For Jackson

I have been waiting to show you the project I just finished a few days ago...I was sending it to my little nephew Jackson and wanted to wait till he got it before I posted it.

I did not have plans to make this...in fact I had plans for something entirely different. But in going through my fabric shelves, I ran across the animal flannels. I had made Roger a rag quilt with them...which is another story entirely.

The minute I saw the fabric, I knew I had to do something with it for Jackson. He will be two years old next month, and gets so excited by anything to do with hunting, going 4-wheeling, and Santa Claus. I just had to throw the part in about Santa Claus. But it is the truth....he L-O-V-E-S Santa.

I knew it would be the frayed edge style, or rag quilt. I first cut bunches of squares, paired them together with no batting between, and sewed them together. A BIG bunch of them together. I did not like that...thus I ended up sitting ripping out a LOT of stitching.

I also decided sometime during all of it, that I didn't have near enough fabric...even for a toddler's quilt. So, I ended up buying about three more yards of fabric. I proceeded to cut it all up in 6½ inch squares. As I cut I made the decisions of which fabrics I wanted to go to the back and which to the front. after cutting the fabric, I cut batting in a smaller size...then paired a fabric for the front with a fabric for the back, sandwiched the batting in between, and sewed an 'x' across it. I did them all at once.

I sat and counted how many squares of each fabric I had...then set with graph paper and decided how to arrange the blocks. Then the stitching the blocks together began....contrary to most sewing, the seams are supposed to be on the front with the rag quilts. The first row of blocks I sew.ed, I sewed just the opposite of that...actually I sewed it twice. Cause each of the seams from this point on are sewn double...for strength.

After a couple evenings of concentrated sewing, the above is the result. This is after it is washed and dried. It is all soft and snugly. And below is the back of the quilt...

It finished about 44 x 55 inches....so hoping Jackson will get use from it. I really think he will like all the animals. He has done been 'shooting' deer....when he was in the stores earlier last month I think it was, and he saw Santa's reindeer, he would 'shoot that', this after going through the store yelling HO! ho! ho! and hollering for Santa throughout the store. Then at Cracker Barrel where they have a deer head mounted, he 'shot that,' too.

I finished it Tuesday I think it was, washed it twice with color catchers, and to fray the edges, dried it, and put it in the mail Wednesday....