THREE WISHES

I made 3 wishes which turned into four,
By using this pattern.

Quiltmaker Magazine introduced the Warm Wishes pattern in 2000

as the quilt for Project Linus Make-a-Blanket Day.

http://www.quiltmaker.com/patterns/details.html?idx=5185_

 I have made this pattern on numerous occasions for gifts for my grand kids and other relatives.  It is very simple to make.  BTW it is a great stashbuster.  It looks different every time it is made up.  I was cleaning the sewing room and came across a stack of 6 inch squares (72 of them).  They are in a color I do not care for and usually don't have an occasion to use.  I don't remember cutting them up but I do remember the fabric.  Normally when I pre-cut something I put a copy of the pattern with it in a plastic bag. I thought to myself what am I going to do with all of these.  I immediately thought of the Warm Wishes pattern it require 6 inch squares. I had enough squares to make two of the crib size tops.

Went to search the stash for something to use with them and found a scrap of flowered fabric that had flowers in the dusty rose and dusty pink in the squares.  Then I picked out the fabric for the narrower rails.  I found a blue and a green that would work (there is blue flowers in the flowered fabric.)  I figured I'd make one in each color of the rail strips.  I prefer having the two inch fabrics in the same colors.  It makes the piecing faster because I don't have to worry which rail is on which side.

This is the first quilt from the squares.  I used only the green 2 inch strips  and the 3 inch strips are the flowered fabric.
size 49" X 62"

I set about constructing the strip sets and joining the blocks on the first one (the green strips.)  When I cut the flowered fabric for the 3 inch strips for the two quilts I discovered I still had some fabric left.
I decided to use it for borders. 

When I completed the first one I  thought I would use two colors of strips like the pattern calls for.  (It took me twice as long to construct the quilt because I had to make sure the blocks were
facing the correct direction to get the framed box effect.)

The second quilt:
size 52" X 62"

When I completed the second quilt I realized I had 11 left over rail squares.  I also had the left over 11 squares from the first quilt.  I thought I don't want 22 orphaned blocks that are similar in nature.  If I make another quilt I will have 33 blocks and that is enough to make another quilt.  I would have four similar tops not orphaned blocks.    I checked the flowered fabric to see if I had enough for the wide rail.  Yes I did, but I also had enough to cut 6 inch blocks for the third quilt if I didn't use it for rails.  If I did that I would have to scrounge the stash for something for the wide rail in the block.  (I had enough  dark blue for the two narrow rails).  I would also have to find alterantives for borders.  The stash relinquished all of these fabrics.

The stash coughed up this 1950's blue mini patterned cloth and there was enough to do the wide rails and to have a 6 inch border when the top was completed (I had enough of the dark blue to do an inner border before attaching the 6 inch border.

This is the third quilt:
size 49" X 60"


The remains of all the other quilts produced this fourth quilt:
size 49" X 58"

This quilt was literally already made.  I had left over 6 inch squares from the strips I cut from each quilt, and I had left over rail blocks from each of the three quilts. 

I was left with only 1 orphaned 6 inch square and 2 orphaned blocks.

I didn't keep track of the amounts of fabric used to make the blocks and borders.  But when I went looking for backing fabric I did measure it.  I used 17 yards of fabric for the backs and bindings.  That is approximately 34 yards of fabric.  The following pictures are the backings I chose for each quilt.

Quilt # 1 backing

Quit #2 Backing

Quilt # 3 Backing

Quilt # 4 Backing

Putting the Binding on:

This last picture is of the binding construction.  I used the machine to apply all the bindings.  I needed to get these done quickly and they are utilitarian quilts for little girls to play house with and drag around.

I was very pleased with the look.  The binding is top stitched on the front of the quilt with the machine and you have an extra row of visible stitching on the back.

Making three wishes was a breeze ,

getting the fourth one free...was the best wish of all.

Is there four wishes in your future? 

Thanks for stopping by.