The Crayon Method

I think more than anything else, people ask me how I do my crayon method of quilting.  I thought I had explained it many times, but perhaps once more is needed for understanding.  I have done several of these quilts.  Some have had borders and some not.  Some even had trapunto.  Lately, I have been just making up a design on paper and doing rather simple things.  I think the addition of buttons add a lot and maybe the quilts look fancier because of them, who knows?  So, I will try to explain the method again.  Unfortunately, I don't have pictures to go along with all the directions.

First, take a plain white sheet of paper and make a design that is pleasing to you.  Make sure that you have used most of the paper because any areas left unsewn later, might gap.  Do your drawing to scale.  (In other words, make the drawing as big as you want your crayon quilt top to be excluding any borders you might want to add later.)  This is mine.  I called this one, "Bloomin'"

Note that I left several areas with circles.  I do circles to represent where I will place my buttons later although sometimes I do color those spaces too.  When you are satisfied with your drawing, go over it with a black sharpie pen.  This is so you will see the design through your white fabric.

Now, iron and cut a piece of white fabric 1/2 inch bigger than your drawing.  (Lengthwise and widthwise).  This is in case things are not exactly even when you are done quilting it.  When you are done, take your fabric and lay it over the darkened drawing, making sure the drawing is centered.  Now, trace your design onto your fabric lightly with pencil.  When you are done, take a piece of freezer paper the size of your fabric and iron the shiny side of the paper to the backside of your traced design.  This is to give the fabric the stability to color on it without the fabric wrinkling.  Using your Crayola crayons (at least that's the brand I use), color the fabric staying in your penciled lines.  When you are satisfied, remove the freezer paper, and take the colored piece to your ironing board.  Cover it with a cheap piece of muslin and without going back and forth, iron the piece section by section until you smell wax.  This is making the crayon a permanent part of the fabric.

If you want to add borders, now is the time to trim the front and add them because the next step is to make a quilt sandwich.  I use a free motion (or darning) foot and use #30 weight black thread to outline my drawing once I have everything together.  (I use 505 spray adhesive, so no need to worry about pins.)  And when I'm done, and have added my buttons, it looks like this:





This is one of two with flowers that I did recently.  The other one I sold to the craft coordinator for Blumenthal Lansing Co. (The biggest button distributor in the world).  It will be on display in their booth at the quilt show in February so look for it there.  The one above was done for a swap.  It's already sent, but the recipient hasn't gotten it yet.  Won't she be surprised?

I made one more for that swap.  It's not my usual style to be sure, but I thought I might be able to fool the group into thinking it was someone else'.  I was wrong!  I called this one, "Touch of Asia."



Check out that 1/8 inch straight line quilting.  I thought I'd never get done!!  Good thing I have a big stash of white thread, huh?  So, that's the scoop for today!  Not much else new here!  Until next time.....