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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / for fun / A quilt for Maxwell.

A quilt for Maxwell.

December 7, 2015 · 15 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, Maxwell, sewing, tutorial/DIY

You guys, I deserve a gold star. For way too long, I’ve wanted to sew a quilt for Maxwell. Suddenly, a couple of months ago, I had a surge of creative energy, and I decided it was time to make it happen. I was going to make my very first quilt!

a quilt for Maxwell | maggie whitley designs

My quilting process so many different things: slow, confusing, exciting, and progressive, and it totally reminded me of when I learned how to sew many, many, many years ago back in Detroit :) At that time in my life, just like with this quilt for Max, I had no clue what I was doing with my sewing machine. Sure, I had done some research, but learning the quilting process at 100% was holding me back from actually getting started. I decided I was tired of holding myself back, and I was ready to get started.

The things that held me back — fear of failure and inexperience, now makes me laugh. This is exactly what I experienced back in 2008 when I was learning how to sew zipped pouches. As I was working on Max’s quilt I was reminded that I’m always learning how to sew. And, I love having that perspective :) There will always be something new to learn, practice, perfect — and that’s so inspiring!

maxwell quilt maggie whitley

One thing (for sure) that helped me get started with Max’s quilt is reading about all the quilting projects one of my favorite bloggers and crafters, Elise Blaha Cripe, has made. Reading about her quilting projects, feeling her excitement through her blog posts, seeing her finished projects — all of these things helped nudge me towards getting started.

With my first quilt, I started with answering a few basic questions:

+ what is the size of the finished quilt? (43″ x 34″)

+ what primary colors do I want to incorporate? (orange & gray)

+ is there a specific design I want to focus on? (construction trucks & foxes, Max’s favorites)

quilt fabric maggie whitley

From there I bought my fabric (seven different prints (2 primary and 5 secondary)), cut a 5″ square template (from a manila envelope), ironed my fabric, and began cutting my squares. Once everything was cut I began laying out different options for the fabric, which somehow was one of the most difficult parts of the entire process. (Maybe that’s a good sign? Looking back, I envision future projects to not be so difficult.) I wasn’t sure how I wanted the pattern to look since this was my first time sewing a quilt, so I kept the process light and reminded myself “trying again” with a new pattern layout wasn’t really that difficult :)

quilt template maggie whitley

Once I had all the squares/patterns organized, the quilt looked a bit small, so I added more squares until I found the perfect size. Next up, get sewing! I carefully stacked each row and without pinning anything, began sewing. Once all of the rows were sewn I took each strip and organized the pattern on the floor one more time before sewing the rows together. I did a single stitch for piecing all of the squares together, but once I had a my final quilt top sewn, I went over every row with a zigzag stitch for extra reinforcement. Doing this also meant I didn’t have to iron my seams open. Hooray!

Maxwell quilt maggie whitley

I had found a really thin blanket from a local thrift store, and after washing it twice in hot water it was ready to be sandwiched in between the back of the quilt and the quilt top. I did most of my non-sewing work on the floor, that felt like the best way to have enough surface for my project. Starting in the middle of the quilt, I began pinning the layers together. I would work left to right, up and down, smoothing & pinned all three layers together.

Once the layers were pinned together, I smoothed things over one more time with my hands and adjusted any necessary pins. I was now ready to start top stitching all three layers together, and honestly I felt a little uneasy about this. But, I thought through a few possible scenarios and gave myself a big pep talk before getting started ;) (I am a dork, I know.) I began in the middle of the quilt and top stitched to the outside edge, then I turned the quilt 180 degrees and top stitched to the other outside edge. I turned the quilt 90 degrees and again, began in the middle and top stitched to the outside edge. Turned the quilt, and worked to the other outside edge. This process hardly took any time at all.

Maxwell quilt maggie whitley

The last part of my quilt was to make the binding and finish each edge. And here is the second most difficult part of the quilting process ;) Because this was my first quilt, I wasn’t totally sure what I was doing. I knew how it needed to look, but sewing is often a backwards, upside down process. I took a tiny break from working on the quilt to do a little research, but finally decided the best way to learn was to just get started. I don’t love how the binding turned out, but I do love that I made my first quilt!

