Hello, and welcome to another edition of “Ask Jo”. I get many comments and questions from all sorts of places, the comment section here, Youtube, email, and from our Facebook group. Sometimes I think others of you might want to know the answers as well so I answer them here on the blog. Today I’m taking everything from quilts, to kits, to shoes.
Janice asked:
“Good day Jo, I am looking at your first photo of the two red blocks. I really like the choice of fabrics. As I am studying them, I noticed a quilted item just peeking out from underneath them. It is gray with gold and cream fabrics. Any chance you can show this item in a future post? It looks very interesting.
A question regarding the size of a baby quilt. I am making my first baby quilt and I am unsure on size. I find dimensions vary greatly in quilt books and on the internet. What size would you recommend for a 6-month old? Not sure if you already answered this type of question in an Ask Jo post . . . if so please point me to it. Thank you.”
You got a peek of my twister quilt…This is it.
It was made by sewing 3.5″ squares like this.
Then using this little ruler to recut the pieces and sew them together again.
We used a twister ruler. For this small size you need a Tiny Twister. It can be found HERE.
Kelli made one too…
Her’s is the one on the left in the picture.
You can use a larger sized ruler and larger blocks and get the same effect. HERE is a link to rulers that are larger.
Now onto the size of baby quilts…The size of baby quilts does widely vary.
I make baby quilts really more of a toddler-sized. Because of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrom or Crib Death), babies really don’t use quilts like they used to so that’s why I’ve switched to toddler size. Many people do something like 40 x 40 but mine are closer to around 50 x 50 or even bigger…more of a lap-sized quilt. I think if I make them bigger, I feel better about it that moms won’t use them in a crib until the kids are past the danger age.
Rebecca asked:
“I bought the kit, but now can’t get the pattern. I know this is 2021, but I am just getting to making it. How do I get a pattern if they are out of the magazine?”
Rebecca is making our Azure Skies quilt, bought the kit but now needs the magazine for the pattern.
It is in the December 2020 issue.
This is the quilt…
I don’t know of anywhere to get actual hard copies of back issues. You can get digital back issues though. You can find them HERE.
Sewhappy commented: “I love your idea for the quilts for the boys. What about red tractor for Holland Tractor (right tractor)? Or is there is a blue one that I am not familiar with.”
I am making a version of this quilt for Eli and Emmett. It is The Plow Day Quilt by Lori Holt.
I wrote that Emmett’s would have a green tractor and Eli’s would have a blue tractor. Both would be scrappy.
Tractors for many farmers are a little tricky. Many farmers are brand loyal. Jason and the Hanken’s are green tractor people…John Deere. Kramer, my husband, was a blue tractor guy, New Holland. Being Eli’s middle name is Kramer, he’s getting the blue tractor quilt. Previously Ford tractors were blue but Ford has since been bought out by New Holland.
Growing up, my dad was an Allis Chalmer guy…orange tractors.
We thought this way the boys will be able to keep a better idea of whose quilt is whose this way.
If you’re curious, the pattern is in her Farm Girl Vintage book. Find it HERE on Amazon.
Some one sent a message that said, the tractor was in the Farm Girl Vintage II book. There is actually a tractor in both books. The tractor I am using is big. It’s the 16″ x 20″ block and that is in the Farm Girl Vintage book. It’s the red tractor you see in the photo below. The green tractor is in the Farm Girl Vintage II book. That block is 12″ x 12″. I just wanted to clarify that for readers before they bought the wrong book.
Fran wrote: “I love the Lori Holt Books. I have them all. They have easy to follow instructions and everything is so cute!” I totally agree Fran! I bought the books long ago with good intentions of making something but alas. That never happened. After I started the Red Sampler Quilt Along, I started looking at the books more and the tractor quilt caught my eye. I’m so excited that I rediscovered them will be actually FINALLY be using them.
Sandra asked:
“I like your ideas! I’m curious how you organize the shirt pieces in your stash after you prep them?”
Here they are Sandra. All ready and waiting to be used in a quilt.
I have the plastic three drawer units you can buy at Walmart. I have three of them. I keep the fabrics sorted in the drawers by color. This drawer happens to the the neutrals that are really more medium in value.
I have two drawers for blues and neutrals. I have most of those colors. I don’t have as many purple and pink so they share a drawer.
