a Custom Quilt

Late last year, a couple of weeks before the school year ended, a lovely lady who I work with in the tuckshop at Aimee's school (yes I am a tuckshop mum) asked me if I was willing to make a quilt for her to give to her son for Christmas. 

She explained it was to replace a quilt which her oldest daughter had been given as a baby eighteen years ago and it had been handed down to her son, who was still very attached to it.  Alas though, the quilt was now threadbare (I have since seen the quilt and that is being kind).  My friend wanted to replace the quilt with something her son could use on his bed, but that would also be a reminder of the original quilt.

As this lady is a very lovely lady, who I am rather fond of, I could hardly refuse.

So after some further discussion regarding size, fabric etc. this was her brief:
- a quilt of any size, but big enough to lay across the foot of her sons double size bed
- green on one side, navy on the other
- a ruffle around the edge
- a pocket to keep a piece of the original quilt in
- the word KIKI2 embroidered on it

I sent my friend off to Spotlight with some measurements and words of advice regarding fabric choice.  She came back to me later that day with a 2 metre length of green quilting fabric and a navy single bed doona cover.

This is what I came up with.  Please excuse the rather average photo's, I was madly snapping away as my friend was on her way over to collect the finished quilt!

front of quilt 

The finished quilt measures approx 60" x 75", so about a single bed sized quilt.

  

back

I used one side of the navy doona cover to make the back of the quilt

pocket and embroidery

and from the other side I cut a square of fabric from the buttoned edge to make the pocket. 

The pocket is a pure piece of genius if I do say so myself. 

I made it in such a way that I used the existing snap button from the doona cover and made the pocket the right size to fit perfectly within the quilted squares so it blends seamlessly into the back of the quilt.  If it weren't for the white button and the embroidery it would be quite secret!

Embroidery is not my strong point so I kept it simple here.

ruffle and binding

I cut the ruffle from the remaining fabric from that side of the doona cover.

The ruffle I'm quite proud of too. 

Having never made a quilt with a ruffle around the edge before, it took alot of searching the net to learn

a) how to make approx 10metres of ruffle

and b) how to attached it to the quilt

This tutorial from Everything Your Mama Made and More is revolutionary - who knew you could do this with an overlocker!

And this tutorial from Blackbird Designs for attaching a ruffle to your quilt is so simple and clear.

I used the green fabric to make the binding. 

I think it looks fantastic against the solid navy blue.  I actually think I like this side of the quilt best!

 I made double-fold binding rather than single-fold binding as in the tute for afew reasons.  

Firstly it is stronger but also because it cuts out that fiddley step of ironing in the edges of the binding and I think it makes for a neater finish!  I machine attached the binding as I do for all my quilts.  No hand stitching for me thanks! 

When she arrived to collect the quilt, my friend seemed pleased with the finished product, saying it was more then she hoped for.

Today she sent me a lovely text message thanking me for the quilt and telling me her son LOVED the quilt and had shed "tears of joy" upon receiving it for Christmas.

Can't get better then that!