White Chenille

27 comments
I love the look of clean white chenille and white bed linen. I wanted to make a summer bedspread/comforter in a cool white but with some color added. I came up with this idea last winter thinking my old spread needed to be retired and my thicker quilts would not do for summer. I priced white chenille by the yard and found to make a summer comforter/quilt it would be very pricey. Much of the chenille I found was in the $16.00/yard range. And then I'd still have to piece it. I wasn't really excited about a seam down the middle.

I went to Overstock.com and got a white chenille bedspread and 2 pillow shams. I think the spread was around $40.00 on clearance for king size. (They don't have them anymore.) I also bought some pale green sheets in a high thread count on sale. When the bedspread came I cut off the tassles (messy) and trimmed the chenille and sheet so the sheet was slightly bigger. Then I took it to my quilter. She had it for a while but was so busy I later picked it up and took it to a new quilter, (Wendy in Eagle Mountain) and it was done in a week. I had a very light-weight batt put in the center of the chenille and sheet.
Wendy quilted it in a puddle pattern with white thread so it wouldn't take away from the design of the chenille.
I wanted to add a little color to it so I made strips of binding 14" long and sewed them together for a varigated binding. Rashida made some and showed it on her I Heart Linen blog. I've made varigated binding before but I usually use longer strips of scrap fabric than Rashida used.
If I had it to do over again I'd cut them 6-7" long instead of 14. It would make more diagonal seams in piecing them together but I think it would be more fun to see more fabrics in the binding. Kind of like Rashida's (I don't know how long her strips are). My only requirement in choosing the binding fabrics was - they had to be mostly green so I have lots of different dark and light green values in the binding.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. The size is ok for my king bed and I love the clean white look with the pop of green edges. I had ordered new matching sheets for the bed as well and the high thread count does feel really nice. I still want to do what Jona did now and make new pillow cases, even though new cases came with the sheets. I think a green with a big floral would be a fun addition and Jona's pillow cases turned out so darling - why not try that.

Even though summer is half over, my white chenille spread will be on the bed now at least until we turn the heat on. Then I'll either put it away for next year or add a quilt for warmth.

-nanette

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27 comments

Thimbleanna said...

Wow. What a great idea Nanette! I love the pieced binding for a splash of print and color. Very, very nice!

Cathi said...

I love the look of the chenille bedspreads too. What an absolutely great way to add a little special touch to one! Love it!

Amanda Jean said...

oh, how beautiful!!! and luxurious. you did a fabulous job.

Corrie said...

I heart chenille! It looks so pretty.

Thriftin and Craftin said...

What a brilliant idea to update a store bought bedspread to make it your own. The patchwork binding is perfect!

CJ said...

What a smart cookie you are! I would have bought the bedspread and GASP, used it as a bedspread! What a thrifty plan you had! Turned out beautifully and I love the binding! Went to the link you had for the binding...I wanna make some of that. GORGEOUS :D

Betsy said...

That binding is beautiful amd what a great idea with the spread.

Abby and Stephanie said...

What a clever idea. Love the scrappy binding.

Diane said...

White chenille bedspreads remind me of my childhood. Everything comes in full circle. Great idea.

Jodi Nelson said...

what a great idea! Seriously that just gave me a ton of ideas. Love it. ;o)

MichelleB said...

What a fabulous idea! It turned out wonderful.

jen duncan said...

Brilliant!

Des said...

Well aren't you a smarty pants!! What a great idea. White....you must not have a greasy, working teen boy who loves to lay on your bed before showering. :)One of the many sacrifices as i make as a mother.

Annette said...

Your spread is so beautiful, I love it. And a very clever idea.

Cheryl said...

Wonderful and what a great idea!! I always had chenille bedspreads growing up. In fact I have one of mine tucker away in a hope chest..white with pink flowers and green leaves. Think I need to get that out!

Susan said...

You are so creative!!! I l agree that white linens are a great look for summer. Pillowcases are fun to make and they add such a personal touch. Well done, Nanette.

Mary said...

People always ask me if I make quilts for my beds. The answer is no ... because ALL of the beds in my house have white spreads, either chenille or matlasse. I'm obsessed with white.

However you have found the perfect marraige of white spread with the quilty touch. I may have to rethink things.

Nerm said...

Well, once again you've done something wonderful. Don't you just love Overstock? Also love getting something cheap and making it look special. What a great idea to border it in green. Super. Luv, Nerm

Stacy said...

Nanette, I love it! What a great idea. I never used to use a top sheet, but we got 3 sets of really nice sheets for our wedding and I am sold. Overstock.com has such great deals. So does Dealnews.com, in case you haven't tried that yet.

The Christmas when I was 18 was spent in a halfway house type place for people with eating disorders. I think my mom was trying to find a way to connect and make something nice, so she made me a Christmas pillow case. She has made me (and now Doug) one for every holiday and/or season since. I should post them, I have a lot and they are so fun and special. Jona's tutorial is great, she solves many of the problems I have had in the past. Maybe Nanette needs some pillow case lovin' eh? Hope things are well. Love Stacy

Julia said...

You are sooooo clever!
I want to find a chenille spread for my bed, I have been looking for awhile now. I want mine to be off-white. I thought that it would make a good neutral background for some of my smaller quilts to lay on our bed.

Kim said...

I love the idea of personalizing a store bought blanket, now quilt.
I love scrappy bindings too- I just did one on my fall pineapple blossom. :)

Sandra :) said...

Fabulous chenille spread, and fun blog - I popped over because you were linked on a post at Pink Penguin. I'm looking forward to poking around some more!

I have a chenille bedspread in my studio that I've been using for crafting - so far I've only used it as the backing for some bathmats and a couple of bibs, but I have lots left, and I'm not finished with it yet :) I get "cutters" at ebay and always look for them at thrift stores - they're fun to work with!

Glenna @ Hollyhock Quilts said...

How lovely! I would NEVER have thought about quilting a chenille spread! Aren't you the smartest???

sewtakeahike said...

It's a beauty!! You are so inspiring with all your great ideas Nanette!

Nan said...

What a wonderful idea, Nanette! It makes me nostalgic to see that chenille bedspread. I had one on my bed when I was little, and I used to play with the tufts, and sometimes pull them out! I love the green binding against the white chenille - lovely!

Eileen said...

This is SO so pretty. I just love it! And you are probably right about the shorter binding strips.. that would be cute. But it still looks really nice the way you did it, and if you would not have said anything.. not one person would have thought.."hey.. those binding strips should have been shorter"...

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the pictures don't do this justice - I just love how this looks - what a great idea! Nanette