Hi Everyone,

My question is what to do with all of my great-grandmothers yo-yo's?
There are probably enough to make a quilt. How would you put it together, etc? any help would be great...

many thanks,
kathie :shock:

Oh what a neat gift to have. Something to treasure. try typing in yoyo quilt into google you'll probably find a few patterns. I'm sure someone else will be alomg to tell you right where to find it

I think there have been a few posts regarding them....so do a forum search ...just click on search at the top of the page

I've made yo-yo's but never did anything with them. Our Hobby Lobby had lyo-yo's sewn together and sold by the yard. I just kept going and looking at theirs to see how it was put together. They wanted like $48 a yard!!! But the benefit of finding it there was I was able to touch and and play with it to see how it was put together, I never bought it...I'm too cheep, but have hope that someday I'll make enough yo-yo's.

To put the yo-yos together...

1. Place two yo-yos gathered sides facing each other
2. Whip stitch together for about 1/2 to 1 inch.
3. Continue making pairs then match pairs together to make set of 4, etc.

Before you know it you have a quilt. It's pretty easy just takes time.

You could also use them as flowers with button centers on a pieced quilt top along with other fabrics from that time...Grandma's are so great! I thank mine for getting me going in quilting. She passed on quilt tops for me to quilt for my children. Now we are all bound up in them one way or another.

They are great for Vest's, to create flowers, embroder stems. Great for pillows. Or bite the bullet and attache them all, for a beautiful, charming, ageless quilt.

If you have enough color selection, you could make a Grandmother's Flower Garden type pattern with these. It is just a matter of arrangement, whipping them together like was said above. Usually the yoyo quilt is not lined and there are holes where you can see through it.

I read where yo-yo quilts with their peek-a-boo holes were perfect for summer time quilts when a regular quilt would be too warm.
They can also make just beautiful table runners.
Joyce

Yo-yo quilts are more decorative than pratical. The quilt I made is extremely heavy and very fragile. I would never try sleeping under it. :-)

And can you imagine sleeping under it and getting your toes caught in the holes? :lol:

Over the weekend I saw a pattern for sale in the Keepsake Quilting book where the yo-yo's were stacked and made into a clown- type of character (the yo-yo's made his arms & legs). If you don't want to make them into a quilt or wearable, this was a cute little fellow. Here is a link to him.

http://www.keepsakequilting.com/KQShopping/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=6706&subject=&c atpos=

I remember making one of those when I was in Girl Scouts (about 100 years ago!). I loved doing the yo yos and wish I knew where my clown is. :cry:

I saw a whole quilt of these,seams like they had backing fabric on it. they sew each one together,then there is holes all through because they leave spaces between the yo yo's. So somehow they attached a back on it. I don't know if they sewed the yo yo's to it or put it on after they are all sewed together. But it was a really pretty quilt. The lady that had it siad the grandmother who made it died,and none of the realtives wanted it. I would have jumped at having it.

I think this is just the cutest quilt...

http://www1.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/Red_Yo-Yo_Quilt_-Itemt629?editdocument&lid=is_T629|cartprocess=pimg srcat

I remember seeing it in a paper catalog I recieved in the mail around Christmas...I thought to myself, "I could make that!!" You could do it in other colors too and I think it would be adorable. I love the way this one looks like little peppermints. It's on my to do list...lol**

Ladies
Have you seen the new templates for the heart yo-yo's, or the yo-yo template to make a 5 leaf yo-yo flower? They are so cute and easy. I just wish they made them a little bigger. I've used several of both on my spring quilt, I'm working on.

Oh how neat, where do you find those? Sounds adorable! :)

I got both of my templates at JoAnns. They cost 5.00 a piece. I love them, on the flower one, you even can make a puff center, or if you choose you can use a button, pearl, or what ever little dodad you want. On the heart one you have to use a button, or a pearl, or a dodad,

I remember a yo-yo quilt that my grandmother had, I think she and her Home Extension ladies made it. It was stitched together the way Yvonne described and then each yo-yo was tacked in the center to a very light flannelette type fabric, right side showing through the holes, then another layer of the same light flannelette as the backing. The yo-yo's were tacked threw all 3 layers, as in a tied quilt, but the tie ends were on the backing side. It was very durable and usable, and sooo pretty!! She always put it on her bed in the Spring time.

I have made them into little flower pots, use different colors, sew a button in center, or if you can still find them at wal-mart, in with the beads, and or buttons, they are yellow with little faces on them. Hot glue them to wooden skewers, you can paint the sticks if you want, and even add some leaves to them. You can use terra cotta pots, fill them with whatever. And add your flowers. Really cute. Use your imagenation.

My sister-in-law got me started making yo-yo's right before Christmas after I saw a quilt that she had made. She has made quite a few actually including seat cushion and back for a child's chair. I carry mine with me in a little pouch for when I go to appointments, etc. In the short time, I have made about 200. That is just working on them when we are out.

She used a CD as the template for the yo-yo, but I ended up finding a yo-yo maker at Joanne's that I am using. I was told they are discontinuing them. There are about 4 different shapes including the flowers, plus different sizes.

She sews them together with her sewing machine in blocks with a solid border around them and them backs them.

I have seen some pictures of people using buttons over the wholes, but I think that would be rather uncomfortable.

I made them in Christmas colors, strung them together and used as a tree garland. At first I thought they would look frumpy or old, but they didn't at all. I loved it and made it longer last year. Can't show a picture as they are packed away with the ornaments.

I think these would be great, stitched side by side, in a frame. Pick out the best & make several for your family. I bet the fabrics are lovely.

I saw a window treatment with yo-yos that I thought was pretty cool.

My SIL has made several yo-yo quilts. She puts a sashing, binding, and backing on them.

She has also made cushions for a doll rocker and pillows.

She originally hand whip stitched them together, but after a while they start coming apart. She now machine sews them together, just catching about 1/4 inch or so of 2 yo-yo's.

I have the regular yo-yo template and really like it. They sell about 4 - 6 different ones. They were very popular a couple of years ago, but some places are running out of them and not re-ordering them.

Yo-yo's are a great take along project!

"Yo-yo's are a great take along project!"

.....

They really are!

I love yo yo's

would you get the templates at Hobby Lobby?

would you get the templates at Hobby Lobby?

One time on a British antique roadshow type program a woman had a yoyo quilt. The appraiser didn't know beans about it and said in America these were made by women from scraps of fabric and valued it very low. That was all she said.
The yoyo quilt was also displayed wrong side up, I felt like jumping into the tv and giving her a piece of my mind. Neither one knew what a tresure they had.

Carol J.

I made my first yo-yo quilt this year. I used the templates by Clover. it was fun making it. now I'm making yo-yo throws with a backing.

I bought all my yoyo templates from Hobby Lobby, they have a large selection of all sizes and shapes.
One year I made a Christmas tree decoration, used holiday fabric and covered a styrofoam tree with them. I used a lttle pompon stuck in the center of each with a stick pin. Was a cute table decoration.
I have them on two purses, a sweat shirt and made bookmarks with them.For that you cut a half inch circle of felt and attach a yoyo to the front of a very large paper clip and secure it by stitching through a button on the front and the felt circle on the back, cute as can be.

Carol J.