enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

feel up for a quilt making challenge?

Quiltfabric

I am on a mission to make four quilts by Christmas.

Technically, I'll be wrapping them up (with big red bows) on 12/22, but "Quilts by December 22nd" doesn't have the same ring. One is just for fun and for me to keep (and more than likely will be the first one complete!) but the other three will be gifts for special folks in my life.

Quilt3

Three of them are going to be just like the last one I made. Simple color schemes, pretty patterns, triangles and striped borders. I am taking a short cut this time around and following this method for getting my triangles. Less perfect cutting is totally my jam. (Thank you for the suggestion, Siobhan!!)

Quilt2

The quilt that I'll be keeping is solid colored equilateral triangles. I am usually not a pinks and purples girl, but I am obsessed with this one. Actually, I think addicted is the correct word. I will do a full post with tips for making your own when I finish.

Quilt

I got a suggestion on my last quilt post to host a quilt challenge. I don't really know how to do that, but I do know that nothing motivates me more than a goal and a public declaration of my intentions. Hopefully, the same will be true for you!

And so, I invite you to post about your own Quilts by Christmas plan on your blog. (Actually, you don't have to make quilts and you don't have to finish by any holiday but set a craft deadline!) And then commit! Get it done. No excuses. I'll be posting here about my own progress a few times over the next few months and each time, you are welcome to share your own updates in the comments or on your own blog.

Quiltsbychristmas

Please feel free grab the logo above to share in your posts (no need to though!!).

Posted in ,

62 responses to “feel up for a quilt making challenge?”

  1. fafuna Avatar
    fafuna

    Your quilts make me want to make one too!!! And I’ve never done anything like that before… But I just love how cozy they look… Now I have to consider making one… 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  2. Libby Avatar
    Libby

    Oh, this sounds good. I have some garment-sewing goals for this weekend but some sort of blanket sounds like a great goal for the rest of autumn. I might go with crochet; it’s a bit easier to transport and do on lazy evenings after school and work.

    Like

    Reply
  3. jodi Avatar
    jodi

    i like the “make it work” tagline. 😉

    Like

    Reply
  4. Jessica Rodarte Avatar
    Jessica Rodarte

    I am scared of my sewing machine, but I love quilts. You’re making me want to pull it out, and tell it who’s boss. (At least until it pokes me through the finger like it did last time. 😉
    Your quilts are beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing the blue and yellow one complete. I want to make one with lots of yellows for spring picnics with my girls.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Leah Buckley Avatar
    Leah Buckley

    ha! i love this. I’m doing quilts as gifts this year too…the tops are done but I still have a LOT of hand-quilting to do. eep! 2 for my sisters, and as many as I can get done for baby (due dec 22!) anyway, don’t want to spoil the surprise for the recipients, so I’m not posting on my blog, but I’ll be following along with your progress for sure! love the colors you’ve chosen in that first picture.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Mel Avatar
    Mel

    You’re right! I need to set a deadline and get it done! I’m making a quilt from scraps and have almost all of my triangles cut. Let’s do this!

    Like

    Reply
  7. CarlyMaria Avatar
    CarlyMaria

    This is the motivation I needed!! I’m going to finish 2 quilts by christmas, one for my bed, and one to donate! PS loving the pink/purple quilt!

    Like

    Reply
  8. Andi R Avatar
    Andi R

    This is awesome, I totally in love with the pink triangle quilt you are making. That is my next personal project. I have a bucket list and one of the things on it is to make all handmade gifts for Christmas. The theme this year is pillows with a few quilts thrown in for good measure. I just finished one (a quilt) for my brother in-law. Another one I want to try is a chevron quilt. I’m obsessed with them! Good luck, I enjoy reading you daily, you have given me the inspiration to write in my blog again. I have a goal of writing in it every day even if it is something small. Your an awesome inspiration! Thank you!

    Like

    Reply
  9. Mandy Avatar
    Mandy

    Your comment made me laugh out loud! I’m scared of my sewing machine too. I’ve only sewed cloth napkins so far…thanks for the smile!

    Like

    Reply
  10. Hannah Avatar
    Hannah

    Hi Elise, what a fabulous idea – I am up for a quilt challenge – I have two that I would like to start and complete by Christmas, and linking up to share our progress sounds very motivating – thanks for the brilliant idea that you’ve put into action!

    Like

    Reply
  11. Becky Leroux Avatar
    Becky Leroux

    This is ironic seeing as I just started in on my first quilt ever Monday. I’ve always wanted to learn/teach myself how to make one and Monday I realized I was going to a baby shower on the other side of the country in about 20 days and that would be a perfect first quilt.. so a quilt in under 20 days is my goal for now! I’m using your tutorial basis – fingers crossed that I’m not in over my head on this one!

