How to make a trip around the world quilt

The trip around the world quilt has a beautiful progression of colors but is easy enough for a beginner quilt maker.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3/4 yard of each of six fabrics, progressing from light to dark
• cutting mat
• rotary cutter
• quilter's ruler
• sewing machine
• thread

1. Use the rotary cutter, mat and ruler to cut four 6-1/2 inch strips the width of the fabric from each of the six fabrics.

2. Sew the strips together in order from light to dark, using scant 1/4 inch seams. Press seam allowances in alternating directions. Sew the top and bottom together to make a tube. Repeat with the remaining strips of fabric.

3. 
    
   Cut the fabric tube (left) into strips (center) and sew the strips together in color order (right). Click on photo to enlarge.

   Cut the tube into 6-1/2 inch rings. Carefully pick out the stitches in each ring to make a strip of colors. Open the first ring at the first color, so the strip has fabrics in order 1,2,3,4,5,6. Open two rings to make strips with fabrics in order 2,3,4,5,6,1. Open two rings to make strips in order 3,4,5,6,1,2, and continue. Do this with two tubes of fabric.
   
   With the remaining two, repeat the process but remove one square of fabric from each strip so the first strip is fabrics 2,3,4,5,6, and enxt two are fabrics 3,4,5,6,1, and so on.

4. Sew the strips from the first two tubes together, with strip 1,2,3,4,5,6 in the middle, then strips 2,3,4,5,6,1 on each side of it, and so on. Because seams were pressed in alternating directions, they will butt up and nest together to match.
   
   Sew strips fron the last two tubes together, with 2,3,4,5,6 in the middle and progressing out from there.

5. 
    
   The sofa-sized quilt pictured uses 14 fabrics.

   Sew the two long pieces you have created together with the lightest color in the middle. Press.

Tips & Warnings

• Instructions are for a sofa-sized quilt.
• Larger numbers of fabrics make prettier quilts.
• Use an even number of fabrics.
• Mix patterns and solids.
• Borders are optional.
• The traditional quilting design for this pattern is diagonal lines.
• Warning: Quilt making can be addictive.

[quilts]

on 11/3/2009 These instructions are totally useless without diagrams or photos to provide visual reference!