Did you learn how to sew in 4-H? I did, and I'm paying that forward by teaching kids in my county how to make quilts in 4-H!
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JOANN sells 4-H fabrics in their stores, and both JOANN and 4-H have reached out to me to ask if I would make quilts to highlight their fabrics and help shout the 4-H program from the rooftops! I've made two quilts before, and you can see those HERE and HERE.
For this quilt, I chose just two of the 4-H fabrics and a white on white fabric for the background. I wanted to only make quilt blocks shaped like the letter H, and just alternate the fabrics and direction of those.
Each "H" block is made of two 3" x 6" rectangles and three 3" x 3" squares. I strip pieced the centers of the H's instead of cutting and sewing squares, which allowed me to sew all the blocks very quickly! So quickly that I actually forgot to take photos of the process. (Total face palm! You'd think it was my first time blogging! Lol!)
I made 28 blocks of each fabric (so 56 total), then sewed them together in a 7 block wide by 8 block high quilt top. Then I loaded the quilt on the longarm for quilting! I chose a green fleece fabric from JOANN for the back of the quilt (I think it's the "Lush Meadows" color), and the batting is 80/20 bleached by Hobbs.
I've started using the SewTites Magnum magnets for loading my backing fabric, and I really love them! They're quick and easy to load/unload, do not hurt my hands, and can hold thick fabrics like fleece well!
I quilted a medium-sized meander with white thread all over the quilt. This is my favorite quilting design because I can do it fast!
This is the same reason I machine sew all my quilt bindings - it's fast! (Tutorial HERE.)
Of course I remembered to sew in one of my EverEmblem quilt labels too!
The finished quilt colors are more subtle in photos than in real life, but maybe you can still see the H design.
Since finishing this quilt just a couple weeks ago, we've already taken it to the weekly flag football games for sitting in the grass! That's what quilts are for, right!? To be used!
I have about a dozen kids making quilts for our local county fair this year, and we have about a month left before the fair. All of them have pieced quilts, and now it's time to quilt them on my longarm! Watching kids light up after finishing their quilt is totally worth it! I hope they all grow up and keep quilting!
I could not WAIT until I was 10 and could join 4-H. I was active until I graduated H.S. at 18. We had Girls' 4-H and Boys' 4-H back then and girls joined girls clubs and, if they were farm kids and wanted to show livestock, they also joined boys clubs. I was a farm kid but my dad said NO to livestock. So, I was immersed in Girls' 4-H and projects rotated on a yearly basis: Home Dec, Sewing, Food/Nutrition. Sewing was, has been, still is my passion. I just finished making all the curtains and drapes for a new home I purchased and they are perfectly done to exact 4-H specifications. At 73 years old, those better be the last ones I make!! These days I make quilts from designing to binding. I also love making bags. Rarely, do I still do clothing construction. I applaud your support of 4-H. Life has taken me where 4-H is not popular. My best friend of all these years gives of her time to be a state judge. Don't know if Record Books are still a requirement; but, mine is intact and has a place of honor on my bookshelf! My 4-H leaders and two County Home Economists remained dear friends until they passed. Thank you so very much for supporting 4-H, a program that has always held a special place in my life and heart.
ReplyDeleteYour time working with kids through 4-H is a crucial investment -- we all should be encouraging the next generation of quilters! Love this quilt and the simple but meaningful H design. Well done!
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