    Like

    Reply
  12. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    Elise, do you knot the ends of your threads? Or just leave the thread loose?
    Thanks for your help and inspiration!

    Like

    Reply
  13. toni from Avatar
    toni from

    I am making my first quilt for my husband, but I cannot post to my blog because it is a secret, otherwise I would. I have never tried to sew anything this ambitious, usually my machine is for scrapbooking and a random badge sewn in girl scouts, but that is about it. I know how to make curtains, so here’s hoping anyways, I think I can sew a semi-straight line. It is going to be twin sized, so it is a great throw that will wrap all around you and it is just basic squares in a random pattern. I am collecting now and starting next month, so hopefully it is done in time. Thanks for the challenge Elise.

    Like

    Reply
  14. Sy Avatar
    Sy

    I’m in. We are expecting a new baby due after thanksgiving so this will be a perfect challenge! Plus a good way to try to use my gettig out of control fabric stash.

    Like

    Reply
  15. Ashley Marie Avatar
    Ashley Marie

    Love this idea. I will be joining in! I am starting a quilt that I hope to have done by right around Christmas. It is not for anyone, but I want to be able to show my grandmother who is an amazing quilter, when we visit for the holidays. This will be a great tool for keeping me accountable!

    Like

    Reply
  16. Jenny Lynch Avatar
    Jenny Lynch

    Love the fabrics and color choices!

    Like

    Reply
  17. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    I’m totally in! I just ordered fabric for three quilts – one for me, and two for children I sponsor through Compassion International (I’m hoping to go meet them in Ecuador next year to give them the quilts). I was wondering, have you considered posting a link-up on your blog so that all of us who take up the challenge on our own blogs could easily find each other? Just something to consider 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  18. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Andi, I made a chevron quilt this past spring! Mine was super easy (1/2 square triangles sewn together) and it went together super fast. You can see a pic of the top here: http://www.elephantgrace.com/2012/05/08/10-quick-quilts-using-stashed-fabric/

    Like

    Reply
  19. Mari Avatar
    Mari

    I have been going back an forth on whether or not I want to make a quilt right now, this would be my first full size quilt. It’s going to be for the master bedroom. Now that I’ve been challenged, I MUST do it! Thanks for helping me get my butt in gear, lol. I’m off to order my fabric (which has been in my online shopping cart for 2 weeks now) 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  20. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Seriously – quilts are not that much harder than cloth napkins! As long as you keep it super simple, it is just a bunch of long, straight lines.
    I’m a mess at clothing and bag construction, but I’ve made little quilts for each of my babies and I love it. You can do it!

    Like

    Reply
  21. Jules Avatar
    Jules

    At my wedding shower my maid of honour had all the guests bring different purple (wedding colour) fabric. I am making a quilt out of all the different purples that I received…and this challenge will motivate me to get on it before too long 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  22. Kailey Avatar
    Kailey

    I’m in!!! I was so inspired by your early quilt posts and banished by thoughts of “I can’t do this!” and “this quilt won’t be perfect so why try” and I am loving it! Thanks for the challenge now I”m really inspired to finish by Christmas! Also: no better motivator than being able to show it off to everyone on Christmas day!

    Like

    Reply
  23. Cady Avatar
    Cady

    YAY!!! I love that you’re doing this! I am committing and setting a deadline for myself. This little nugget is due December 8th so a quilt by Christmas for him sounds fabulously challenging (and by a quilt for him, I mean a very small quilt because that seems a bit easier). Now I just need to figure out how to work the sewing machine 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  24. rachel swartley Avatar
    rachel swartley

    I sewed up a denim quilt top last week, and my goal is to finish it this weekend.
    I’m also hoping to make a little crib quilt before our baby is born in December, but the list of things I’d like to get done before then is quite long, so we’ll see if I actually get the quilt made before he arrives. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  25. J3SS1C4 Avatar
    J3SS1C4

    Hmm, I think I might give this a try. I have a massive dining table (3mx2m) and we can never get tableclothes to fit… At the shops the other day, I was thinking of sewing all the squares together to make one for Christmas, then just lining with cotton or something for one, so I might try… Just need to figure out my sewing machine, since the last attempt was a disaster!

    Like

    Reply
  26. rachel swartley Avatar
    rachel swartley

    Hey Leah – looks like we have the same “deadline” for sewing our baby quilts. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  27. Leah Buckley Avatar
    Leah Buckley

    haha, yay babies! congrats!

    Like

    Reply
  28. Mandy Avatar
    Mandy

    Thank you Karen! I’m determined to find a super simple one to try…and thanks to Elise for the inspiration and determination.

    Like

    Reply
  29. oh shoot Avatar
    oh shoot

    Where do you buy your fabric?

