything 'fit' the way it should. I am working for a really sweet family & both girls knew the focus fabric. This one started with the peace fabric- its a home dec weight. The family is really creative and knew what they wanted so we have had countless emails working out the details~ since November I believe! I knew the colors for this room would be best showcased with Jennifer Paganelli's bright fabrics, so I sent a bunch of fabric samples out with the Libby paisley as the main fabric with all the colors. The green in it is a perfect match for the peace sign fabric. I also used Curves from Valori Wells which will be ins sister #2's duvet as well and Cathedral in pink from Anna Maria H as well as Luna Dots. Next up: bedskirt, pillow shams and neckroll!