Making a knotted quilt using squares

1. Decide on color/theme/pattern
This, by far, is the most difficult step. Cascading pattern? 9-block? How many blocks? Three, Four or more fabric choices? What abotu the back? Solid or patterned?

I prefer cascading patterns with 3-4 fabric choices. I typically use 4, but have on occasion used 3 (for Maggie) or 5 (for Henry). I like using solid color backs because the fabric can run anywhere to one-third to one-half the price of a print. However, if you're using the print anyway in the same quilt or a different one, simpy getting 1½ yards allows you up to three quilts (the half yard split to make a total of 24 4½" squares and the full yard for a back of a kid-quilt). It all depends on the look you're going for. I also like the solids because they tend to be a bit more opaque/less translucent and if it's not exactly folded, the front fabrics won't show through. (I shouldn't be giving away secrets should I?)

2. Purchase fabric
Best to buy actual quilting fabric. Places like JoAnn's have specific areas for quilting fabrics. (as opposed to those better suited for clothing) You can buy yardage (good for multiple copies of the same quilt or using the same fabric with others in different quilts) or you can buy fat quarters (one half of one half yard). Fat quarters cut nearly perfectly into 12 4½" squares. However, you can get more of the same size squares from half a yard.

3. Wash and dry fabric (front and back, do NOT attempt to wash batting)
Warm/Hot on gentle. I use homemade laundry detergent and wash like colors together so as not to risk bleeding of colors. I've heard the "color catchers" work really well, but I haven't tried them.

4. iron fabric
You may not think this is a big deal, but it is. A wrinkled piece of fabric can cause mis-cuts and really screw with the overall pattern later on.

5. cut fabric.
I use a rotary cutter and clear plastic square on a self-healing mat. I have multiple sizes just in case I want to do different size quilts (which I do)

6. lay out the pattern

7. stack your squares

8. pin your squares

9. sew squares into rows

10. iron your rows.
this will help your rows lay flat when you place the backing on AND will help when you seew the rows together

11. sew your rows

12. iron completed front

13. lay front on batting and pin
pin in the center and 4 corners at MINIMUM. I generally do the center of each edge and some throughout the quilt front.

14 place the front/batting combo on top of your backing

15. pin the backing

16. sew the backing

17. re-pin entire quilt
this time you're going through all three layers. you'll need to decide if you're knotting in the center of the square or at the intersections. I purposely choose the intersections because I can use the tightness of the knot to cover up imperfections in the seem alignment.

18. knot the quilt
loop around twice, then triple knot

19. Decide whether to wash the quilt before giving to recipient to soften batting.

I probably left some steps out and I do have photos to add at some point.

How Tec Me Quilts came to be

In May 2009, we moved from FL to Michigan and in with my parents. For the longest time, I went to bed with my then 4yo. Then I started having him to go to bed on his own. For a while it worked out really well.

One night, he told me he was scared and said, "mama tec me"

"tec you? what do you mean?"

"i'm scared, tec me"

"oh, you mean protect you." So I laid down with him til he fell asleep. This went on for a while, but then going to bed at 8:00 wasn't exactly my idea of life.

So,w e talked about how he could go to bed on his own and I thought of making him a blanket. He decided to call it his "tec me" blanket. My husband, Eric, had bought me a sewing machine a couple years ago as a Mother's Day gift (or maybe it was out of a refund, not sure). But I hadn't gotten much use out of it, in fact, not at all.

So we went to JoAnn's and I let him pick out some fun fabric. He loves animals and the zoo, so he picked out giraffe, jaguar, tiger and zebra prints. I got the pieces cut out right away, then sewn together, then it just sat for the longest time. I just didn't have time, energy or money to get the backing and batting to finish. Then I just finally decided to get it done (along with a smaller quilt for Henry).

Just before school started (as in ,like two days), I finished the quilt and he's been sleeping with it ever since. I quickly made a quilt for my sister's youngest. When you know what you're doing, the process goes so much faster. I was really enjoyign this. My MD gift from 3 years ago was finally paying off.

I posted my process on a message board I'm on and immediate got a request....and to be paid. Then another request came on Facebook. Then another. Then the original FB request added a second quilt. Then a request for three more.

As of today, September 22, I've made a total of 7 quilts. Five of them since September 1. I'm in the midst of #8 right now. I have 7 more on order.

I've spent the last 18 months unemployed, much to the dismay of my husband, family, and friends. I finally found soemthign I'm really good at.

I don't want to do the big fancy quilts for beds or with actual quilting stitching. I happen to REALLY REALLY REALLY like doing kid-sized quilts than can easily go from the bed to the car to a play room.

Being back in a wintery state, I like that my kids can have a blanket in the car that won't interfere with their car seats and that isn't too bulky that it can't go in the store with us.

I'll be making the boys each another blanket for such purposes since they like their bed blankets.

Right now I'm set to open my etsy.com Tec Me Quilts shop on October 1. I already have a few planned out in my head and as soon as I get the 7 done that are on order....I'll start building an inventory.

I also shop at Country Stitches (East Lansing), Kean's (Mason), and Hobby Lobby for ideas and fabrics.