    Like

    Reply
  30. Jessica Rodarte Avatar
    Jessica Rodarte

    😀 I’m glad I’m not the only one.

    Like

    Reply
  31. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    I want to make a chevron quilt but not sure it will be any time soon!

    Like

    Reply
  32. krugthethinker Avatar
    krugthethinker

    Oh, I love this idea! I have been pondering quilt making ever since I saw yours!

    Like

    Reply
  33. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    hey Jess – do you mean on the hand stitched binding? I do – I just tie the threads together when I have to add a new one. So the end of the already sewn one gets knotted to the beginning of the next one. hope that makes sense…

    Like

    Reply
  34. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    hey Emily! So happy to hear you are in! I will consider one of the link up things. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  35. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    I find a few good ones (like most pictured here) at Joanns. But there is also a quilting store in my town that has beautiful stuff – that is where I got the solids for the pink and purple quilt. Yesterday I went to another local store called SuperBuzzy and was BLOWN AWAY by their stock.

    Like

    Reply
  36. Jennifer G Avatar
    Jennifer G

    How large are your throws? I am toying with these for gifts. Are you working with fat quarters/charm packs?

    Like

    Reply
  37. Jody R. Avatar
    Jody R.

    You can totally get them done, Elise! I made 3 Christmas quilts last year for gifts.
    I’ve got a quilt top almost done and material to start another, so I’m in!

    Like

    Reply
  38. smitten4vintage Avatar
    smitten4vintage

    This will definitely be the motivation i need to finish my first ever Zig Zag quilt. I saw the tutorial online 2 weeks ago and couldnt get it outta my head. I decided on blues and whites and i am making for me and my hubby. Little scared about making a king size but still cant wait to see final product. I loved your last quilt and super excited to see the pink & purple triangle quilt. I think that will be next on the quilt making list. Soooo love your blog. I am addicted! Thanks for all your ideas, thoughts and inspiration!!

    Like

    Reply
  39. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    60×45. I buy fabrics by the half yard and mix and match. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  40. tate Avatar
    tate

    I made a quilt top for my brother as a wedding gift and 3 years and one nephew later I still haven’t quilted it! I am setting the goal to have that quilt done by christmas too! thanks for the challenge!

    Like

    Reply
  41. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    This is just the motivation I need to kick my sewing machine into high gear and finish the queen for our bed, a throw for the living room, and a gift for baby.
    Here is another method to get 4 HST’s out of a square http://www.fromthebluechair.com/2011/02/hsts-super-easy-way.html
    Here’s to making it work!

    Like

    Reply
  42. KissMyTulle Avatar
    KissMyTulle

    I’m in. I have a wedding quilt (we asked people at RSVP with scraps of fabrics) to complete. So close but really need to finish it. Thanks for the push, Elise!

    Like

    Reply
  43. Andi R Avatar
    Andi R

    Thanks Emily, its my next personal project, I’m so excited about it. I just got asked for someone to make them a custom quilt. So i have to do that first, but the chevron quilt is on the list, right near the top to make. Your quilt is awesome btw. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  44. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Some day I would love to make a quilt! For now I was cheer you on and look forward to seeing the final product. I love those pinks and purples!! Go Elise, GO!

    Like

    Reply
  45. Kailey Avatar
    Kailey

    Elise I have a question for you:
    How do you keep the 3 layers together when you are sewing the batting and the top and the bottom together? I was thinking of just pinning the entire thing together…but that doesn’t seem very efficient and I foresee a lot of swearing/difficulty when I am wrestling with it at my sewing machine (its my first quilt and I’m a little daunted by this next step!!)
    Any suggestions?

    Like

    Reply
  46. Jess Avatar
    Jess

    It does! Thanks so much!

    Like

    Reply
  47. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    I use safety pins in many different places and that holds it well. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  48. Schnee Mari Avatar
    Schnee Mari

    hi elise!
    i was so inspired by your quilt, that i decided to make my own! out of old fabric pieces, that i didn’t want to throw away. my quilt will be 2 x 3 meters! i need 600 pieces and i have 241 already. and the quilt should be finished at christmas. it’s my first one, that i sew by myself. (the three that i have are from my mum.)
    love this challenge! so cool! my blog is:
    http://www.schneemari.blogspot.com
    best wishes from austria! marina

    Like

    Reply
  49. nichole Avatar
    nichole

    I love the third color scheme. : )

    Like

    Reply
  50. Robyn :) Avatar
    Robyn :)

    Unfortunately I have no time between now and then to complete a quilt project, but I am going to set a goal for 2013 to complete 2! I have had the fabric for a few years and I will get it done!!
    Thank you for the inspiration 🙂

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Jessica Rodarte Cancel reply