I was given material and asked to make a lap quilt. 2 yards for the back and 3 half yard pieces plus a fat quarter for the top....

I was thinking to do a D9P and use part of the yardage for the back to make up what I KNOW I will lack.

I have never made a D9P but I'm dying to and I need a FAST pattern, they want this top by Tuesday.... Is this possible with the materials I've been given? Or is there a better pattern out there to make.

I'm worried.

D9P is pretty fast to make, but whether you can finish it by Tuesday or not depends on you (and on what TIME on Tuesday). Do the fabrics work well together? Is there a certain size you need it to be?

Did anyone indicate the size? A lap quilt can vary from wheelchair size to quite large. You don't have enough for a very large one, then there's binding and borders, if you want, them to think about.

A Rail Fence would be faster and may lose a little less to seams.

The fabrics are pretty, I'm just sure there isn't enough. And the lady just said Lap Quilt and the back is suppose to be 2 yards. But the front material doesn't even add up to 2 yards so ..... Can a lap quilt be 45 x 60 ish??

I asked about binding and she said.. turn the back to the front. Which is fine. I may have to steal from my stash for the extra fabric. AND piece the back for her so it's a bit larger???

this sounds like quite the challenge...

i couldn't do it w/o the middle!


Good Luck, speedy!

it can be whatever size is needed, but i always thought they were supposed to be more "square"...

If you cut all 3 half-yard pieces and the fat quarter into 5" squares for your D9P you will have AT MOST 24 squares from each 1/2 yard and 15 from the FQ, so 87 squares total. You can only make nine 9-patch blocks with that, with a few squares left over from the FQ. Each 9-patch will measure 14" unfinished, 13.5" finished, and you'll lose half an inch (if I remember correctly) when you make the D9P, so say 13" finished, 3x3 blocks, you have enough for a lap quilt that is 39x39. I suppose that's big enough for some purposes, not for others. But if that's what they gave you, that's probably what they expect. You will have extra fabric from the back, but you will need to piece it. There will be plenty for a binding. It seems to me that they were a little stingy with the fabric for the top.

It's a quilt for a charity auction and they intend on had quilting it Tuesday night. I can sew squares together, which is why i was thinking D9P. But now I'm nervous... I was going to volunteer to help quilt, thinking I could learn that. I asked her about the top and she swallowed and said it wasn't made, she just purchased the fabric Saturday. I was like OMGOSH..... Let me make the top (one of two) She ran home from church and got the fabric so I'd have it... I looked at it on the way home and KNEW there wasn't enough. I can post the fabric. (hopefully)

It seems to me that they were a little stingy with the fabric for the top.[/quote]

Not stingy, I think she didn't have a clue what she was doing....

I would call her and tell her what you are thinking, and what size it would be, then see if that is acceptable. To me 39" is really the size for an infant, not a lap quilt.

Check this on a piece of paper but I think you can make doing a Rail Fence. Each half yard is 7 2 1/2" strips. Put a strong color on one edge. Sew the four colors together, measure the height, should be 8.5. Cut 8.5" blocks from the strips. This is the sticky part. If you can get five, you're golden. If you can only get four, you'll have to piece four ends together to make two more. An extra seam won't show when it's quilted if the colors and seams match. Put these 8.5" blocks together in the RF pattern - With the strong color zigzagging across the top diagonally. 5 blocks across (finish at 8" ) and 6 down gives you 40 by 48. Use the FQ for binding. You'll have enough if you don't make it double. Sounds good on paper, but check my figures before you cut. A bit from your stash could be added for a narrow border, but keep the finish under the width of the fabric.

We do our prayer quilts 45 by 54 or 60. Not overly large to me, but the recipients feel they are just right.

She will have to use 1/2 yard of her backing as one of the 4 colors, and I don't think there is a chance of getting 5 8.5" blocks from most fabric, but with piecing those 2 blocks this could work. Still, I would never make a lap quilt that small.

Material is 44" wide. 44 divided by 8.5 = 5.1 My figures say I CAN get 5 squares... I WILL!!! THANK YOU

What size then? Maybe I need to run to WalMart and buy 1/2 yard more per fabric... But I hate to do it on Sunday.... Is my Ox in the Mire??

Is a 60" square acceptable for a lap quilt? If I get more material and do it 8 squares x 8 squares it would be 64".

I had pulled a half yard from the back for the fourth strip. I think you can start now and go pick up the extra half yard tomorrow for a border. A small border will move the quilt out of the skimpy stage. Remember your back is now 54", so you need to stay under that. You may have add a strip down the center of the back vertically. A border will cut it very close on the width.

As for as the five blocks - 1) all fabric isn't the same width and 2) you can't use the selvage. It will be very close, that's for sure.

Thank you souch for the input. I'll keep you updated as I work.

