How To Make A Summery Patchwork Throw

A lap blanket for the outdoor movies?  A cosy coverlet for watching tv?  An extra layer on your bed? Or even a mozzie proof patio pal?!  This is the perfect beginners patchwork project. There is no quilting or binding involved at all. Just sew some pretty squares together, add some backing and stitch the whole thing up nicely! Do you want to get stitched up?!  I think you DO!  Let me tell you how to do it.

You need ::

12 fat quarters of pretty cotton fabric – be sure they are all the same size – buy from a patchwork shop, Spotlight or online via Ebay or Etsy (just search for ‘fat quarter’)
1 piece of fabric for the backing – just some nice simple printed cotton or even gingham or calico will do (it needs to measure 150cm x 170cm)
Sewing machine and thread
Scissors
Cutting Mat and Rotary Cutter are useful, but scissors will do!
Pins
A large table or large clear floorspace to work on

Finished throw measures around 165 x 145cms :: Seams are 1.5cm give or take a bit of crooked sewing.

Let’s Sew!

1. Sort your fabric into FOUR piles – three fat quarters in each pile.
2. Sew each pile of three into a strip. (I am the queen of random, so I just went for it and didn’t think about what went where. You might like to position your fabric prints in a way that pleases you. Do that if you like.) So you’ll have four strips. Four strips of three! Got it?
3. Press your seams flat and trim your loose threads.
4. Now sew the strips together – along the long, joined together edges.  You just put the strips right sides together, matching the edges and seams as best as you can.  Don’t freak out if things don’t match up perfectly at the corners – it doesn’t have to be perfect.  Once you’ve sewn two together, sew the third one to this pair in the same way.  Then sew the last strip to these three! Voila!  Four rows of 3! Perfecto!
5. Once you’ve sewn all your strips together, press your just sewn seams flat. Fold your big now-joined piece into quarters, smoothing out carefully as you go and trim all the edges until it’s even and square. It’s quite hard to get it exact, so just do your best, my dear.  Don’t rush. Don’t freak out. Your way will be good enough!
6. Now spread your patchwork piece out right side up. Smooth out any bumps. Take your backing fabric and place it right side down on top of the patchwork piece. Smooth out nicely.  No bumps please.
7. Pin the patchwork and backing fabric together along each straight edge. Keep your pin heads near the edge and your spiky ends pointing away from the edge, so you can remove them easily as you sew.
8. You’ll find your patched piece is bigger (wider!) – don’t worry, we’ll trim it later.
9. Sew along one pinned LONG edge together. Then continue on, sewing along the shorter TOP edge, matching things nicely as you sew. You’re still working with the wrong sides facing out.
10. Sew down the other long side next. Leave the bottom edge unstitched.
11. Now trim the excess patchwork away too, in long neat strips – you can use these strips to make binding, if you like!
12. Trim your loose threads and turn out the right way.
13. Press your throw so that it’s nice and neat.
14. Now turn up the raw bottom edges and press.
15. Top stitch along this edge to finish.

Let us know if you make one! Be sure to post a picture on our Facebook wall, too!  Would you like to make a patchwork throw?

xx Pip