Creative articles about quilting

Happy Scrappy quilt backing [One Two TREE Quilt Along]

Surprise! Here is the first blog posts with a pattern for the new Sugaridoo BERNINA quilt along.

Do you also have a hard time waiting for the One Two TREE QAL to start? I just can’t wait for it to begin. So today, I have something for you. I’m sharing the pattern for the backing of the quilt. So you can go ahead and start preparing that already. 

One Two TREE Quilt Along

This blog post is part of the One Two TREE Quilt Along. This is a free QAL where you will learn to confidently quilt your own quilts with free motion quilting and rulerwork quilting.

On January the 12th we will start sewing trees. Those trees we will use as a canvas to quilt a different pattern in each of them. We’ll take it slow and start with the very basics. Want to join in? Start here and read more about the Quilt Along and the Fabrics and Materials. There you’ll also see the quilt that we’re making.

There are fabric kits available for the QAL in the Sugaridoo webshop. But you’re also free to join in with your own fabrics of course.

Quilt backing

This backing pattern is optional. It’s perfectly fine to use one large piece of fabric for the back of the quilt. But I thought it would be fun to piece together a Happy Scrappy backing.

The finished QAL quilt top measures  51 1/2 x 68 1/2. The batting and backing of the quilt need to be a little big bigger. The Happy Scrappy backing measures 59 1/2 x 76 1/2 inch. Here is how to make it. All measurements include 1/4″ seam allowance.

There are kits available for this backing if you’re interested.
(I ship world wide, the fabric kits and ruler sets are still in stock and ship every week.)

Scrappy strip

If you’re sewing with a backing kit, you will find 2 1/2″ strips in there. From these strips you’ll make the scrappy backing and the scrappy binding.

From the 2 1/2 inch strips, cut pieces varying between 3 and 8 inch (or as short or as long as you like). Sew these into one long scrappy strip that measures about 200 inch. 

Please note: Feel free to start with a shorter scrappy strip and add pieces to it along the way. When you read the whole pattern before you start, you’ll see that we won’t need that 200 inch strip in one piece 😉 It’s just an indication of how much scrappy fabric you’ll need.

If you’re making this quilt with your own fabrics, you can dive in to your scrap box and cut 2 1/2″ wide strips from your scrap fabrics. 

Backing fabric

For this backing you will need 3 meter (3 1/4 yard) of background fabric.

Cut the following pieces from the background fabric.

  • A: 4 times 17 1/2 x 9″
  • B: 8 times 7 x 9″
  • C: 30 1/2 x 76 1/2″
  • D: 10 1/2 x 76 1/2″

Sewing A blocks

Now we can start sewing. We will start with our scrappy strip and four A pieces. Sew pieces of the scrappy strip along the 9″ side of the rectangles.

Sewing B blocks

Take two B pieces and sew a piece of scrappy strip to the 7″ side and then a piece of scrappy strip to the longer side, like in the image below.

Let’s call these B-left.

Then take two B pieces and sew first a piece of scrappy strip to the 7″ side and then a piece of scrappy strip to the other longer side, like in the image below.

Let’s call these blocks B-right

Take the other four B pieces and sew a piece of scrappy strip to the 7″ side. After that you’ll sew a piece of scrappy strip to both longer sides.

We’ll call these blocks B-double.

Now we will combine the B-left and B-double blocks into the block you see below. Make two of these. 

And combine the B-right and B-double blocks into the block you see below. Also make two of these. 

Assembling the quilt

All the building blocks are in place for our Happy Scrappy quilt backing. We’re almost there!

Sew the A and B blocks together, alternating like you see in the figure below. Then add piece C and D, and you’re done.

There you have the first part in place for the upcoming One Two TREE Quilt Along. 

Are you going to make a special backing? Or will you use one piece of fabric?

See you in a few weeks for the first tree pattern!
Hugs, Irene

 

 

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