Monday, July 19, 2010

a shower and a quilt

my brother-in-law, marcus is getting married this weekend.  to the lovely ashley.  we are so excited for them!  ashley's shower was on saturday at becky's home.  becky is ashley's brother's wife, and also my brother-in-law, steve's sister.  you got that?

ashley and her ladies in waiting (sisters and mom).
lovely nielson sisters.
becky the lovely hostess.
the quilt i made for ashley.
what were we discussing?
i wanted to keep this one.
For this throw-size quilt, I cut 10" squares out of white and gray and yellow fabrics, then followed my usual chevron routine*. found at park city girl's tutorial.
WHAT TO CUT:
This quilt is 6 half-square-triangle blocks across x 8 hst blocks down. Which means I cut 48 10" squares total: 24 white, 18 gray, 6 yellow.
After consulting with my sister abby and my mom and mark, we decided this would not be too "Charlie Brown" so i went ahead with my idea.  And even if it was, Charlie Brown wouldn't be so bad.  My sister-in-law thought it looked kind of nautical.  I'm good with that too.

The colors are coal gray and corn yellow.

*2.7.13 Update. I used to have a sidebar link to Park City Girl's tutorial, but it is no longer active. So here is another tutorial and a free pattern from Riley Blake Designs, also using half square triangles. I love this method for chevrons, and many other quilting layouts. See other quilts I've made with h.s.t. here and here.

54 comments:

abby said...

i can't believe we even doubted. i'm obsessed. when can i commission one??

Sarah said...

abby,
i know. what was i thinking? glad i took your advice. how 'bout i just help you make one?

Nancy said...

Love the quilt Sarah, so beautiful (as usual) looks like a lovely shower. I'm loving all the ways you guys are connected!

amyegodfrey said...

It looks fabulous! I think I could pull this one off, after watching you make it.

Nichole Contente said...

I love that quilt. Do you ever make custom orders?

Sarah said...

Nichole,
I have in the past. Right now I am not taking orders because I don't have the time to commit to it. I think someday I might open up a shop on etsy and just take custom orders. Thanks for the interest.

Angela said...

Love it, Sarah! What if you documented the one you help Abby make, and share so we can all make one?

Church Fam said...

I'm not sure if I get it, but after 9 my brain can only take very simple info. :) Oh well I do love the quilt. You are amazing!!

merideth said...

i love it. great job!

Aimee's Family Journal said...

Doesn't it hurt a little when you give them away? I mean. I would cry a little. All that work. It is such an amazing legacy.

Natalie Hall said...

Sarah, you are a complete doll!! I love meeting new people, new people that are so great.. Your kids are really darling.... And you my dear are so great with the camera. Love your kitchen!! How fun we both have the same bar stools.. Well hope to see you again soon. Of course I'll be spying on you.

C said...

I love this quilt! Since you aren't making custom orders, do you know of others online that do that? My nursery colors are yellow, white and gray and I think this would be a perfect fit! It's beautiful!

Any advice is appreciated :)

cori.wren@gmail.com

Thank you!

Carissa said...

I love love loooove this quilt... if you ever open an etsy shop PLEASE let me know!

Sarah said...

Thanks Carissa! Someday I will open that etsy shop.

Anonymous said...

I am in Love Love Love with your chevron quilt. I hope you don't mind my asking but do you sell the pattern or know where I could find it.
I hope you will start to sell your quilts in the future, I'll be one of the first in line :)

Sarah said...

Sissy Sue Bug,
I have updated this post with info on how to make this quilt, including a link to a tutorial and a free pattern. Good luck to you!

Anonymous said...

You made my day! Thank you for the information, I'm
super excited!!

Unknown said...

I found your blog on pinterest and love it....and I especially love this chevron quilt! It is just what I've been looking for so I'm going to give it a try. I have only made a t-shirt quilt before so these following questions are probably silly...did you use a quilting square or just make a 10" square template out of something? Also, for fabric, approx. how much of each color? I tend to go overboard on getting fabric :) Thank you, I'm so sorry if these are silly questions!

Unknown said...

I love this quilt! It is just what I'm looking for so I'm going to try it, but I've only made clothes and a single t-shirt quilt so I'm sorry if these questions are silly. First, did you use a quilting square or just make a 10" square template out of something to cut your squares? And for the fabric, approx. how much would I need? I tend to go overboard on fabric. Again, I apologize if these are ridiculous questions, but I figured I have to start somewhere:)

Sarah said...

Jess,
Don't even worry about asking questions. That's how we all got started!
You will definitely need a rotary cutter, 12 x 12 acrylic ruler and cutting mat - all found at any fabric store. I used these to cut 10 inch x width of fabric (WOF, which is usually 44 inches) strips from my fabric. Then cut those strips down to 10 inch squares.

I used the following fabric:
2 yards white
1 1/4 yard gray
3/4 yard yellow (just to be safe)

I hope that helps! Good luck!

Mandy said...

Any chance you have time to make one of these quilts? I must have seen this a while back on pinterest and have been looking for this exact quilt, didn't realize till I just ran back across it here that this is where I got the pattern in my head ... i cant find anything even close to it to purchase. Please if you are up to making one, contact me...mhonea1117@gmail or call or text 4056271165. -mandy!

Anonymous said...

I love this quilt!!! So stinking cute!

Julia said...

Do you think this concept could work for a duvet cover?

