CHASING RAINBOWS
Let loose and set your creativity soaring with fun print fabrics and the most playful appliqué blocks
Let loose and set your creativity soaring with fun print fabrics and the most playful appliqué blocks
YOU WILL NEED
■ Eleven (11) print fat quarters
■ Seven (7) solid fat quarters
■ Background fabric: 3¾yds
■ Backing fabric: 4½yds
■ Binding fabric: ½yd
■ Batting: 70in x 79in
■ One (1) copy each of
Templates 1–5
■ Fusible web (20in wide) 4¾yds
FINISHED SIZE
■ 62in x 71in
NOTES
■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless
otherwise noted.
■ Press seams to one side, unless
otherwise instructed.
■ For templates, see p86.
■ WOF = width of fabric.
■ Lynne used 279 Cotton Mix 80:20 batting and Vlieseline Bondaweb, available from Lady Sew and Sew (ladysewandsew.co.uk).
■ Lynne used Aurifil 50wt thread for piecing and 40wt thread for quilting (aurifil.com)
■ Fabrics supplied by Hantex
(hantexonline.co.uk)
FABRICS USED
Print fabrics are all from the Kushukuru collection by Jessica Swift for
Art Gallery Fabrics.
CUTTING OUT
1
From fusible web cut:
■ Twenty five (25) 9in x 12in rectangles.
2
From your solid and print fat quarters cut:
■ Twenty five (25) 9in x 12in rectangles. Note, you will need one (1) rectangle from each of eleven (11) fabrics and two (2) rectangles from each of seven (7) fabrics.
3
From the background fabric cut:
■ Seven (7) 11½in x WOF strips. Subcut each into a total of twenty five (25) 10½in x 11½in rectangles.
■ Five (5) 1½in x WOF strips.
Sew end-to-end and subcut into four (4) 1½in x 50½in strips.
■ Six (6) 6½in x WOF strips. Sew end-toend and subcut into two (2) 6½in x 50½in and two (2) 6½in x 71½in strips. 4
From the binding fabric cut:
■ Seven (7) 2½in x WOF strips.
PREPARE YOUR FABRICS
5
Sort your prints and solids into five groups of five. Each group should have a mix of solids and prints.
TEMPLATE 1 BLOCKS
6
Trace Template 1 onto the paper side of five of your pieces of fusible web. Take one group of five fabrics and fuse one Template 1 web piece to the wrong side of each fabric.
7
Cut along the marked lines to make five arcs from each of the five fabrics. Rearrange into five groups, so each group has one arc from each fabric.
8
Arrange one 10½in x 11½in background rectangle on an ironing surface, right
AGF'S KUSHUKURU COLLECTION COMPLEMENTS THE RAINBOW THEME PERFECTLY!
side up. Arrange one group of Template 1 pieces on top, carefully nesting the arcs. Align the bottom straight edges of the arcs with one short edge of background fabric.
9
Use a pressing sheet, and following the manufacturer’s instructions, carefully fuse the pieces in place. Stitch around the outer edges of each piece, using a straight, zigzag, blanket or other decorative stitch to secure. Lynne used different coloured threads to match each of the fabrics.
10 Repeat steps 6–9 to make a total of five Template 1 blocks.
TEMPLATE 2–5 BLOCKS
11
Repeat steps 6–9 to make five each of Template 2–5 blocks. You will have a total of twenty five blocks.
ASSEMBLING THE QUILT TOP
12
Sew the rainbow blocks into five rows of five and sash the five rows together using the four 1 in x 50 in strips of background fabric. Add the 6 in x 50 in strips to the top and bottom.
13
Sash the sides of the quilt with the 6 in x 71 in background strips.
QUILTING AND FINISHING
14
Cut the backing fabric in half across the width. Remove the selvedges and sew the two pieces together using a in seam. Press the seam open.
15
Press the quilt top and backing well. Make a quilt sandwich by placing the backing fabric right side down, the batting on top, then place the quilt top centrally and right side up. Baste the layers together using your preferred method.
16
Quilt as desired. Lynne quilted horizontal wavy lines approx 2in apart.
Trim off the excess batting and backing fabric and square up the quilt.
17
Sew the binding strips together end-to-end using diagonal seams. Press the seams open and trim the dog ears. Fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together, and press.
18
Sew the binding to the right side of the quilt, creating a neat mitre at each corner. Fold the binding over to the back of the quilt and hand stitch in place around the edge to finish.