For a 54X63 quilt you will need:
2 3/4 yards of solid (background) fabric
5 coordinating fat quarters ("Chain") (I am using Bluebird Park by Kate and Birdie Paper Co. for Moda)
Start by cutting your fabric into 3.5 inch strips. You will not be cutting all your solid fabric into 3.5 inch strips so DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY! You will end up with 25 printed strips and
10 solid strips. Cut the remaining solid fabric into (21) 9.5 inch squares. Set those aside until the end.
After cutting with your rotary cutter, cut the folded edge of your solid pieces with scissors to make two strips.
Now start sewing strip sets. You will make 5 sets of solid, print, solid. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance place a solid and a print right side together and stitch. Attach another solid to the other side of the print the same way. Aren't those bunnies so super cute?
Now, make 10 sets of print, solid, print using the same method as above just making sure you have a solid in the center.
Iron all 15 strip sets making sure to iron toward the printed OR solid fabric. It doesn't really matter which but pick one and stick with it. This will make it easier to get really great points that match up! A good rule is to iron toward the darker fabric. In my case, it's the printed fabric.
Now, grab a strip set and square up the end of it. Don't know what that means? No worries. Place your ruler on your strip set as shown in the picture. It doesn't have to be in any specific place, just in enough that it cuts all the selvedge and jagged ends off. This part is important: Because of the sewing and ironing the top and bottom edge of you strip might be "wonky". You should like up your ruler on one of the seams to make sure you get a straight cut. Notice the 15" line on the ruler is lined up with the bottom seam on the blue piece?
Now that your strip is square, flip it around and start to cut into 3.5 inch strips. I measure with my ruler, others measure off the cutting mat. Whatever works for you. You will be able to get (5) 3.5 inch strips from each of your larger strips.
Continue cutting until all your original strips are cut into smaller, 3.5 inch strips.
Now is when your quilt starts to take a little shape. You're going to grab two of your print, solid, print strips and one solid, print, solid strip and sew them together to make your 9 patch block.
If you did a good job keeping track of your ironed seams then when you place your fabrics right side together they will sort of "nestle" into each other and you'll be able to feel that you are keeping your corners together.
Continue sewing until you have made (25) 9.5 inch squares. You will only be using 21 squares on the front of your quilt. The extra 4 squares give you the ability to trade out any squares you decide you just don't fit well from a design standpoint. Extra squares can be pieced onto the back or used in a different project!
Lay out your quilt, mixing and matching until you are happy with your design. If you use your bed as a design station be warned that it could be wrestled on by an adorable 4 yr old and his handsome dad. Just sayin'.
Begin sewing together one row at a time from left to right. Once the squares are pieced with your 9.5 inch solid squares, sew the rows to complete the rest of the piecing.
The quilt shown is not as big as the one the directions are for. You will have one more row in width.
Happy sewing!
