Baby Girl Christmas Gifts

These quilts are fondly called "Quillows." They are made with an attached pocket which allows the whole blanket to be folded. In this way the "Quillow" can be folded into a cushion during the day and can be unfolded to become a blanket at night.

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.

Blanket Quilt The method above uses machine embroidery on relatively small quilts. Larger quilts can be done the same way or may be quilted with machine embroidery by individual quilt blocks. Experiment to decide which method is easiest for you and remember that the machine embroidery quilting method may change with each unique project.

A century ago, cigar companies tied a bright colored silk ribbon around a bundle of cigars. Women stitched them together with black or colored embroidery floss stitches onto a fabric foundation block. They were not cut or curved, but placed side by side. Cigar company ribbons had fancy logos and used attractive fonts in black ink on yellow or orange ribbons. The various advertising on the ribbons added decoration to the quilt block. Green, pink and purple ribbons were occasionally used in the block designs, signifying a rare cigar.

These 4 pieces of quilt frame were then placed on top of a kitchen chair and tied with, you guessed it, old sheet that had been torn from worn out bed sheets. Then a clamp was placed in each corner to keep the right angle of the frame in place and checked often with the square my father used for building the baby cribs, beds and toddler beds.

The common thread in string, selvedge edge, and cigar ribbon tops, is that their popularity came about at the time of an economic downturn or a War, or both. The materials used in each were throw-aways being put to use, as a quilt or decoration for women's homes, and they were there for the taking.

Now use a steam iron to turn and press the rectangle over the seam allowance, pressing away from the center piece. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line to remove the bulk in your design.