Reversible Quilt: Kathy Rutkosky
A number of people have expressed interest in learning how to make the reversible quilts. Meriellen has scheduled a short "show and tell" at the May 1st meeting. I will bring various reversible quilts and give a short summary of the process. This is most definitely a learn-as-you-do technique and therefore cannot be fully taught during a regular meeting. Meriellen has set up an all-day sewing experience on Saturday, May 19th at the Rec Center. You are invited to bring your machine and sew all day.
This is an easy and fun way to make a quilt that is completely quilted once you have finished attaching the borders. You'll enjoy it and probably find many ways to vary the technique to meet your own creative inclinations.
If you are interested in this class a complete fabric and supply list follows. You will want to print this off and bring it along to the May 1st meeting and the May 19th class. We will not be running any separate copies of these sheets since we did not know how many people would want to participate. Please share with friends who do not have computer/printer access.
Here is a picture of one of my flannel baby quilts. Fabric given on the supply list will be enough for a 45 inch square quilt with the borders, sashing and binding as shown. Use flannel or whatever other fabrics you choose. Picking fabrics you really love for the corner triangles and the sashing is the most important. The strips will usually blend in so aren't as critical to the finished product. Once you learn this technique you will be able to expand it to other (larger) quilts. Starting small and simple is prudent.
Reversible Quilt Supply List for 45 inch quilt. Remember that the back of the quilt looks similar to the front and requires the same amount of fabric as the front.
Fabric:
3 yards for the large corner triangles. You can use the same fabric for both sides or choose different pieces (1.5 yds. for each side). This is a little extra fabric but better safe than sorry.
2 1/2 yards fabric for the sashing, borders and binding. It is simplest to use the same for all but you can deviate if you want. If you want borders that are wider than 3 inches, get more fabric.
The various fabric strips require approximately 1/4 yard of 12 different fabrics. (This is enough for both sides.) You could use less or more variety in fabrics depending on how scrappy you want your quilt to look. A thought would be to share fabrics with someone else so you have a greater variety without buying so much. If you have other smaller pieces bring them along since they can often be used as well.
16 10 inch squares of batting. I use Warm and Natural but as long as it's not high-loft batting, it'll work.
Thread to blend with your triangle fabrics as your stitching will show on the reverse large triangles. I used a light grey throughout. Also thread to blend with your sashing, etc. I used a dark blue for that. Monofilament thread if you want to hide the machine stitching you do on the sashing strips. Or you may decide to hand stitch these down.
Book:
It would be a good idea to get Sharon Pedersen's book REVERSIBLE QUILTS. If you can't find the first book, her second book MORE REVERSIBLE QUILTS, also has all the basic directions you would need. (One book or the other, you don't really need both but look them over and see which you like the best.) I will demo all the steps for you but six months from now you will be glad to have the book when you want to make another quilt. I always go back to my book and the notes I've written in it. She shows many ways to arrange the blocks as well as many ideas for making other reversible quilts. These books are available on amazon.com both new and used. Prices are not bad and if you combine and order for a few people at a time the shipping will be free
Tools:
 | rotary cutter and mat |
| 12 1/2 inch square ruler: see through, with a diagonal line (a must) |
| 12 or 24 inch ruler |
| few straight pins |
| basic sewing supplies |
We'll need a few irons and boards. A small pressing board works just fine if you have one.
Preliminary Instructions:
Wash, dry and press all fabric (I also wash and dry the batting). This is especially important when sewing with flannels because they tend to shrink when washed.
A second prep list and initial cutting instructions follow but you may want to wait for the demo on May 1st at Quilt Club before you do the actual cutting. I will be happy to answer questions you have at that meeting and will have a sample of each step for you to look at.
Basic cutting directions for the 45 inch flannel baby size reversible quilt.
You'll want to cut some of this ahead of the class so here are the basics:
Even though this technique can be used with larger blocks, for your first effort 9 inch finished blocks would be best.
Cut the batting at 10 inches square, you'll need 16 squares. Leave the batting in squares.
Cut the fabric pieces that you will use for the corner triangles at 11 inches square, and then cut them in half diagonally.
To make the 16 finished blocks you will need 16 batting squares and a total of 16 fabric squares. If you want a different fabric for your corner triangles on each side you will cut 8 of one feature fabric and 8 of the other. After you cut these fabric squares diagonally you will then have 16 triangles of the one fabric and 16 triangles of the second fabric.
For the stripping pieces cut WOF strips that vary in size from 2.50 inches to 1.25 inches. Do not cut the strips more than 2.5" or less than 1.25 inches. You will cut these to fit as you place them on your block so just leave them in the long strips for now. You can cut as many different fabrics as you want or as few as 10 or 12 different fabrics. You do not have to stay exactly at 1.25 or 2.50" when cutting these strips. They could be 2 3/8" or 1 3/4" for example. Just cut enough strips to get started. You'll probably end up cutting more as you go along. I generally start out by cutting a 2.5, a 1.75, a 1.50 and a 1.25 inch strip from each of 10 or 12 different fabrics.
Don't do any cutting with the sashing fabric yet. We'll wait and measure your finished squares before cutting these and the same with the border pieces.
If you are unsure about any of the cutting directions, wait and talk with me at the quilt club meeting. I will have everything for a quilt cut so you can see what I've done. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.
Kathy Rutkosky
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04/02/2007