Issue 4 Spring 2013: Motif Magic
Issue 4, Spring 2013, turns motif crochet into larger pieces you can use at home or donate to charity, including the Super Squares tote and quilt-style blankets for the home and to wear. You will learn how to pick a blanket type on the Project Linus patterns page, check local needs before you start, and practice close stitches, pieced quilts and no-sew fleece.
What motif work teaches you for larger pieces
You build skill when you repeat the same square and then join the units into a tote front, a throw or a baby cover. You see how stitch height changes size, how turning chains change edges, and how color placement changes the look of the whole piece. The Super Squares idea follows that logic, one set of squares joined tightly for a bag that holds shape and carries daily goods. If your squares vary in size, you can block them to a common measure and join with a simple whipstitch or single crochet edge. To keep that step steady, measure gauge before joining squares and write down hook, yarn and count for each round. That record helps you repeat the same unit without reworking the full bag.
Why does a chapter ask you to check first?
Project Linus explains that many methods and patterns can be used for a quilt, afghan or blanket, and it offers a set of favorites to help you begin. The same page asks you to check with your local chapter before you make something for that chapter, so you match what that group needs at that time. That step matters because some types pile up in storage while other sizes run short. The page gives the no-sew fleece blanket as the clear case, with two patterns that use a short set of steps and prove very popular with makers. Chapters can hold a large inventory of that type, so you are asked to assess local needs with the chapter before you cut fleece.
Close stitches that hold up in care settings
When a blanket goes to a hospital, small gaps catch fingers, tubes and toes, so density counts. The Project Linus patterns page points to close crocheted stitches as a no-holes favorite with hospital staff, a plain way of saying the fabric stays smooth in use and in wash. You can practice that density on a baby afghan, keeping your tension even and working the same loop of each stitch on every row. The page lists a crocheted baby afghan designed by Donna Laying for Project Linus that you can view and print. It also lists a knit baby afghan in pastel shades and a simple afghan suited to beginners and experienced knitters alike, which gives you a path to compare knit and crochet covers for the same use.
How do quilts and crochet meet on one blanket?
You can join motifs with a quilter's eye, setting triangles and squares in finished position before you sew or crochet the seam. The Card Trick Baby Quilt on the listed patterns for Linus blankets uses that approach by stacking cut triangles where they will sit in the design, which saves time on layout. The page also credits Tierney Barden from the Silver Trumpet Blog for a fast pattern that invites repeat making, and it notes a delightful pattern used by several Texas-area chapter coordinators at the 2009 International Quilt Festival. For another pieced option, Project Linus chose the Shoebox Treasures quilt from QuiltWoman.com for coordinators at the annual conference in June 2005, a pattern you can order from that site.
No-sew fleece when time is short
No-sew fleece suits a motif maker who wants a quick gift between larger projects. The page describes two patterns for a delightful blanket, with six easy steps in the first pattern and five in the second, both based on cutting and tying fringe through layered fleece. You can pair that method with crochet by cutting fleece to size and working a crochet edge around cut slits, a use named on the page for donated fleece that cannot be sold after decoration errors. Pico Textiles carries prints and solids in first quality fleece and applies a 10 percent discount to non-sale items when you call in your order and mention Project Linus. Your Fleece offers an extra 15 percent off already discounted prices for Project Linus purchases when you enter coupon code LINUS at checkout.
Fringe, hearts and playful prints
Edge finish changes how a simple center looks, and the page gives you several models to study. One is the blanket taught to chapter coordinators at the 2008 Conference, with guidance for a 1.5-inch single fringe or a 2-inch triple fringe. Another is a happy hearts design meant to brighten the day, and another uses colorful juvenile and animal print fabrics for a fast and fun quilt. For play value, the page describes a checkerboard quilt with pockets and checkers created by Elzora Channer, a Project Linus Blanketeer from Decatur, IL. For speed with yarn, Bev describes a snuggly made during evening sessions and finished in 5 days, much like shell blankets but faster and using less yarn, with some makers able to finish in a weekend.
How will you plan your next motif blanket?
Start with use, then pick structure, then pick edge. If you want a sewn base with crochet trim, look at the guide for making blankets with Skip-Stitch blades, with blades sold through the Skip-Stitch Blades section of the Online Store. If you want a sensory design, the page lists a weighted blanket pattern suited for children with sensory processing difficulties and a second weighted pattern yielding two blankets for the same use. If you want skill links, the Links section points to a sewing site with patterns, tutorials, tips and articles, plus a site with a large number of free knit and crochet patterns for baby blankets, afghans and quilts. For quilt speed, Kaye Wood Incorporated shows a 6-Hour Quilt page and charity quilts called LoveQuilts made with a quick quilting method, while Victoriana Quilt Designs offers a string-pieced pattern that uses scraps and reuses discarded items. Keep notes on size and wash care, then bring your plan to charity crochet overview and match it to a current local need.
Project Linus patterns page. Project Linus is a charity blanket group with local chapters and chapter coordinators. Its Patterns Links page gathers quilt, afghan and blanket patterns plus links to outside shops and free pattern sites. There you will find crochet and knit baby afghans, Card Trick and checkerboard quilts, no-sew fleece steps, fringe guidance, weighted designs, Skip-Stitch guidance and fabric discounts. Check chapter needs first, then pick one pattern and start the first square.