Happy Camper Denim Quilt

This denim quilt (44 x 54) is for our little grandson who just turned 7.

He loves to camp, fish and hunt with his Dad.

Since I am the "used-denim-pants-receiver" in our family, I have 2 shelves full of denim pants strips--enough for about 12 (60 x 90) quilts.  

A couple of years ago I took about 6 garbage bags full of denim pants that everyone had given me and cut out all the usable parts--eliminating about half of the bulk of the pants.  Here are another dozen pair from my son to cut out usable parts before shelving.  Not too much of his pants are usable, he wears them pretty thin before I get them.

Over the years, I have tied exactly 8 denim quilts: all for family.  Back in the day, before rotary cutters, it was quite a chore to scissor up a pair of pants, then trace the 6 inch squares (I still have my cardboard pattern).  That was just the beginning: cut the squares, sew, and then when the top was assembled . . .and this is my favorite part . . . use the pliers to pull the yarn through the quilt.

My hubby's quilt with flannel backing.

Then came the longarm quilter.  Now, I know to always use a brick pattern so there are no 4-piece junctions and the seams all have to be pressed open.  A little spray starch helps make them crisp and flat.  One thing I have always done, is turn some of the denim wrong side out to get the color contrast I need.

This is just simple freehand swirly-water quilting. 

I used a higher loft batting.  When this is folded up it will make a great cushion to sit on.  Folded in half it will make a nice mattress pad for his sleeping bag.  Denim can be drug around the forest for a week and it still looks great, as it doesn't pick up the dirt like other materials.  

Camping flannel for the back.

I found a plaid flannel in my stash that matched.  There was enough to splice my 45" width of fabric to make the backing and a bias binding.

Happy Camper label.

Here is a link to several other Denim Quilts quilted on the longarm in last couple of years.