2 quilts, 2 little time... what was i thinking? ;)

Apparently, i enjoy being overscheduled! 

What was i thinking, taking on making 2, twin size quilts, a few weeks before Christmas?

With a Christmas program to plan/prepare, sunday school lessons to prepare, Community Bible Study lessons to prepare, homeschool lessons to prepare, daily Advent activities, shopping for Christmas presents, making Christmas presents, attending Christmas parties, and all the other things all of us moms do this time of year.... i really think i have lost my mind to add these projects to my list... but, alas, i am doing this :)

i LOVE sewing-- LOVE it... have never taken classes, lessons, or anything else to do with sewing--just like playing around with material and a sewing machine... taught myself to use patterns, but enjoy coming up with my own stuff better.... my mom did give me a quick lesson on making quilts about 10 years ago, but i'm not at all 'good' at it... i simply enjoy making things.... so, it makes sense that in the throws of holiday chaos, i would choose to add something i love--sewing :) 

my kids sleep upstairs and it gets cold in the winter... the 'warm' blankets they have are only infant/toddler sized... so, they need warm twin sized blankets... now, i COULD buy them cheap fleece blankets--but what's the fun in that?!  so, i'm making them each a flannel rag quilt... i'm quite excited about them! :)

now... finding the time.... since these quilts will be for the kids for christmas, i can't do them while they're awake... so, last night i worked on aden's quilt from 9pm until 2am!

praise the Lord, my sister stephanie took my kiddos for a few hours yesterday afternoon so i could have some time to work on these quilts... i was up until 2am again that night!!! crazy!

i really want to get kendyl's done in the next few days too... we shall see! :)

so, for any crafty people out there... here is how i'm doing aden's quilt...

first, i planned it out... i HATE math.... so, this is the part i HATE... after much help from my good friend, melissa, i finally figured it out! lol... 

i wanted to do a strip style rag quilt, so i HAD to get 2 yards of each material, so that it would be long enough strips...

i figured that i was going to have 6 sections that were 10 inches tall/ 2 yards wide, and 7 sections that were 5 inches tall/ 2 yards wide when finished... (this is wide for a twin size, but i wanted it to BIG) :)

i found 6 fabrics that i liked.  i purchased 2 yards of each fabric... (note: i ended up not using the one on the bottom...found one with snowboarders on it that i liked better)

for each fabric, i cut this:

2 of each fabric @ 11.5 inches wide x 2 yards long
(with rag quilts you need each piece to be 1.5 inches longer and wider so you can have a 3/4 inch seam)

2 of each fabric @ 6.5 inches wide x 2 yards long
(and 2 more of these of which ever fabric you want more of--these will be the top strip and bottom strip)

with this style, you use the same fabric on the back as the front and you do it all at the same time (AWESOME because you don't have to do the hardest part of making a quilt--putting the back on!)
(you cut 2 of each because it will be the front AND the back) ... side note: you CAN use ANY fabric you want on the back--doesn't have to be the same as the front... your choice :)

after you cut them, lay them out in the 'pattern' you want.... mine isn't a pattern at all...but it's how i liked it :) the only 'pattern' is: short, tall, short, tall, etc. :) 

you need to cut batting now... (sorry, i didn't take a pic of this)
cut 6 pieces @ 10 inches x 2 yards (well, 1.5 inches shy of 2 yards)...
cut 7 pieces @ 5 inches x 2 yards (same)

then put the batting inbetween each fabric style to make 'sandwhiches'...

this pic shows the fabric, batting, fabric sandwhich :) 

next, you sew a line down the middle of each short piece-- this is the 'quilting' part (sewing the batting into place)

next, you need to sew 2 lines down the tall pieces... i just eye-balled it and made one between half way and the edge on one side, and then the other.... those of you that don't like to eye-ball things, can measure it at 3.25 inches in at each side if you want :) .
.. sorry these pics aren't that great :(

next, you lay them back in order again (so you don't get confused as to what comes next)

next, you are going to sew the top & 2nd pieces together... so that the fringe shows on top of the quilt.... i like to flip over the top piece and then just pull the other piece on top of that and pin it...

then sew them together with a 3/4 inch seam (stopping 3/4 inch from each end)... lay back down with fringe up... (your quilt will have the seams showing on the top--the fringe... the back will be flat)

continue until each strip is sewn together

once they are all sewn together, you need to sew around the edge... first, pin all the seams open... then sew around the whole quilt (3/4 inch-1 inch seam).

notice that my seams aren't completely even... that's okay with a rag quilt!! :)

okay... it's movie time, girls!  cutting the fringe is a LONG process... easy, but time consuming... took me over 2 hours!  :)

cut almost to the stitching, but don't go through it (yes i did cut too far a couple times... no biggie... just sew a little more in that spot :)

2-3 hours later, you have all your fringe cut.... it's looking pretty good... but, just wait! :)

throw it in the wash... then the dryer (you will probably need to clean the lint trap a couple times during the dry cycle--there will be a LOT of lint!)... take it out of the dryer.....

looks pretty good :)

close-up, it is super cute... very comfy and warm! 

i'm sooo excited to give it to aden for christmas!!  first, i'm hoping to make a rag-quilt stuffed animal to go with it (from the little bit of extra fabric i have) 

if i were to do it again, i would do almost a 1 inch seam for the fringes... but i do like how it turned out :)