Quillow Madness

Quillows are wonderful things.

 Definition: Noun.  (1) A quilt that is made with a pocket on one side. When the quilt is folded and the pocket turned inside out then the rest of the quilt is tucked inside the pocket it becomes a pillow. (2) A quilt that turns into a pillow=Quillow.

See the following examples of some quillows:

 

 

You won't believe how quick and easy these quillows really are. Sure you can go out and by a pattern for making quillows, I did. But I had the idea that quillows should be way more simple than what my pattern was giving me. I pulled out the quillow that someone made for me and I used that as my own pattern and figured out how to make them. So let me make it just as easy for you as it was for me. Here we go!!

Step One: The fabric. You can use any fabric you want but if you want warm and snuggly, go for fleece, anti-pill fleece, or flannel. I went to my favorite fabric store, Joanne's, and found fleece that I absolutely loved. (It was on sale so that was a bonus).

I made two sizes: Small, (for my min pin Ceasar to curl up in)

 

And Large (for my parents to use at night when it's 4 degrees outside)

 

 

Step Two: How much fabric.  For the small quillow you will need 1 yard of fabric for each side of the quilt. For the pocket you will need a 1/2 yard of the same fabrics for both sides of the pocket.

 

For the large quillow, 2 yards of fabric one for each side. For the pocket: 1/2 yard of each fabric for both sides of the pocket.

Step Three: Sewing the Quillow. If you are using fleece, you need to trim off the rolled edges on all fabrics.  Take the two pieces of fabric and place them right sides together. This means the pretty sides of the fabric face each other. You will need to pin all for sides, especially if you are using fleece. Fleece moves and shifts while sewing. Sew around all four sides with a 1/4" seam allowance (Everything in quilting uses a 1/4" seam allowance) but leave an opening big enough to pull the entire quilt inside out. Now that you have an opening and the entire quilt top is sewn together stick your hands all the way to the corners at the opposite ends and pull through the opening until your quilt is turned inside out. The pretty sides of each fabric should now be seen.

 



 

 

Step Four: The Pocket. Cut the half yard fabrics into 18" squares for the small quillow and 22" square for the large quillow. Pin the two squares right sides together. Before sewing the pocket all the way around you need to plan which way your pocket is going to go on the quilt so you can match the two openings together. Now you can sew. What's the seam allowance again? Yes, a 1/4" seam allowance all the way around except to leave an opening just like you did your quilt.  Now, stick your hands into the opening and grab the corners at the opposite end and pull through the opening. Pretty sides of the fabrics should be showing.

 

 

Step Five: Attaching the pocket to the quilt top. You first need to decide what side of your quilt top is your most favorite. Take your pocket and have the same side of your pocket facing up as your favorite side of your quilt top.

You want your pocket to blend in with the fabric. (see pics for the right way to place the pocket and the wrong way).

I should have used the striped side of the pocket

instead of the black side. Wrong way to put

the pocket on the quilt

The pocket is almost invisible. This is the correct

way to attach the pocket to the quilt

Match up the openings while centering the pocket on the quilt top. Once centered on the quilt and the openings are matched up pin down the sides and the openings. You are going to top stitch down both sides of the pocket and the top of the pocket and quilt where the openings are. When you top stitch the openings closed you are going to be stitching through 4 layers of fabric. Do your best. It doesn't have to be perfect. Please, Please, Please make sure you DO NOT stitch the bottom of the pocket. You will no longer have a pocket. So only top stitch 3 sides.

 

 

Your Quillow is done!!! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!!!!

 

 

 



Step Six: Folding the quilt into a pillow. I think it's much easier to show you than to try to explain. There is more than one way to fold a quillow. I found two YouTube videos that will show you how to do it. Try it both ways or you may even have your own way of folding your quillow.

 

Folding Technique 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2btBHvnazDc

 

 

Folding Technique 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOlJ7746bHE

 

If you need any help please feel free to post a comment or email me at hip2quilt@gmail.com.  I can also direct you to YouTube and have you search for tutorials if you get stuck. That's what I do when I need help. Love YouTube.

 

Happy Quillow Making!!!!

Bandana Quilt

I was walking through Walmart one day and I passed by an end cap that made me come to a halt. AIR BREAKS!!!! "What are these wonderful things?" I thought to myself. 
They were bandanas for $0.99. The first thing that popped into my head was, "A quilt!!! I can make a fast and easy quilt out of these!!! And look, they are only 99 cents!!!" So I grabbed a few, ok eight to be exact. Then I went on my merry way.

A couple of days later I was in Jo-Anne's Fabrics and I knew somewhere they too had bandanas. I found them. They were a little more than Walmart but I got a couple, I was a good girl and only got three.  But then I caved and went back to Walmart and picked up a few more 99 cent bandanas.

I brought my treasures home and pulled out my bandana stash. I opened up one and discovered, to my delight it was a perfect 18" square. Now that is really going to make an easy, fast, large quilt. Let's try it out.

So I designed a very simple 12 block quilt top with my 18" square bandanas. It's perfect for a beginner and fast for those in need of a gift in a hurry.

Bandanas I purchased for 99 cents. They are 18" squares

Reaarange the bandanas how you want. I did 3 across and 4 down, a total of 12 blocks.

I sewed three bandanas into a row. Repeat 3 more times.

Some bandanas are shorter than others by just a tad. Don't worry it won't

make a bit of difference once you put the backing on. 

