Sweet Keepsake Chenille Quilt

My last post was about making a patriotic chenille quilt for my grandson. Today I want to share the quilts I’ve made my granddaughters. I love the quilts my grandmother made for me. They are treasures to me and I want my grandchildren to have a Keepsake Chenille Quilt from me, to treasure. Now my ‘quilts’ are technically not quilts because they aren’t ‘quilted’. But they are keepsakes just the same.

I remember my mother putting away the heavy quilts after winter and switching out to lightweight cotton chenille bedspread for Spring.  It was a sign the seasons had changed.  I loved seeing my chenille bedspread on my bed growing up…it meant school was almost out.

I don’t know how it happened,  but I caught the chenille bug again when my oldest granddaughter was born. Her first bedspread, in her ‘big girl bed,’ was a vintage chenille bedspread I won on eBay.  She still has it and I still love it.  She’s 16 now….It’s STILL on her bed! It hasn’t been on there the whole time,  but I was delighted when I saw she had put it back on her bed after all these years!

This was when she was 3. I painted her bed to match.

Boy, does time fly

This is an easy keepsake project to make for your children or grandchildren.  It only involves sewing straight lines…. 🙂 Just cut all your ‘blocks’ the same size and lay them out on the floor,  in the design you like. Sew the blocks on each row together. Then sew the rows together.

For these quilts, I purchased chenille bedspreads off eBay or in thrift stores or estate sales. Most all of them were what they call ‘cutters’ because they have been torn or damaged in one way or another…possibly faded over time or whatever. I was selective in what I bought because I wanted them to be in feminine colors..pinks and purples, pastel colors and I wanted designs with florals.  One thing I suggest is to make sure they are 100% cotton. I don’t care for any with acrylic or polyester in them. I used flannel on the backs and didn’t use any batting inside the quilt, though you could if you wanted.  

This is Hannah’s quilt. I added a tea towel embroidery kitten a bicycle as one of the blocks and used a purple kitten flannel on the back. It’s still on her bed today!

This is Allie’s.. her background is a yellow and pink floral.

The girls are very possessive of their quilts…haha This is Stella’s.

And this is Emma’s.  I have two more girls and one more boy’s quilt to make. I have tried to make them for each of their 4th birthday’s. Kate turns 4 this year.  So she’s next.

The quilts are so soft and sweet, the girls loved them. If you’re looking for a unique gift for your little ones for their birthdays or Christmas…this is a keepsake quilt they will treasure forever.

Shared at http://afreshstartonabudget.com/motivational-monday-blogger-linkup-143/