Fussy Cut Medallion Quilt Step-by-Step: Finishing the Quilt Top

In the previous 3 posts there are instructions for building this crib/lap size medallion quilt. In today's post, the quilt top as I've made it, will be finished. But feel free to continue adding to the quilt if you want to make it bigger!

Step 9: Adding plain border strips

I add plain borders every couple rounds as accents or to give the eye a place to rest since this is a busy pattern.

• Cut (2) 34 x 2 1/2 inch strips from a solid color
• Cut (2) 38 x 2 1/2 inch strips from the same color
• Sew 38 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch strips to the sides of the quilt. Press.
• Sew the 34 x 2 1/2 inch strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.

Step 10: Narrow Piano Key borders

Use a variety of the jelly roll strips for this step

• For the side strips, Cut (40) 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 rectangles from the jelly roll strips
• Cut (2) 3 1/2 tall x 3 3/4 wide spacer blocks from the sidestrip sets. I used fussy cut patches for these spacer blocks.
• For the top and bottom strip Cut (32) 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 rectangles
• Cut (2) 3 1/2 tall x 4 inches wide spacer blocks. As for the sides, I fussy cut these patches from the novelty fabric
• Fussy cut 4 corner blocks, 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches from the novelty fabric.
• For the sides, sew together (4) strip sets of 10 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch patches. Note: Sew the patches together on the longer 3 1/2 inch sides.
• Sew one 10 patch strip to the side spacer block, 3 1/2 x 3 3/4. Then attach a second 10 patch strip

• For the top and bottom strips, sew together (8) 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch patches. Make (4) of these 8 patch strips.
• For the top strip, Sew a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch fussy cut corner block to an 8 patch strip. Attach the 3 1/2 x 4 inch spacer block. Attach another 8 patch strip and a final 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch corner fussy cut patch.
  Repeat for the bottom strip. If your fussy cut patches have directional designs make sure you check to make sure the design will be upright in the strips.

The finished Polar Medallion Quilt Top

Step 11: Final Solid Border Strips

• Cut (2) 2 1/2 x width of fabric from contrasting solid fabric. 
• Sew one to the top of the quilt and one to the bottom.
• Cut (3) 2 1/2 x width of fabric from the contrasting solid.  Sew these 3 strips together either straight or on the diagonal.  Sew to one side of the quilt. Then cut and sew the left over strip to the other side of the quilt.
• For greater accuracy in cutting, measure the length and width of the quilt in the center of quilt rather from the ends or sides. Use those measurements from the middle of the quilt side and top to cut the last border strips.

That's the completed Polar Medallion Quilt top!  If you've been using these directions to make a similar quilt, I hope you had fun. Please let me know if you find errors in the instructions.

In my final Polar Post, next week, I'll show my finished quilt and give some recommendations for books about Medallion quilts.

Fussy Cut Medallion Quilt Step-by-Step: From Square to Rectangular

Two weeks ago I started posting step-by-step instructions for making a fussy cut medallion quilt. Up until now, the same strips sets were added to each side of the quilt. There is one more border to add, working in the round. Then the quilt will morph from the traditional square quilt to a rectangular quilt.

Step 6: Strips, last step where the same strip sets are added to all 4 sides.

• Cut (2) 24 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch strips from a solid color with good contrast
• Cut (2) 26 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch strips from a solid color with good contrast
• Sew the 24 1/2 inch strips to the 2 sides of the quilt.
• Sew the 26 1/2 inch strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.
• The quilt should now measure 26 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches square. THIS IS THE LAST SQUARE STEP.

Quilt with strip sets added only to top and bottom changing the quilt to a rectangle.

Step 7: Adding blocks to top and bottom of the quilt

• Choose a quilt block that you like and that will be 6 1/2 inches UNFINISHED. (I found the pattern for this block, "Vintage Propellers" at ConnectingThreads.com).
• Make (6) 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 (unfinished) blocks
• Cut (4) 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 spacer blocks from one of the patterned fabrics
• Sew two strips sets: 1 quilt block, one spacer block, 1 quilt block, one spacer block, 1 quilt block.
• Sew one strip set to the top of the quilt and one to the bottom of the quilt.
• The quilt is now 26 x 38 inches.

Adding skinny side strips with fussy cut patches

Step 8: Adding just side strips with embedded fussy cut patches

•  Cut (4) 6 x 2 1/2 inch strips from a patterned fabric
•  Fussy cut (4) patches 2 1/2 inches wide and as tall as needed for the design.
•  Because my fussy cut patches were a variety of heights, you'll need to do a bit of your own quilt math to cut this strip. From the patternedfabric, cut (2) 2 1/2 inch x length needed to make a completed 26 inch strip set when a fussy cut patch is attached to the top and bottom of this strip. Make sure to allow for the quarter inch seam allowances when cutting this spacer strip.
• Sew one fussy cut patch set to each end of the spacer cut in the previous step.
• Sew one 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch strip cut from patterned fabric to the top and bottom of each of these fussy cut strip sets.
• The quilt should now measure 30 x 38 inches.

In the final post next week, the quilt top will be completed.

Fussy Cut Medallion Quilt Step-by-Step: Working in the Round

In the last post I started the directions for making a Crib/lap size Medallion Quilt. 

Step 1 was creating the 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch central focal block for the medallion quilt.  This post will include the steps for the concentric strip sets, working in Round, keeping the quilt square.  Step 2 and Step 3 can be seen with the central medallion in the picture above.

