Several weeks ago I read a post over at From My Carolina Home where Carole shared a community project shared between woodworkers and quilters in her area. The woodworking group makes lovely toys and then quilts and stuffed bears are added to them as gifts for local children in their area. She mentioned they could use more of the 18″ quilts if any of us would like to make some.
I love this sort of feel-good project. An 18″ quilt is an easy way to spend a bit of time and use some fun fabric. The first small quilt was made with a leftover piece of a whole cloth quilt I made some years ago. The original quilt was used to display the fabric when I worked as a vendor at a few quilt shows. After this, I cut it into two projects donated to A Doll Like Me.
This left me with one more piece. I squared it to 18″ and bound it with this chartreuse solid. I am happy to use the last bit. This panda print is so cute and I am a tad bit sad it is all used up.
Next I took a box of 3 1/2″ squares and quickly sorted for juvenile prints. Then I cut a scrap of bright green polka dot fabric into squares the same size. Alternating them made a fun, cheerful quilt.
Of course, this larger scale green polka dot makes the perfect backing for the quilt. Finishing it off with a dark purple binding frames the whole thing nicely.
I did a machine stitched binding, which looks cute on the front and not so great on the back. I thought the stitch should extend beyond the edge of the binding on the front but that means it doesn’t lay on the binding on the back. So, lesson learned. I should have stitched the binding closer to the outer edge so the back would have a neater appearance.
Thank you Carole for sharing this fun opportunity to help out with your holiday project. I am so impressed by the wooden toys donated by the woodworking group. They are so sweet and what child wouldn’t want to play with wagons and strollers. Gifts like these will spark the imagination of the child fortunate enough to receive them!
Linking to Finished or Not Friday at AlyciaQuilts
Sharing this just for fun – H is taking a gymnastics day camp this week. But somehow someone brought in parrots to show the kids. She had the opportunity to hold one and went for it. She is an adventurous kiddo.
Cute doll quilts! They will make a nice addition to the toys being given to the kids. H is definitely adventurous – I always enjoy seeing what she is up to!
Hi Wendy – I am pretty sure I wouldn’t want to hold the parrot. It looks huge on her arm!
The doll quilts are sweet and a great consumer of scraps!! Happy to make them for Carole.
Your post about the doll quilts really caught my attention because I had seen the post from Carole and wanted to make some doll quilts. Since then I had been thinking about what pattern or idea to use and have taken notes about some, but your bright one just spoke to me. I have many juvenile print scraps and just need to decide what to use where you used the bright lime green. I just love the look of it and also the I spy context as well. I also love the whole cloth idea too. I really don’t think I have anything that would work as well as that panda print. It is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I love reading about your granddaughters. They are so cute.
Hi Brenda: Nice to hear you plan to make a quilt or two for Carole’s community project. The other fun idea is to use a larger orphan block and build around it. There are tons of fun ways to make something like this. Have a great day and happy sewing!!
Oh, that is a good idea to use orphan blocks. I have a few that I was wondering what to do with. Thanks again for good ideas!
I remember those panda prints! I am sure Carole and her group will put them to great use. Small quilts are really satisfying to make and put together, aren’t they?
Hi there! You have a great memory. I loved that fabric and wish I had saved back some of it. Oh well, there will be others. These little quilts are lots of fun, however, I have a few bigger projects that I better get back to. The distraction was nice but I need to finish up the Positivity quilt. It is ready for basting, my least favorite part. No more procrastinating!!!
Oh that panda print! Cute quilts. How did H get to be so grown up? Goodness.
Love the doll quilts, H holding the large parrot and her beautiful swirling pants 🥰🥰🥰🥰! She knows how to dress 😻
She loves those pants Pam. She has her favorites and often insists on wearing them long past the point where they fit her! I suspect these pants will be one of those favorites!
Hi Bernie, my, my H is really growing up quickly. What a lovely young lady and I bet she loves gymnastics! Fun bird picture!
Oh you’ve touched our hearts with another lovely story of kind hearted folks. Love the beautiful woodworkers toys, the sweet bears and warm lovely quilts. Very impressive 37 years of woodworker toy creation donations warms my heart. What a special project.
Yes, I have some fun kid prints sitting on my sewing table leftover from last weeks little doll hospital gowns and quilts for A Doll Like Me, perfect to make a few little quilts to warm some bears in wood wagons! Thank you Bernie for sharing the warmth of giving. Blessings, Dawn
I guess it is fortunate you didn’t clear off the sewing table yet Dawn! You aren’t quite finished with the children’s fabrics yet. Hahaha. Have fun making a doll quilt for the holiday project!
Those are two cute doll quilts, Bernie! I love the pandas in the first and the bright kid prints in the second. I have a doll quilt started for Carole – your post was a good reminder to finish it up!
Thank you so much for your darling quilts, and mentioning the project!!
You are so welcome! I am happy to contribute.
Now to get the package to the mailbox! It has been sitting on the kitchen counter all weekend. 🙂
Love those cute doll quilts! And hoding a parrot–she is much braver than me! And much cuter than me, too.
Haha – she is super cute at the moment because her teeth all seem to be falling out at the same time! It is so funny to see her smile with all of the gaps. 🙂
Those are so sweet and will be perfect for her project!