craft hope

Take-Along Quilt

Designer: Malka Dubrawsky

Quilts to go! Make a stash to have on hand when disaster strikes. A dislocated person will appreciate the homemade comfort. Many organizations call for donations to aid disaster victims. Just keep your eyes and ears open when the time comes.
What You Need

Basic Sewing Kit (page 000)
9 fat quarters of cotton, each in a different print
4 yards (3.6 m) of cotton flannel for the backing
3/4 yard (68.5 cm) of cotton fabric for the strap and binding

Fusible interfacing

Cotton batting
Masking tape
Large safety pins
Button, 3/4 inch ( 1.9 cm)

Seam Allowance

1/4 inch (6 mm) unless otherwise noted
What You Cut

Fat Quarters

9 rectangles, one from each print, each 17 1/4 x 20 3/4 inches (43.8 x 52.7 cm)

Cotton for Strap and Binding

2 strips, each 3 x 16 inches (7.6 x 40.6 cm) for the straps

6 strips, 1 1/2 x 44 inches (3.8 x 111.7 cm) cut across the width of the fabric

Fusible Interfacing

1 strip, 3 x 16 inches (7.6 x 40.6 cm)

What You Do

1. Piece the front of the quilt. Pin, and then sew, two of the rectangles together along one long edge with right sides facing. Press the seam open. Pin, and then sew, a third rectangle to them to make one strip. Press the seam open. On the right side, topstitch 1/8 inch (3 mm) on either side of the piecing lines. Repeat this step using the remaining rectangles until you have three pieced and topstitched strips.
2. Pin, and then sew, two of the strips together along one long edge with right sides facing. Press the seam open. Pin, and then sew, the third strip to them, and press the seam open. On the right side, topstitch 1/8 inch (3 mm) on either side of the piecing lines.
3. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply the strip of fusible interfacing to the wrong side of one of the pieces cut for the strap. With right sides facing, pin the two pieces for the strap together. Sew along three sides, leaving one of the short ends open for turning. Clip the corners, being careful to avoid cutting the stitches. Turn right side out, using a knitting needle to push out the corners if needed. Press flat.

4. Topstitch 1/4 inch (6 mm) in from the sewn edges of the strap. Make a 1-inch (2.5 cm) vertical buttonhole approximately 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) from the finished short end of the strap. Set the strap aside.
5. Cut the flannel for the backing into two, 2-yard (1.8 m) lengths. Sew them together with right sides facing along one short edge to make one large piece. Press the seam open.
6. Working on a large, flat surface, such as a clean floor or large table, place the flannel right side down, smoothing out the fabric from the center. Note: You may find it helpful to use the masking tape to tape the fabric at its edges to the surface.

7. Lay the cotton batting on top of the flannel, centering it on the center seam. Then lay the pieced top, right side up, on top of both layers, centering it on the batting.

8. Working from the center out, pin through all layers using the safety pins, placing them approximately 4 inches (10.2 cm) apart. Remove the tape at the edges. Trim all layers flush.

9. Fold the quilt in half widthwise with the front sides facing to locate the midpoint of one short edge.

10. On the back of the quilt, center the short, raw end of the strap on the midpoint. Align the raw edges and pin. The finished edge of the strap with the button hole will be facing away from the edge. Baste the strap in place.

11. Bind the edges. Lay the short end of one binding strip on another at a 90° angle with right sides facing. Then sew them together on a 45° angle. Continue in this way until you have one long strip. Trim the angles, being careful to avoid cutting the stitches. Press the seams open. Turn one of the short ends of the long strip under 1/4 inch (6 mm) and press.

12. With right sides together and raw edges aligned, pin the binding to the front of the quilt. Start at the turned end; sew the binding to the quilt around all edges. When you get back to the starting point, trim off the excess binding, leaving enough for an overlap. Turn the short end under 1/4 inch (6 mm) and finish the stitching to overlap the other end.

13. Fold the binding over the raw edges. Pin the binding to the back of the quilt, tuning the raw edge under 1/4 inch (6mm) as you pin. When you get to the strap, turn the seam allowance under on the binding as you have been doing. Once you pass the strap, flip the strap to lie on top of the binding and pin in place to keep it out of the way when you stitch.

14. Stitch the binding to the back of the quilt by hand or machine. Remove the safety pins holding the layers together.

15. Roll the quilt to place the button. Fold one long edge of the quilt into the center with front sides facing, then fold the other side of the quilt over it. Begin rolling the quilt at the edge without the strap. When the quilt is all rolled up, lay the strap on the roll. Use the fabric marker to mark the placement for the button, then sew the button at this point.