We gave five quilts to children in Phrae, Thailand.

The ladies in our quilt group are busy sewing quilts for kids in need.  Recently Linda sent 5 of our quilts to a newly built orphanage in Phrae, Thailand. It’s called Ban Meata which means House of Mercy. They take in children and babies who are in risk or crisis situations or have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Financial support for Mercy International’s operations comes from individuals, clubs, businesses and churches in Australia and other countries. They run three orphanages in Thailand in Khon Kaen, Petchabun and Phrae.

Wendy from Mercy International tells us, “Additionally, if you are interested in supporting one of our other homes in the future, it is based in the province of Petchabun and currently they have 90+ orphan kids in care there, ranging from 18 months thru to 16 years of age. I am sure they would treasure a quilt each too!  Thanks so much for blessing the kids in our care.”

New house for kids in need located in Phrae, Thailand.

One little boy said, “Is this for me? It’s beautiful!”

The kids love their quilts!

Quilt Patterns by Doris: Offset Frame

Finished size 42″ square.  Download as a word document here offsetframe

The center squares are a good place to use large scale novelty prints. This is called the focus fabric.

Cut strips across the full width of 44″ fabric. Kit contents:
Color number 1 – focus fabric: One whole and one half strip 6-1/2 inches wide for centers. Four 2 1/2 ” strips for the borders.
Color number 2 – first frame: Three and a half strips 2-1/2 inches wide
Color number 3 – second frame: 4 strips 2-1/2 inches wide
Color number 4 – sashing: 7 strips 2-1/2 inches wide

42″ square

Color 1

Color 2

Color 3

Color 4

1. Sew the 6-1/2″ strips to the color #2 strips along the long edge with a 1/4″ seam. Make one and a half. Press. Slice at 6-1/2″ across.

2. Make 9.

3. Place the 9 blocks from Step 1 along the edge of the other color #2 strip, right sides together, and sew with a 1/4″ seam. Make two. Press seams. Slice between.

4. Make 9.

5. Make 9.

6. Then sew these to the color #3 strips on the side of the first #2 strip. Make two. Press seams. Slice between.

7. Next sew these to the other color #3 strips on the side of the second #2 strip. Make two full and use the leftover piece from step 3. Press seams. Slice between.

8. Make 9 like this and set 3 aside.

9. Sew six to color #4 strips. Press seams. Slice between. Save leftover pieces.

10. Make 9.

11. Sew two of the blocks completed in step 5 and one block set aside from step 4 together. Press seams. Make three.

12. Sew a 2-1/2″ strip of color #4 on the bottom of each. Trim and save leftover piece.

13. Sew these three rows together. Add another 2-1/2″ strip of color #4 across top. Press seams.

14. Sew the last #4 strip to the side as shown. Sew the four leftover pieces of #4 strips together and then to the 4th side of the quilt top.

Sew on two borders: Measure width of quilt. Pin top and bottom borders to quilt, right sides together with quilt, short edges extending a bit beyond quilt. Sew with a 1/4″ seam, then trim ends to match the width of the quilt.
Sew the next two borders: Repeat with two more strips.

Making the quilt sandwich: Press the fabric to be used for the quilt back. Lay out a piece of batting the required size (should be 44″ square) on a flat surface.
Place the pressed piece of backing fabric RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the batting.
Place the completed, pressed top WRONG SIDE UP on top of backing. RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
Smooth the wrinkles and center the top on the batting and backing. The top will be slightly smaller. Make sure the backing and batting are the same size or a bit larger than the top. Pin around the edges, through all the layers.
Starting on any edge and about one third in from any corner, sew 1/4″ from the raw edge of top around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 10″. Start with backstitching, pivot at each corner, and end with backstitching. Trim seams and clip corners. Turn carefully to right side, pulling corners as square as possible. Press lightly and stitch opening shut by hand or machine. Topstitch around the outer edges to make the quilt more durable. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.
Tying the quilt: Use all 6 strands of embroidery floss threaded through a needle. From the top of the quilt, push the needle through and back up 1/4″ away. Pull the thread, leaving about 4″. Wrap the threads in the right hand not once but twice around the other thread. Pull tightly. Tie again, wrapping the left thread two times around right. Repeat this in a pattern over the whole quilt. Every 3″ to 4″ is good coverage. Trim floss ends to 1/2″ to 1/4″.
OR machine quilt.

Your Offset Frame kids quilt is done!

Quilt Patterns by Doris: Rail Fence

Finished size about 42″ x 42″. Four colors in 100% cotton. Download as a word document here railfence

There are four colors in this simple to make quilt. One of the fabrics will also be used for the backing. Three fabrics are used to make the “rails” and the fourth is used for the border. You can use a fifth color for the backing if you wish. OR you can make it with three colors by using one of the rail colors as the border. Adjust yardage accordingly. Instructions are written for using four colors.

