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How to Quilt>Bluejeans Rag Quilt
Quilts Made from Old Clothes - Including Blue Jeans
A Quilter Asked: Dear Penny I'm so happy that I can e-mail questions to you. I've wanted to ask somebody but never knew who. I 've never made a quilt before. Well I kind of did, but never finished it and through the constant moving around stages of my life I lost the only one I did start. I always think about it and wonder what the heck ever happened to it. Anyway, my sister passed away 2 yrs now. And I asked my niece (her daughter) if I could have her (my sisters clothes) when she was ready to let go because I'd like to make a quilt out of them in memory of her mom. She gave them to me after a while. I had seen my sister in all kinds of different clothes, but the majority of items she (my niece) gave me were blue jeans. A pile of blue jeans. Also among some of the other items, she gave me tops made of spandex, stretchy material. I have no clue what to even do with these clothes. I've searched the internet for patterns and have found a couple for blujeans. I've made photo copies on transfer material to put on the quilt. That's what I'd like to do, make a photo quilt. But, that's as far as I've got. Now what do I do. I really, really need your advice. I want to do this so bad, but my mind is so-o blank. Do you have any suggestions to help me at least get started. Can you help me? PLEASE Christine Smith Quilter Penny Answers: Christine - Great Questions, and often asked! The blue jeans would be well served as a rag quilt. These are very easy to make, and since all of the sewing is done on the machine, the thickness of the fabric is not a problem. Basically, you would cut the jeans into large squares - 8" to 10" each. You could use flannel or batting for the inside layer, or you could just use 2 layers of bluejeans. Line up your squares, and then sew a big X through the center of each pair of squares. This will keep the layers together. Once that is done, sew the squares into rows, with all of the seams showing on the same side. This will look like a quilt top on one side, with raw seam allowances showing. By the way, use very wide seam allowances; I generally use 1" seam allowances.
Once your rows are complete, sew the rows together to make your completed top. Keep the seams showing on the same side. After the top is completely together, sew all the way around the outside of the quilt, 1" from the edge. And now for the fun - clip into all of the seams about 1/4" apart, making fringe. (That will probably take more time than making the whole rest of the quilt!) After it is all clipped, wash and dry the quilt. Be prepared for a lint trap full of threads! To the left is a picture of a finished rag quilt, made from regular cotton fabric. Although it's not blue jeans, you will get the idea. You can make a rag quilt with the stretchy fabric. Or, maybe you could use the blue jeans on one side and the spandex on the other side. We have a detailed step-by-step guide for making a rag quilt - Rag Quilt in a Weekend! that has everything you need to know about making a rag quilt, and includes full color photos Photo Quilt This is also an excellent idea for preserving photos and having them always around. Fortunately with the current computer printers and companies that make fabric that is already treated, transferring photos to fabric is much easier than it used to be. Printed Treasures is a company that makes fabric that is treated and ready to run through your printer. It comes in 8 1/2" by 11" sheets and is only white fabric. You can print multiple pictures onto one sheet, if you would like. Just be sure to include space for seam allowances between your pictures. Once the photos are on the fabric, you will need to decide how to turn them into a quilt. For some easy ideas, check out the articles about sewing quilts with sashing:
To get a detailed step-by-step Guide for making a photo quilt, you might want to check out: Quilt Card Greetings This Guide shows how to make a tiny fabric postcard, and it has the detailed instructions for the photo transfer process. If you get the Printed Treasures product, all of the instructions are there. Also, there is a book, Photo Fun, that has great resources for photo transfers. Hope that helps!
© 2006-, Penny Halgren. This article courtesy of http://www.How-To-Quilt.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact. |
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