Abundance Free Quilt Pattern

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
Today I'm happy to share the free quilt pattern I designed for my Curiosities collection, Abundance! The AGF team stitched it up in the Sweet Finds colorway. It uses just ten fat quarters and a little over two yards of solid fabric. I paired Curiosities with Pure Element White Linen for this quilt along with Nocturnal for the binding.

This is a fat-quarter friendly throw quilt that comes together quickly by taking advantage of strip-piecing. I love making these kinds of blocks, I hope you enjoy it too.

Quilt photos by Art Gallery Fabrics.

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
You can find the instructions to make this quilt below, or if you'd rather you can find it as a PDF here.

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order  
Sewing Level: Intermediate
Finished size: 60"x75"

Materials:
- 10 fat quarters of print fabrics*
- 2 1/4 yards solid fabric
- 68"x83" piece of batting
- 4 yards of backing fabric
- 1/2 yard of binding fabric
- Coordinating thread

*Minimum amount needed. Feel free to use additional fabrics for more variety. Piece totals are included below for cutting from scraps. Be sure to use pairs of strips to achieve block design.

Notes:
Finished block size: 7.5"
Width of Fabric (WOF) = 42" assumed
Fat Quarter =  18"x22"

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
Cutting:
From each print fat quarter*:
- Cut (12) 3"x6" strips
- Cut (4) 3"x8" strips

*Refer to above diagram for cutting layout.

From background fabric:
 - Cut (26) 3"xWOF strips
- Subcut (18) strips into a total of (120) 3"x6" strips
- Subcut (8) strips into a total of (40) 3"x8" strips

Total print 3"x6" strips: 120
Total print 3"x8" strips: 40
Total solid 3"x6" strips: 120
Total solid 3"x8" strips: 40





*Use a 1/4" seam allowance throughout.*


Block A Construction:
Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
1. Arrange two print 3"x6" strips and one background 3"x6" strip as shown in the diagram, with the background strip in the middle.

2. Sew together along the long edges to form a single strip set. Press seams open.

3. Cut strip set in half into two 3"x8" pieces.

4. Arrange pieces with a 3"x8" background strip in the middle.

5. Sew together along the long edges to complete block. Press seams open.

Repeat steps 1-5 to create a total of 40 blocks, four from each print.

Block B Construction:
Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
1. Arrange two background 3"x6" strips and one print 3"x6" strip as shown in the diagram, with the print strip in the middle.

2. Sew together along the long edges to form a single strip set. Press seams open.

3. Cut strip set in half into two 3"x8" pieces.

4. Arrange pieces with a 3"x8" print strip in the middle.

5. Sew together along the long edges to complete block. Press seams open.

Repeat steps 1-5 to create a total of 40 blocks, four from each print.

Quilt Top Construction:
Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
1. Arrange blocks in ten rows of eight blocks each. Alternate A and B blocks in each row (refer to the quilt diagram if necessary).

2. Sew blocks in each row together, press seams to one side, alternating direction every other row.

3. Sew rows together to complete quilt top, press seams open.

Finishing:
1. Prepare Backing: It’s good practice to cut your backing and batting at least 4” larger than your top on all four sides. I’ve included this overage in the backing yardage requirements. Cut your backing yardage in half. Press. Trim off the selvedges and sew your pieces together lengthwise. Press seam open.

2. Basting: Using masking or painter’s tape, tape the backing to a clean, hard surface, right side down. Spread out your batting on top of the backing. Smooth out any wrinkles. Carefully spread out your quilt top on top of the batting, right side up. Pin your top, I like to use curved safety pins, spacing the pins a few inches apart. Make sure that your pins are going through all three layers.

3. Quilting: Quilt as desired, by machine or by hand. Trim away excess batting and backing fabric.

4. Binding: Cut yardage listed for binding into 2.5” strips. Trim off selvedges and sew your strips together to form one long strip, press seams open. Fold in half lengthwise, pressing with your iron as you fold. Attach binding using your preferred method. For a detailed tutorial on attaching your binding to both sides by machine, see here.

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
Abundance looks pretty in the Fresh Encounters colorway too.

Abundance Free Quilt Pattern - In Color Order
If you make something using this pattern, I hope you'll share it in the In Color Order Flickr Group or using the #jenibaker hashtag on Instagram!

Happy Quilting!

12 comments :

  1. I wanted to thank you for sharing your lovely pattern. I saved the PDF to my huge,ever growing file and then realized that I have loved LOTS of your patterns. So thank you again for all your inspiration and patterns, it's greatly appreciated!

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  2. Lovely fresh quilt design: I have wanted to make a plus quilt for a while and I like your spin on it. Thanks for the free pattern.

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  3. I printed this a couple days ago, love it! Thanks :)

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  4. What a lovely pattern! I love your new design - especially since it only uses 10 fat quarters. How handy!

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  5. Thanks for the pattern. Hope to make it in beachy fabrics for my granddaughter's new apartment.

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  6. I just downloaded this last night while looking for a pattern! It is so pretty. I sure love your new fabric collection, the oranges are my favorite. Hope to get it soon.

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  7. I love this pattern and I have a FQ bundle I pulled from the stash that's waiting for something to be done with it. This is perfect!

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  8. I have your books, many many of your patterns and my admiration for your talent is great. My latest acquisition is "The Half Square Triangle." I am constantly inspired by your work and will always be a fan.

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  9. Thank you for this darling pattern. Will use it to make one of 13 graduation/welcome to college quilts.
    Love your patterns and books.

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  10. Thanks for the beautiful pattern. I have the top pieced (Christmas fabrics with white and red solids). In what motif did you quilt the two examples you show?

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    Replies
    1. Oooh, sounds pretty! I actually didn't make this particular sample, Art Gallery Fabrics did. It looks like they did straight lines through the center of the pluses!

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