LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW
Quilts for Men
QUILTING FOR THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2011
When the children were small I used to try and avoid the subject of Christmas for as long as possible - preferably until the first of December - to avoid the potential over excitement. But of course if you are planning on making gifts you have to start well before the first of December to have any chance of having them finished in time. I find that men are usually the most difficult to make gifts for because they don't go a bunch on pretty bags or quilts, so I set out to make this quilt specifically aimed at a man both in terms of colour and of design. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I think even my sons will approve of this one.
I made the Alabama quilt block first because I am starting to make all the quilt blocks named for states of America, but I was so impressed with how clean and uncluttered it looked that I thought it would make a good quilt for men, especially in those fairly neutral colours that I had chosen more or less by accident. For this men's quilt (son, grandson?) I made eight quilt blocks and the finished size of the quilt is 50" by 82", a decent size for a single bed. To make the alabama quilt in the same size you would need about 1/2 yard dark brown fabric, 1 yard white, 1.1/4 yards cream and 1 yard black fabric. Plus backing and batting to fit.
The Alabama quilt block is one of those that you build up from the middle rather than sewing rows together. The nine patch in the middle can be made with individual 2.1/2" squares but it's easier to sew together three 2.1/2" strips of fabric and then cut them into 2.1/2" strips. Each nine patch unit uses two strips of dark, light, dark fabric and one strip of light, dark, light fabric. You will need eight of these.
The quilt block builds up really quickly now. Cut four 6.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips in cream fabric and lay them around the nine patch unit. Sew a 2.1/2" brown square to the top and bottom of the two side strips. Sew the strips to the top and bottom of the nine patch unit and then sew the two strips with squares to the sides of the quilt block.
For the next round you will need four 10.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips of white fabric and four 2.1/2" brown squares. Sew two of these strips to the top and bottom of the block. Sew a square to either end of the remaining two strips and then sew these to the sides of the block.
One more round of 14.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips in cream fabric and that's the Alabama quilt block complete. Do the same as above, sewing two strips to the top and bottom of the quilt block and sewing 2.1/2" brown squares to the ends of the two side strips. Isn't it a lovely uncluttered quilt block? You will need eight of these.
For the sashing sew an 18.1/2" by 2.1/2" black strip down one side of four of the Alabama quilt blocks and then sew another quilt block to the other side of the black sashing so that you have four pairs of blocks.
Sew a 38.1/2" strip of black sashing across the bottom of each pair of quilt blocks. Sew all the pairs of blocks together in four rows so that the quilt measures two blocks across by four rows down. Add one more 38.1/2" black strip across the top of the quilt so that there is a strip of sashing at the top and bottom and between each row. Sew two strips of black sashing down the sides of the quilt - these will need to be 82.1/2" long.
For the border of this men's quilt I decided that I didn't need any extra length but I did want some width so I put the border down the sides only. I sewed together a 2.1/2" strip of all four fabrics and cut across at 2.1/2" intervals to make strips of four squares.
After sewing these strips together end to end I sewed one strip to each side of the quilt and then added another 2.1/2" strip of black on the other side of the quilt border squares. I'm not entirely sure about that - it might have been better just to use black binding on the quilt border squares.
Anyway here's the video to clarify anything that isn't clear here:
I hope you like the quilt.
Best Wishes
Rose
Return to free quilt patterns
Visit my blog
rose@ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2011
When the children were small I used to try and avoid the subject of Christmas for as long as possible - preferably until the first of December - to avoid the potential over excitement. But of course if you are planning on making gifts you have to start well before the first of December to have any chance of having them finished in time. I find that men are usually the most difficult to make gifts for because they don't go a bunch on pretty bags or quilts, so I set out to make this quilt specifically aimed at a man both in terms of colour and of design. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I think even my sons will approve of this one.
I made the Alabama quilt block first because I am starting to make all the quilt blocks named for states of America, but I was so impressed with how clean and uncluttered it looked that I thought it would make a good quilt for men, especially in those fairly neutral colours that I had chosen more or less by accident. For this men's quilt (son, grandson?) I made eight quilt blocks and the finished size of the quilt is 50" by 82", a decent size for a single bed. To make the alabama quilt in the same size you would need about 1/2 yard dark brown fabric, 1 yard white, 1.1/4 yards cream and 1 yard black fabric. Plus backing and batting to fit.
The Alabama quilt block is one of those that you build up from the middle rather than sewing rows together. The nine patch in the middle can be made with individual 2.1/2" squares but it's easier to sew together three 2.1/2" strips of fabric and then cut them into 2.1/2" strips. Each nine patch unit uses two strips of dark, light, dark fabric and one strip of light, dark, light fabric. You will need eight of these.
The quilt block builds up really quickly now. Cut four 6.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips in cream fabric and lay them around the nine patch unit. Sew a 2.1/2" brown square to the top and bottom of the two side strips. Sew the strips to the top and bottom of the nine patch unit and then sew the two strips with squares to the sides of the quilt block.
For the next round you will need four 10.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips of white fabric and four 2.1/2" brown squares. Sew two of these strips to the top and bottom of the block. Sew a square to either end of the remaining two strips and then sew these to the sides of the block.
One more round of 14.1/2" by 2.1/2" strips in cream fabric and that's the Alabama quilt block complete. Do the same as above, sewing two strips to the top and bottom of the quilt block and sewing 2.1/2" brown squares to the ends of the two side strips. Isn't it a lovely uncluttered quilt block? You will need eight of these.
For the sashing sew an 18.1/2" by 2.1/2" black strip down one side of four of the Alabama quilt blocks and then sew another quilt block to the other side of the black sashing so that you have four pairs of blocks.
Sew a 38.1/2" strip of black sashing across the bottom of each pair of quilt blocks. Sew all the pairs of blocks together in four rows so that the quilt measures two blocks across by four rows down. Add one more 38.1/2" black strip across the top of the quilt so that there is a strip of sashing at the top and bottom and between each row. Sew two strips of black sashing down the sides of the quilt - these will need to be 82.1/2" long.
For the border of this men's quilt I decided that I didn't need any extra length but I did want some width so I put the border down the sides only. I sewed together a 2.1/2" strip of all four fabrics and cut across at 2.1/2" intervals to make strips of four squares.
After sewing these strips together end to end I sewed one strip to each side of the quilt and then added another 2.1/2" strip of black on the other side of the quilt border squares. I'm not entirely sure about that - it might have been better just to use black binding on the quilt border squares.
Anyway here's the video to clarify anything that isn't clear here:
I hope you like the quilt.
Best Wishes
Rose
Return to free quilt patterns
Visit my blog
rose@ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk