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Sunday 5 January 2014

Comfort Zone...

I have been in my comfort zone for the last couple of weeks; no work, lots of lovely food and snuggling indoors when the weather has being less than glorious.  OK, so we lost power for a while, worried about the food spoiling in the fridge and the garden looks a little worse for wear, but in the scale of things, we can't complain.

When I read Alison's post about her Christmas trip to Mexico City, I had to get involved.  Please go read and look at her daughter's video if you haven't already, perspective is everything.

So today I made the easiest quilt in the world.

It took me 3 hours.  I used fabrics that would otherwise languish in my stash; you know the ones in a layer cake that weren't as cool as the one on the top, the ones that looked different online and, lets be honest, the brown ones!  Fabrics which will still keep a child warm, a child who doesn't have a mother who spends all her disposable income on pretty things (she doesn't actually need), who most likely doesn't have a mother, full stop.

I used over half a Lush Uptown layer cake and a couple of Joel Dewberry prints to make up the numbers.  I found a fleece blanket that was purchased on a long forgotten whim, and so the simplest of quilts, 100% just laying around, became a cosy little quilt for a young lad to call his own.


It measures up at c.46" x 56", not huge, and although lightweight, the fleece makes it nice and cosy.  I pieced it with Aurifil 50wt 2021, using 5/8th" seams to give it a bit more resilience.  I did the right sides together, turn through and topstitch round the outside to seal it all closed thing, and tied each of the points to pull it all together and Bob's your uncle.

A quilt, totally from stash, 3 hours, no excuses!  I hope to make another to donate too, as I only skimmed the surface of the fabric mountain, so what about you?

I know there was some blogland discussion about the quality and workmanship of charity quilts a while back, and I can confidently say the colours may not be truly to my taste, but it is well made, (if I do say so myself), there was no fabric wastage, and it will wash and dry quickly and easily.  Most importantly it will do the job that it is intended to do, providing warmth, comfort and show a little love to a child with so little.

It is not meant to be a show-piece, a look what I can do quilt, but rather a look what you could do too quilt!

Maybe you have a quilt top that you have put to the bottom of the pile, blocks that have no reason or maybe whilst you are currently rooting through those WIPs to add to your FAL list, you may come across something that, amongst so many other things, you had forgotten about!  Oh don't get me wrong; you may be in the position to start something new and complicated with the latest prints, but I didn't want to let the moment pass, to get caught up in the school and work routine and leave it for another day.

Sorry if this has been a bit of a hard-sell post, maybe I'm just hoping that the influence that compelled so many of you to go shopping yesterday will work just as well again today!

For more information, please leave a comment on Alison's update post, there is also the option to send her quilted blocks if you do not have the time to make a whole quilt, but as I have proven, in the time it usually takes me to fanny about selecting fabrics for one block, I managed a quilt xxx

24 comments:

  1. You are so good, and your post reminded me I have a fleece throw tucked away looking for a use.

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  2. Wow - wish more people were like you :-)
    And totally agree - we're not talking show quilts, we're talking quilts to keep kids warm.
    You could sell snow to Eskimos you could.
    Thanks very much...I am touched x

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  3. Lovely post and quilt - a good productive afternoon - I'm going to pop over now and have a look! Don't know about you but I"m not looking forward to the school run tomorrow !!!

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  4. Fab job. I have quite a bit of excess fleece I could use for this, thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. Great post . . . I doubt that I will ever enter a quilt show, but then i've learned to never say never. I just enjoy the smiles on my family's faces when I present them with a warm and cozy quilt. I'm in hog heaven at the moment . . . Yesterday my husband and I drove to a near by town and shopped their fabric store. Now I'm all set for months of sewing :)
    Have a great day,
    Your blogging sister, Connie :)

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  6. The needs are so great out there! Well done chick! Jxo

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  7. what a lovely quilt for a good cause.

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  8. I have a stack of spare fleece and a Sew Stitchy layer cake which has been sitting around for some time, so will follow your example.

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  9. You're an inspiration! Great post.

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  10. Absolutely right, it might nor be your taste but some little boy will love it! Great job!!!
    Esther
    esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo com
    ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com

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  11. I need to make some quilts for some of the little Indonesian kids I know who have so very little. You have inspired me to get going with them :-)

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  12. Well done you! I've started a top for a charity quilt - mine is mostly browns too! Yours looks lovely and perfect for the job it needs to do.

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  13. I had had a little cry when I watched the video on Alison's blog - you're right t does put everything into perspective doesn't it. I had said that I'd like to help out and have been wondering where to start - thanks for the inspiration to just jump into my scrap box and just get going. Who knows I might have a top by the end of the day! (But I have to get out of bed first - inset day here :0)

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  14. Well done, missy. Great make, great use of brown and a lovely inspirational post.

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  15. Such a lovely post. I do my blog reading at work so haven't seen the video yet. Must remember when I get home.

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  16. Great work and it is an excellent quilt! I am going to send her a quilted block and donate some cash to the group. It makes no sense to pay to ship a quilt from here to the Netherlands, I will donate the shipping fees instead.

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  17. There are so many people in need that is a great idea

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  18. This is a very convincing post. I've seen the poverty in Mexico and it is sad.

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  19. Great work. I should do more like this for charity, as I'm afraid I identify a little too closely with the mummy who fritters away spare money on things she doesn't need. Really, there was a discussion about the quality of charity quilts? Some people really think they are the quilt police.

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  20. This is a beautiful post and a beautiful quilt! As you say, the browns may not be to your taste, but many a young lad would be horrified if given some of the pretty floral-y fussy fabric we ladies so often choose. Most men I know want clean and simple and you have done that. You have also made something durable and warm and will be WANTED.for you, it's a way to use up the ugly... Not so pretty in the layer cake, but for someone, this will mean so very much.
    Good job! (And good recruiting)
    E xx

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  21. Wholly concur with the thoughts expressed in your post. You have quickly made a lovely warm usable quilt which a Mexican child will love and appreciate. Above all it will keep him warm and cosy and hopefully feel loved too. Tied quilts are great and using layer cake squares is a good idea to make a quilt quickly.

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