Hey everyone! Today we're making a light, drapey lap quilt with a fabric most folks walk right past for quilting — and y'all are going to learn why that drape is the whole point.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Aegean Blue Rayon Solid Challis Woven Fabric from Fabric Depot.
It is 100% rayon.
It is a solid color, and that blue is just beautiful.
It comes 54 inches wide.
The weight is light.
The hand is soft.
Real soft.
It has no stretch, which helps us a lot.
It has very good drape.
It has a low luster, so nothing shiny here.
And it is semi-sheer, and we will plan for that.
This challis is listed for apparel like blouses, dresses, and shirts.
I use it a little differently today.
Here is what I use and why.
That fluid drape makes a lap quilt that folds over your legs.
It does not sit stiff like a board.
Just like that, a summer evening feels better.
The project: a light lap quilt
We are making a whole-cloth lap quilt, about 50 by 60 inches.
No piecing required.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
One pretty panel of fabric does the talking.
Your quilting lines add the texture.
Why does this fabric suit it?
The 54-inch width covers a 50-inch top with room to trim.
The drape keeps a big quilt feeling light.
And that solid Aegean blue shows every stitch.
Echo a simple wave across it.
Or stitch in the ditch around a border print you add.
Completely up to you.
Materials list
- 1 3/4 yards of this Aegean blue challis for the top
- 1 3/4 yards of a backing fabric you love
- Low-loft batting, at least 54 by 64 inches
- 1/2 yard of quilting cotton for binding, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips
- 50-weight thread for quilting
- A Microtex needle, size 70/10 or 80/12
- Pins or basting spray, a walking foot, and your ruler
Brief steps
First, press gently on a low setting.
Go slow here.
This fabric is lightweight and it can shift.
Cut your top to 52 by 62 inches.
That gives you a little trimming room later.
Layer backing, batting, then top.
Smooth from the center out.
Pin every 4 inches, or spray baste lightly.
Set your stitch length around 2.5 millimeters.
That is about 10 to 12 stitches per inch.
Test your tension on a scrap sandwich first.
Quilt simple lines 2 inches apart with your walking foot.
Travel along the edge to the next line.
Tie off your ends nice and clean.
Trim the quilt to 50 by 60 inches.
Bind it with your 2 1/2-inch strips.
Here we go.
You just made a quilt that drapes like a favorite shirt.
Practical tips from my table
Slow down or the needle snaps — well, with fabric this light, slow down or the layers creep.
That creep is the mistake I made first.
I rushed, and one corner wandered a full half inch.
The fix was easy.
I took the quilting out, rebasted, and pinned closer.
No harm done.
Because it is semi-sheer, pick a backing that plays nice underneath.
A light batting helps keep the color true.
Hold a sample up to the light before you commit.
That ten-second test saves real heartache.
You can quilt it freehand, do a gentle meander, or keep straight ruler work.
Three good options, and my preference is the simple lines.
They let that blue shine.
The rest is completely up to you.
And listen, it does not have to be perfect.
You are your own worst critic, I promise.
Nobody else is measuring your lines with a ruler.
Take your time, it's not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Super duper easy once that first line is in.
Thanks for sewing along with me today, folks.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Aegean Blue Rayon Solid Challis Woven Fabric at Linda's Electric Quilters.
