Quilt pattern ideas for soldiers and my mother?
 

Okay, I've made one quilt, so please forgive my lack of knowledge of quilting language. XD
I'm making a queen sized quilt for my mother for her birthday in about a month and a half. Thing is, I have no idea what kind of pattern to use! It would be in blues to match her room, but other than that, I'm strapped! I want it to be individual, but also bold, while staying classy. I just began not too long ago, so I'd also not like it to be too complex.
Also: I want to make lap quilts for soldiers who just came home. I choose lap quilts because a lot of people come home in wheel chairs. Even if they have use of their legs, many people like to sit on the couch and watch TV or play a video game with a small blanket/quilt on their lap or around their shoulders. My dad is totally behind me in this, and even offered to dive me two hours to give the soldiers the quilts when I'm done! I plan to use rather patriotic fabric for this, however, again, pattern ideas baffle me!
I would really love some ideas about patterns, as well as some additional fabric suggestions for the lap quilts! Thanks so much!!

welcome from WI. A pretty and fairly easy quilt is log cabin and with all the varieties to put it together it's just a good quilt. Especially if you do the strip method it goes together pretty fast, when you are making a queen and have one and 1/2 months to do it. I also make soldier quilts, just near and dear to my heart. I like to make scrappy quilts because there are so many patterns out there and it also is a way to try to use some of them up. Good luck with your projects.

Hi Susan Ella, a big welcome to the board from Texas. Good luck with your quilting.

I agree with the above sugesstions. Welcome for Southern CA.

This is just my opinion please don't take it personally......why is it that when people make quilts for soldiers they are always red white and blue. I'm married to a soldier and I'm being honest the last thing my husband wants to think about in his down time is the Army. I just wondered why people don't make other quilts as well. I'm not talking complicated patterns but like blocks of novelty foods like pizza and wings I'll be the first to tell you soldiers love food when they come home they all have a list of what food places they are going to first. Alot of the wounded are depressed and being reminded they can never be that soldier they were is hard. All I'm saying is soldiers like the same things the men in your family like. Don't discount fabric you have to look for patriotic.
Please don't jump all over me for my opinion that's what it is.
Easy pattern that is fast ...yellow brick road and it's not boring. If you use directional fabric takes an extra thought process but I have done it a couple times and still was fast and easy. Great thing is every time it comes out different because the block arrangement is endless.

Welcome from Minnesota and happy quilting :) Here is a link to our Gallery of Quilts, which can be found under the Pictures Forum http://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/q...enu-b2181.html
It will give you many wonderful ideas from the talented quilters on the QB.

You could do one of those 1600" quilts for the soldiers. Or a Summer in the Park jelly roll quilt. Missouri Star Quilt Co. Has the tutorial on YouTube. You could also look on Moda Bakeshop and see what they have to offer. They have patterns for precuts which can be easily converted to yardage if needed. Hope this helps.

I'm just sewing together a disappearing 9 patch which is quick but looks complicated. Would work for Mom or soldiers. Many tutorials if you Google it.

I agree with Quilting Crazie. About the soldiers quilts, and I'm tired of red, white and Blue myself after 30 of them.

I also agree that a disappearing 9 patch is a quick and easy quilt for either your mom or soldiers. It's very easy to cut out and goes together real fast and looks complicated, but is easy. I'm making one in purple rigth now and my sister has decided that she would like one as well.

I completely agree about the red/white/blue. However, these colors can be put together without appearing to bold with the use of shades and values of the colors. I have read that some soldiers don't want these colors because they remind them of more difficult times. I recently worked with a group who had been given panels that while in the usual colors were very muted into beige, dusty blue and red. We added beige and red with some black to it.

As to mothers quilts. You have certainly set yourself a goal to make a large quilt in the time. Hope nothing interferes with your progress. I would suggest as others have said the Disappearing Nine Patch.

For soldiers - use rail fence. Very easy and quilt. Easy to piece one in a day (without interruptions, of course).

I think any kind of star patterns are a good choice for the soldier's quilts, especially if you're doing them in patriotic colors.

I think it`s nice to make red-white & blue lap covers, not all of course, but there are some are very willing to let people
know how they feel about their service. I`ve seen them in air ports. They can some how tell another soldier, and have a coin that they give to another soldier or retiree. Shake hands, and say "What division were you in? Thank each other and
move on. Brings tears to your eyes.

I agree with the other poster. Don't feel like you need to make red/white/blue. My BIL said a lot of the guys like any guy type subject - football teams, hunting, fishing, computers.

My sister made a bunch of patch pillowcases for the VA hospital using my leftover flannel scraps and they really liked having choices of football, wildlife, etc.

As far as pattern, 9 patches, Irish chain, log cabin (E. burns method) all go together quite quickly.

I got a quilt when I came home from Iraq it was done in pinks and purples. It's been 9 years and I still have it and use it in my daughters room. I think a fence rail quilt would look great but you don't have to use only patriotic fabric although there are some really awesome ones out there. Maybe you could mix the normal red white and blues with cammo not just the traditional cammo but also hunters cammo, desert cammo and digital cammo too it would create a unique look.

You don't say in your post if you're making the quilts for soldiers at the VA or where you're going to deliver them. I'd like to suggest you call the place you want to donate to and ask them what they think the military members would like. You can also check out Quilts of Valor (just google it.) It's a national organization of quilters that make quilts for wounded service members, and not just those with physical wounds but those with PTSD too. (As a Marine and the mother of a Marine infantryman, Iraq war vet, I'll keep my opinions on the red, white, and blue issue to myself.)