(Bremley, the quilting kitty, testing the quilt top)

"MMMm I think this will do just fine for me to snuggle under"

This bed is our queen size bed. So you can see it makes a pretty good size quilt.

This is just the quilt top, the backing has not been attached yet.

The quilt back. I purchased about 3yrds of my most favorite

fleece. Hint: Fleece, off the bolt is between 48"-60" wide. Most fabrics are 44" wide)

I sewed the quilt top and backing right sides together and 1/4" seam allowance all away around. I did leave an opening so I can turn the quilt inside out. This technique is called turning the quilt. I'll add the photo of the finished quilt tomorrow.

 

Ok so I took longer than "tomorrow" to post the pictures of my finished bandana quilt.  I had given it to one of my best friends for a Christmas present and forgot to take pictures of the finished product. I was over at her house babysitting her children and took some photos of her quilt while I was there. Smart, wasn't I?

Completed Bandana Quilt. It's loved by my dear
friend, Beth and gets borrowed by her hubby and 3 boys.
It has really surpassed the quilt loving test!!!! A+

 

The back of the Bandana Quilt or could be used as the front.
Whichever side Beth decides she wants showing at just that moment of
snuggling.  





Firsts

As the title says "Firsts" this is truly a post of firsts.

1st  Blog ever in my life
1st  post for my new blog (I'm not counting my introduction post)
1st quilt idea to be posted on my 1st blog ever

Wow look at all those firsts and it's not even the New Year. I'm starting early with something new.

Ok so I love to go on YouTube and watch quilt tutorials by Jenny Joan of the Missouri Star Quilt Company. Thank you Jenny for sharing your talents and expertise on fun, easy, fast quilts. I'll keep watching for more.

So I highly recommend you click link for her tutorial of "The Disappearing 9-Patch" You'll love it. 

Here are pics of my disappearing 9-patch that I made in just a couple of days. It took me days because I only had a few short hours after work to play in my quilting room. This quilt won't take long at all.

Disappearing 9-patch and Bremley the Quilting Kitty.
"Wow!!! This quilt is the perfect size for snuggling under"
 

Disappearing 9-Patch, Pink and Brown

Disappearing 9-Patch and Bremley, The Quilting Kitty.
"Yep this corner is nice and comfy"

 

Shades of purple Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt.
Quilt tested and approved by Bremley The Quilting Kitty

 

 

Disappearing 9-Patch Tutorial by Jenny Doan of the Missouri Star Quilt Company

My Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt step by step in hues of purple. I used Fat Quarters instead of charm packs because I couldn't find charm packs in the colors I needed. And charm packs are more expensive. I was able to cut 12- 5 1/4" squares out of each Fat Quarter. You only need 7 Fat Quarters to make the lap size quilt I created. I purchased 8 just to be on the safe side, in case I messed up on my cutting. (It happens to the best of us) Very little fabric to purchase (Which put a huge smile on hubbies face)

5 1/4" squares cut and machine sewn into the 9-patch block

Following Jenny Doan's cutting instructions, cut the block

down the middle both ways. And Wahlah!!! You get 4 blocks.

Now the fun begins! Rearrange those 4 blocks any way you want.

Seams do not need to match, making this super easy and worry free!!!

Sew the blocks to create a 4-patch quilt block. Arrange and Repeat with the other 9-patches

Sew the new blocks into rows. I did 3 across and 4 down.

I chose a dark purple border and light fleece backing for warmth.

With my "Quilting Kitty", Bremley, (She likes to sit on the fabric to hold it still or

pull out the pins I just put in before sewing the quilt sandwich)

Quilt softness and warmth must be Bremley approved.

 That's my "Quilting Kitty"always ready to help!!!

Disappearing 9-Patch complete. I just did the turned quilt technique

and turned out beautifully and we have the final approval of the "Quilt Tester"!!!

It looks like we cut large and small pieces and worked really hard to match all our seams.

Not so!! Thanks to Jenny Doan's tutorial on the Disappearing 9-Patch what looks like a difficult quilt really is "Quick and Easy"

 

This could be the perfect quilt pattern you've been looking for to start off the New Year!!! If you have comments or other fabulous quilt ideas feel free to post and share!!!

 



Happy New Year!!

Come Quilt with Me and my Quilting Kitty, Bremley

Have you ever wanted to try something new or discover a hidden talent? How about trying out quilting? Do you have a sewing machine that has been collecting dust? Well it's time to bring out that sewing machine, pick some fabrics and try some quick and easy quilt patterns.

I love to find patterns and ideas that won't take me years to complete or that I'm too scared to try. I'd love to share those with you and you can try them and share them with someone else. Is that like one of those chain mail things? Not at all but who doesn't like to swap quilt ideas. Or who wouldn't like to get a dear friend hooked on quilting?

So gather your friends or take a couple of hours for yourself and come join Me, and my Quilting Kitty, Bremley on our journey of Quilting!!!!!

I will post patterns, quilt blocks, tricks of the trade, and videos tutorials that I have found and tried out myself. I will also post my own quilts that I have made over the years and who knows, you might want to try them yourself. Of course all the things I post will follow the copyright laws and I will always give credit to those who I begged and borrowed from. I have created my own patterns a time or two and will share those as well.

Please feel free to post your own quick and easy quilts, ideas, and tricks of the trade that you have learned. It's all about quick and easy quilts and spreading the love of quilting.

I look forward to QUILTING with you!!!

Fellow Beginner Quilter,

Cambria Thompson and my trusty Quilting Kitty, Bremley