Abundance Free Quilt Pattern

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.


You can find the instructions to make this quilt below, or if you'd rather you can find it as a PDF here.

 
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"


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:

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:

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:

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 looks pretty in the Fresh Encounters colorway too.


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!