Quilting the College Bound Blanket by Nancy Devine August 15, 2014 written by Nancy Devine August 15, 2014 638 Quilting the college bound blanket is underway and inching toward completion. Yesterday, we hemmed the sides of the waffle weave cotton. Today, we’re going to place our elements along the top and bottom of the blanket. This can be complicated, involving sashing and all kinds of proper quilting techniques, but it can also be fairly easy. HeatnBond Feather Lite is an easy to use iron on adhesive that bonds an applique to fabric, without adding extra stiffness and it can be sewn into, which means it won’t gum up your needle. When I’m creating small appliques, I like to use a small craft iron, so I can see where the edges are. The Go Iron is my current favorite. It heats up reliably and it feels like a computer mouse, which is fun even if you’re ironing. The entire iron fits in your hand. Cut out your shape — or even a motif from a fun fabric. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for adhering the shape to the foundation fabric. Then, use a small and close zigzag machine stitch all around it. This is a fast and simple way to create some interesting blocks for your blanket band. Happy with your quilt top that’s really a band for a blanket? Go ahead and attach it to the waffle weave. Once you’ve decided on your blocks, audition them for size along the top and bottom of the hemmed waffle weave cotton. It looks nicer to use some kind of sashing between the blocks, but it’s not entirely necessary. Piece the blocks together using a 1/4 inch seam. Attach the blanket band quilt tops to the top and bottom of the waffle weave. Press the seams up toward the top of the band. Cut a piece of batting to match the width and the length of the band. Cut a piece of backing to match the width and the length of the band. Press under a 1/4 inch hem on the backing fabric along the width of the band back. Stitch this down to encase both the seam and the batting of the blanket band. Make a quilt sandwich top, spray basting together quilt batting and backing. Quilt in the ditch between the blocks. Quilt batting is placed under the seam allowance on the blanket band. Our college dorm blanket is almost ready to be packed for the send off, but not before we bind it all together. Cut 2 inch by 42 inch binding strips. Press under a 1/4 inch hem on the side binding strips, so that the strip is even with band sides. Bind the sides of the blanket. Bind the top edges of the blanket. Press the top and bottom blanket bands. A quilt that is lightweight, fun and funky, done in less time than it takes to finish a mid-term paper. Don’t we know it! Now, you’ve got a blanket ready for the dorm — and hopefully, part of your student’s must-have elements for home that’s away from home. I hope you’ve enjoyed our time together this week, creating some useful things for life at school and away from home. My turn on QUILTsocial is over for the month. I hope you enjoyed quilting the college bound blanket. But, I hope you’ll stay with us to learn about cool new tools, techniques and fun things that make quilting an essential part of your life. Print this page or save as a PDF backing fabricbindingcotton fabricfabricquilt blocksquilt sandwichquiltingquilting in the ditchsashingsewingstitch in the ditchwaffle weave cotton FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail Nancy Devine Nancy Devine is a self-confessed craft-crazed blogger. She is a regular contributor to A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine, one of the administrators for The Craft Café, a Facebook page devoted to the international sharing of the creative life, and a curator of an impressive collection of fabrics, notions and seam rippers. In her spare time, she wrangles dust bunnies and writes a blog called Nancy Dee Needleworks. Understandably, her house is a mess. previous post Quilting: Quilted Blanket Goes to College next post Unboxing The Pfaff Passport 2.0 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE... No-sew embellishments – Easy with ribbons, buttons, and... 2 essential products for making 3D flowers out... 2 ways to showcase thread in your quilting... 12 easy steps to stencil tea towels using... 2 ways to make stencils with freezer paper... T-shirt quilts – 4 ideas for layouts that... Stay warm with a quilt made with Fairfield... Pinning a quilt – It’s the little things... T-shirt quilts – Quilting rulers that make the... 1 comment Fireside Quilter May 11, 2016 - 4:02 pm Perfect article for me as my youngest is heading to College in the fall!! Reply Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.