Wow. Hate to be a stick in the mud, but if the person or people who wants you to make the quilt didn't provide enough fabric for the size and style she wants, why wouldn't you simply tell her that this won't work, and she either needs to provide you with an adequate amount of fabric, or agree to a design that you come up with that will work with the amount of fabric she did give you? After over 40 years in business I have determined, unequivacably, that the customer is NOT always right. I understand that this is for a charity auction, but their expectations of what you can do have to be reasonable for what you have.

Wow. Hate to be a stick in the mud, but if the person or people who wants you to make the quilt didn't provide enough fabric for the size and style she wants, why wouldn't you simply tell her that this won't work, and she either needs to provide you with an adequate amount of fabric, or agree to a design that you come up with that will work with the amount of fabric she did give you? After over 40 years in business I have determined, unequivacably, that the customer is NOT always right. I understand that this is for a charity auction, but their expectations of what you can do have to be reasonable for what you have.

You're totally right and if i were in business I'd be more forward with her. However if I waited on her to get more fabric, I know I wouldn't meet the deadline. It was easy to go to WalMart early today and get another YARD of the exact fabric she used. And I'll give her the receipt. =)

I did go with D9P, my FIRST. Now I don't know which layout to use. I've put up pics of the original and four ideas for block placement. the blocks will end up 14 inches. If my calculations are correct, with a 3ish inch border, it should be close to 62 x 70ish... Should I make it square? Are lap quilts square?

2 more possible layouts

You don't have enough for the back. And probably 1-1/2 yards isn't enough for the top either. Probably more like a large baby quilt!

I'm going to put a 10" stripe down the middle of her backing. I think that will be enough. I purchased enough extra for her I can do more if I need to. And with the extra yard I got per fabric, I think it will be 62x70 or square. If a proper lap quilt is square. Is that an ok size for a lap quilt?

A lap quilt doesn't have to be square. I think 62x70 is a very nice size. I like the first layout best. You're really moving on this! And the fabrics are yummy.

They plan on quilting it tomorrow night. My daughter and I were going to go do that, meet some quilters and learn to quilt. Then I found out yesterday she didn't even have the tops made.....

Glad you were able to resolve the problem, and your fabrics are lovely. For what it is worth, I like the first layout the best.

In my opinion I don't think she gave you enough fabric, unless you do a rail fence. BUT - call her back and get more details, especially since she did this at the last minute and put you ion stress mode - definitely not fair. Call, then check out the other suggestions from your replies. Good luck.

You could do the pillow case method and eliminate the binding.

I would do it this way too, not just to eliminate the fabric being used for binding, but to reduce the amount of time put into the project - not muct of a timeline to get it done.

So how far along are you with this top? Anxious to see it!

I like the 1st layout the best. I can't wait to see pictures of your work when finished. I really like the fabrics.

You guys are sweet to worry and wonder. I did finish the top and added 10 inches to the middle of the back piece the lady gave me. It's really pretty, I think, and as soon as I figure out how, I'll post the pics. They're on my phone and my phone can't post pictures to here... crazy huh.... DD thinks now it's TOO big... I said better to big then too small.....

Wow, you got it done with time to spare. Good work!

Here's the finished top.

I've found, now, I need to detach myself from it. The lady in charge of this project really does not know what she's doing, quilting wise. I admit I am by FAR no expert. But.... she has two quilt tops now she wants hand quilted. Another besides the one I made. We went last night to begin quilting and to her credit, the first quilt was up on frames. We proceeded to pin the top I made and found the bat she had was like 3 inches two small on both sides. We had to stretch it to fit. Maybe it will be ok. Then we sit and proceed to quilt. Now, remember I'm new to hand quilting, but I know enough about sewing that I've seen special thread called "Quilting" thread. I ask one lady and she says, Yes we should be using different thread. We were given ordinary Coats N Clark sewing thread,ONE strand. Today when she called to get my address and such to reimburse me for the fabric I purchased, I told her I would try to get out and get her real quilting thread. But IF they had to quilt on it before I got the tread at least double it. That's all I could think to do. She sort of brushed me off and went on with what she was saying. She also had the offer of having the two quilts machine quilted, but she was insistent on them having the extra care of being hand quilted. Despite the fact she knows nothing about quilting, how it's done, how long it will take, or the supplies needed. So...... detached from the quilt...

Sorry if it seems I'm venting. I appologize. But I don't have time to do the entire project myself. My husband is having surgery tomorrow and my daughter is here with her three children... I know I'm wrong for being hard on her. I appologize.

Here is my finished top. I think it turned out beautiful.

Oh dear, take a deep breath. It did turn out beautifully. I wish your husband success in his surgery. You have far more to deal with right now than how a quilt is finished, and you realize that.

I have not heard of doubling thread for quilting, but I don't do hand quilting. For this project machine quilting would probably be better, but... you've done enough for the cause. Just be with your family and best of luck to all of you.

You did everything you could, and then some. You should feel good about your efforts :!: