Yoyo quilt

This is my 6th twin sized yoyo coverlet I have completed...it always feels like you finished several marathons.  This one is a study in reds and purples and is a gift for one of my close friends.

I just love yo yo quilts!  I have always wanted to try one but worry about how well they hold up over time.  Since this is your 6th, perhaps you could tell me?

The yoyos flatten out over time which I think is part of the charm.  I wouldn't put it in the washer--dry cleaning or spot cleaning would be better.  If some threads do come loose, you just repair them as if you were joining them together for the first time.  I think actually they are easier to repair than actual quilts because they're typically not backed (because technically they're coverlets).

The only thing I would caution you about--this is NOT a quilt to use for a wall hanging.  The weight of them is quite substantial and the weight of gravity would do nasty things to the joining points on a large yoyo quilt if it were to be used as a wall hanging.  I've always draped mine at the ends of beds or on the backs of chairs--wherever a book is handy and I want a little blanket to curl up in.  They're actually surprisingly warm even without a backing.

I think this is just beautiful, I admire your willpower ...my yoyos always end up in other craft projects

wow, this is gorgeous!

Very beautiful!!

I love all that purple.  My grandma used to make yo-yo coverlets and I always wanted to make one, too. 

I was wondering... What size circle do you start out with to make your yo-yos?  And about how many yo-yos for the twin sized coverlet?

The circles I cut have about a 4" diameter.  To cut them, I've been using this jiffy rotary cutter Olfa makes that cuts circles.  It saves a LOT of time and energy in cutting, but you do have to mark the centers and edges of the circles (I use a cardboard circle to do this) before you cut. 

In a yard of quilting fabric, you usually can get between 100-110 circles.  I buy several yards at a time and chain the finished yoyos as I go in rows of 5-10 which saves time in the final assembly and still allows for randomness in your overall design.

Starting with circles this size, it will take about 1500 to make a twin sized coverlet (50 rows of 30).  I'm not sure if this covers an entire twin bed (I'd have to measure), but I typically use my quilts as decoration folded in half at the ends of beds anyhow or as something to curl up with.

It's a big project to undertake, but the rewards are pretty big too.  Go for it!  I'd love to see someone else's work besides my own. 

This is just beautiful! I love those colors together. TFS!

Wow that looks like a lot of work!

Yes, it is a lot of work.  Everything is by hand.  If I really work hard (a couple of hours every day and several on the weekends), I can do an entire one in 3 months...this one took a lot longer because I forgot about it for a while and it was in the closet for a long time until I rediscovered it during morning sickness...

I trust the recipients are pleased as punch to own such a work of art. Do they have any idea what's involved? I sure would reserve anything that I worked that hard on for the most deserving of friends!

Ellen
NouveauStitch.wordpress.com

I've shown them all how to make yoyos at some point in the process of each quilt.  This one has 3 contributed by another friend.  She marked one with her initials...we have yet to find it.  

And yes, I wouldn't make one for someone I didn't appreciate a great deal and who I know would as well.  While labors of love are just that, this much labor you hope will not go unnoticed.