Cutting guide for 42″ size using 44″ wide cotton. Wash fabric, iron, fold selveges together, press. Cut strips across the full width of the fabric. Kit contents:
Color number 1 (beige) Borders and Back: four strips 3-1/2 inches wide and one 43″ square for the backing
Color number 2 (purple): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Color number 3 (blue): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Color number 4 (pink): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Fabric preparation
Always launder fabric before using. This removes any sizing or other chemicals and pre-shrinks the fabric. Use a mild detergent and no fabric softener. Cut with rotary cutter and mat to the measurements as shown above. Decide which colors will go where and the order for the rails. Keep in mind that the outside colors will form the rails. Set aside the backing square and the border fabric strips. Press seams towards darker fabric, or press seams open, whichever is easier for you.

42″ x 42″

Color 1

Color 2

Color 3

Color 4

1. Arrange the 3 fabrics for the rails in stacks of 4.

2. Sew two together.

3. Make four.

4. Sew a strip from the third stack to each of these on the right side to form the rails as planned. Press seam toward darker color, or press seams open.

5. Make 4.

6. Stack these 4 units on cutting mat and align with horizontal lines on board. At this point you will know how even your seams are by how flat they lay. Measure for a common width “X”. Using rotary cutter, make a straight cut evening ends and removing selvedges.

7. Cut across 4 times to “X” measurement as shown. Ideally this should be 9-1/2″. It will probably be less. You now have 16 rail fence blocks.

8. Sew Blocks Together Lay the blocks out in 4 rows of 4, rotating each one 90 degrees to form the rails as shown. The same color will be either on the top or on the left side of each block when correctly placed. Make two beginning with a horizontal row, and two beginning with a vertical one. Press seams toward horizontal one, or press seams open.

9. Sew the Rows Together: Lay out the 4 rows alternating them as shown.

10. Flip the first row over the second, placing right sides together, align and match opposing seams. Sew with 1/4″seam.

11. Press seam in either direction, or press seam open.

12. Flip these over row 3 and sew.

13. Press seam.

14. Flip row 4 up over these and sew.

15. Press whole unit.

Borders: Pin top and bottom borders to quilt, right sides together with quilt, short edges extending a bit beyond quilt. Sew with a 1/4″ seam, then trim ends to match the width of the quilt. Repeat with two more strips on sides.
Making the sandwich: Press the fabric to be used for the quilt back. Lay out a piece of batting the required size (should be 44″ square) on a flat surface. Place the pressed piece of backing fabric RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the batting. Place the completed, pressed top WRONG SIDE UP on top of backing. RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
Smooth the wrinkles and center the top on the batting and backing. The top will be slightly smaller. Make sure the backing and batting are the same size or a bit larger than the top. Pin around the edges, through all the layers.
Starting on any edge and about one third in from any corner, sew 1/4″ from the raw edge of top around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 10″. Start with backstitching, pivot at each corner, and end with backstitching. Trim seams and clip corners. Turn carefully to right side, pulling corners as square as possible. Press lightly and stitch opening shut by hand or machine. Topstitch around the outer edges to make the quilt more durable. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.
Tying the quilt: Use all 6 strands of embroidery floss threaded through a needle. From the top of the quilt, push the needle through and back up 1/4″ away. Pull the thread, leaving about 4″. Wrap the threads in the right hand not once but twice around the other thread. Pull tightly. Tie again, wrapping the left thread two times around right. Repeat this in a pattern over the whole quilt. Every 3″ to 4″ is good coverage. Trim floss ends to 1/2″ to 1/4″. OR machine quilt.

Habitat for Humanity Thailand

Our International School Bangkok high school students built houses for Habitat for Humanity Thailand. There were two trips. The students helped build two houses in Lampang and two houses in Udon Thani.

Udon Thani

Udon Thani

These quilts were both made by Debra, a member of our group who now lives in California. Way to go, Deb! The recipients of these quilts were surprised and happy to get a quilt to symbolize the warmth and friendship that went into the construction of their new houses.

Lao Khrang Pasins

Jenny holding up a pasin.

A pasin is a sarong woven on a loom and worn by the Lao people. Today Jenny Spancake gave a talk at the Jim Thompson Library about her collection of antique pasins. Jenny has lived in Southeast Asia since 1983 when she and her husband first moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Seven years ago they moved to Thailand.

Jenny is an embroiderer, so the pasin caught her eye when she was shopping in Bangkok. It looks like embroidery even though it isn’t. It is a woven textile and the weft, or horizontal threads, create the look. She started collecting pasins woven by the Lao Khrang and now has so many she doesn’t know how many she has.

As she collected she learned about the history of the people. The Lao Khrang migrated to Thailand from Laos about 200 years ago. They now live in Phichit, Kampengpet, Suphanburi and Chainat in Thailand. The word Khrang may come from a word meaning lac, a red insect dye which is the basis for their signature red pasins.

Jenny’s collection contains many pasins 100 years old or more, still in very good condition. No two are ever alike so the collection continues to grow as she cannot pass up a new find. However as Jenny looks for antique pasins she makes it a point to occasionally purchase a beautiful newly woven pasin, as it is her belief that we have to support the weavers of today so the tradition can continue. To see textiles such as these, Jenny recommends the Paragon mall 4th floor in Bangkok, especially the shops “Maya” and “Golden Triangle.”

One way the groups
differentiate themselves is according to the style they wear.