Country Crafts and QuiltingCause Joy

Thomas the Train quilt (twin-size) for my nephew. Help?

I would like to make a Thomas the Train quilt for a twin-size bed. My nephew would love it, and I would love to give it to him for Christmas. I found some fabric on ebay, and I would like to use it. How do I make this kind of quilt? Where can I find the right kind of pattern for the beginning quilter?

Quilting is a lot easier than you might think. It’s basically just sewing straight lines. You need to cut accurately and sew accurate 1/4″ seams, or you can figure ways around it like cutting a little big, sewing fairly accurate seams, then trimming the finished piece to the right size.

For a beginner, I would recommend using the Thomas the Train fabric in setting squares (plain squares in between pieced squares, like a checker board), and maybe in a border. The pieced squares should be something fairly simple, like a Nine Patch (see first link below – it has excellent instructions – be sure to click on the second page, then on the photo shoot of the process).

Another possibility, even easier, is to make a Rail Fence quilt. If the fabric you have has a fairly small print (small enough that it is recognizable if you looked at a 2″ x 6″ piece), then use it in the rails. If it isn’t recognizable, then just use it in the border. To make a Rail Fence quilt, you just cut 2 1/2″ strips of three different fabrics, preferably a light, medium and dark (yellow, red, blue, for example). Sew the strips together in that order, side by side, so you have a long piece of fabric that has three rows and is 6 1/2″ wide. Now cut the strip set into 6 1/2″ sections. Lay the squares out on the floor so the first one goes up and down, the second one goes side to side, the next is up and down, etc. Play with the layout until you see something you like. It might look like steps, or like it’s woven. Sew the square together in a row, then sew the rows together. See the link below for several examples.

I would strongly recommend you check out the book “Start Quilting with Alex Anderson” – it’s a great beginner quilting guide, and it’s relatively inexpensive. It has instructions for both the Rail Fence and the Nine patch block.

Little Box of Baby Quilts from www.martingale-pub.com

120 patterns for traditional patchwork quilts $41.41 Full-size patterns with clear, simple guidelines, and tables listing pieces per block, pieces per quilt, and total yardage. All patterns, whether classic or unusual, are accompanied by a brief history of the origin of the pattern….

Country Bride Quilt Collection $0.75 Using templates form the original Country Bride Quilt (which has been one of the most popular quilting books of recent years), the authors have created five new beautiful quilt patterns. Also includes a sampler quilt of Country Bride templates. Includes complete patterns and instructions for making these charming applique designs….

Big Book of Best-Loved Quilt Patterns $14.92 As every quilting fan knows, there is no such thing as too may quilts. (Or, too many quilt books for that matter!) This essential new collection brings together time-honoured patterns with the latest in modern quilting techniques. Concise instructions, step-by-step photographs and detailed colour diagrams guide both beginner and master quilters through all the steps necessary to complete the quilt…