Playing Minecraft

Playing Minecraft
65" by 93"

Started - November 4, 2022

Finished - January 24, 2023
For Chandra Moore and her son

It is always interesting to me the way my quilts come to be.

I have been posting my blog and photos on social media. Out of the blue, Chandra Moore sent me a message stating that she thought my quilts were beautiful and asked if I do custom quilt orders.

When we met, she told me she wanted to have a quilt made for her son that was Minecraft themed because he loved the game.

I don't know much about Minecraft but within a day, I found a website (Kelli Fannin Quilts) that had done a Minecraft Quilt-A-Long in 2016 and provided directions for 44 blocks. I was in unfamiliar territory and was thankful to find a road map of putting these blocks together without buying any patterns.

I found a fabric bundle specifically for Minecraft that included almost every color needed to make the blocks. I can't imagine picking out fabric one-by-one for each individual block. Having a bundle to choose from was the way to go for this project.

The size would be for a twin-size bed with a layout of 4 x 5 blocks. 

They picked out 20 of his favorite characters, and I went to work piecing the blocks together.

Throughout the process, I would send photos once a group of blocks was completed so Chandra could show her son and get his approval.

There was one block he wanted that I didn't have instructions for so he had to choose another one.

I only had one block that was made incorrectly. Enderman had the wrong eye color and had to be "unsewn". It was an easy fix and was corrected within 20 minutes.

I never thought the following words would come from my mouth - Creeper, Zombie Pigman, Slime, Wither Skeleton. I was now getting up close and personal and getting to know them quite well by the time I was finished.

When I showed my friends the blocks, they were all quite impressed with how they looked. They were even more impressed that I knew the name of every single block character!

The main blocks were quite straightforward except for two - Diamond Pick Axe and Diamond Sword because of the small pieces.

As the blocks came together, I realized that 20 blocks (without sashing) would make the quilt 62" x 76" which is a bit short for a twin bed. We decided to add one more row (4 more blocks) bringing it to about 62" x 90" (without sashing.)

And for the finale! A huge Enderdragon that took up the entire backside. The dragon was constructed in three sections. I ran out of the dark gray fabric while making the dragon and contemplated going to Sacramento to get the exact fabric match. I was overjoyed to find it locally at Villa Rosa.

In addition to Minecraft, I had several other quilts that were needed before Christmas and my kids and grandson were coming for three weeks over the holidays. Chandra said that she wasn't in a hurry to have the quilt done prior to Christmas which provided some relief.

After an entire month of family and house guests (Santos) coming and going, I finally had an opportunity to finish the dragon and get it basted. I used the conference table at work because it was so big.

Before quilting and binding

Using the biggest table I have access to in order to pin baste Minecraft

For the quilting, I used painter's tape and marked vertical lines down the middle of the block and then divided that in half. I also quilted straight down the sashing. The top thread was monofilament thread and black was used in the bobbin.

This was a really fun quilt to make because of the novelty of it and the bright colors. 

The highest compliment came from my son-in-law who said, "As someone who plays Minecraft, that is legit."

When I delivered it to Chandra, her response was, "The quilt is soooo gorgeous!! "L" loves it. I totally forgot that Enderdragon was on the back, so that was such a beautiful surprise! Thank you so much! The quilt is absolutely incredible!! You're amazing!!"

Every quilt tells a story. This is the story of being introduced to Minecraft and playing with Minecraft quilt blocks, and adding the words Slime, Pigman, Enderdragon, and Enderman to my vocabulary. 

Every Quilt Tells A Story
Whether it is the fabrics chosen, the design, the colors, the occasion, the recipient, or the people I quilt with, every quilt tells a story. This blog captures in images and words what has been created for others and for my own home through the hum and stitching of my sewing machine.