How To Make a Quilt With Six Inch Squares
Quilts made from large, six-inch squares of fabric can have a rustic look and can also showcase fabric with larger designs. Quilts with six-inch squares will go together quickly and easily. You can use these instructions for a small baby quilt, a medium throw-size quilt or a bed-size quilt.
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Things You'll Need
- Iron
- Fabric squares
- Ruler
- Fabric scissors
- Needle
- Thread
- Pins
- Sewing machine (optional)
- Batting slightly larger than desired finished size of quilt
- Large piece of fabric slightly larger than desired finished size of quilt
- Embroidery floss or yarn (optional)
Instructions
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Cutting and Sewing Fabric Squares
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1
Press the fabric to remove wrinkles. Use starch if necessary. This step will ensure that your squares are accurate.
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Trace around a six-and-a-half-inch square template made of cardboard or plastic, or purchase a six-and-a-half-inch ruler at a quilt or fabric shop. (The extra half-inch is for the seam allowances and will disappear when you sew your squares together.)
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3
Sew squares together, right sides together, by hand or machine. Keep your stitches 1/4 inch from the raw edges of the fabric. Use a few pins to keep the edges lined up as you sew, but do not sew over the pins if you are sewing by machine. If you are machine sewing, sew the square pairs one after another without cutting the thread.
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Press all seams to one side before proceeding. This will help when lining up seams for the next step and keep the right side of the quilt flat.
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5
Sew your square pairs together into small units of four, then eight, then 16 squares. Make sure the seam allowances meeting in the back go in opposite directions to prevent bumps, and use a pin to keep fabric from slipping while sewing. It is also easier to make the seams match up on the right side when the seam allowances go in opposite directions. Press seams after each step.
Finishing the Quilt
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When all six-inch squares have been sewn together, press the quilt one last time. Cut a piece of batting and a piece of fabric the same size as the quilt top. Lay the backing fabric right-side-up on a table or floor. Lay the quilt top right-side-down on top of the backing fabric, and put the batting on top of that. Pin the three layers together while matching the edges.
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Sew by hand or machine around the edge of the quilt (using a 1/4-inch seam) leaving 6 to 10 inches open on one side for turning. Trim the corners off close to the stitching to reduce bulk. Pull the quilt through the opening. The batting should end up in the middle. Make sure to poke the corners into points from the inside, then stitch up the opening with an invisible hand stitch. You can also stitch 1/2 inch from the edge in a large machine or hand stitch to keep the layers in place.
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Quilt the three layers of the quilt together by sewing through all layers in a decorative design or a grid, or tying square knots at intervals with embroidery floss or yarn.
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Tips & Warnings
Create variety by not putting two squares of the same fabric together.
Most quilts are made from all-cotton fabric, but variations on this are possible. Make sure all the fabrics are of similar weights (all cotton, all flannel or all denim for example).
When sewing squares by machine, sewing one after another without cutting the thread saves yards of thread.
Plan to include only fabrics that are laundered the same way in your quilt. If you have a felt, velvet or other unusual fabric in the quilt, it will have to be replaced after machine washing and drying.
