Checkers anyone?

I took a break from my sheet zig zag quilt to whip up a birthday present for my nephew who is turning 6 this weekend.

I still have to hand sew the binding to the back - that is the red polka dot fabric on the edge. But I was so excited about it I just had to show you.

I made him this game quilt. One side has a big checker board...

And the reverse has a backgammon board!

I made game pieces out of large washers from the home improvement store. A quick coat of spray paint, and custom game pieces! I was orginally making the pieces out of felt pieces hand sewn together. They were cute, but very time consuming, and I was afraid they would blow away if you used it outside. This way the washers help hold the quilt down.

My kids are begging me not to give it away, but keep it up at our lake cottage. Believe me, I am tempted. But I will make another one for us. There are some things I would change on the next one, but if it turns out good, I may list it on my Etsy store to as a sample of a custom game quilts that can be ordered... or maybe I'll write a pattern for it. I've never tried that. Any thoughts?

The quilt is about 40" x 50". Great for a lap quilt, or to throw on the floor or on a picnic or at the beach, to play a few games.

I love how the outline quilting and the diagonal X's through the squares on the front stand out on back. The white fabric in this quilt is an old ultra soft cotton sheet!