At a loss..
 

Hi Everyone,

New to the board, but not new to forums. Been quilting for over 30 years and think I am pretty good at it, but my daughter has thrown me for a loop this time.

Small background, my daughter is in the Navy as is her friend whom just had a baby girl. Her friend and hubby are into the great outdoors. She requested a baby quilt made out of Real Tree Camo fabric http://store.realtree.com/realtree-c...-the-yard.html from another person and does not like the way the quilt turned out, apparently it has too much pink in it and they don't want any pink in this quilt for this baby girl (wait, it gets better)

So my daughter pipes up and says "well, I havn't gotten you anything for the baby, what if I ask my mom to make you a baby quilt out of the camo fabric with no pink?" Ugg, I said ok, only because it's my daughter making the request.

This fabric is a bottom weight twill, not quilting cotton AND she also wants me to incorporate the bright ORANGE fabric which is ok, but no pink! (told you it would get better)

So anyway, that brings me to you. I have made a couple of quilts out of denim from new jeans and that was tough, but the fabric that I used with it, was the same weight. Now I have two different weights. I was going to do a log cabin and put a small pink square in the 'heart' as I think that will be acceptable, but on the other hand, it might stick out like a sore thumb and all you will see is pink dots all over this quilt.

Any suggestions as to what block you would suggest I attempt. I have two yards of both and they are both 60 inches wide.

Thanks for your help!
Susan

i would not incorporate pink if they requested no pink-
if the other fabrics are a lighter weight you could add a medium weight fusable interfacing to make them closer but often they turn out with different weights- a raggy quilt might be a good choice- with prehaps 4=patches-
or the log cabin might be ok- if you interface the lighter fabrics- use the orange in the center-not pink-
or a rail fence- or an eye spy--you could use the orange for the center bars on a rail fence- or do a log cabin with oranges on 2 sides & the camo on the other 2---there are lots of options- but a raggy may really be cute :)

No Pink, means NO pink!
I'd follow the request. And keep to JUST the "official" orange addition.

Keep it simple ... leave the camo as is, for the front or back of the quilt. with orange on the flip side. Then bind it in an orange. Then do your quilting in the orange .... perhaps that's where you could "baby-ify" it ... do the quilting in animal shapes? alphabet? baby's birth info (eg. date, weight, height, city, parents names)? etc?

Re Log cabin etc. ... I think you may be frustrated with the work you put into it, and then it not showing, when it's all the same fabric.

Good Luck!

I did the search on the Real Tree Baby Quilt as suggested by Tartan and I really like it! I don't do applique, so I would have to come up with something else, but I really like the concept. I have camo print fleece for the back, but I may forgo that and just use the orange on the back and do a wrapped binding.. that may work.

Any other suggestions?

Oh, I have also looked in the main forum where I posted this and I can not find it. I had to do a search on my name to be able to find this post.. why or what am I doing wrong?

Susan

I would just do a rag quilt - maybe back the camo with the orange and alternate them checkerboard style so that the camo and the orange show on both sides? If you wanted, you could do something other than the usual "X" to hold the squares together.

Definitely stay away from any and all pink. I know it's hard, but use only the camo and the orange requested.

As far as the main forum, this probably dropped down from the first page. How many pages did you look back? It's showing in the main forum for me.

OMG ... I didn't know what the Realtree Camo was .... and thought camo was camo!
I really like this stuff and would like to see it IRL ... though, yes, I would think of it as being somewhat dull for a child.

Did you see this thread here on the Board?
http://www.quiltingboard.com/pictures-f5/real-tree-baby-t171990.html

You mentioned fleece ... what about using orange fleeve for the backing? and skip batting?

I thought about the rag quilt as well. I did one with the denim jeans and it was great. Did the quilting on the blocks before I put them together and then washed the H*** out of the quilt. Made a big mess, but what was fun is that I took it to the local Laundromat to use their large washers (it was a queen size quilt) and when I took it out of the washer, I knew what to expect with all of the strings, but the guy that was standing there (yes, it was a guy) turned white and said, OH MY GOSH, you have ruined you quilt! LOL I didn't have the heart to tell him it was supposed to look that way and just told him I would have to fix it.. LOL

I am leaning more towards this type of quilt, a thin layer of warm and natural and then the orange on the back just might do the trick! Easy and quick and VERY warm AND they can throw it down on the ground and let the baby play without hurting the fabric.. Good idea, I think the answer is "Rag Quilt!"

