Hugs 'N Kisses Quilt for Sarah

I started Sarah's quilt the first part of May of 2013 and finished it on June 15.  It's hard to believe 7 months have gone by and I am just now blogging about your quilt!  I keep good notes and write down my thoughts when I make each quilt so I can go back and bring those things up to refresh my mind when I get to blog about it.  So, here is what I wrote when I was in the process of making Hugs 'N Kisses for Sarah:

"I don't believe it!  I started to cut out Sarah's quilt and I was suppose to cut 6" strips.  I goofed the very first cut and didn't realize it until I had cut out the second.  The first I only cut 5" and there was not enough fabric to do it over, so, instead of getting upset, I realized when I have made a "mistake" in quilting before, I go search for a new idea and my quilt ALWAYS turns out better than the original plan - which is the case here!  I had a purchased pattern this time but now, thanks to my mistake, I realized the pattern was quite boring - 6" cotton strips with 2 1/2" Minkee strips in between, Easy - Yes, Quick - Yes, but boring and no creativity involved.  Now I am going to cut various widths and lay them out on my design board.  I think this will be a much more pleasing quilt!  Can't wait to create something special for Sarah!  Now I am really excited about this quilt!!!"

"I worked on Sarah's quilt this afternoon.  Using my design board, I cut out one strip at a time and as I went along, I figured out what I wanted to do.  I was able to get all the strips cut out. They vary in width from 3" to 6".  I like it much better than the original pattern!  Can't wait to start sewing it together!"

5-4-13
"Worked on sewing strips together today.  I first sewed all the cotton sections together THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE MINKEE STRIPS!  I was really nervous about sewing the MINKEE!  I just kept reading how hard it is to sew and how it makes such a mess of your machine as it sheds and that it slips all over the place.  One person said she hand basted it prior to sewing on the machine and that helped.  I read so many tips but nobody mentioned what I came up with.  I decided to hand baste but using a blanket stitch around the edges.  It took awhile to hand stitch one strip of cotton to one strip of Minkee but when I put my walking foot on the machine and sewed it with a stretch needle and went very slow, it wasn't any big deal at all!!!  No mess, no movement of fabric!!!  EASY!!! (well, easy with the proper prep!).  Then after I sewed that, I did an overlock stitch on the machine to keep it from fraying.  The only thing I saw by doing this is that the seam will be thicker or stand out at each of the Minkee seams but I think it might be kind of cool because it's dimensional.  It took me an extra 3 hours to hand baste all the strips first but it was worth it.

After I finished the top and added the batting and backing, (the backing was also Minkee -it is so soft) I took the leftover fabric and sewed it together in long strips to make the binding.  Here is a picture of the Minkee back and you can see the variations in the binding from the various fabrics:

I finished the quilt on June 15, 2013.  After completing, I washed it and it washed up beautifully! How I describe this quilt is soft and warm.  I thought of Sarah's guinea pig, Molly and now she has Lenny, the hamster and how it seems she likes soft and cuddly things.  So, now she has a cuddly quilt!  I love the colors and the way it turned out, I think Sarah will too!

I did learn a lot about sewing with Minkee.  It wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be IF you take a lot of extra time to seam the edges and pin, pin, pin!!!  AND use a walking foot.  I usually stitch in the ditch on the top of the quilt but with this one, I top stitched.  I really like it!  Two more grandkid quilts to go - one for Katie and then Colette's!

Here is a picture when I gave Sarah the quilt - somehow we neglected getting a picture of Sarah and I together - I am holding the quilt - that's all we got:

Here are Sarah's favorite things as told to me in March 2010 and then again in 2013 (in Parenthesis):

SARAH’S FAVORITE THINGS  -  March 2010 (and July 2013)

Number:  18 because then I can drive a car without a parent with me, I can move out, and I'm an adult. (17)

 

Season:  Summer because I can go swimming (spring)

 

Sport:  Tennis and swimming because they're good exercise (basketball)

TV show:  I don’t have one (So You Think You Can Dance)

Color:  Purple because it is the color of pansies (Emerald Green)

Animal:  Puppy (Puppy/Lizard)

 

Subjects at school:  Art, computers, lunch, snack, recess, and language arts (Art)

 

Movie:  Any Barbie Movie (The Princess Bride)

Dessert:  Anything (Cheesecake)

 

Food:  Meat (Hot Breakfast Sausage)

Other things I like:  Cameras and taking pictures, painting, emailing, activity days, church, and my bed (pranks, science, cooking, astronomy, chemistry)

Author or types of books to read:  American girl doll books, Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, Horrible Harry, and Magic School Bus (Fableheaven, Gregor the Overlander)

Book of Mormon figure and why:  Lehi's dream because the pictures are beautiful and it's fun to imagine. (Bible figure:  Esther, because she is one girl who’s courage saved the Jews). 

Bible story:  I like the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 because it's a really cool miracle (Adam and Eve)

Favorite place to go:  Disneyland, in a book, legoland, my friends house, and dreamland (Library)

Someday I'd like to:  be an artist, an explorer, a mother, a scientist, a pre-school teacher, a gardener, and a sales person (get married and have lots of kids)

Anything else you'd like to share with me?  I love you! (don’t like swimming, catsup or chocolate ice cream.

Here are some pictures of Sarah:  One is at the beach and the other is in Orlando, Florida with her dad at Sea World where she got to spend time with the dolphins: 

Sarah, I hope you are enjoying your quilt.  Just like all the quilts I have made before, I loved making this one just for you.  Each quilt is special, just as each grandchild is special.  You were my first granddaughter and the one that is the example for my other granddaughters.   You get to be the first in doing many things and they are watching you and will learn from you.  You have many talents and are a beautiful young woman.  I love you very much and am enjoying watching you grow up!  Hugs 'N Kisses, Gramma