Category: Favorite Quilts and Quilters

The only previous experience I have with group quilts is making a block for my quilt guild’s raffle quilt back in 2019. I took my packet of pre-cut pieces, sewed my block and turned it in. So, I don’t know what possessed me to volunteer to coordinate the 2025 raffle quilt. And just to make it more fun, I decided to create an original pattern. And to deisgn it ot use the Accuquilt 8 inch Qube.

A few years ago, I played around with an idea I called 10 x 12 – ten different colors of twelve different blocks. Here is my favorite of those sketches.

I worked off this idea, but selected blocks that could be made using pieces cut with the Accuquilt 8 inch Qube. Here’s the final design that was approved by the guild.

We decided on a Queen size quilt, so the borders were added to bring it to 92″ x 102″. I figured out my yardage, and bought my favorite black and crayon-color solids. I decided to buy enough fabric to make two quilts – the guild raffle quilt and a “trial” quilt for me to test the directions. I also bought an extra 10% of each color to allow for lost blocks, or ones that needed to be redone.

It took a long time to calculate how many pieces I would need to cut from each Accuquit die. I created spreadsheets for each of the block styles, then a master sheet of all the pieces needed. I spent a couple of weekends with a borrowed Accuquilt cutting out all the pieces. Each size and shape went into a separate gallon clear zipper bag.

Because I designed a quilt with 56 unique blocks, we needed 56 block kits. I wrote up directions for each of the 8 different block styles, and included a chart with how many of each piece was needed. My friends in the guild helped organize a party to put together the 56 kits for each block in the quilt. Within 2 hours, they had put together all 56 kits!

I started handing out kits at the November guild meeting, keeping careful records of who had which block. At the same time, I started making the blocks for my copy of the Quilter’s Rainbow (the name I decided on for this pattern). Within a week, I discovered that some of my written directions were wrong, and I had to send out e-mails to everyone with those block kits with the correction.

I also discovered that when I cut the pieces, some of them must have shifted, because they were not all as accurate as we had hoped. When guild members had pieces that they couldn’t work with, I traded them for more accurate pieces, and I used the “off” pieces for my own quilt.

After the November meeting, my guild doesn’t meet in person again until March. I pieced my blocks and assembled my quilt over the winter, so I could show my finished top to everyone when they turned in their blocks. I was able to getting pretty good matching of points, despite the concerns that some of the pieces weren’t perfectly accurate.

Here’s the finished quilt – pretty close to the mock up. Here’s a close up, so you can see my piecing. Not perfect, but I am happy with the result.

All of the guild members returned their blocks, most of them finished beautifully. A couple returned the kits, but I was grateful to get it all back. I finished all the unfinished blocks and assembled most of the guild’s quilt, when I had a family emergency. My wonderful small group, the EQ7 came and picked up the remaining sashing and borders, made arrangements with one of the long arm quilters in our guild, and got it all finished on time.

The finished quilt will be at our September meeting, and we will start selling raffle tickets for our June 2025 raffle. As an extra fund raiser, I have written up the pattern, and all proceeds from the sales from now until June 2025 will go to the Friendship Star Quilt Guild. Check out my Etsy shop, if you want a copy.

Tell me about your experiences with Guild Raffle Quilts.

For 2022, I have been sharing some the stories behind of the quilts in my heart and home. This is a quilt that I made in 2018 for my father-in-law. My father-in-law was declining and was moving into Memory Care. Since his marriage, he had slept under quilts his wife made, or selected for him. I hated the idea of him using institutional blankets, but I know that quilts take a beating in many Memory Care and Assisted Living facilities. Sometimes they disappear and the washing machines can take a toll. So sending him with one of his wife’s precious, hand quilted quilts didn’t seem like the best option. The Memory Care facility had a bed coming open in 2 weeks, so I had a limited amount of time to make a quilt. I knew he would have a twin bed, and I knew I needed something quick, attractive, and sturdy.

I decided to adapt the Walkabout Quilt pattern designed by Ann Lauer for Grizzly Gulch Gallery. I chose neutral fabrics that I thought he would like. I started with the print, then added black and cream solids and the dark gray print. Because I knew this would be washed frequently, I made my seam allowances 3/8″ instead of 1/4″.

I used some decorative stitches to quilt and highlight features of the print.

I also used decorative stitches machine sewing the binding, because it created extra stitches that would be more secure.

The quilt is backed with plain muslin, because that was how my mother-in-law backed all of her quilts. In addition to his name on the label, the plain back allowed the facility to write his room number on the back in sharpie, so the quilt was always returned to him.

When my father-in-law was transferred to hospice, the quilt went with him. He used it until the end, and it is precious to us as a result.

While I was in college, I was part of a wonderful, vibrant faith community. I participated in St. Paul’s Prayer Group which met weekly on Thursday evenings. It was a great group that included many college students, but also many young families. It seemed like there were dozens of weddings and babies every year. Somehow, I ended up coordinating many of the quilts for these special occasions. For baby quilts, I would decide on a size and color scheme. Each person who wanted to participate would make a square. I usually used gingham to sash the squares and make a border. Then I would machine quilt or tie it and bind it. I honestly cannot tell you how many baby quilts I made over my years in the prayer group. I do remember graduating, moving away, and coordinating a couple of quilts long distance.

My husband was active in the St. Paul’s Prayer Group much longer than I was. Our wedding was definitely a Prayer Group wedding. We had a fantastic choir with St. Paul’s friends over many years joining together to sing and celebrate us. There was a caravan of cars travelling from Madison to Chicago. They took up a large portion of one floor in the hotel. We have heard that there was a lot of fun in the pool and at the hotel, when there weren’t wedding activities.

Our oldest son was born just about nine months after we got married. By then, we were living hundreds of miles away in Texas. I missed the baby showers that we would have had if we were still living near our family and friends. But one day, a large box was delivered. It was our Prayer Group baby quilt and it felt like a baby shower in a box.

Friends who had received wedding or baby quilts, and even some who hadn’t all contributed squares. My mother-in-law was a wonderful quilter and offered to assemble the quilt. While she was not part of the St. Paul’s Prayer Group, many of the Prayer Group members became like family and she knew them from softball games, parties and picnics. I want to share just a few of the blocks and their stories. The quilt is now 32 years old, but it still feels like hugs from all of our friends.

This little bear block is one of my favorites. It was made by a dear friend who was Matron of Honor at our wedding. I still smile when I see the fuzzy bear. And he has held up to heavy use and innumerable washings.

I also dearly love this bouncy bear. The counted cross stitch squares really have held up well over time – something I try to remember when it comes to making memory squares.

Applique was also popular. Some blocks were flannel applique, others were prints that were appliqued and embellished.

As you can tell, bears were a theme. At the time, I collected teddy bear ornaments, so everyone knew I loved them.

Some friends chose to use embroidered patches and appliqued them on squares. As you can see, in some cases, the background fabric shrunk more than the sashing.

The final block was the “name” block of the St. Paul’s Prayer Group.

I still love this quilt – my son sucked on the corners and the color is gone there. It has been very heavily used, but it is still beautiful.

I hope you have enjoyed learning the story of this wonderful quilt.