Every year we who blog (often called the Bloggerati for some reason) meet up at a location near to Birmingham for a weekend in November, times allowing, and just sew (and eat). I was extremely lucky to be given a 5 fat quarter bundle from the Craft Cotton Co.
I don’t normally buy fat quarter bundles, so I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them! (What a luxurious problem to have!) I was pleased to find that the fabric quality appeared really good, but it would be interesting to see how it handled.
The thing about fat quarter bundles is that sometimes you get fabrics/patterns /colours that you would never normally group together – or at least I do. I’m ok with putting toning colours/patterns together, or even plains in slightly mad clashing colours. However, mixed colours and patterns are much harder for me, which is where this group of fqs was really good together – quite different but related patterns and a good mix of colours.
But what to do with them?
Then I had a brainwave. I needed a playmat for my granddaughter, who was about to start spending more time with me. (I should say that I had already made her 2 nice playmats when she was born, but neither ended up with me – as usual!) This playmat was needed sharpish – granddaughter was coming to me in the next few days – so keep it nice and simple Cheryl! Also – I can make this out of my stack, surely?
I cut each fq into the largest squares I could – I managed four 8.5 inch squares from each fq (I made some mistakes cutting because I was hurrying!), laid them out into nice “random” (!) rows and sewed the rows together.
The fabrics looked great together, but I couldn’t just sew these rows together – that just wasn’t inspiring me. I must have some left over 2.5 inch strips somewhere. So, sashing it is then.
Yuck – that random sashing wasn’t doing anything for me. I knew had a part pack of 2.5 inch strips in a cream colour, but really wasn’t sure whether these would go. However, my granddaughter wasn’t really going to complain, so I put one cream strip in between each row.
Ok – that’s better, but still not right. Then I remembered – my preference is always to “frame” a quilt of any sort. I had enough of the cream strips left to make a frame, so I trimmed the lines to the shortest row (whoops) and off I went!
That framing finishes it off. Much better. Now, to find a backing piece. (Can you tell this was moderately stressful? 😊) Backing from my stash is often my problem, because I don’t normally keep pieces of more than about a metre in my stash, and this at least 40 inches square, so a metre would not do.
Search my stash. Panic – am I going to have to buy fabric? Don’t be silly – I can always join pieces to make a backing, but that will take more time.
Salvation! I found a piece of cotton (although not quilting cotton) about a metre and a quarter long left over from some cushions I made for my daughter. Just big enough.
I did buy a metre and a quarter of extra wide wadding from my quilt group – we bought a roll and now sell it to members at cost price. This was the only element not from my stash, which I thought wasn’t too bad. I used the extra wide wadding doubled up, to provide a little more padding for my granddaughter’s bottom.
I would normally use 505 spray to fuse my layers, but because I wanted to use this for my granddaughter immediately – I wouldn’t have time to wash it – I used curved safety pins to pin the sandwich together. On something this small it didn’t take too long.
Some stitch in the ditch alone the sashing lines stabilised the layers, and then my default “wavy line” walking foot quilting along the square strips finished the quilting.
My binding was again nice and simple – the cream 2.5 inch strips worked perfectly. Under normal circumstances, I would machine the binding to the front and hand stitch to the back. I didn’t have time – granddaughter was coming tomorrow! I turned the binding over as far as I could and stitched in the ditch from the front. It left a bit of a flap on the back, but it was secure, and my granddaughter wasn’t going to complain!
The playmat has been well used already, including being smeared with various foodstuffs!
I didn’t prewash any of the fabrics for this quilt top – partly because I didn’t have time and partly because I used some pre-cuts. Of course, it has already needed a wash! The first wash when you haven’t prewashed is always a bit scary – especially with cream sashing. I am very pleased to report that everything washed beautifully – no colour run into the cream, which had worried me.
I have never used Craft Cotton Co fabrics before – but after this experience I will happily use them again! Really nice quality and easy to work with.
My playmat ended up at about 44 x 42 inches – perfect for a playmat, with no complaints from my granddaughter!
Such a sweet make! 🙂 You did a great job with the fabrics. Well done