4-Patch Baby Quilt: Part 2

I started a quilt several weeks ago, and brought you along for the ride. Then I didn't finish it. Well, today we shall finish the quilt top. I'll create a separate tutorial for the layering since that is a universal quilt technique. 

So pull out your quilt top and iron it. If it's been sitting around, it probably has some wrinkles in it like mine did. Finish that? Good, now we add on the narrow border. Using a 1/4" seam, take one of your 1.5" strips and sew it along the longer side of your quilt (the side with 6 blocks). Do the same thing on the opposite side. You're quilt will look something like this:

Head over to your cutting board and trim those renegade tails. You don't want those. Just cut it straight with the edge of your blocks. 

Now take your other narrow strips and sew them on the opposing sides. You'll end up with something like this after you trim the tails. 

Here's a close-up of on of the corners so you know what it's supposed to look like. We're not making mitered corners here. ;)

Now do the same thing with your fat border. When I say 'fat,' I just mean the 3.5" strips. You'll want to really make sure that you sew the longer sides first so that you have enough fabric to go all the way around. This tidbit of wisdom comes from experience. ;)

Here's what your corners will look like:

And that's it for the quilt top! Like I said, I'll make a separate tutorial showing you how to layer and tie the quilt. 

Until next time!

4-patch Baby Quilt: Pt. 1

First tutorial... here I go. 

Pick out your fabrics. You'll need:

- 1/2 yd Fabric A (four patch)

- 1/2 yd Fabric B (four patch)

- 3/4 alternate focus print

- 1/2 yd inner border and binding

- 1/2 yd outer border

- 1 1/2 yd backing

You can mix and match whatever fabrics you want. Have fun with it! 

I raided my stash for this one. ;)

Time to cut. 

Of Fabrics A and B, cut out thirty 3.5" squares

Of the alternate focus print, cut fifteen 6.5" squares

Of the inner border, cut 4 strips that are 1.5" by the width of the fabric

For the outer border, cut 4 strips 3.5" by the width of the fabric

You'll end up with this:

Take the little squares and sew the opposing colors together at 1/4" seam using a 'chain' method. All you've got to do is put one set through just as you're about to finish the previous one. 

Cut the extra thread in between the squares. 

Ironing time. You don't want to iron the seam open. That would get really tedious really fast. Instead, you'll iron it flat to one side. You generally want to iron it towards the darker fabric so that it won't show through. 

You're going to end up with 30 - 3.5" x 6.5" units. You're going to sew these together now via same method you used to put the two pieces together. 

One thing I must urge is lining up your seams. All quilting really is is cutting fabric as precisely as you can and lining up the seams as best you can. Good luck. I have trouble with that sometimes. Below you can see my efforts to keep things lined up. Pins are you best friends on this step. Iron the seam to one side. 

Congratulations! You have now completed 15 four-patch squares for your baby blanket. 

Back to work.

Taking one four-patch and one alternate print, sew them together using the same chain method that we've been using. Iron the seams

You now have 15 units that are made up of the four patch and the alternate print.

Sew the pieces together to make 10 units that are four big squares across. Then sew the left over units to make your strip 6 squares long. You're still using the chain method, right? ;)  

You have 5 strips that are 6 squares long. Sew the strips together, lining up the seams, to create the main part of your quilt top. 

And that is all for tonight! I'll make up part 2 as soon as I have the pictures. :)

Goodnight!