Quilt Assembly Tutorial

By request from my friend JPC, I am gonna try to write out the "recipe" on how I assembled this quilt. Sorry for not having photos of each step - which usually makes it easier, but here is as much I can explain.  As I make future quilts I will try to be more diligent on the step by step photos.

1) Cut out all of the quilt pieces (following the measurements from a pattern is the simplest).  I used the Olfa rotary cutter and Alvin self healing cutting mat.
1a) Create the applique pieces (step by step instructions available here)
2) Arrange the loose pieces the way you want the quilt to look.

3) Starting with the top row, sew all of the squares together with 1/4 inch seam.   Continue with each row of squares until you end up with all of the squares connected in horizontal strips.

4) On the back, press flat the seams (with iron) with the fabric towards the darker fabric (this allows the seam to be less visible through the front).  Pressing is better than running it over with an iron so you don't stretch the fabric.

5) Sew the rows together trying to match the seams as best as possible.

6) Iron seams again and iron out any wrinkles from the entire piece.

7) Spreading out on a large flat surface ( I used my floor), smooth out and tape down the backing fabric (ironed) wrong side up.

8) Centre the batting piece over the taped down backing fabric and smooth out

9) Place your quilt as the top piece, centre and smooth out.

10) Using safety pins, baste the quilt layers together.  Start with the pin in the middle and work your way out; add a pin every 6 inches or so.  (buy the curved safety pins from the fabric store - it makes it a lot easier to pin the layers whilst on a flat surface)

Quilting
(sewing through all of the layers to keep the quilt together and to keep the batting in place)
For this quilt I "stitched in the ditch" for all of the seams.  I purchased a walking foot attachment for my sewing machine to help feed the layers through as I sewed.
After stitching in the ditch all of the material junctions, I machines sewed around each animal with about a 1/2 inch border.

In this picture you can see the stitching I did around the pig - I just followed the contours as best I could.  What you can't see (if I did it right) is the stitching in between the white and the blue and between all of the coloured squares. I used a beige thread for in between the different light coloured squares, but I used a dark blue for the ones lining the dark blue squares.

When you remove the pins, keep them open when you store them because it makes it easier the next time you baste, because then you dont have to reopen them again.

The last step is adding the binding around the edges.  First, trim all of the layers to match the top quilt piece.  I bought two packs of navy blue bias tape from the fabric store and attached it in one long train.  Then I machine sewed the tape on to the quilt with mitred corners and then hand stitched the other side on.  This step is kinda hard to explain so next time I will try to photo document it better.

I hope this was in some way helpful!!!