Thanks everyone!
Susan

Yes QuiltE, I did see the picture and I think it is wonderful. Did you check out the link that I put in my 1st post? It has the orange fabric and I am not sure which pattern they are sending, it should be here sometime this week.

I thought camo was camo till my daughter went into the Navy. She has everything from the standard issue green camo, sand camos to what they call 'blue diggies'. google blue navy digital camo and you will see what I mean. She has to spend a fortune on new uniforms every time someone changes their mind or she changes locations, (currently she is in Cuba) not to mention her dress blues, her cracker jacks (what everyone thinks of when you see someone in the navy, they are also know as dress whites) and her working uniform and her flack vest. Yes, she has to buy all of them, she does get reimbursed for some, but not all of the cost as they allow her 2 sets, she usually buys 3.

Ok, I am ready to get to work on this, wish I knew when the mail man would be here! LOL
Susan

I made a couple of changes to my profile and just wanted to see how they looked.
Thanks to all for your suggestions.
Susan

To find your topics click on profile then look for latest started topics :)

The Realtree camo comes in different types of fabrics - flannel, fleece, even satin! Are you sure the new mother wants the twill? She seems to be pretty picky about other things...

I would stay as far from pink as you can get. I don't like pink at all but would never be rude and turn down a gift especially if it was home made. I would stick with what the parents asked for and maybe suggest or ask if you can add another fabric to to camo to help it pop on the quilt. and keep the orange for the back. hope you get it soon. post a pic when you are done.

Hi Dunster, I went to the real tree site and they don't list any other fabric other than twill and knit and I don't want to make a baby quilt out of knit! LOL Do you know of another site that has the real tree in quilting cotton?

I'd be tempted to do a super simple pattern. It seems like you'd lose the cool pattern. if you cut it up much. How about just a whole fabric top with the orange as the back and just play with the quilting? I know, it sounds weird.

I agree with everyone else, no pink means no pink at all.

i have a no ugly clause in my quilt making...so i won't do t-shirt quits, i won't do rag quilts, i won't do camo (i did do these when my boys were young...but even they have better taste than that now,). I just won't work on things i dislike...i've got more quilts designed than i will ever have time to do ... if your daughter wants the quilt so bad, define the word 'volunteer' for her and loan her a sewing machine. I know there are many people who like these quilts and I am happy they can make them for themselves, but it's not gonna be me.

I would go with your idea. Make a rag quilt if that is what you want to do. Always please yourself first.
Welcome from outside St. Louis, MO.

I didn't find it on the Realtree site either, but they say that they don't do the manufacturing, and they license others to do that. I found several references on other sites of garments made in the other fabrics, but none of them selling it. I did find one instance where someone said that they found the Realtree camo at Jo-Ann's! But I didn't find it on the joann.com site. Maybe you could call Realtree and ask them where to find the camo in other fabrics? I wish I could be more help.

Here's some cotton flannel on eBay - http://www.ebay.com/itm/REALTREE-ADV...item3f11909052


hmmmm... doesn't look like regular quilting flannel...

OK. I must be the weird one here. I actually think that this could be an absolutely darling quilt. Especially since you are saving your daughter's friend and every baby brings her own luck and joy. Go with the fun idea of creating something special for the intended recipient--the adult/soon-to-be parents, the darling new one joining her parents, and your daughter. I could see the quilt done in a single Irish chain, with the orange used as an accent. Or the orange as the center of a log cabin and the camo done a la one-point-wonder=ish, if you know what I mean. If you do the log cabin, only add two or three rounds of logs. And who says the logs must be less then 2 or 2-1/2 inches, meaning less blocks, faster quilt.

