Zig Zag Modern Fuse Applique Baby Quilt

Categories: Gifts, Bedding, Quilts

This zig zag modern fuse baby quilt was a gift for an expectant mother friend. Baby quilts are small enough to quilt on a normal sewing machine, vs needing a long armer or hand sewing. It’s a great size to try out new techniques or if you’re new to quilting, like me. I’ve only made quilts for friends, and they’re always baby sized. This quilt using Stick Interfacing to fuse fabrics together. Instead of batting, I used 2 layers of Smooth Fusible Fleece Interfacing in Black, between the quilt top and backing. The quilting uses machine stitched zigzags, including free motion embroidery. This was the 1st quilt I bound without hand sewing. The binding is done similarly to Carolina Moore’s Binding the Quilt tutorial. I learn better with videos, and used these instructions, which were a total time saver, and kept with the zig zag theme. My default sewing machine needle is a denim one, as it’s very strong, especially through layers of fabric! This quilt uses a lot of thread, so I recommend having two black thread spools on hand. You’ll need to refill the bobbin often.

What you need to make this project

Materials: 1/2 Yard Stick Double Sided Fusible Interfacing; 1.5 Yards Smooth Fusible Fleece Interfacing in Black

Supplies: P&B Textiles Urban Scandinavian Black and White fat quarter stack of each print; 1 Yard grey batik cotton fabric; 1/2 Yard black cotton fabric; 2 Spools black thread; Clear drafting ruler; Dritz Sewer's Pencil Marking Set; Fabric scissors; Free Motion Embroidery Foot; Sewing machine; Iron; Ironing board; Dritz pressing cloth

Quick Shop

Instructions

Step One

On the back of the fat quarters, mark out strips 3″ side. For this quilt, you’ll probably need 2 strips per fabric. I cut more than that, for multiple projects. Cut the strips up into rectangles 2″-2.5″ long. I found it was fastest to stack matching strips together, fold them in half, and cut 4 even pieces…making 8 even rectangles per fabric strip. Separate the fabrics into stacks.

Step Two

At the sewing machine, load it with black thread. Decide on an order for the fabrics to appear. I chose dark and light alternating. Straight sew the rectangles together 1/4″ from the edge, making a long strip.

I did chain piecing, to save thread. Chain piecing it when you sew two fabrics right sides together, make a space of fabricless stitching, and sew two more fabrics together, continuing this sewing pattern until all of the fabric pairs are sewn in one chain. Snip the chains, and sew the pairs together at one end. Continue sewing the pieces together, until a long strip is formed. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each fabric stitching line.

Step Three

Measure and cut the long strip into 24″ lengths. Cut the 1 yard of batik cotton fabric in half, lengthwise. Turn the iron on to cotton (highest setting). On the back of the cut strips, iron all the seams in the same direction. This quilt needs 7, 24″ long strips.

Iron the two batik cotton pieces and black cotton fabric smooth. Set the black cotton and 1 piece of batik cotton aside.

Step Four

Cut 7 strips of Stick Interfacing 2.75″ wide by 24″ long. Working at angles, layer the batik cotton, a Stick Interfacing strip and a long stitched fabric strip. Make sure the stick is completely under the long stitched fabric strip. Iron the layers together. Use the Dritz pressing cloth, over the layers, if you’re worried about the stick touching the iron. It will peel off a cold iron easily. Repeat this ironing step, shifting the strips in opposite angles, slightly overlapping the ends.

Step Five

With the Smooth Fusible Fleece Interfacing in Black, and fabric scissors, cut two rectangles 2″ larger around than the quilt top. Lay the quilt top on the center of one Smooth piece, glue side up. Iron the quilt top and Smooth together, with steam. Flip over the fused pieces, and iron the fleece side. Repeat this fusing with the quilt backing and 2nd Smooth rectangle.

Step Six

Lay the quilt top on the quilt backing, with the fleece sides facing. Smooth the layers. Pin the layers together, following the zig zag applique. The applique will be quilted in the next step.

Step Seven

Set your sewing machine stitch to a medium width, closely spaced zig zag. Zig Zag stitch along the applique raw edges, though all the fabric layers. Remove the straight pins as needed.

Step Eight

Switch the sewing machine foot to the free motion embroidery foot. Set your stitch to straight and middle. Adjust your tension to a 7 or 8. If you have never used this kind of foot, please test your skills on some scrap fabric layers, before starting to embroider this quilt. I’ve been using this foot for years, but still chose a very basic zig zag pattern.

My machine has speed adjustment. I put it to medium speed, so my max speed is consistent and something I’m comfortable with. This keeps the stitches close to even.

If you can, lower the feet dogs on your machine. If you don’t know what feed dogs are, they are the pointy things that help pull the fabric along the machine, in normal stitching. You won’t need these, but honestly, you’ll be ok if you can’t lower them.

Step Nine

Start at one end of your quilt, on widest part of an open grey triangle. Backstitch to start. Then, gently move the fabric side to side, sewing straight lines at zig zag angles. The points will be along the applique edges, in the grey fabric section. The width will decrease near the triangle point. Backstitch again to stop. Clip your thread. Repeat this zig zag pattern on each grey triangle.

Step Ten

Quilt the applique using a similar method to the grey triangles. The zig zags will go at angles, across each rectangle, down the appliqued strips. When you are finished quilting, the back should look similar to mine.

Step Eleven

On the black cotton fabric, measure 4 strips 3″ tall, by the fabric width. Mark lines with the white Dritz Sewer’s Pencil. With the fabric scissors, cut out the strips. At the ironing board, working one strip at a time, fold the strip in half lengthwise and iron flat. Repeat for the other 3 strips.

Step Twelve

Open the strips. Cross the one end of two strips perpendicular, right sides touching. At the sewing machine, with the regular foot back on and tension reset to normal, straight stitch across the strips. Repeat this for the all of the strips, until they’re attached in a long row. One end of the 1st and 4th strip will not be attached to each other.

Ignore the fact that my photo doesn’t show right sides touching. I learned the hard way! This is my 1st time making my own binding the nice way.

Step Thirteen

Trim the excess selvage fabric, 1/4″ from the diagonal stitching line. Close the strips, and iron the diagonal seams flat.

Step Fourteen

Open one end of the long binding strip. Fold it at a 45 degree angle. Iron into place. Close the bind strip again, and iron again. This will help with attaching the binding strip ends smoothly, later.

Step Fifteen

Flip the quilt over. Cut the excess Smooth flush with the quilt top and bottom.

Step Sixteen

The binding will be straight stitched to the quilt back, through all the layers. Start with the diagonal binding end, about midway on any quilt edge. Here’s where Carolina Moore’s Binding the Quilt tutorial comes in very handy. She breaks down how to sew the binding to the quilt back, with a lot of detail for mitered corners!

Step Seventeen

When you get back around to the beginning, cut the excess binding strip flush with the inner angle of the beginning. Tuck the end into angle fold. Finish straight stitching across, backstitching when you finish. Clip the thread flush with the quilt.

Step Eighteen

Fold the quilt binding over to the front, pulling it tightly, to cover the previous stitching line. Use straight pins along the binding, to hold it in place. Only pin about 6″ at a time.

Step Nineteen

Set your machine to the zig zag stitch with multiple stitches per angle. It should be at the widest and short in length. Zig zag the binding to the quilt top. The corners will be the thickest, so go slowly there, and possibly crank the needle wheel by hand. Straight stitch to backstitch. Cut the thread flush with the quilt.