Art Quilt Tutorial

Here's a brief tutorial for the art quilts I made for my daughter's school. These instructions are for a quilt that measures approximately 65"x72".

Supplies:
White quilter's cotton - 2 yards
Solid coloured backing fabric - 4 yards
Printed fabric - 2 yards
Thread
Quilt batting (cotton is best, but polyester is economical)
Fabric paints

Cutting:
White quilter's cotton - 30 6.5" squares
Solid backing fabric - 20 3.5" squares
Solid backing fabric - 2 45"x90" pieces
Solid backing fabric - 8 yards of 2" wide binding
Printed fabric - 50 6.5"x3.5" rectangles
Printed fabric - 8 45"x3.5" strips

Instructions:

1. Paint white squares with whatever theme you desire. Make sure that the squares have a 1/2" allowance on all sides, because some fabric paints are difficult to sew.


2. When squares are dry, lay them out on a flat surface. Organize them so that they are visually appealing.


3. Sew everything together, using a 1/4" seam allowance. When I made my quilts, I sewed the five art squares across, then the separator strips, then assembled the quilt tops. The order of the piecing doesn't really matter. Do whatever is most convenient for you.


4. Sew top/bottom sashing and side sashing together. Line up centers with the center of the quilt, then trim excess. I sewed on the side sashing first, then the top & bottom.


5. Sew quilt backing pieces together.


6. Lay everything out on a flat surface. I like to pin things down on the floor. First, pin down the backing, then lay batting on top, making sure there are no wrinkles or creases. Next, lay the pieced quilt top down, lining up the center of the quilt top with the seam in the backing. Pin everything together, then baste together.


7. Apply quilt binding.


8. Finish the quilt in your preferred method. I like to stitch in the ditch, but these quilts were hand tied with yarn.