So, I promised Marion I’d post about Coin quilts and why they’re called that. I’ve put it off for far too long. However, I seem to have wandered around a bit, and this turned into a post about stripy quilts and tutorials for different types.

What prompted her question is this quilt I made, which I called Dollar Coins.

I’ve also made this one, Pound Coins, for Geordie’s mom, for Christmas. She’s said, by the way, that she uses it all the time on her bed. I’m glad she has something warm to sleep under; it’s been very cold in the northeast of England.

So, coin quilts. Right. Sometimes they’re called Chinese coin quilts, sometimes they’re called Roman Stripe, some people combine Roman Stripe with Rail Fence.

This is a good tutorial for Roman Stripe quilts: Mary's Quilts Roman Stripe. She also has a tutorial for Chinese Coins: Mary's Quilts Chinese Coins. (In point of fact, she has good tutorials for lots of interesting quilts.)

This post seems to have wandered off topic. Coin quilts and the history of same.

I’ve always heard that the “traditional” method for coin quilts is based on the Charm Quilt, one in which each piece is the same shape and size and each fabric only occurs once. The name comes from the small, coinsized, pieces of fabric used. Since I made the first one for his mom, who’s British, I used their monetary system. For the one on my couch, I used mine. I like the format, and will be making more.

Most people making modern quilts seem to use the faster, strip-piecing method. Here's a tutorial Quilter's Cache tutorial. Moda Bake Shop has a tutorial for a smaller, baby-sized one that uses two charm packs.

I haven't been able to do much crafting or sewing in the past couple of weeks.  The house is diabolically cluttered, and I've spent the time trying to clear things out.  I've managed to do some good downstairs; I'm hoping the upstairs will go quickly.  My craft room is kind of scary, though.  It's seriously over-filled and under-organized.  I think the best way to deal with it might be to take everything out (or as much as possible) and start with an empty room.  I've made some progress, though; one side of the room is going to have mostly sewing and knitting supplies and the other will be mostly paper crafts and other stuff.

I can't wait to get back into the craft room to make things!

SongBird