World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of September 6, 1999:

Our question this week comes from Loretta Pierce

I have a bunch of handkerchiefs with lovely crocheted edges that I am considering making into a quilt - has anyone ever done this--what strategy would you suggest?

Jean C :
I would make a crazy quilt with your handerchiefs using ecro color fabrics for it's background and pellon for it's base. I have made these before as wedding gifts. I use all ecro fabrics and patterns and embelish with buttons, doilies, bibbons, handkerchiefs and hand stitching. Beautiful!

Katherine in PA :

Try this to preserve the fancy edges:
applique the hankeys to a larger square
of fabric. One or 2" larger should be
sufficent.
Now you have seam allowances to play
with. Happy quilting!

KathyJo :
I've seen a butterfly quilt made with handkerchiefs.
I'm sorry I can't rember the quilt magazine that it was
in. I'll look at my magazine over the week-end. The
handkerchief was folded in a triangle to form
the butterfly body.
Suzy Speck :
This is a cute basket quilt using handkerchiefs in Nancy J. Martin"s Book "Make Room For Quilts" Instructions are included in the book.
caroline r. :
I would pleat them into a fan shape, then applique them to a contrasting colour block on point. Lucky you, good luck:)
Bertie Durham :
I'd make a basket quilt with one-fourth of the hankie draped 3-dimensionally over the side of the basket.
m. bens :
i have started to make a quilt from handkerchieves and am putting them on background material. am putting bodies of contrasting material to match the handky. when i get them all done will add contrasting material between each block. i have so many that i will probably do two quilts. the plain handkys i will probably put on black bodies ofr contrast and then embrodrie their antennas an feet with floss . this takes a while but they sure are nice
knitnut :
I would apply wonderunder to the back, and stabilize with another fabric
Jaye Lapachet :
You might consider making a quilt with
pockets and then putting the handkerchiefs into
the pockets rather than actually sewing
the handkerchiefs together.

The other thing you could do is tack the
handkerchief to a background to
stabilize it.

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