Good luck and enjoy this one

Laurie

I taught my neighbor how to do rag quilts. She bought 10 yds of Pink R.T. camo to make the baby, toddler and 5 yr old rag quilts. When she showed me the fabric I thought YIPES! The quilts finished up soft and everyone loved them. She used the same fabric on both sides with W&N. If they are hunters they will love your quilt, and I would not use pink in their quilt. Looking forward to photo's of the finished quilt.

I wouldn't do a rag quilt for a baby. They chew on them and pull on any string they can find. Man, what they can do with those tiny fingers!

Maybe a nine patch with the camo and a white/ or off white and then alternate with large orange blocks? That link to the applique was amazing.

Yes, I found a limited amount at Joann's the other day and they had a couple of other plain fabrics with it, but they wanted $14.95 a yard for it and the web page only wants $9.95, but I guess with shipping, it all works out the same price.

I am so sorry to hear that you are so set in your ways as to turn down a request because it is something that 'you don't like to do'.

I would so love to loan my daughter one of my machines! You see, she is in the NAVY and is stationed in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay and has been for the last 18 months. I would do anything to see her and help her make it herself, but since I can't, I will make it for her even if the request is for an Ugly Quilt.

It is hard to explain unless you have a son or daughter in the service, but its like she is locked away from us, I can talk to her via Facebook but can't call her and the calls that I do get from her are precious, so turning down a request is impossible for me to do. If she lived in my house, next door, in the next town or even in the states, I wouldn't turn her down! Just a mom's love I guess :)

Went and looked at the link, it may be flannel, but it is a heavy flannel. The price is right, but if you look at the description, it says to cover car seats.. yikes, that is almost as bad as the twill. Thanks for looking for me!
Susan

This looks like the same stuff that I made curtains for a friend for. The material I used was like denim. It was easy to work with though. I havent' seen the real tree in quilting cotton before. I live in the northwoods of Wisonsin and seriously, I have never seen so much camo in my entire life!!! I've had people ask me to make camo purses too. Some people are really into camo.

I know what you mean when you sat you can't say "no" when your daughter makes special requests. I am the same way. It would appear this fabric is going to be very sturdy and will last for years of playing. I would more than likely do a solid piece and then let the quilting do the rest. It is amazing how the binding finishes the quilt. A sturdy quilt that can go anywhere is better than that "pretty" quilt people try to save.

Have fun with it - and know how proud your daughter will be that her mother came through, as usual.

Marshall dry goods has Real Tree fleece and some twill.
http://www.marshalldrygoods.com/inde...age&_a=viewCat

I've never seen this fabric before. I believe I would not cut up the fabric, like others have said; let quilting do the "talking".

Too much orange and it will be garish. No pink anywhere if pink was singled out not to use. I would ask for a picture of the quilt that they did not like so I would be sure and not make the new one along the same pattern.

humm, good idea.

Ok, the fabric was just delivered by UPS. Here it is:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]298433[/ATTACH]

I have never heard of RealTree Camo, and I find this whole idea fascinating. I would certainly ask for a picture of the quilt they didn't like!! Maybe you just want the RealTree on the front and the orange on the back? Or maybe a checkerboard? I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Dina

Oh, i'm so sorry and I know your pain. I wish I could offer suggestions but i'm in a similar spot right now. My son and daughter-in-law have asked me to make a quilt for our grandaugther that is airforce camo and fabric that is tattoo related. The camo is the same as they would use for uniforms, not cotton and the tattoo fabric which I have found has no colors that even come near the color of the camo.
It will be really interesting to see what suggestion people give you for your quilt. Good luck, maybe I will get an idea also.

I got the fabric and had a good 'feel' of the fabric. It is very soft, not what I expected, but it is heavy, the weight of jeans fabric, but not as stiff. The orange is incredibly soft! Both ravel to the point that if I was to make a rag quilt, it would ravel past the stitches and fall apart, so I fell back on what I like to do best, Dresden Plates.. Here is what I have come up with, tell me what you think of the 1st block. They will be set on point, the blank area that will fill in between the blocks will be a med tan that I still have to pick up. It will have lattice between out of the gold and around the outside with a border of the true tree and the orange as the binding. I will use the real tree fleece on the back, use stitch in the ditch and call it done. Here it is:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]298444[/ATTACH]

That pattern is very nice.