A lot of you have asked for a tutorial on how I'm putting together Ezra's quilt. While I'm hardly qualified for quilting instruction, I can atleast try to tell you what I'm doing. For both Adelaide's quilt and the ocean-inspired throw, I used the log cabin quilt-as-you go method that I learned about in Patchwork Style. In each of those, the top pieces are stitched to the batting squares, those squares then joined, with backing to follow. Binding and quilting - tying in both of those cases - still has to be done, but it eliminates the batting in the last step.
I really like the feeling of those quilts - so heavily 'quilted' on the top that it's got quite a bit of heft and a good weight, but the back is smooth and free of quilting lines. I don't know as though that makes sense, but that was my thinking in making another one this way - I really do like the resulting feel of a quilt done this way, so even though this one is a string quilt not a log cabin, I thought I'd apply the same technique. One major bonus for me in this method is that it's still quilted, and with some simple tying, I can avoid having to push the heft of an entire quilt through my machine, which I always find so frustrating and cumbersome. The style is inspired a bit by some of the lovely, wild, and colorful vintage string quilts I've spied around the interwebs on at flea markets over the years (a few examples are on my Pinterest Sew board). I am not a fan, as you likely already know, of making terribly fussy things. I admire those with such attention to detail and patience, and the beauty that results, but at this point in my life anyway, I much prefer oddly-sized pieces and mismatched seams and just winging it. Convenient and lazy, perhaps, but definitely homemade and simple - I like it.
So. There are twenty 19" square pieces of batting cut. The strips of fabric are cut straight but in different random sizes varying from 1.5 - 4 inches in width, and varying lengths to fit at several points along the diagonal of the square. The center strip for each square is the same fabric, but other than that, there's no rhyhme or reason as to the order. I sew the center diagonal strip down first, then work out from both sides first stitching it to the previous strip, then pressing it front and stitching it down every 1/2"....continuing on until the end, and on the other half. It's then trimmed to the square and set aside. When they're all done, I'll stitch the squares together, add a backing, tie quilt it, and bind it. (I'm not entirely sure any of that was clear, though I do hope it answers some of your questions!)
I'm having a lot of fun with this quilt. I find this method of quilting really enjoyable, and it goes quite quickly. But most of all, I'm loving working with this wild combination of prints and colors my boy Ez chose - I don't know how, but it just works somehow, and each complete square brings a smile to my face. I'm so eager to see it all together. And he is too - with a grin on his face each time he walks by or into my studio to see me stitching it.
There are eight squares complete and ready to go, which leaves twelve to go plus all the sandwiching, quilting and binding. In twelve days. I can totally do this.
