Stretch your stitching skills and enhance your patchwork repertoire with this pretty sampler quilt. Made up of thirty-six blocks, this charming pattern is perfect for creating a unique design.
Designed and made by CAROLYN FORSTER Quilted by THE QUILT ROOM
SAMPLER QUILT
Cutting out
1 Follow the cutting instructions for each 10in block for the background and print fabrics.
2 From the border fabric, cut seven (7) strips across the width of fabric. Remove selvedge and join to a continuous length.
Press seams open. Sub-cut as follows:
■ Two (2) 6½in x 60½in.
■ Two (2) 6½in x 72½in.
3 Cut the backing fabric into two (2) equal lengths. Remove the selvedge and join together along the long edge. Press seam open.
4 From the binding fabric, cut eight (8) 2½in wide strips and join to a continuous length with a bias join. Press along the length, wrong sides together.
Making the quilt
5 Cut and stitch one of each 10in block following the diagrams. Make thirty-six (36) blocks in total for the quilt. When starting a quilt that has so many different blocks and fabrics, it’s useful to create a rough system. Keep it simple by starting with the blocks that only have one fabric plus the background. Or, start with the simplest blocks first and build up to the ones with more techniques or fabrics involved.
6 When the blocks are complete, decide on a layout. There are different ways to approach this, here are some tips:
■ As the blocks are based on two different grids, you can alternate them so that the seams in each block don’t match up. Putting a five-grid block next to a four-grid block for example, is enough to create variation.
■ Use the fabric colours to help you decide on a layout. Perhaps start with lighter tones in one corner and gradually get darker as you work through the quilt.
■ If you have colours that seem to jump out more than others, try to distribute these evenly around the quilt. Placing them in the four corners is a good way to evenly disperse the blocks.
7 Stitch the blocks into rows of six (6), pressing the seams open if you are worried about the bulk of seam allowance. If not, then press each row in alternating directions. When the rows go together, they will nest together nicely.
8 Stitch the rows together and pin as you need to.
Line the blocks up in each row. Press the long seams open, or in one direction.
9 Stitch the two 60½in border strips onto opposite sides of the quilt. Press towards
