Quilting the College Bound Blanket

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.

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.

1. Piece the blocks together using a 1/4 inch seam.
2. Attach the blanket band quilt tops to the top and bottom of the waffle weave.
3. Press the seams up toward the top of the band.
4. Cut a piece of batting to match the width and the length of the band.
5. Cut a piece of backing to match the width and the length of the band.
6. Press under a 1/4 inch hem on the backing fabric along the width of the band back.
7. Stitch this down to encase both the seam and the batting of the blanket band.
8. Make a quilt sandwich top, spray basting together quilt batting and backing.
9. Quilt in the ditch between the blocks.

Our college dorm blanket is almost ready to be packed for the send off, but not before we bind it all together.

1. Cut 2 inch by 42 inch binding strips.
2. 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.
3. Bind the top edges of the blanket.
4. Press the top and bottom blanket bands.

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.