My husband and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on October 10, 2011!!! Obviously, I am running out of time to make anything fancy (and I'm a beginner quilter) so I've come to you - my new quilting friends - to help me decide what type of quilt to make! My husband (and very best friend!) works in the oil fields in the north-eastern part of Utah. He is gone from home for two weeks working very hard and lots of long hours, and then comes home for a week to see me! :o) In the winter it can get to -35 degrees below zero so I wanted to make him something really warm and "manly" to wrap up in when he comes in from working out in the cold. I wish the colors in the pictures would have turned out better, but the fabric is the softest flannel I think I've ever felt and is red, brown, gold, blue and green plaids. This kit I bought was to make a Turning Twenty quilt, therefore, there are 20 fat quarters and two extra pieces for the border and binding. I'm not crazy about making a Turning Twenty quilt because I think it would look funny with so many different plaids going all different directions and would look too busy. Or maybe it wouldn't??? I almost feel like it should be something that has sashing in between blocks (I can get any color for the sashing) so it will be broken up a bit. What do you think??? I want this quilt to be awesome since it's our 25th anniversary and he works so hard for our family!!! Thanks for your help!!! :o)

Yikes! That was a really long explanation of what I needed help with! Sorry! :/

Here's a picture of one of the Turning Twenty quilts I made with plaids. I thought I'd have a problem with the plaids next to each other, trying to keep them all straight. I cut them the best I could, the grain seemed to move! In the end I just put it together as they were without fretting about it. I like the overall look. Since you don't have a lot of time I'd say just go for it! :thumbup: :thumbup:

looks great to me!!

I would agree Turning Twenty.

I bet that would be nice and warm and also manly your colors are great good luck

I did another flannel plaid quilt and purposely cut most of the plaids a bit wonky so I could relax and enjoy the process. I knew it would drive me nuts if they were all supposed to be perfect and a few weren't ... so I had a plan and it worked.

ali

It is always good to "plan" wonky or off kilter. You are right, if it is supposed to be straight and it comes out not so straight, that is all you will focus on when you see the quilt. Your eyes will always search out the "mistake"

Oh my word! Your quilt looks great!!! The plaids don't look bad at all! How did you get all your seams so straight with the lines in the plaids??? WOW!!! :o) I think I will do this one afterall!!! Thanks for the picture! That certainly helps me envision how it will look!!! Did you put flannel on the back? I wish I could do minky but not sure if that would "match" what the quilt is and if that's "manly"?!?!? Would flannel be best??? THANKS!!! :o)

I made a bunch of these and will make more (5 sons, many grands and nephews) as all the men in my family want one. I have used flannel sheets, flannel fabric or cotton bedsheets as backing. I use what I have or can get cheap at the time. Flannel would be my choice.
I lined pu the fabric using the selvage edge and cut as straight as I could. The plaids don't all line up if you look closely, it doesn't really matter. There are no quilt police! :thumbup: