"Pick a Pocket" - upcycled blues top #34 finished

This is one of those quilts that is a method type of quilt and there can be no pattern.

Let me explain what I did.

I cut out the pockets with a bit of fabric on the top and bottom - I cut them at 5.5”, 6.5”, 7.5” and 8.5” widths. I made the heights varying - usually cutting about 1” above and below each pocket since pockets are all different heights.

I put a frame around it using two different shades - bright blue and navy blue - cut 1.5”.

I did that to almost 100 pockets - about half and half.

Then I split them into piles - based on the width of the pieces that I had framed.

I put a thin 1” strip of white fabric between the pieces of the same width and made long strips that looked like this:

The white I used had been part of a duvet cover and it shredded. It was not a good choice, though it is a nice bright white! And yes, I know a couple of those rows are upside down - but the point is to show you rows of blocks the same width sewn together with a narrow strip of white.

I cropped the picture to show you the strips I put at the end of the row of pocket blocks (vertical rows). I alternated adding to the top and bottom, usually.

I decided that I would make my widest set of pockets the length of the rest of them. Once I had put the little strips between the pockets, I laid it out on the floor and measured it - it was 95.5” long.

I then made the rest of them the same length.

Because only one other of the strips was 95.5” long, I had to add 1” to a couple of them, but to several of them I added several inches. In that case, I used simple strips to make the length the same - 95.5”.

When I sewed the strips together, I pinned to make sure they fit together.

If you look at the finished top above, you can see that I alternated the places where I added the lengthening strips. Sometimes it was at the top of the row and sometimes at the bottom of the row of pockets.

I put the little white 1” strips in between the rows.

In the end, I do like it! I spent quite a while thinking about this one - as I had planned to make this top some time ago. I had a different plan when I started - but found out that it wasn’t going to work. I then I had to rework it. This is the result. Yes, I am much more pleased with this result than I was going to be with my other plan.

This one has about 90 pockets here, plus I have over 80 MORE and I’ve already used others in a different quilt - so maybe this will help you understand the scope of the number of shirts, blouses, scrubs, etc. It was crazy! It’s also the reason I had to do this project! I had too many upcycled blues!!!

I think most kids would like at least a couple of pockets on their quilt, don’t you? I think so. I think we should incorporate them more often in tops of quilts - especially the pockets that will button shut - either with a flap or without. They could put their valuables in it!

This was my last upcycled blues top that I originally planned.

However………it’s not reality - stay tuned for yet another couple!

LOL

Have a great day wherever you are reading this!

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Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store!

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