This drawer is actually pretty messy. I’m been digging in them recently for fabrics for the tractor quilts.
Emma asked:
“Where did you find the link to buy the kit? I only saw fabric, charm packs, etc for sale. Thanks.”
Emma was referring to our quilt Moment of Zen…
It’s this quilt…
..and was in this magazine.
I would call the shop. The kit might be sold out. They might have some yardage or something that would help. If they are sold out, no worries. There are several shops online that are still selling the fat quarter bundle. The line you are looking for is called Cider.
Brenda commented, “More views of your beautiful clogs, please. are the bottoms natural color or stained ?? The only time I owned a pair someone wanted some so badly and could not ever in a million years afford them I was persuaded to pass them on. probably on the pretense they were making too much noise in our home.”
Brenda wrote this after I shared that Kayla treated me to a pair of new Troentorp Mary Jane clogs. If you missed the post you can find it HERE. I’m hoping the pictures will give you a little better idea of what my clogs look like.
They have many other styles too. I thought about getting these but opted for the Mary Janes.
You can find the clogs HERE on Amazon.
I think that covers this edition…Thanks so much for all of the questions and comments. It makes me feel like I’m not just sitting at a computer talking to myself!! HA!
Good questions/comments, and thank you for answering these question. I hadn’t noticed the little twister quilt but am glad it was pointed out. I have made some small ones and I liked seeing this. Thank you! Hope your weekend is going good.
For Rebecca and others looking for older magazines- ask your quilting friends if they subscribe, and also at your guild. I belong to 2 guilds and members regularly bring their magazines to share. At one guild they are placed on the Freebie table along with any fabric, notions, blocks and books etc. at the other guild they are given to the librarian and placed on a big table for browsing and sold for anywhere from 5-25 cents depending on how much volume there is!
We are able to get the digital magazine from the library.
Thanks for the update on the colors of tractors. I should have looked it up myself. I have to see who has red tractors. I have seen the John Deere- green and I thought red for New Holland oops.
Jo, Thank you for showing the photo of the twister quilt, and for providing information as to how it was made. It is a great looking quilt. Also, thank you for your recommendation on the baby quilt size.
The magazine is in the collection you can view digitally through my library. Perhaps this woman can fine it there? I like to look there as they have several years worth. You can save the project instructions on your computer or print them out
I am about to make a table runner for my sister with the tractor pattern in “Farm Girl Vintage 2”. She owns the tractor we all grew up with, a Co-op that was made by Cockshutt and marketed through Farm Bureau Cooperative back in the ’40’s. They were orange in color and real workhorses.
The buying and selling of equipment companies over the years has sometimes been difficult to keep up with! The old Fordson that I drove as a teen was gray; my husband grew up with Farmalls (red) that became part of International Harvester. We are members of an antique engine club and go to the annual show – always a trip down memory lane for this old farm girl. :)
I made my grandchildren’s baby quilts approximately 40×60 inches. They were not used in the crib. They were used on the floor in the living room for the baby to lay and play on and were folded over the rocker in the baby’s room for mom to use at night while nursing. Now they are used as coverings on their twin beds. And to made forts. And drug to the livingroom when they don’t feel well. And it is time for this grandma to made them a larger actual twin-size quilt each!
For some friends I’ve made smaller quilts that were hung on the wall or disappeared from view during my visits by the time the tot was 18-24 months as they had outgrown it. I would rather the child enjoy the quilt (and all of my hours of work!) longer so I now tend to make baby quilts a bit larger than I did in the past.
I thought about the search f=or patterns –that are in older magazines– that if local library subscribes to the correct magazine, the older ones are there for some time???? At least I know that is true both in my local Iowa library and Maine also.
Try your library to find older copies of magazines. Most public libraries have a resale shop called “Friends of the Library” where they sell used outdated library and donated books, magazines, dvds, etc. One can also search eBay for outdated magazines and books.
Love all your work!
Love all your work! Great info.
When looking for back issues of magazines, check with your local library to see if they have either physical copies or provide online issues.
We have a great county library, the magazines I could read for free has changed over the years. Depends on their subscription services, I guess. Our library also how a great online form for requesting books not in our system. I have borrowed books from as far away as the east coast, from medical school libraries to the counties within my own west coast state.