Monday, July 9, 2012

100 Quilts For Kids Blog Hop - My Turn, With A Giveaway!


Hi, all!  

I'm so happy (actually tickled pink!) that Katie asked me to participate in the blog hop for 100 Quilts For Kids!!  If you've never heard of it, 100 Quilts For Kids is an annual charity quilt drive co-hosted by Katie Blakesley of Swim, Bike, Quilt and the DC Modern Quilt Guild.

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The idea is simple:

Make a quilt or two.  Donate it to a child in need, locally if you can.

Enjoy a blog hop that runs from July 2 - September 25, 2012, complete with inspiration and mini-prizes.

Join in on a 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along (Kick-off post on July 15th at Swim, Bike, Quilt)

Have a chance to win great prizes from sponsors, including Moda, Fat Quarter Shop, Westwood Acres, Rowan , Free Spirit, and Ty Pennington Impressions, among others that will be shortly announced.

Spread the word to family and friends!

Smile, knowing you used your skills for good!!






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And now, as my part of the blog hop, I'd like to share a super simple pattern with you.  Our church quilt ministry, Piece*Love*Quilt, is using this pattern to make quilts for children right now.  In fact, we're even using it for children to make quilts for children - our summer camp is happening even as you read this post, and we've got sixteen young girls learning how to piece this top!

To make this quilt you will need:





1-  32" square of a focus fabric

4-  11.5" squares for corner blocks.  This can be a contrasting
               fabric, or you can use the focus fabric again.

4-  4.5" x 32" strips in color A, 

4-  3.5" x 32" strips in color B, and

4-  4.5" x 32" strips in color C.

Please note that the center strip on each side is narrower than the two outer strips!

Now, lay out your design and decide how you want to position your strips.  Different layouts give decidedly different looks!

Here is mine with the light strips to the outside...

And with the dark strips to the outside.



Looking at this in the photographs, I decided I like the look of the dark outside border best.





Now, sew your strips together in sets of three, remembering to put the narrower strip in the center.  Pin, if necessary, to make the strips match in length.  Press your seams toward the inside border strip.





Next, sew a strip set to each side of the center square.  Remember to keep the strip you decide for the inside border next to your square!  Pin if necessary to make the border and the square line up.   Press seams toward the center.

(Note:  I hardly ever pin if I'm not matching seams, but in this case, I do because that way I know everything will square up.)


Take those 11.5" squares and sew one to each end of the two remaining strips.  If your squares are larger than your strips, match the edges that correspond to inner border.  You can always trim any excess off the outside edge!  Press the seams toward the corner squares.

Now sew the strips onto the top and bottom of your center piece.  Once again, I recommend pinning, matching up the seams at the corners of the borders and easing the fabric across the seam so everything ends up the same size.  

And now I'll introduce you to my little friend.....


....because this is what happened when I stitched my top and bottom sets on!

Oops!  A little frog stitching is in order...

And so I grabbed my trusty friend and fixed this mistake....





... and here's the finished top!  Easy peasy, as promised!  You've got a 54" square quilt top, suitable for everything from babies to teenagers, depending on the fabric you choose!

Now, some variations....

You can easily change the size of this quilt.  We've made baby quilts in the same style, using a 24" center square, 3.5" and 2.5" side strips, and 8.5" corner squares.  This will give you a 40" square quilt, perfect for babies!  You could also use a 36" center square, 5.5" and 4.5" side strips, and 14.5" corner squares, ending up with a 64" square quilt, a great size for a lap quilt.

You could also use a large scale block for the center of this quilt, and other blocks for the corner squares.  This could be a handy way to use up orphan blocks!  You could also use a single strip of fabric for the side border, instead of three separate strips, or piece together short pieces to make up your strips (think subway tile).  Or you can use two colors - one on the outside of the strip sets, and a different color in the center.  It's a great stash buster, whatever you do!

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So that's the tutorial.  Now for the giveaway!  I have a kit for another quilt top just like the one I showed in the tutorial to give to one lucky commenter!!

Here's what you need to do to enter - first of all, leave a comment on this post!  Something interesting or funny - be creative!

For a second entry, put the 100 Quilts For Kids button (below) on your blog, come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did...







Swim, Bike, Quilt
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/p/100-quilts-for-kids.html" title="Swim, Bike, Quilt"><img src="http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z420/swimbikequilt/100quiltsbutton2011.jpg" alt="Swim, Bike, Quilt" style="border:none;" /></a></div>


And just for fun, take a look at the left side bar.  See my Followers count?  It's getting really close to 700 - and when I hit 700 followers, I'm going to have another giveaway.  So if you want to help me get there, become a follower and leave a comment letting me know you did.  And if you're already a follower, leave a comment telling me that, too!

