Help! Christmas gift fail!

JoNightshade · Nov 30, 2008

For Christmas, I was going to make my mother a lap-size quilt. Well, while I was at my folks house for thanksgiving, my mom's best friend came by and gave her... yes, that's right, an absolutely gorgeous hand-made lap quilt. Way better than anything I could ever do.

So I'm sitting here with a pile of material in all my mom's favorite colors and I don't know what to do. I could possibly get more of the material and make a full-size quilt but I am not sure if I could handle that or if I have enough time. My parents have way too many pillows already so I can't do that. And potholders are just cheesy.

Anyone have any cool creative ideas for something I could make with quilted squares????

vixey · Nov 30, 2008

Placemats
Apron
Tablecloth

Deleted member 42 · Nov 30, 2008

A loose-fitting jacket with pockets. Big pockets. Something to wear indoors and stash the remote or a book in and be warm.

Williebee · Nov 30, 2008

Wall Art.

Throw pillows.

Table runners.

A jacket or coat.

Little Red Barn · Nov 30, 2008

Jo, I can't think of any mum, anywhere who would not treasure a gift made by her most precious gift's hand. Make her another--one from you, she can throw it across her bed, her favorite chair. Use as a shawl wrap around the house. I promise you, she'll cherish it forever.

JoNightshade · Nov 30, 2008

Thanks kimmi.

I know that's true, but I still feel bad that she would get two of the same thing!!!

The problem with making anything wearable out of it is that the colors are not colors she would WEAR - they are pretty bright. And any kitchen stuff is out because my dad is now the cook.

I actually started out trying to make a tablecloth but then I realized the stitching between the pieces would be lumpy and I wasn't sure how to deal with that other than to quilt it, in which case... why not make a quilt?

I don't know, maybe I should just make it. She does have two reading spots, so one for each?

Or maybe I could make it a different shape, more like a shawl...

Snowstorm · Nov 30, 2008

Perhaps a wall hanging? Especially if you can make it so it fits perfectly in an odd wall space (like between two doorways). Maybe even make it so it has slots for mail or cards?

Yeshanu · Nov 30, 2008

I'm thinking the wall art idea is kind of cool, or simply do as you planned to do in the first place, Jo, and make the quilt. What kimmi said.

JoNightshade · Nov 30, 2008

Snow - I like the idea of slots for mail, etc.! My folks do have an empty wallspace but I am not sure purple/mint green/yellow matches their house.

But hmmm yeah, that is a good idea. HMMMMMMMMM.

I also found this thing called a quillow? You put a kind of pocket on the backside of the quilt so you can fold it up into a pillow. I thought that was neat and just different enough to be all right.

Yeshanu · Nov 30, 2008

JoNightshade said:
I also found this thing called a quillow? You put a kind of pocket on the backside of the quilt so you can fold it up into a pillow. I thought that was neat and just different enough to be all right.

That might be great, Jo, especially if they travel a lot. It seems to me that something like that might travel/store very well, and something with multiple uses is always a good thing to have.

katiemac · Nov 30, 2008

How many squares do you have/how many could you make? My mother made a wall hanging once out of quilt squares that works like a family tree of sorts. I want to say it's 12 squares, plus a border... my and my sister's names in one square, then it spirals out to include a square for each of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, names and birth/death dates. I don't have a pattern, but I could probably take a photo and send it to you. It looks pretty simple, and you could probably take it as far back as you want.

Little Red Barn · Nov 30, 2008

JoNightshade said:
Thanks kimmi. I know that's true, but I still feel bad that she would get two of the same thing!!!

The problem with making anything wearable out of it is that the colors are not colors she would WEAR - they are pretty bright. And any kitchen stuff is out because my dad is now the cook.

I actually started out trying to make a tablecloth but then I realized the stitching between the pieces would be lumpy and I wasn't sure how to deal with that other than to quilt it, in which case... why not make a quilt?

I don't know, maybe I should just make it. She does have two reading spots, so one for each?

An idea: Take the center piece of the quilt you will make for her to an embroider (misspelled) Have them do something, 'mum like', such as ' a mother holds a child's hand for awhile--but their heart forever... or take a special old piece of your clothing, one your mum knows well, and cut it for the center of the quilt, this way it becomes extra personalized....

No matter, she'll love yours! : )

ETA: A quillow is easy to make, and cool!

JoNightshade · Nov 30, 2008

katiemac said:
How many squares do you have/how many could you make? My mother made a wall hanging once out of quilt squares that works like a family tree of sorts. I want to say it's 12 squares, plus a border... my and my sister's names in one square, then it spirals out to include a square for each of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, names and birth/death dates. I don't have a pattern, but I could probably take a photo and send it to you. It looks pretty simple, and you could probably take it as far back as you want.

Wow, that's really cool! And I have exactly 12 squares, although I could probably get more of the material. But, uh, my family tree is more like a bush.

Okay, I think I am going with the quillow, and I like the idea of putting something significant in the middle.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Dec 1, 2008

katiemac said:
How many squares do you have/how many could you make? My mother made a wall hanging once out of quilt squares that works like a family tree of sorts. I want to say it's 12 squares, plus a border... my and my sister's names in one square, then it spirals out to include a square for each of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, names and birth/death dates. I don't have a pattern, but I could probably take a photo and send it to you. It looks pretty simple, and you could probably take it as far back as you want.

My sister and I did this for our parents' 50th. Colorful squares alternated with unbleached muslin, and in each muslin square, we had a daughter or daughter-in-law embroider their branch of the family and their wedding date. If there were children, they also did a square for their children. Mom and Dad both cherished it... my sister has it now that they're gone and she cherishes it, too.

Help! Christmas gift fail!

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

vixey

C'est la vie!

Deleted member 42

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Little Red Barn

haz own threads

JoNightshade

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Snowstorm

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Yeshanu

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JoNightshade

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Yeshanu

Elf Queen

katiemac

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Little Red Barn

haz own threads

JoNightshade

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Ol' Fashioned Girl

Hand? What hand?