I’m so pleased with how this design came out for my nautical lap quilt, that I just to share it with you, here is my step by step print friendly tutorial, so you can make it too…
Here is what you will need:
• 32” x 40” French Navy Textured Blender • Nautical rose fabric roll • 3 x fat quarters (I chose red ships, blue compass, blue anchor) • 33” x 28” piece of batting • 505 temporary adhesive spray • Dresden template • Sewing machine, basic sewing supplies small piece of cardboard and an iron.
Let’s begin:
We will start by making the Dresden pattern, you will need 21 pieces in total, so I cut 3 of each design in the jelly roll, plus 3 pieces from the navy blender. These should measure 5 ½” in length, but the width of the jelly strip.
Take each piece and fold in half-length ways and press, then sew a line of stitches ¼” from the top, press open, repeat this for all 21 pieces. (to save on time, you can sew them in a chain, then cut them apart afterwards)
We are now ready to sew the pieces together using a ¼” seam allowance, for crisp seams, press them open.
Back:
Front:
How to make the center circle:
Cut out a piece of cardboard 4” in diameter, then fold your chosen fabric in half and cut out a circle about 1” bigger then the cardboard.
Use a tacking stitch roughly ¼” round the edge, insert the cardboard and pull the tacking stitches tight, press your fabric, and remove the cardboard.
Take your navy textured blender fabric and trim to measure 20” x 25”, fold in half, then half again, and press the center seam, open out.
The will help you find the center, for your Dresden template, pin in place, then pin your circle in place.
Using a small binding stitch to hold this is place, the same stitch you use when adding binding.
That’s the tricky bit done…
We now need to take the three strips of anchor fabric, sewing the two longer edges first (top and bottom of quilt), using ¼” seam allowance. And using the third piece and a cut off piece for the third and fourth edge.
It’s starting to take shape…
Using the same process as before, add the next layer around the edge (blue zig-zag) this time you will have to join two pieces together to create a length for the forth side, try and pattern match this. Press your seams open.
Trim the quilt to measure 32 ½” x 28” and that’s the front completed, time for a cuppa...
Let’s begin the back of the quilt, preparing your fabrics:
• Trim the ‘red ship’ fat quarter, to measure 20” x 18” • Cut 2 pieces of the ‘compass’ fabric to measure 6 ½” x 18” each • Cut 2 pieces of the ‘navy blender’ fabric to measure 32 ½” x 5 ½”
Sew the two short sides first on to the red fat quarter, right side together using ¼” seam allowance, press your seams open.
Add the blue blender to the top and bottom of the quilt, press seams open.
Time to create the quilt sandwich: I use 505 temporary basting spray and curved safety pins to hold in place, while I quilt it.
I didn’t want to anything too elaborate for the quilting, as I love the Dresden pattern, so I decided to extend the pattern, by quilting from where the Dresden applique finished out to the corners of the quilt, I used a blue quilting thread, and because I was quilting in straight lines, I didn’t drop the feed drops or change my sewing foot. I marked out the lines using a quilting ruler and fabric pen (which can be removed with an iron once the stitching is in place)
I then hand sewed all the ends into the quilt sandwich, to finish it off and to make sure it wouldn’t come undone, when the quilt was being washed.
To make the binding for the quilt, I took the three strips of ‘red knots’ fabric and pressed them in half-length ways.
With right sides, together I machine stitched the binding to the front of the quilt, using a ½” seam.
Once all sides were attached, I then hand stitched the binding to the reverse of the quilt, and used a blanket stitch to keep the corners neat.
Your beautiful quilt is complete, thank you so much for reading, if you enjoyed this tutorial, please follow me on Instagram, and be sure to upload your own creations.
All these beautiful nautical fabrics are available from craftcotton, I’ve really enjoyed working with them, and I’m so pleased with the results of the fabrics.
Designed and created by Michelle Roberts for the Craft Cotton Co 2017