So that's three chances to enter - be sure to leave a separate comment for each - and I'll draw a winner Friday and announce it on my Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? blogpost.  Someone will surely have something to whoop about!! 





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Here's the line-up for the rest of the blog hop - check out some of the other posts for great ideas to use in charity quilting!!







July 16: Lee @ Freshly Pieced

July 23: Katy @ Monkey Do
Erin @ Sewing Summit

July 30: Dana @ Old Red Barn Co
Heather @ Olive & Ollie

August 6: Jessica @ Twin Fibers
Holly @ Bijou Lovely

August 13: Leigh @ Leedle Deedle Quilts
Heather & Megan @ Quiltstory 

August 20: Melissa @ Happy Quilting 

August 27: Jeni @ In Color Order
Miranda @ One Little Minute

September 3: Ellen @ The Long Thread 

September 10: Elizabeth @ Oh, Frannson!
Anne Marie @ Gen X Quilters

September 17 Cheryl @ Dining Room Empire
Jane @ Quilt Jane

September 24: Angela @ Moda Home Mom
September 25: Sara @ Sew Sweetness

And you can check out these two links for more info about 100 Quilts For Kids and to see great pictures of some of the quilts being made and donated!!







More information on 100 Quilts for Kids



One last thing - if you're looking for a worthy cause to make a quilt for, check out Julie's new blog, Phoenix Quilts!  Julie was inspired by wildfires near her home to create quilts for all of the families who have been burnt out of their homes this summer.  It's a huge undertaking, and she's asking for the blogging community's help.  So hop on over there and check it out - see how you can help!!

Hugs!


Sarah




66 comments:

  1. I like this easy pattern idea and have some panels that would work up just great for the center - orphan blocks in the corners - can do that too! Thank you for sharing.

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  2. I have had the 100 Quilts For Kids on my blog since Kate put it up.

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  3. I recently saw this video which I thought was very interesting :-)

    http://vimeo.com/31158841

    It sure is amazing what God's creatures do.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  4. I am a long time follower ;-D

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  5. Not funny but I just got home from holiday to find the cellar flooded to a depth of 4 feet and my deep freeze floating around and defrosted!

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  6. Wow, what a super easy quilt. I think I will go shopping this weekend for some fabric so I can make a few.

    Sandy in TN

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  7. I can't be funny and creative on demand ... but I still like the easy pattern, even I could make a "quick" quilt wiith it.

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  8. and I'm an old follower, so I can't make the followmeter rise ...

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  9. I just started following your blog. Boy I have enjoyed all your work that you do. I realized that I need to share in this also. I have posted this on my blog. Thanks for great pattern!

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  10. What a great design for a quick quilt. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. I'm a follower. Thanks for all the great work you do with your quilt ministry.

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  12. I have added the 100 Quilts for Kids button on my blog.

    Sandy in TN

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  13. I've always been more of a follower, as opposed to a leader, but as it happens I follow your blog too...good luck getting to 700!

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  14. As it happens, my 2 yr old has seen the post, and has claimed the quilt for her own "Mine quilt?" Guess I know what I'll be working on this week

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  15. Very nice pattern, I need to give it a try! Weather has been really hot here so I've been staying indoors. Haven't seen the granddaughter in nearly three weeks, that's the longest since she was born!

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  16. Been a follower for a long time now...

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  17. Thanks for the toot - I especially like the intro to your little friend! LOL. My grandma, who taught me to sew, and did the ripping out for me, used a pin... wonder what she would think of me using a "little friend".
    Hugs

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  18. I am a follower, and have enjoyed the trip! Your quilts are inspirational, and so are your causes.
    Hugs!

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  19. I did it! I put the "100 Quilts for Kids" on my blog. I'm working on an I Spy for a kid - I hope it counts - a new grandson coming soon. I hope to be able to make one like your toot after that.
    Hugs

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  20. FOLLOWING YOU!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  21. CONGRATS ON YOUR BLOG!
    EVERYONE NEEDS 'A LITTLE FRIEND'!
    THANKS SO FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  22. Very pretty quilt!

    Something interesting today- I lose 3 pounds! ^^

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  23. Great quick quilt pattern. I'm a new follower.

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  24. The 100 Quilts for Kids buttons has been on my blog since Kate put up this year's code. I'm sure you will reach 700 followers soon. I'm already one, how could I resist?

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  25. The 100 Quilts for Kids buttons has been on my blog since Kate put up this year's code. I'm sure you will reach 700 followers soon. I'm already one, how could I resist?