Maxwell quilt maggie whitley

The process often is greater than perfection, I say!

Max absolutely loves his new quilt, and that totally makes all of it’s imperfections even more beautiful to me. I know there are mistakes within the quilt. I know I sewed things incorrectly. I know I sewed certain sections out of order or didn’t complete a specific technique perfectly. But that is the beauty of crafting: you have a desire to try something new, you let your excitement lead you through the process, and then as a reward you get to hold your finished project. And see your boy’s eyes light up with happiness! :)

Maxwell quilt maggie whitley

If your wanting to learn how to quilt, Elise has written an ecourse called Get Quilty! I’m all heart eyes over this ecourse as it’s completely self-paced and features 5 different projects. SO much fun. You don’t even have to wait a single day to get started on your quilt, just sign up for Elise’s ecourse — you’re already on your way! :)

PS. I created Pinterest board for even more quilting project inspiration. I’d love to see your favorite quilting projects. Next up is a quilt for Natalie Rose!

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15 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, Maxwell, sewing, tutorial/DIY

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Comments

  1. Kate says

    December 7, 2015 at 9:15 am

    Well done! What an amazing accomplishment & Max looks so happy with the finished product! Love the fabric choices too.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      December 7, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      thanks Kate!!!!! xx

      Reply
  2. Katie R. says

    December 7, 2015 at 11:15 am

    I love this! I was so nervous about making my first quilt and now, 4 or 5 quilts in, and I still get a bit nervous every time. But after making my first son’s quilt and just having finished the quilt for my second little guy- I’m hooked. There’s something about starting such a big project from scratch and then seeing your little one use and love it so much! And by now I’m convinced that no one but me sees/cares about those imperfections. Can’t wait to see what you sew next :)

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      December 7, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      I think you’re totally right — no one will see the imperfections but me :) thanks for the reminder! xx

      Reply
  3. Heather Burris says

    December 8, 2015 at 5:12 am

    I wish my first quilt looked that good. Bravo friend!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      December 8, 2015 at 7:14 am

      Oh geez ;D

      Reply
      • Heather Burris says

        December 8, 2015 at 7:15 am

        Really, you did great! <3

        Reply
  4. Allison says

    December 9, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    it looks beautiful! nicely done!! he will treasure that for a long time to come

    Allison

    Reply
  5. ACS Blog says

    December 13, 2015 at 5:01 am

    Your quilt looks so perfect, the little man looked very pleased with it – no doubt about that! I’d probably try to get a little bit more patient with quilts – I just find the entire process too fiddly!

    Reply
  6. Katy says

    December 14, 2015 at 10:03 am

    It’s beautiful! I love the fabric choices + that you kept it simple for your first! I can’t wait to see the next one that you make!

    My granny is 94 and she just made me an ALL WHITE quilt by hand. I bought all the white fabric, chevron, dots, stripes etc. It’s in my guest room at the foot of the bed at our lake house. It’s a treasure for sure!

    Reply
  7. Haley says

    December 27, 2015 at 7:36 am

    This looks great! When broken down in small steps, quilting was surprisingly easier than I thought it was going to be. I had to give myself pep talks and build up to each one, but it is so fun seeing my child cherish it.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      December 27, 2015 at 7:57 am

      Thanks Haley, and I totally agree :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. weekend links / 1 – Healthy Coconut says:
    January 9, 2016 at 8:02 am

    […] I love this quilt. I love the color combo. I just wish I know how to sew one. I want to sign-up for classes at a […]

    Reply
  2. 8 tips to help you thrive as a mama! says:
    January 15, 2016 at 8:25 am

    […] When I pair these tips with what I know to be true about me, how our family works best, and our family goals, these eight tips are my lifelines to being able to mother at my best. None of the creative activities I find time for would happen without preserving my fringe hours (or knowing how to find them). A favorite “fringe hours project”? Making a quilt for Maxwell. […]

    Reply
  3. Twenty “20-minute crafts” you must try! says:
    July 25, 2016 at 8:35 am

    […] sew a quilt […]

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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