February Project - Star Chenille Quilt Completed!

Woohoo! I'm two for two!



The Star Chenille Quilt is finished. And I'm very happy about this, because all of the work I had left to finish it was ... tedious, and I don't have much time for tedious these days. It really is a super easy project to put together, but cutting the fringe, and then washing/drying/delinting/washing/drying/delinting is not the most entertaining of ways to spend an afternoon.

However, if you are looking for a quick project with a big impact - this truly is a great option. The pattern is offered by Back Door Quilts.

The pattern is called "Star Chenille" because it calls for the quilting to be done in a primitive star shape. I used a basic "X" and think it worked out well, too.

You could do this quilt with any combination of colors. Flannels are going to work best, because of the manner in which they fray. If you look at this detail picture of the quilt, you'll see how the edges have frayed and sort of melded together.


It gives what could be a rather boring combination of safe colored plaids a whole new dimension. The overall effect is soft and comfy. One word of warning - you'll get lots of thread stragglers all over when you first wash and dry, and then you have to delint (I used packing tape wrapped around my hand to pull all the extra threads off, rather than a lint roller. I even enlisted the help of my 19 month old son, who thought it was a fantastic game.)

Do you need any further evidence of coziness than my son's initial reaction to his new "blankie?"

February's Project - Star Chenille Quilt

This project was a class I took based upon a pattern for a raw edge or rag quilt by Back Door Quilts.

It is the quintessential cozy lap quilt, made with homespun flannels (softer than regular flannel, usually in more primitive, "homey" colors and prints). A rag quilt is one that is sewn with the raw edges/seam allowances exposed, which is then cut to form a soft fringe. The combination of the soft flannel and the fringe gives it the "chenille" name. It is EASY to put together. Super, super easy. If you are looking to try your hand at quilting, this is an excellent project with which to start. (Although it's really unlike actual quilting and piecing, so maybe I'm wrong on that one.) Your quilting is done as you go, so once the rectangular blocks are sewn together, and you've cut the fringe and washed it - you're done!

Construction is this easy: Fabric is cut into rectangles, two of the same for each square. At the same time, you cut your quilt batting into rectangles. Layer the fabric and batting so that you have a sandwich with the right side of each fabric facing out, and pin together. Quilt your square (the pattern calls for a primitive star, I used a simple "X"). Lay out the quilted blocks in the pattern you want, then sew them together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Instead of opening and pressing the seam, you keep it together and have it all exposed on the front of the quilt. Once your blocks are all together - cut the seams to make a "fringe." Wash and dry a few times and you have a finished quilt. (Warning: can wreak havoc on washer/dryer, so if you aren't confident in yours - laundromat?)

I'll admit, I chose this one first because I thought I'd be able to finish it quickly. I was totally throwing myself a softball.

Then I started ... and remembered why I stopped. The blister on my right ring finger.

The sewing on this one is complete. To finish it - I just have to cut the fringe and wash/dry it a couple of times. In order to avoid more blisters, I could buy a bigger and better pair of scissors. Or I can do what I have been doing and just do a little at a time. I'm finding it's good to do it while I'm watching tv. Believe me, it's enough to get its own month devoted to it.

In the end, though - I will have a completed quilt. Woohoo!