In fact, I love it so much, It had been hanging on Jocelyn's room wall from this photo shoot up until just recently. (she got a new desk and I needed that wall space.) Jocelyn is the little one in the middle with the Cindy Lou Ho pigtails ;) She was 1 1/2 in this picture and she is now almost 8 and it just came down, so it had been up there for quite a while!!! I have tucked it away so that she can put it up in one of her kiddo's rooms someday. It is a favorite of hers and so it seemed like a good idea to save it :) And I have to say, I might of gotten a little weeping typing this and seeing how tiny my baby girl was. I know we all say it, but really, they grow up to fast.
Okay, lets talk about the quilt, so I don't fall apart at the computer ;) Read With Me is made with a jelly roll and some white and black solid. And of course, you can't find the Noteworthy line by Sweetwater anymore, but really, any jelly roll would look awesome in this. You use 7 of the Jelly Roll strips for the binding, and that is where I put the low volume strips. You want to use the bright bold prints for the books so they stand out ;)
And I have seen this quilt is so many different jelly rolls and so many different versions. Bookshelf quilts are so popular and this one is so fun to make!!! I love when I get emails with a picture of the Read With Me quilt and then a special little note that it was made for a grandchild who loves to read, or a friend that is a librarian, or a special teacher to go in their classroom!!! Everyone just touches my heart :)
And what makes my version pop is the quilting I choose to do ;) I decided to really go all out on the "once upon a time" idea. I quilted a castle up one side and a bean stalk up the other side. Then the sky above and the grass and flowers below. I had so much fun quilting this, and did it all on my domestic machine!! So ya, it is totally doable without a long arm. But my favorite thing about the quilting, I included book titles on all the books. My kids sat down and picked their favorite books to read and to have read to them, and we included them all in this quilt. Which is a big reason why it is such a treasure at our home ;)
And you can make it a treasure in yours as well. I love that every Read With Me quilt I have seen, each creator finds a way to make it their own!! Whether that is changing up the quilting, changing up the book layouts, or even changing up the applique ;) Quilters have sent me pictures with put a favorite quote from a book, listed favorite books, listed children's names, the sky is the limit. And each one is so special and so fantastic ;) And if you are new to applique and want to know more about changing it up, You can check out this free step by step video that walks you through the different types of applique and how to do it ;)
And that is my Read With Me for this Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!! It finishes at 58" x 73" and is oh so much fun to make. Really, those bookshelves come together in no time. I spent more time on the quilting then I did on the piecing ;) And I just know if you do make this quilt, it will instantly become a treasure for your home or for someone special who just loves books!!!
I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!! To make your own Read With Me Quilt just click on any of the quilt name links for the free step by step tutorial. And when you are done, I would love to see your quilt!! You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc or or add it to my flickr group here ;) I can't wait to see your Read With Me Quilts!!!
Thanks for popping in today and have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!
Thank you so much for this throwback, and tutorial. You are a selfless woman, who has given your ideas and work to all of us - to learn, to create, to improve. Thank you so much for all you do! I love this quilt, and am so happy you've decided to share it again for those who missed it the first time. It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is so so cute. I have four grand girls now and this would be nice to make.... one for each of them as a treasure.
ReplyDeleteThank you as always Melissa, you are a doll. Always inspiring
I LOVE THIS. Your quilting on it is really perfect. I'm sure seeing how little the children were makes you realize how quickly the years pass. The quilt is a wonderful backdrop for the setting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great tutorial. I've been wanting to make books on the book shelf. Love yours.
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