You can adapt this basic design and create beautiful quilts.


Finished size: About 220cm square.

Gather your supplies
Selection of silky-look plain, embroidered and printed fabrics; matching thread; quilting thread; 222cm-square piece of backing fabric (or pieced to size); wool/cotton batting (pieced to size); quilting pins; quilting safety pins; 6mm quilting tape; round quilting hoop; general sewing supplies

Note: 1 cm seams (unless otherwise specified)

Here's how
STEP 1 From your fabrics cut 64 squares each measuring 27cm on all sides. Cut 4 12cm-wide border strips (2 x 202cm long, and 2 x 222cm long). Cut enough 5cm-wide binding strips to go around the quilt plus 50cm.

STEP 2 Pin then stitch squares right sides together to form a row of 8 squares. No matching fabrics should be joined. Press seams to 1 side. Repeat to make 8 rows. Pin then stitch rows right sides together to form quilt top.

STEP 3 With right sides together, pin then stitch 2 short border strips to opposite sides of the quilt top Pin then stitch long border strips to the top and bottom of the quilt top.

STEP 4 Sandwich batting between quilt backing (face down) and top (face up). Smooth out wrinkles. Working out from centre, pin through all layers with safety pins. Hand-tack through layers to make a grid of lines 15cm apart.

STEP 5 As a quilting guide, lay strips of quilting tape on quilt top, either side of seams. Quilt along edges of tape using 8mm-long stitches. When finished, trim off excess batting and backing.

STEP 6 Join binding strips to required length using 45 degree seams. Press seams open. Press strips in half lengthways, wrong sides together Press 6mm under on a short end of strip. Aligning raw edges, start in centre of long side and stitch binding to quilt top using a 6mm seam ensuring raw edges are even. Stitch binding to all sides, overlapping at the end. Fold binding to back of quilt, turn hem under and slip stitch in place. Fold fabric at corners to form mitres.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens August 2005