Great Job, Ladies!

The ladies in our quilt group created the strip sets for this mock barjello quilt top at our July community service day. Two lap-size quilts were created this month using donated fabrics.

The quilt started with some factory scrap of hot pink with black and white dots and large purple and yellow flowers. It was pretty bright and a large print. The challenge was how to incorporate it into a pleasing quilt design that would be simple for a group experience. I have been experimenting with London Stairs variations lately, so selected some colors and prints from the available fabrics, and I had the ladies cut 2-1/2- x 4-1/2-inch rectangles and some 2-1/2-inch squares. On the appointed day I had the ladies seam strip sets of the 5 prints, sewing them in the designated order. Some ladies organized, some stitched, some pressed, and as the strips were completed we began placing them on the design wall.

Row one starts with 3 strip sets (15 rectangles). Row two starts with a square of the last color in the strip sets, and ends with a square of the next-to-last color in the strip set. We used two sewn sets, and added what we needed to complete the row. The third row started with a rectangle of the last color in the strip set, 2 strip sets, and rectangles to complete the row. Row 4 repeats row 2, row 5 repeats row 1.

Any number of rows can be used and any number of rectangles in the rows. In this case we were making a lap-size quilt, and I think somewhere in the 40-42-inch width is perfect as a backing fabric will not have to be pieced to fit it. Fifteen rectangles down and 23 across was about right. Also the rows to drop down or up is purely a matter of personal preference. With the fabrics we were using the proportion seems just right. If you are deisgning your own, start at the center and design out to the sides, using an uneven number of rows. It is just easier that way.

When the second top was finished there were two rectangles of one fabric left, and two pair of rectangles that the ladies had sewn from all the sewing that was done during the day. Some quilts are just destined to be made! Two children will receive cozy flannel backed quilts through Project Linus later this year. Good work, ladies!

There are a few rectangles left--lots of the hot prink print. New quilts will be coming from those leftovers. Are those scraps cookies or milk?