Textured Flannel Quilt

One of the projects I've managed to start and finished in my blogging absence was this flannel and fleece quilt.

Before I started quilting I always relied on down comforters to keep warm in winter.  I have finished several quilts now that fit this bed, but none of them were particularly warm for frosty Midwestern nights until now. 

The top is made entirely of thick and cozy flannels, it has cotton batting, and a thick fleece back.  I would have gone with a thicker poly batting except that at a whopping 115" square, there is no way it would have fit through my machine.  But it is that size for good reason.  My husband and I have a nasty habit of fighting over covers in our sleep on cold nights and he has mastered the "tuck and roll" technique.  This quilt is so huge it has solved that problem entirely.  :)  No more cold nights for either of us!

Each block finishes at 12" square and the pattern is deceptively simple.  A square-in-a-square with two graduated layers of raw-edged strips sewn down with the quilting.  It's simplicity is what allowed me to cut, sew, and finish this one in just a few weeks while under a pile of deadlines.

It gives it a very rustic feel and makes me want to get one of those big knotted pine beds that you find in cabins all over the West.  And I'm sure you've noticed by now that I also sewed down a variety of buttons across the quilt.  Again, it was mostly to add texture and another level of detail.

I placed the buttons at the on every other block and used a bunch of different ones... mostly a combination of wood and metal buttons.  I think it would have been a little over-kill if I had done them all, plus finding and purchasing 81 buttons was a little daunting.

I think this could be down-sized and adapted nicely as an easy tactile blanket for a toddler or kids room.  You'd just have to ensure that those buttons are nice and secure!