birthday gift ideas for quilters image
K Girl
My mother wants 50 gifts for her birthday. They can be small to and/or homemade. Any ideas? I already have...
Journal
Collage of Pictures
CD
Small Gift Certificates
Answer
Think of her hobbies: does she like to garden: seed packets are not too expensive, and always appreciated by gardeners. Sewer: thread, pins, any small fabric pieces, buttons. Baker: new oven mitts, measuring spoons etc. Reader? Bird watcher? Quilter? Does she play a sport? Does she have a favored pet?
Think outside the box: bake her favorite cake or cookies. Give her certificates for jobs IE: I will do dishes for one week, vacuum on Saturdays for a month, wash the windows outside? A gift from the heart is worth so much more than a purchased item. Have fun with this!! No matter what you choose, she will appreciate the love and thought that went into the 50 gifts.
I celebrated my 50th birthday by swimming with dolphins, and getting a tattoo. Most memorable day!!
Think of her hobbies: does she like to garden: seed packets are not too expensive, and always appreciated by gardeners. Sewer: thread, pins, any small fabric pieces, buttons. Baker: new oven mitts, measuring spoons etc. Reader? Bird watcher? Quilter? Does she play a sport? Does she have a favored pet?
Think outside the box: bake her favorite cake or cookies. Give her certificates for jobs IE: I will do dishes for one week, vacuum on Saturdays for a month, wash the windows outside? A gift from the heart is worth so much more than a purchased item. Have fun with this!! No matter what you choose, she will appreciate the love and thought that went into the 50 gifts.
I celebrated my 50th birthday by swimming with dolphins, and getting a tattoo. Most memorable day!!
question about making a quilt?
Kelly P
I want to make a quilt for my baby girl. she is 7 months. and i want it to be part of her 1 b-day present. and i know they take time. I have never really sewn before. Though i can get instructions or a sewing machine. can i use that to make her quilt? i am going to use her baby cloths and small baby blankets as the fabric. but i have a few questions. does all the fabric have to be the same material?
i also read that you should pre soak the fabric, i think its so that there wont be lose thread or strings after you cut out the fabric. and for the colors....is that why? and do i have to i have to do that if im using baby cloths that have been used and washed before? i'm new to this. but i really want this done. i appreciate any insight. thanks.
also, how long does the process of this take?
and, I just use regular thread, right? or do use use yarn?
i know it depends on how i want the blanket to feel. but i want it soft and comfy. what would the best thing to use in sewing it together?
thanks again!!
Answer
Good for you! It sounds like a lvoely gift for a first birthday.
You can use a sewing machine or you can do like your pioneer foremothers and sew it by hand. Sewing by hand can be just as durable as a machine.
1. does all the fabric have to be the same material - no, although it should be about the same weight. It is easier for you if the materials that you use are about the same thickness. So avoid using see-through gauzy material and polar fleece. Also if you are using stretchy material and non stretchy material you should put a fusible backing on the stretchy stuff.
2. presoaking material - you do that if you are using new material because a lot of baby stuff is cotton and it may shrink a little when first washed or the colours may run. If you are using material from stuff your baby has worn, then you do not need to presoak.
3. how long will it take? depends on the size of the pieces you are using and how big you want the quilt to be when it's done. Start now -- that way if you run into trouble you have time to work out what to do.
4. thread or yarn. If you are gong to quilt the blanket then use thread. If you are going to tie the blanket, use yarn.
Some other comments for you:
Decide how big you want the quilt to be. Will it be for her bed while she is a toddler or do you want her to be able to use it when she gets older? My suggestion would be to make a lap quilt -- about 45 incles square. It would be big enough for her to use as a nap-time blanket and as she gets older, something to snuggle under while watching tv, and if it survives to adulthood, it is still a usable size and won't take forever to make.
Then decide how you are going to put these pieces together. The easiest way is to cut squares of material and then sew them together. The bigger the squares the faster the sewing will go and the fewer materials you will be able to use.
Now, what will you use on the back? If you have baby blankets, you might be able to use 1 or 2 sewn together to make the backing. I always like the back side to be made from flannel or something fuzzy to make it cozy to lie under.
You have the front and back -- what will you do in the middle? What you use for the batting in the middle will determine if you are quilting the layers together or typing them. Do you want the quilt to be fairly thin and flat -- then quilt it. If you want it to be thick and fluffy, tie it. You have a third option - not to put any batting in it at all. It will be 2 layers of material so depending on where you live and what you are doing with the blanket, you may not need any stuff in the middle. Frankly, it would be easier for you to not have batting and tie the quilt with yarn.
Finally, you have to have something to bind the edges. You can make your own binding, or various other things, but the easiest for you might be to go to a fabric store and buy "blanket binding". It's like a really wide ribbon and you fold it over the edges of your blanket and sew it down.
If you have a library close by, look for beginner quilting books to get some ideas. Also if you have churches in your area, sometimes there is a group who make quilts for charity. They would be a good place to go for some tips. Another place to look is on yahoogroups for quilters who can give advice.
Good for you! It sounds like a lvoely gift for a first birthday.
You can use a sewing machine or you can do like your pioneer foremothers and sew it by hand. Sewing by hand can be just as durable as a machine.
1. does all the fabric have to be the same material - no, although it should be about the same weight. It is easier for you if the materials that you use are about the same thickness. So avoid using see-through gauzy material and polar fleece. Also if you are using stretchy material and non stretchy material you should put a fusible backing on the stretchy stuff.
2. presoaking material - you do that if you are using new material because a lot of baby stuff is cotton and it may shrink a little when first washed or the colours may run. If you are using material from stuff your baby has worn, then you do not need to presoak.
3. how long will it take? depends on the size of the pieces you are using and how big you want the quilt to be when it's done. Start now -- that way if you run into trouble you have time to work out what to do.
4. thread or yarn. If you are gong to quilt the blanket then use thread. If you are going to tie the blanket, use yarn.
Some other comments for you:
Decide how big you want the quilt to be. Will it be for her bed while she is a toddler or do you want her to be able to use it when she gets older? My suggestion would be to make a lap quilt -- about 45 incles square. It would be big enough for her to use as a nap-time blanket and as she gets older, something to snuggle under while watching tv, and if it survives to adulthood, it is still a usable size and won't take forever to make.
Then decide how you are going to put these pieces together. The easiest way is to cut squares of material and then sew them together. The bigger the squares the faster the sewing will go and the fewer materials you will be able to use.
Now, what will you use on the back? If you have baby blankets, you might be able to use 1 or 2 sewn together to make the backing. I always like the back side to be made from flannel or something fuzzy to make it cozy to lie under.
You have the front and back -- what will you do in the middle? What you use for the batting in the middle will determine if you are quilting the layers together or typing them. Do you want the quilt to be fairly thin and flat -- then quilt it. If you want it to be thick and fluffy, tie it. You have a third option - not to put any batting in it at all. It will be 2 layers of material so depending on where you live and what you are doing with the blanket, you may not need any stuff in the middle. Frankly, it would be easier for you to not have batting and tie the quilt with yarn.
Finally, you have to have something to bind the edges. You can make your own binding, or various other things, but the easiest for you might be to go to a fabric store and buy "blanket binding". It's like a really wide ribbon and you fold it over the edges of your blanket and sew it down.
If you have a library close by, look for beginner quilting books to get some ideas. Also if you have churches in your area, sometimes there is a group who make quilts for charity. They would be a good place to go for some tips. Another place to look is on yahoogroups for quilters who can give advice.
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Title Post: My Mother's 50th Birthday.....?
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Rating: 95% based on 95 ratings. 4.8 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks To Visiting My Blog
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