Denim Quilts have definitely been a frequent gift item in our area recently. They are comfortable, easy, and economical. Any time a pair of jeans or a denim skirt has been worn out in the knees, or has been ripped, etc. the rest of the garment can be cut into squares and set aside until enough has been collected to make a quilt.

We recently helped some friends make a denim quilt for a young woman who is battling cancer. This quilt was intended to be an encouragement to her physically and spiritually, so each family signed their name(s) and added a Scripture verse. This quilt was put together very quickly: each family turned in their square and then the quilt was pieced together, tacked, and bound in one afternoon. Due to the lack of time, fabric paint was used to write on many of the blocks. This worked fairly well, but is not as neat or delicate-looking as embroidery. Each square can be decorated or left plain according to each person's taste and creativity and can be decorated with appliques, lace, embroidery, etc.

The squares can be cut in any size you wish - the easiest being 4, 5, or 6 inches.

If several colors/shades are used, arrange your squares so that the colors are contrasting (light, dark, light, dark, etc.). They can be randomly placed, or you can make a distinct pattern such as a diagonal chain, trip around the world, stripes, or checkers. This particular quilt was hastily made, so it is not a perfect example of how this would be done :)

Chain-piecing denim quilts is quick and easy. We intend to post more information on this in the near future.

Denim quilts are appropriate for many occasions including baby gifts, graduations, weddings, or those who are going through illnesses.