100 Good Wishes Quilt
Project 2000

Helpful Hints from Shawnalee Whitney

Shawnalee Whitney is an China adoptive parent from Alaska and also a self-described "avid quilter." She generously provided lots of suggestions for your quilt project. Her helpful hints are based on questions she's seen posted to the various listservs:

• "First, I've seen several questions about washing the squares. Most 100 Good Wishes Quilts will be well loved and used, so they will need repeated washing repeatedly in the future. Because different squares may shrink at different rates, all of the squares should be washed in a warm, gentle load before assembling the quilt. To reduce fraying, try washing the pieces in a lingerie bag or pillow case."
• "Second, once the squares are washed, they may be slightly different in size or may have frayed a bit, so trim up the pieces and make them all perfectly square before assembly. Even if you end up with 100 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares (rather than 5x5") you'll be way ahead of the game and this will make for a much nicer end product. A rotary cutter and ruler are the best tools for this task."
• "Third, I humbly offer the best quilting tip I've heard in YEARS... The Tip That Changed Quilting as I Know It!)... (Drum roll,please)... :)

  "For some, one of the most daunting parts of quilting is sewing all those little squares together, but this approach drastically cuts sewing time. In fact, if you make a 100 Good Wishes Quilt by the conventional method, you will need to sew 99 seams (assuming you sew enough squares to complete 10 rows and then join the rows to each other) and that doesn't include the seams you'll sew to bind the quilt, etc. With the method that follows, you sew 18 much longer, MUCH easier, and much smoother seams before binding.

  Go to your local fabric shop and buy a yard or two of a fusible web product (several brands are available) that is sticky (iron-on) on ONE side only. Fusible web is a white, gauzey kind of material that will probably come on bolts at your fabric shop. If you're new sewing, just ask the folks at the store for help!!

  "Fusible web products come in various weights. You want a LIGHT version that will not add weight or bulk, this is just to support the quilt squares. In addition to different weights, the material will probably come in 45" and 60" widths. Personally, I buy the 60" and cut off the excess, but the bottom line is that you need to buy enough to cover the area of the quilt. This will depend on the size of the squares you're using, so calculate the "area" of the quilt and go from there--see Geometry really IS important.

  "As I mentioned above, your fusible web should have one "sticky" iron-on side and a non-stick side. Lay out the fusible web with the sticky side facing up and the non-stick side on your living room floor, a bed, or a table top. Arrange your quilt squares side by side so the edges are just touching. The quilt squares should be arranged with the back side of the fabric against the sticky side of the fusible web and the "good" side of the quilt squares facing you (facing up). Once you get the squares arranged the way you want them, iron them in place. The fusible web will have directions for the appropriate temp on the iron. Personally, I always put a light flour-sack style dishtowel over the quilt squares just in case some of the sticky stuff is exposed--don't want it on the iron. If you're afraid the squares will fall off in the trasition to the ironing board or don't want to iron on the surface of the kitchen table, just pin each square in place and then remove the pins as you iron.

  "Once the squares are ironed into place, take the entire sheet to your machine and stitch the 9 rows going top to bottom. Flip the quilt top over. Where each corner meets, make a SMALL snip (about 1/8") to facilitate and ease the rows that go from side to side. With the non-stick side facing up, press the seams so that the rows all go in the same direction. Turn the quilt top over and sew the 9 rows that go side to side. Turn the quilt top over and press the seams again, being careful to go in the same direction. Voila! You have a completed quilt top fora 100 Good Wishes Quilt.

  "From there, it should be easy to complete the quilt. You'll just need to choose your backing material, any sort of batting you may want (I find that light polar fleece works well for baby quilts) and the material you'll use to bind the quilt (if it's different from the backing. If you're quilting or tying, be sure to do this and trim the edges before you actually bind the quilt."