Quilting Plus Your Old Blue Jeans

For a crazy quilt, large or small, you should work on a square or rectangle of muslin or plain fabric. Working 12" or smaller is recommended so that the piecing is easier to handle.

For making perfectly straight cuts, choose a thick, clear acrylic ruler. A good size to start with is a 6x24" rectangular ruler marked in 1/4" increments.

Blanket Quilt If you want your custom blankets to look more personalized, you can have one large photo, or a collage of photos printed on them. Images should be of high quality so they will look better in the finished product. Certainly, your blanket will be a gift that will always be treasured.

You can find directions online or you could check at your local craft or yarn store. Many times these types of stores will hold classes. You might also find a friend who knows how to crochet. She will most likely be willing to teach you how.

I cut the denim into 4 inch squares and lay them out on the floor until I get the look I want. If your are using child sized jeans you may want to make smaller squares or even alternate between a 4 inch square and one that is made of 4 squares, 2 inches wide. Be creative. Your quilt blocks can be triangles, diamonds or what ever shape you choose. It is your design so let your imagination run.

Here is a basic Crazy Quilt pattern you can use to try your hand at crazy quilting. Just remember that you can do this many different ways, and that this is only meant as a suggestion.

Another way to make a memory quilt is to use all new fabric with a different approach. You could make each square a representation of some part or event of a child's life. Each square would be embellished by applique, embroidery, scanned pictures, iron-on letters, fabric paint or whatever you like. You could ask important people from the child's life to contribute a square or two and to sign their square with their name.