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  26. Thanks for the tutorial. I think I have some fabrics in the stash that will work for this. I bet Sharon V will have one made before I can finish my comment. I think she's probably posting the picture of the finished quilt right now.

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  27. We have the same little friend!!!

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  28. Thank you, Sarah. So cool that you are having your kids camp make this quilt!

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  29. I'm follower 690, so close to your goal :) I make quilts for kids too and love giving them away. I'm helping Alycia in Colorado with the fires there. Her dad is a fire captain and is taking quilts to the displaced people near where she lives. I have a goal of 60 quilts in 60 days while I am on vacation this summer, cuz I'm a high school science teacher and I'm on quilt 34 as of today :)

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  30. I posted your button on my blog today
    http://northhillsquilter.blogspot.com and give away quilts to kids all the time. I'm always recruiting people to help in the cause :)

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  31. I like how you gave the spot light to your seam ripper. I've started collecting them...not by choice but rather by need. I now have a trusty ripper at every possible place that I sew/stitch/rip in the house...and a few dozen that the cats have hidden from sight. Thanks for the tutorial for the quilt top, perfect for the young girls I will be teaching to quilt later in the summer.

    sowingstitches [at] gmail [dot] com

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  32. Great quilt....thanks for sharing. I don't really have anything interesting, but tonight I discovered just how much I dislike quarter square triangles. Ugh.

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  33. I have put the link up on my blog

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  34. That is one nice and easy pattern to make with other girls! Thanks for sharing. Am a follower.

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  35. Really cute and easy quilt pattern...I think I have some fabrics that would work well with this pattern. I am already a follower too!

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  36. lol All I could think was, "Say hello to my leetle friend," when you showed your seam ripper. What line is that from -- Scarface? Anyway, definitely not a movie that I associate with you (and for good reason!).

    I love love love your focus fabric here. What is it, or do you know? I almost never buy fabric with large scale prints because I never seem to know what to do with it once I get it. This tutorial seems perfect for just such a print, though. :)

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  37. And I'm already a follower. Love reading about all that you do!

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  38. I've made something similar a few times, easy peasy and it turns out wonderful. I'm already a follower so I can't help you out there, but good luck, I know you'll make it.

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  39. Love this easy quilt idea. I bought some fabric the other day that, combined with a bit from my stash, will work perfectly! I posted the logo on my blog to advertise!

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  40. Great pattern. My guild is making charity quilts for the folks in the meals-on-wheels program & this pattern would be perfect for us to use. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  41. I'm already a follower. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  42. I do not know when I will have time to make this quilt as of yet as my WIPs pile is huge. But I would love to win!

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  43. I'm following in my Google Reader. Thanks for the chance to win and for the awesome tutorial/pattern!!

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  44. I love the pattern for your quilt and I can commiserate with you on the mistake, I do stuff like that all the time. My seam ripper wore out and my poor husband felt so bad for me that he spent the 25.00 and bought me the gingher seam ripper (thinking it would help ease my pain) LOL

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  45. I am follower 694 just 6 more to go . Thanks for the charity quilt idea. I am part of a quilt guild that makes charity quilts. I would love to win a kit . Janita

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  46. I have the quilt for kids button on my blog.

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  47. Thanks for the tutorial - always on the look out for easy quilts for our first time low income mothers.

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  48. Great pattern to showcase fabrics which you love and hate to cut into. Wait, that is just about every fabric in my stash! :-)

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  49. I've been following you for a while... can't afford to miss all the fun!!! :)

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  50. What a fun kids' quilt!

    Deborah
    homemakerhoney @gmail .com

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  51. Super easy quilt. Perfect for those last minute gifts!

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  52. Button is on my blog. :)

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  53. I have followed your blog for awhile, but I forgot to make it official. It is now!

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  54. The button is on my blog. Such a wonderful cause.

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  55. I am a new follower woo hoo babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  56. I wanna win babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  57. What an easy quilt and good way to use up the focus fabric that I love but really can't use in other quilt patterns

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  58. I am a follower via RSS google. Enjoy reading your blog

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  59. I'm a follower!! Would love this quilt kit! I could use it to make many more charity quilts! Thanks Sarah...good luck on 700!!!!

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  60. Ok, leaving another comment...I'm so addicted to fabric and quilting!! Its sooo BAD!! Ahhhh well!! LOL!!

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  61. Lovely curtain...It is design very lovely,lovely color, I always like bright color....wonderful...really awesome stuff!!
    Patchwork quilt

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Comments make me smile!! If you want a PDF of a pattern, PLEASE leave your email address in your comment, or email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com!