Create. Enjoy. Repeat.
A mini quilt is perfect for those times when you need instant sewing gratification! Let’s make like Elizabeth Dackson and get stuck in with a sweet HST message.
A mini quilt is perfect for almost- instant sewing gratification! Let’s make like Elizabeth Dackson and get stuck in with a sweet HST message.
CUTTING OUT
1 From each of the twelve coloured fabrics cut one ( 1) 6in square. 2 From the aqua, green and coral medium- toned fabrics also cut one ( 1) 2 ¾ in square. 3 From the background fabric cut: ■ Three ( 3) 2 ¾ in squares. ■ Five ( 5) 1 ¾ in squares. ■ Five ( 5) 1 ¾ in x 3in strips. ■ Five ( 5) 1 ¾ in x 4 ¼ in strips. ■ Five ( 5) 1 ¾ in x 5 ½ in strips. ■ One ( 1) 12 ¾ in x 28in strip, for top. ■ One ( 1) 9 ¼ in x 28in strip, for bottom. 4 From the binding fabric, cut: ■ Three ( 3) 2 ½ in x WOF strips. ■ Two ( 2) 6in squares.
PIECING THE HSTs
5 Mark two diagonal lines, forming an ' X' on the wrong side of all of your medium tone 6in fabric squares. 6 Place one medium tone square and one of your coordinating dark tone squares right sides together, raw edges aligned. Make sure you keep the marked side of the medium tone square facing up. Pin as needed, parallel to the marked lines.
THESE TWO- TONE LETTER UNITS ARE A GREAT EXCUSE TO GO DIGGING IN YOUR STASH FOR COORDINATING PRINTS! Don't forget to set aside any lefto vers for another make.
7 Sew a scant ¼ in seam parallel to either side of each of your lines ( Fig 1).
8 Move your sewn unit to your cutting mat. First, cut horizontally along the center of sewn unit, aligning your ruler 3in from either side. Repeat and cut vertically along the center of the sewn unit ( Fig 2). Next, cut along each of the drawn lines and press open ( Fig 3). You now have eight individual HST units. 9 Using a clear quilting ruler with a 45 degree marking, align the seams with the 45 degree marks and trim unit down to 1 ¾ in square. Repeat for all eight HSTs. 10 Repeat Steps 6– 9 for all of your 6in fabric squares. 11 Using your marking tool, mark one diagonal line on the wrong side of each of your three medium 2 ¾ in squares. Pair right sides together with a background 2 ¾ in square and sew a scant ¼ in on either side of the marked line. Cut along the line to separate each square pair into two half- square triangles. Press and trim down to 1 ¾ in square.
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12 Arrange your HSTs, background squares and strips as shown and sew together to complete the letter units. You will have a few leftover HSTs – you can save these to use another day!
ASSEMBLE THE QUILT TOP
13 Sew each of the letters together to form one strip. Then, sew the background 12 ¾ in x 28in strip to the top and the 9 ¼ in x 28in strip to the bottom and press seams open.
QUILTING AND FINISHING
16 Layer your quilt top, batting, and backing together and baste together using your preferred method. Quilt as desired. We used alternating rows of zigzags and figure eights, quilted at an angle. 17 Prepare binding by sewing your strips together into one long length and pressing in half, wrong sides together. 18 Before attaching binding, press the two 6in binding squares in half, wrong sides together. This creates hanging corners for the mini quilt. Pin the hanging corners in the top right and left corners of the back side of the mini, aligning raw edges. Once the corners are pinned in place, machine the binding to the front side of the quilt, thus attaching the corners in place securely, and then hand stitch the binding to the back side of the quilt to finish.