Quick Handmade Quilts and Comforters

I love making basic patchwork square quilts, but these days I don't have the time. A recent invitation to a little girl's birthday party left me stumped for a while, as we are as low on money as we are on time. Luckily for me, though, I remembered something my mother had given me several years ago-a ready-made patchwork quilt top and it's matching fabric backing. It took me two days to put it together (only because my sewing was interrupted constantly by three little boys), and when I'd finished I had something beautiful, hand sewn, and very much appreciated by the birthday girl and her mother.

Most craft stores, as well as Wal-Mart sell fabric that can be easily turned into quilt tops. If you just want the quilted look, you can find fabric woven into square patterns that are easy to follow with a needle and thread. If you like the patchwork look, you can buy printed patchwork fabric, but you can also buy pre-pieced real patchwork. It's more expensive than plain fabric, but it will save you hours and hours of time that piecing your own quilt top would take. When you buy your top fabric, also choose your backing material, filling (either batting or thick filler fleece, depending on how heavy you want the quilt to be), coordinating thread, and coordinating blanket binding. You, the seamstress, get to choose the size of this quilt. For the child sized comforter pictured here, I used about two yards of each fabric, 45 inches wide. Depending on the size of the comforter, you may need two or three packages of binding. Before you begin the quilt, sew the end of one length of binding to the end of the other, and press the seam, so that you have a continuous length ready.

Once you have all your materials, you can begin to lay out the quilt. Make sure you have a large clear working space, either a big table if you have back troubles, or a clean floor, if you're spry. Lay the fabrics out in this order-backing (right side down), filler, quilt top (right side up).