Keeping up with traditions can be a challenge when you are as far away from your family as Debbie  Martin is.  But she obviously spends a lot of time and energy to share her love with family as shown in the wedding quilt as well as others who will appreciate the warmth of a handmade gift - such as the rag quilts for the men in her son’s unit.

Debbie's Description
My family has a tradition of giving quilts for weddings, births and graduations.  My daughter-in law chose a western theme for her wedding quilt.  I chose to use flannel fabrics with a western printed cotton backing.  I think embroidery makes the quilt squares more personal and if you don’t like to piece you don’t have to.

Step-by-Step Description

1. Cut 24 12”X12” squares from navy flannel.  I was able to embroider them even if I had to use the extra large hoop because I used higher quality flannel.  To make sure there was enough body I sprayed it with 505 adhesive and stuck a piece of typing paper (I use those pieces that come in my junk mail) on the back It had enough tension even with only the two sides being help by the extra large hoop. 2. I chose 24 embroidery designs, the majority of which I downloaded from your web page of free designs.  Others I purchased online and downloaded. I embroidered these in the 24 navy squares.

3. Cut 216 4 ½” squares to make your nine patch blocks.  I used plaid and solid color flannels. While the embroidery machine was going, I cut and pieced the nine patch squares.  Because I needed these pieces squares to end up as 12” X12” blocks and because flannel tends to ravel, I serged all my seams. 4. Cut 40 12” X 3 ½” strips from brown flannel.  Make 8 rows with a brown strip in between each 12” block. 5. Cut 7 strips that are the length of the rows X 1 /12” from red flannel.  Sew a row to the top and bottom of each strip to create the quilt top. 6. Cut two strips that are the length of the quilt X 2 ½” from red flannel and sew down both sides for the side border. 7. Cut two strips that are the width of the quilt (including the side borders) X 3 ½” from red flannel and sew to the top and bottom of the quilt top to complete the border. 8. The quilt back is 100% cotton that coordinates with the navy flannel and theme of the quilt. 9. Quilt and bind to complete the full size quilt.

What Makes This Project Special

My daughter in-law was with me while my son (her husband) was in Iraq. She was helping me with some of my projects. We had decided to make rag quilts for the guys in my son’s unit for Christmas. While we were searching online she saw the western designs and fell in love! That made the decision of me. We would make their wedding quilt and embroidered one with western designs.

Skill Level
Easy enough for a beginner

Products
My embroidery machine, serger, sewing machine, downloaded designs, fabrics, and embroidery threads.

Time Investment
It really did take me only 2 weeks at a leisurely pace to complete the quilt top.

Why I Love This Project
It is for my son and daughter in-law.  When she fell in love with the western designs I had to use that for the theme.  I am mailing off the finished top and backing to my family today and they will quilt it for me.  It is a family tradition and since most of these women are now in the 70’s there are fewer of us to do the work.  I am the only one from my generation who has participated in this tradition over the years and I now live in the Philippines .

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What Would You Do?
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