COLLEGE ROAD TRIP QUILT

College Road Trip

Quilt

I am blessed with four children and not just a husband - but one who prefers to do most of the driving on road trips.  Fine by me - more time for my projects!

I decided when we were looking at colleges (again sorry my picture is out of date - it worked well for my Buttoning Up a Fashion School with Mimi blog as she didn't want to be seen - I'll get a better one soon!) along with vacations I'll make a "College Road Trip Quilt"!

I fell in love with a quilt design by Becky Goldsmith of Piece o' Cake Designs from their book Amish -Inspired Quilts - Tradition with a Piece O' Cake Twist.

Look at all that vibrant color and the way it moves or flows!

I can hand applique the blocks while in the car - I am more company for my husband than if I was reading a book, and in the end we'd have a beautiful quilt with a lot of memories attached.  Motion sickness pills included!

I created a 'grab and go' bag for this

project.  It's decorated with the first quilt block I did - which I forgot to keep a quarter inch seam allowance.  Oh well, so I just rough edged sewed it in place on the bag and now I know without a doubt what this bag is all about!

That little birdie table mat is button holed applique felt - a different story than needle turn applique!  Needle turn you have to get a rhythm going - like classical music.  Felt applique is fast and easy, more like rock!

Now might be a good time to mention I have never done hand needle turn applique before this quilt. 

It's a good idea to leave the original pattern home and to take along a copy - just to be on the safe side.  Coffee drips, open windows - and some patterns are out of print by the time I get to them.  Be safe!

 In the bag I have a notions box I bought at the craft store - probably meant for thread storage, but I use it as a to go box and a sewing table!

This holds my threads, sharp and safety scissors, pins and I have a separate box for my needles

I got this from a box of Celestial Seasonings Tea - it makes the best pin or needle box!  And pretty too.  I've got baggies for my templates and pencils, and pinned blocks ready to sew.  My plastic notions box now makes a great sewing table for the car ride!

Just place it on your lap and you've got a sturdy work surface that doesn't add any stress to your elbows and hands.  Not to mention, you are eliminating any chance of sewing the block to your clothes!

When you stop for a stretch or coffee, just close the lid with the block on top - it's now protected from any spills or falling out of the car into a greasy mud puddle- yikes!

If such a horrible thing did happen - it's just one block, it's not the whole quilt along for the trip.

Sounds pretty smart, and it was for a while - but here's the thing.

I don't think I like hand applique that much!

And I have 25 more vines to make!  25!   11 wagon wheels too! (taking a look at what I have so far on my design wall)

Should I keep it up because I really do want the finished quilt?! 

Would it look really bad if half was hand sewn by a novice and the other half (who am I kidding!  The other 3/4th)  of the quilt is machine appliqued?  Let's hope not, because I think this is the way it's going to go!  I did a "Block of the Month" club and hand quilted each block separately - maybe I have to go back to that.

More on that project on another posting..

Machine applique I am coming your way!

 

Sew on, and sew on!

Pam