I just finished another quilt for my Laps Full of Love donation group. I started with a pile of leftover charm squares and scraps from my SILs quilt. I did have to purchase more for the sashing, binding, and back. iI’s always that way with a scrappy quilt, after you use up the scraps, you need bigger pieces to finish it off. I ordered a top sheet from Target for the back and it looks great.
The squares are in a geometric heart shape and the quilting emphasizes the year. It was a fun and easy quilt to make.
I love the rays coming off the heart in your quilting! What a great (and kind) way to use up your scraps!
I’ve often thought of using a top sheet for the backing. Do you look for anything in particular when buying a sheet for this purpose (ie. a certain amount of cotton content or anything else). Was your top sheet flannel as well?
After making one quilt with both a flannel top and backing, I vowed never to do it again! Everything shifted terribly. I quilt on my home machine which has a tendency to bunch up the top layer on long stretches. I’ve tried everything, so I compromise with wide quilting (I like a fluffier quilt anyway) and wavy quilting lines. Most of the time it gets hidden after I wash and dry as the quilt shrinks a bit and fluffs up.
I look for all cotton sheets, but if I’m thrift shopping, the higher the cotton content the better. Target sells just top sheets, so that’s nice. It’s hard to tell sometimes unless you get out a match and burn a piece…they frown on that in thrift stores. The only issue I have with thrift store finds is they wash with stinky, stay-forever laundry soap and I can’t handle the smell. I have some pieces in the basement off-gassing…um hopefully fading. You can’t wash that stuff out.
I noticed small holes in the last thrifted sheet I used, so suddenly there were little heart applique patches decorating the backing. I also always add a label with my name and year.
I love that you quilted it in a heart pattern. It compliments the design well. It’s very pretty and I am sure you are making someone’s day by getting such a wonderful quilt.
The only issue I have with thrift store finds is they wash with stinky, stay-forever laundry soap and I can’t handle the smell. I have some pieces in the basement off-gassing…um hopefully fading. You can’t wash that stuff out.
Congratulations! This spectacular project is featured this week!