I try really hard not to buy fabric just because I love it if I don’t have a plan for it. Sometimes I fail. When I was filling in at My Quilting Loft last month, this adorable print came in, and I was smitten.
I loved all the animals in glasses because my daughter has worn them since she was in first grade. But the part that really drew me in was that little black and white stripe across that bottom. Throw in a few companion prints and I was in.
Fortunately, this one worked out for me. As soon as I got home with it I realized where it would be perfect. I bought an inflatable kid bed (which I love) for my office so my granddaughter can nap when she’s over. I bought some sheets with orange foxes on them, and made a black and white gingham flannel blanket, but it needed a quilt. And these fabrics coordinated perfectly with what I already had!
Of course, I also made another toddler pillowcase for the little pillow to match. Everyone loves it, including Wonder Woman and Batman.
Panel quilts can be tricky, especially when the panels have odd dimensions, so I’m going to show you how I made this one. You’ll notice the panels are offset from the stripes, which is what I was going for, but I think this would be a little more effective with more color contrast between the panel background and stripes. It looks better in person because you can see the difference between the grey and white.
To make this, you’ll need:
six panels (that can be cut to 10 1/2†squares)
black fabric
white fabric
orange fabric
batting, backing and binding
I recommend non-directional prints, besides the panels, so you don’t have to worry about keeping them straight. Cut the following:
panels
A 2 - 10 1/2 x 10 1/2â€
black
B 4 - 4 1/2 x 7 1/2â€
C 6 - 4 1/2 x 6 1/2â€
D 7 - 4 1/2 x 4 1/2â€
white
E 8 - 2 1/2 x 7 1/2â€
F 12 - 2 1/2 x 6 1/2â€
G 14 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2â€
orange (or color that coordinates with your panels)
H 2 - 6 1/2 x 7 1/2â€
I 1 - 8 1/2 x 7 1/2â€
J 4 - 6 1/2 x 6 1/2â€
K 2 - 4 1/2 x 6 1/2â€
L 2 - 6 1/2 x 9 1/2â€
M 1 - 4 1/2 x 9 1/2â€
N 4 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2â€
O 2 - 2 1/2 x 7 1/2â€
This quilt goes together in six sections.
Lay out all the pieces following the diagram above to verify you have everything.
Start sewing with the first row (far left). Remember the last row is horizontal across the top, so set those pieces aside for now. Stitch all pieces of row 1 into a vertical row. All seams in this quilt are 1/4â€, and you should press the seam toward the darkest fabric.
Stitch together the second row, which includes you first set of panels.
Stitch row 3, which is similar to the first but narrower.
Row four includes the final three panels.
Row five is the final vertical section, and is exactly like the first row.
The sixth row is horizontal, so keep that in mind while sewing.
Start assembling the top by stitching row 1 to row 2.
Add row 3. There are few seams to match up on this one, but make sure you note where those are in the diagram.
Add row 4.
Finish your vertical seams by adding row 5.
Add the horizontal row 6 at the top. There are a couple of seams to match up there as well.
You have a quilt top!
Quilt and bind your quilt using your favorite methods. It should wind up at about 36 x 52†finished.
What happened to that cute black and white strip? I couldn’t work it in on the front, so I pieced the back so I could use it there!
My granddaughter immediately hopped on the bed and snuggled under it when she saw it, so it’s a winner!