Julia said...

Do you think I could use this pattern to make a duvet cover? I'm wondering how the back of the chevron would hold up in the wash without the top stitching.

Sarah said...

Julia,
This could work as a duvet cover. I think I would sew a backing for the pieced chevron top to keep keep loose strings from being caught and pulled in the wash. I'd love to see it, if you end up making it.

Gretchen said...

My daughter found this post and asked me to make this quilt for her, and I did!!! It was really fun to make. Thanks for the idea!

Sarah said...

Gretchen,
That makes me happy! Yay for sharing on the internet!

Gretchen said...

Sarah, you don't have to publish this, but here are some pictures of the quilt. This is a link to my Flickr page. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63525035@N02/

AndreaB said...

How many yards do you need for the backing? And how did you piece it together?

Sarah said...

AndreaB,
I honestly don't remember exactly the yardage I used. I am thinking about 3 yards.

kjhaskins said...

Sarah, Would you happen to remember what line of fabric you used for the grey and yellow. I see you said is was cool grey and corn yellow. Just need to know where to buy it.

Thank you, It is gorgeous and I am excited to make one for my grandson!

Sarah said...

kjhaskins,
The brand is Kona Cotton. You can find it online and possibly at Joann's Fabric.

kjhaskins said...

Do you remember what color thread you used to quilt it with?

kjhaskins said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sarah said...

I use light tan on pretty much everything. Pretty sure that's what I used.
I think I'd use white if I did it again. Either one works.

Kathryn said...

I'm making this for a friends baby girl in hot pink and grey! I bought all the fabric today but its been quite a while since I have made a quilt. What method do you use to bind your quilts? I thought about hand sewing it, but I want it very sturdy so she can get lots of use out of it.


Kaleigh

Sarah said...

I used to hand sew bindings years ago, but I never do it anymore.
Now I always use 2 1/2 inch strips, sew them together (on the bias), iron the strips in half, machine sew the binding to the back of the quilt first, then machine sew to the front.

Whew, that was a long sentence. Hope that helps.

Rachelle said...

I LOVE this quilt! So adorable! I'm sort of math-impaired though. Any suggestions about how much fabric would be needed to make a king-sized version of this?

Sarah said...

Rachelle,
I am guessing it would take at least 4 times as much fabric as the throw I made. Just a guess though.

Tanya said...

I'm about to embark on my first ever solo-quilt project (I moved far away from grandma) and have a beginner question for you: Do you wash your fabric before cutting/piecing/sewing your quilt or do you wait until the quilt is finished to wash? Thanks so much, your quilts inspire me so much!!!

Sarah said...

Tanya,
How exciting!
I don't wash my fabric before cutting and sewing. I used to, but have found I like the look of the fabric shrinking a bit, after the quilt is finished. So I definitely wash the whole quilt at the end, in cold, with a very mild detergent, or a little white vinegar. I also throw it in the dryer on normal heat.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Unknown said...

THIS IS AN AWESOME CRAFT AND TUTORIAL WILL BE SO HELPFUL WHEN SEWING IT. I HAVE ADDED IT TO MY FAVORITES AND AM EXCITED TO MAKE 1 OR SEVERAL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING


Bernysblessings.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

Berny,
Thanks! Good luck!

Angel D said...

Love this!! I am planning on making a black and white one with a red backing. I am worried about the red bleeding when I wash it. Any suggestions on how to prevent this? Also, do you remember about how many yards you used on the front of each color? Thanks!!

Sarah said...

Angel,
I worry about red bleed too. I would prewash the red fabric with detergent and a 1/4 cup of white vinegar. The vinegar helps set the color. Throw it in the dryer and iron the wrinkles out, and it should be good to go.

Here are the fabric yardages:

2 yards white
1 1/4 yard gray
3/4 yard yellow (just to be safe)

Hope that helps! Good Luck! I'd love to see your finished product.

Mrs. Ganze said...

I LOVE your quilts and I've learned SO much just reading some of you posts! I'm wanting to buy a sewing machine...what type of sewing machine do you have? Do you do your own quilting or do you have someone else quilt it together?

Sarah said...

Mrs. Ganze,
Thank you so much! My machine is an older Pfaff and I love it. I am pretty sure Viking bought out that company several years ago and I think Viking makes a good machine too, but I have never used one.
Several blogging quilting friends use Berninas and I hear they are great for quilting.
And yes, I do all of my own quilting on my machine. The biggest I have done is a twin. Anything larger, is just to cumbersome to maneuver through a normal machine.
Good luck! Thanks for stopping by!

Unknown said...

I have had the post "pinned" forever!
I love love love this quilt, are you taking orders yet???

Sarah said...

Toni,
Thank you!!! I am not taking orders. Someday, maybe. Just not my season right now!

Unknown said...

OK, thanks! Thought Id give it a shot : )

Unknown said...

Does this include the backing?

Sarah said...

No, it does not include the backing.

Brea Craig said...

Sarah! This is darling and also sorta masculiney (lol.. not a word). I've been scouring the www looking for a easy quilt idea for my husband's birthday. I wanted something he could cuddle up in his recliner with... this is perfect! Thanks for the awesome info and pics. I just have one question... Did I miss the finished size posted? Thanks so much!

Sarah said...

Brea,
I guess I didn't post the finished size. It was approximately 54" x 72".
Good Luck!