CJ's Texture Quilt

CJ's Crinkly Drag-Around Quilt with Minkee Backing

I was going to post a tutorial but I was so focused on getting it finished to take to my Piecing Group meeting this week that I forgot to take in-progress photos. The girls at the meeting passed this little quilt around and they were all petting it and crinkling it. I think CJ will like it. It's already been through the washer and dryer in the photo above. (More about the story behind it in Monday's post, below)

If you want to make something similar, here's a brief description of how:

Top: 30" x 30".
Circles: fleece.
Backing: minkee.
Batting: Warm & White.
Crinkle: Cellophane behind two of the circles and two other blocks for crinkly sound and texture.

Materials:
Cotton Fabric: 5/8 yard polka dot, 1/2 yard teal, 3/8 yard white. Prewash.
Fleece: Scraps or 1/8 yard.
Cellophane: about 3/8 yard. It comes on a roll like wrapping paper.
Batting: Warm & White; preshrink the batting.
Backing: Minkee, one yard.
Binding: 3/8 yard

Cutting:
- Polka dot fabric: cut 13, 6-1/2" squares
- White fabric: cut 12, 4-1/2" squares
- Teal fabric: Cut 12, 2-1/2 x 4-1/2" pieces and cut 12, 2-1/2 x 6-1/2" pieces
- Fleece: Cut 8 circles, about 3-1/2 to 4" in diameter
- Binding: Cut 4 WOF strips 2-1/2" wide

Applique:
- Using wash-away basting glue, baste fleece circles to eight of the polka dot squares.
- With machine blanket stitch, sew around each circle.

Block Piecing:
- Attach 4-1/2" teal pieces to the top and bottom of each white square. Press toward the teal.
- Attach 6-1/2" teal pieces to the sides of each unit. Press toward the teal.

Top Assembly:
- Arrange blocks into rows as shown in photo above, with circle blocks around the edges.
- Sew blocks into rows; press toward the teal
- Sew rows together; press toward the rows with the most teal (for the least show-through behind the white polka dot print)

Add Crinkle:
- Cut a 6" strip of cellophane across the width and cut this in half at the center for two pieces about 6" x 15".
- Cut an 8" strip of cellophane and cut it in half across the center.
- Fold the 6" pieces in half (two ply) and pin to the wrong side behind two of the fleece circles. Use at least four pins to prevent any slippage.
- Sew around the circles from the front, close to the edge of the fleece, sewing through all layers of cellophane.
- Trim the cellophane 1/4" away from the stitching.
- Fold the 8" pieces of cellophane in half and pin to the wrong side behind two random blocks, making sure the cellophane extends past all seam allowances.
- Sew in the ditch around the blocks from the front, through all layers of cellophane.
- Trim the cellophane so that it extends 1/4" past the block seams on all four sides.

Layer and baste as usual. If you typically pin baste, pin closer together than usual and it's OK to pin through the cellophane.

Quilt as desired. I used my walking foot and a serpentine zigzag stitch, 3.5 length, teal thread to match the minkee backing. I sewed over all the block seams, then came back and sewed a diagonal grid from corner to corner through the blocks, including through the circles. 

Special thanks to Jasmine at Quilt Kisses for advice on working with minkee.

I think CJ's little drag-around quilt is whoop-worthy, so I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. And since it's finished, I'm linking with Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts.