Miniature Quilt Group joint co-ordinator, Karen has designed a quilt made from the contents of her scrap bag. This applique, crazy patchwork and embroidery project will be really fun to do!

Requirements

From light background scraps

cut 1 – 3½” centre square

cut 12 – 2” squares

Inner Border

cut 2 – 1¼” x 6½” strips

cut 2 – 1¼” x 8” strips

From a thin calico type material cut the following.

cut 2 – 2¼” x 10” strips

cut 2 –  2¼” x 12” strips

Small amount of bond-a-web and small scraps for the leaf shapes.

Small scraps for the crazy patchwork.

Cut 2 strips 2” wide for the binding (2 full widths of the fabric should be plenty for the binding, I used large sections I had left over from a fat quarter. So about 5 widths of a fat quarter will be plenty).

I used a scant ¼” seam allowance.

Construction

1. Arrange the twelve 2” squares around the centre square. Once this was pieced I wrote on a scrap piece of paper the wording I wanted and traced it on the central square. I used a light box but if you don’t have one tape the paper on to the window and then trace the wording on to the patch. This is best done on a sunny day. Or if you are feeling confidant write it on free hand.  It may help if a piece of stitch‘n’tear is place behind the wording while you embroider the lettering. I used a simple backstitch. Using a coton-a-broder thread.

2. Next sew on the inner plain border strips. The two short strips are sewn to two opposite sides of the central panel. Sewn with a 1/4″ seam is seam allowance. The seam is then press towards the border strips that have just been sewn on. The two remaining inner border strip are sewn to the other opposite sides, again with a 1/4″ seam allowance and pressing the seam towards the border that you have just added.

3. On the paper side of a Bond-a-web type product draw 12 leaf shapes, I used the smallest one of June Tailor’s mix ‘n’ match templates for quilters. The centre line is 2” long and was just the right size for the squares. These were then ironed on the wrong side of the fabric pieces for the “leaves”. Once they have cooled down cut them out on the drawn line. Remove the paper backing and arrange them on your quilt. I sewed around each leaf shape with a small narrow zig-zag stitch but you could do a blanket stitch or applique them by hand the choice is yours. 

4. Take the 4 thin calico type fabric strips and we are going to ‘make some fabric’. I used the calico as a foundation as I would be cutting my scraps at all angles. As it will not be removed a thin calico is best.

I started by placing a fabric piece on or about the centre of each strip. Now take your next scrap and place it right sides together and sew along one side of first piece at an angle. 

Once the seam is sewn trim the seam allowance to about 1/4” and press the piece open, I have used the flip and sew method to create the 4 outer border strips. After adding a piece I placed the next piece at an angle. Just keep placing more scraps on to the border strips until the calico is completely cover with your scraps. Try and find some feature fabrics to used I found a couple of scraps with faces on to include.

5. Once the 4 calico strips are completely covered with scraps give them a press. They will now be trimmed down to the correct size. This will allow to play around a bit with how much or not of the fabrics you will see on your finished strips. 

Cut 2 strips down to 1¾” x 8”  these are sewn on to the sides.

Cut 2 strips down to 1¾” x  10½”  these are sewn to the top and bottom.

When these border strips are sewn on press the seams toward the inner plain border. 

6. Lay out your backing fabric, wadding and quilt top and make a quilt sandwich and quilt your quilt as desired. I quilted round the leaf shapes, in the ditch round the central square (quilting ‘in the ditch’ is where you sew in the seam between the fabrics), and on the plain border 1/8” each side of the seam. 

I hope you will enjoy making this mini quilt, I know I enjoyed making mine. If you make one do please share your photo’s on social media and tag us on Instagram @thequiltersguild, or on Facebook.

© Karen Llewellyn-Parsons 2022. This pattern is not to be used for commercial purposes.