Blog 3: Starting a Yo-Yo Quilt

This week, I’ve started working on a yo-yo quilt—another UFO (unfinished object) passed on to me by my friend and neighbor.

She had already done quite a bit of the prep work: all the circles for the yo-yos were cut out, and about a third of them were already made. I’ve decided this will be my next long-term project, one that could take me years to finish. (The last time I committed to something like this was my quilt-as-you-go butterfly appliqué quilt. I started it when the recipient was a freshman in high school—and finished just in time to give it as a graduation gift.)

Before diving in, I watched a few how-to videos on making yo-yos. It seemed simple enough—at first. But after making several myself, I realized sewing yo-yos is a bit like crocheting: consistency is everything.

Each yo-yo needs to be gathered evenly so they all look uniform. The stitches should be the same length and placed the same distance from the edge. Longer stitches result in more petal-like yo-yos with smaller center holes. Lots of short stitches make for flatter yo-yos with larger holes. If the gathering line is placed too far from the edge, it creates a raised bump in the center. Even the fabric type makes a difference—while the point of yo-yo quilts is to use scraps, loosely woven or thicker fabrics can make the yo-yos look inconsistent.

My friend’s yo-yos mostly had more stitches and larger holes. I’ve decided to go with fewer stitches and smaller holes for a different look.

Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve ever started a yo-yo quilt on my own. But there’s something about an unfinished project that pulls at me—I can’t stand the thought of someone’s effort going to waste. So here I am, carrying it forward. Hopefully, someone will feel the same way about my own UFOs one day. 😊