Grandad's Shirts Cozy Quilts

It's another block drive wrap up this week! This time from the March/April "grandad's shirts" blocks.  Soothing, masculine colors with subtle texture and great scrappy fabric variation make these quilts soooo cozy.

First up are two quilts (above and below) quilted by Judy from AZ. She used geometric designs and grid quilting to emphasize the right angles in the blocks.

The next two quilts, below, were assembled and quilted by Kathy from Texas.

Kathy used stipple quilting, which gives the quilts a completely different feel and brings out the scrappiness of the all the different blocks.

Twenty three quilters contributed to make these four quilts. Thanks to all of you who were brave enough to tackle nested seams and pleats for this blocks drive!

These blocks were inspired by the colors and textures on the button down shirts I remember my grandad used to wear.  (Hence I called the block "grandad's shirt").

I hope the families who receive these four quilts will also find comforting memories attached to the fabrics.  For sure, there's love in every stitch!

Covered in Love recently surpassed 220 quilts passed out to dying patients in the hospital and I could never have done it without help from so many of you. Big thanks to Kathy, Judy, and the twenty ladies who sent in blocks.  You all rock!

If you'd like to join in with Covered in Love's mission you can learn more on the main page or check out the block drive.  The current Covered in Love block drive just began and it's a simple Fall-colored patchwork. This drive will run until the end of October if you want to help out.  More info here! 

Linking to  Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Oh Scrap!, Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished or Not Friday

Sew Some Love Linky

Welcome to the Sew Some Love linkup!  Please link-up any post about a project you're sewing for charity.

The first of the tops from the Grandad's Shirts block drive has come together.  The blocks looked a little busy right next to each other so I used a narrow sashing to offset them.  What do you think?  BTW, the current block drive is running HERE if you want to participate!

In non-CiL sewing I made 4 more of the "Best Baby Bibs in the World".  Some of you may remember months back when I made some baby stuff for a friend expecting twins?  The twins are growing into strapping little boys and messy eaters, so two of these are for them. Another will be for the little boy with the G-tube I mentioned a week or so ago (hey, he's not eating yet, but hopefully soon!) and the other will be in reserve.

Covered in Love has been so blessed by donations from quilters, I want you all to see what each other have going on!  For purposes of the linky, I'm going to define "charity" really generally.  If you're sewing a quilt for you co-worker's mom with cancer or your friend's uncle who lost his home, that totally counts!  Anything you're sewing out of the goodness of your heart for someone outside you immediate circle of family and friends. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Some Quilt Charities:
Books and a Blanket - quilts for needy children in central Texas, promoting literacy
Covered in Love - quilts for mourning families
Kennel Quilts - small quilts for animals in need
Margaret's Hope Chest - several programs for children and adults
My Very Own Blanket - quilts for children in foster care
Ovarian Cancer Quilt Project - quilts auctioned to raise money for cancer research
Project Linus - quilts for children in the hospital
Quilts Beyond Borders -  quilts for poor children around the world
Quilts for Kids - quilts for abused and ill children
Quilts of Valor - quilts for veterans
Threading Hope - children and families in poverty and war torn countries
Victoria's Quilts - quilts for cancer patients
Wrap-a-Smile - quilts for children treated for cleft palate on medical missions
Wrap Them in Love - quilts for children

If you know of any that need added to the list let me know!

Grandad's Shirts Block Drive

Welcome to the March-April Covered in Love block drive!  This time we're going to make blocks inspired by this awesome quilt. I'm calling it "Grandad's shirts" because that's what the colors and texture remind me of. 

The color scheme for this block is black, grey, and true-blues (not teal, aqua, turquoise, etc). Think manly colors :)

You need to cut (4) fabrics 4.5"x8.5" and one (the one in the middle) 4.5"x6.75"

Lay the 6.75" long piece sideways and measure from one side, making small pencil marks at the top and bottom as shown: 1.5" in from the edge, 2",2.75", 3.25", 4", 4.5", 5.25", 5.75"

Begin at the first set of hash marks that are half an inch apart, make a fold, wrong sides together, so that the adjacent hashes match up, and pin at both edges of the fabric. (Look at the pictures and hopefully this will make sense.)

Pin through the hash marks, then press the crease.

Sew the crease in with your quarter inch foot, which should mean you're sewing at the line of the hash marks you made earlier, connecting them. These stitches will be visible in the final quilt.  You can match the thread color to the fabric or use white or black, but please use the same in the top and bobbin.

Basically what we're doing is sewing in 4 creases. Each one falls right between the hashes that were half and inch apart, with 0.75" in the "valleys" between one crease and the next.

Pin the next crease in the same way as the first one and sew.

Once you've sewn all 4 creases carefully press just the outside half inch or so down. On one edge press them up and on the other edge press them the opposite direction.

Sew a line of stay stitching less than 1/4" from the edge to keep the directionality of the creases.

It's a little difficult to measure this little block since it doesn't want to lie flat but give it a try. Hopefully it measures 4.5" square, but there was a little play in the original measurements so you may need to trim a bit.

Now you can start to really lay the block out. Yes, partial seams! Don't worry.  **PS- do yourself a favor and flip your middle block upside down from how mine is, so that the creases are closer to the bottom of the block than the top.

Start applying to side blocks by taking one and sewing it to the middle block from their flush edge to 1/2" from the point where the small block ends.

Apply the next block across the new edge made by the joined middle and edge block.

...and the next, same way.

To apply the last edge piece fold down the first side you sewed so you can clearly see the edge where this block will join.

Sew it just like the others.

Then flip the first edge piece back up into place and fold it over to see your last seam to be sewn. Finish sewing that partial seam and you're all done.

The block should finish 12.5" square.  Press all seams toward the outside.  Try not to press directly on the creases if you can avoid it.

(Edited to Add: View some finished quilts here)

I know many of your are old hats at these block drives, but for anyone who's new to Covered in Love, we give quilts to patients who pass away at a hospital in east Texas.  Family members can take the quilts home with them to wrap up in afterward.  Anyone can participate in the block drives and make as few or as many blocks as you like.  Email CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com or leave a comment (make sure I can reach you) for a mailing address or if you have any questions!

If you blog about working on these blocks, or any other charity sewing, you're invited to join the linky. Every Wednesday!

You can check out finished quilts from previous block drives here.

Linking to Oh Scrap!