Step 2: patterned strips

• Cut 2 strips 9 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches from your jelly roll strips
• Cut 2 strips 12 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches from your jelly roll strips
• Sew the 9 1/2 inch strips to the 2 sides of the central block. Press
• Sew the 12 1/2 inch strips to the top and bottom of the central blocks. Press
• Trim to 12 1/2 inches square

Step 3: Flying geese strips

• Cut (12) 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch strips from a solid fabric
• Cut (24) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch squares from 1 jelly roll strip
• Cut 2 corner blocks 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch squares from a jelly roll strip which contrasts with the jelly roll strip used for the flying geese
• Draw a diagonal line down across each of the (24) 2 1/2 inch squares.  Place a square on the right side of the solid rectangle and sew just to the inside (closer the the corner) of the drawn line. Press.  Trim seam to 1/4 inch. Repeat on the left side of the rectangle to complete the flying geese block.
• Sew 3 flying geese blocks together on the short ends of the rectangle.  Sew 2 of these units to the sides of the quilt
• Sew 1 2 1/2 inch square corner block to each end of the other 2 flying geese units. Press.  Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt
• The quilt should now measure 16 1/2 inches square

Round 4 of the Polar Medallion Quilt

Step 4: Strips with Fussy Cut Corner Blocks

• Cut (4) 16 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch strips from a solid color
• Fussy cut (4) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 corner blocks from the novelty fabric
• Sew two solid strips to each side of the quilt.
• Sew a corner block to each end of the remaining 2 solid color strips. PressBe careful of the orientation of the design in your fussy cut block if there is a right way up in the pattern.
• Sew the strips with the corner blocks to the quilt. Press.
  • The quilt should now measure 20 1/2 inches x 20 1/2 inches

Polar Medallion Quilt Step 5

Step 5: Squares with center-strip spacer units

• Cut (44) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch squares from an assortment of the jelly roll strips
• Cut (4) 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch spacer blocks from a coordinating solid fabric (good use of scraps)
• Sew four units of (5) 2 1/2 square blocks
• Sew (1) 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch spacer blocks to 1 strip of 5 blocks. Then sew another 5 block strip to the other side of the spacer.  Make one more unit this way.
• Sew four units of (6) 2 1/2 inch square blocks
• Sew (1) 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch spacer block to 1 strip of 6 blocks. Then sew another 6 block strip to the other side of the spacer block. Make one more unit this way.
• Attach the shorter strips to the sides of the quilt
• Attach the longer strips to the top and bottom of the quilt
• The quilt should measure 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches square

Next week working in the round will be finished and the quilt will be changed into a rectangle.

Quilt Design: Walking Through the Process, Creating the Lab Puppies Quilt

I have a tendency to show a block or a stack of fabrics and the next time that project appears it is finished quilt top or a completed quilt.  How a design actually becomes to a quilt remains a mystery!  So I thought I'd walk you through the design process for my Lab Puppies quilt.

I had fat quarters of my Lab Puppies fabric in 5 colors. I found I could fussy cut the pair of dogs into patches 5 inches wide and 4 inches high without "wasting" any of the printed dogs.

I also had 2 stacks of 10 inch precuts. One stack was 1930s reproduction fabrics and the other was solid colors which coordinate with 1930's fabrics. They were in my stash, purchased previously from Keepsake Quilting. I decided to alternate my dog blocks with pieced rail fence blocks, with strips cut from the patterned '30s fabrics.

Here is my original layout on my design wall (the fuzzy side of a picnic tablecloth).

Symmetric layout, with fussy cut dog blocks alternating with rail fence blocks

It was nice.  Nothing wrong with it--just not exciting.

I gave myself a time-out see if an idea for better layout surfaced. I decided to sit down and watch Lisa Congdon's Creativebug class, More Sketchbook Explorations.  During the video of the first chapter she commented that the eye prefers a "little bit of disruption in the overall composition." BINGO!  I literally shot out of my chair and went to the cutting table.

I cut 4 inch squares out of the stack of solid '30s colors.  I randomly placed a single solid color block next to a dog block in each row of the quilt.

Lab Puppies "Disrupted" Layout on the Design Wall

The random block create a much more interesting design!!  My eye recognized the disruption but only the purple solid square really stood out. I had to really look to find the solid patches in the other rows!

I love the "cross-pollination" between different genres. A drawing/doddling class provided the idea for the the "distrupted" layout which made a better quilt design!

In my next post I'll discuss my unconventional borders.

Black Lab Puppies Mono Print Fabric

This summer I learned how to make Andy Warhol Inspired Mono Prints on Creativebug.com. They are easy and so much fun!

I used two of my mono prints to make this Black Lab Puppies Mono Print fabric at Spoonflower.com.  It's available in an assortment of pastels, perfect for making items for a baby.

The colors are especially vivid printed on the minky fabric that Spoonflower offers.  It's so soft! I turned the design 90 degrees in both pink and aqua options, just so it can be used to make little blankets or other home dec projects.  A yard of the minky is 54 wide x 36 inches.

Printed on Spoonflower's minky fabric (Pink background)

The pair of lab puppties can be fussy cut into 5 inch wide x 4 inch high patches if you want to use it for a quilting project.

I'm really looking forward to sewing with this fabric!  Especially since the prints are from photos of one of my dogs!