Giant quilt made from IKEA duvet

We needed a thin quilt.  We had one from Pottery Barn years ago, and it was lovely, but I've long since moved past that whole vintage ticking/colonial floral motif stage of my life.  I sold it on Craigslist three years ago and have ever since kept an eye out for the ideal replacement.

Even if I found the right design at the right price, it wouldn't necessarily fit.  You see, our bed is massive.  It's a California King, which has about the same area as a regular king.  It's narrower, but longer.  However, the DEPTH of this thing is what kills me.  The only sheets that stay on are the uber expensive ones my mother bought for me.  My sad set from BB & F'n B just don't stay on.  A regular king blanket, coverlet, quilt, duvet, comforter, etc. will not cover this thing.

(Sleep is very important to us, so we spared no inconvenience or cost for our mattress, pillows, and overall bedtime comfort.  There is a silk sleeping mask under each of our pillows.  No joke.  Note that we do not have a headboard, bedskirt, or even room for night stands.  But we sleep like angels.)

So, I came up with the brilliant idea of taking design from one of my favorite places, IKEA, and incorporating a custom, handmade vibe by using my fledgling sewing skills.  And so, the yellow circle quilt was born.  I would really not recommend doing this if you're a beginner, or have an actual occupation.  It was a pain in the ass.

I bought some muslin and created a block pattern (6 total) for the backing.  Then I soaked and dried (on the lawn) a thin, eco-friendly natural cotton batting.  I seam ripped the entire king duvet cover, and used one piece for the top and the the other piece for the binding.  My plan was to make the binding very wide in order to increase the size of the overal finished product.  Well, that's the beginner quilter for ya.  I don't really think it works that way.  I have a feeling my binding is going to get all garbled after its first washing.

By the time I got to the binding stage I was so frustrated trying to true up the edges and corners (hello crappy IKEA linens), that I just wanted the damn thing to be done.  It was so hard to work with such a large amount of fabric.  I tried to sew it up with a regular foot but the layers dragged and bunched.  I decided to sew the binding by hand, but after 45 sweaty minutes with a huge quilt on me, I gave up on that idea.  After a couple weeks neglecting the issue, I drove to Joann and bought a walking foot and finally bound the thing up last night.  I think I may need to top stitch about 1/4" from the very edge to ensure against that whole wash and garble thing.  The binding is about 2 inches wide.  Note the sloppy, "handmade" edge.

I got the fabric for $9.99 on clearance, but was it worth all the time?  Probably, because I did learn a lot.  I learned that I need a 10 by 10 foot table if I'm ever going to make a California King quilt again.  I also learned that a thin, soft blankie like this makes for a glorious night's sleep:  Sandwich yourself right between fancy sheets and a cheap, homemade quilt.

Headboard, bedskirt, and photos of a properly made bed to follow.  But I'm comfortable with you knowing that this is how I make the bed.

Comments

[Kalesy]

Oh my heavens you are just TOOOOOOOO crafty. How do you manage to come up with these ideas? I can't even fix the clasp on a broken necklace..... I am humbly in awe.

I start my new job on Monday. Guess I passed the personality quiz. Go figure!