Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to turn one dramatic black wideback into a cozy lap quilt, with big simple blocks that let a pretty paisley print do the showing off.
The fabric is the 118" Candlelight & Romance Paisley Cotton Wideback Fabric from Henry Glass & Co., designed by Kim Diehl. It's 100% cotton quilting cotton, listed as a quilt back, and it runs a full 116 to 118 inches wide.
The color is black, and the design is a paisley from the Candlelight & Romance collection. Paisley has those lovely swirling teardrop shapes. Cut it small and you lose them. Cut it big and they sing.
This cloth was made to back a quilt. But a print this striking deserves time on the front too. So we're using it both ways.
The project: a lap quilt
A lap quilt is the one you reach for every single day. It's smaller than a bed quilt, usually around 48" x 60" finished. Big enough to cover your legs and lap on the couch. Small enough to finish in a weekend or two.
Ours is a simple block quilt. Large paisley squares alternate with plain squares and easy four-patches. Nothing fussy. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? Three reasons. The wide width means one cut gives you your whole backing, no piecing, no seam down the middle. The big paisley motifs fill a 12" block beautifully. And that black ground feels rich and cozy, and hides everyday couch life better than a pale print would.
What you'll need
- 1 yard of this wideback for the feature blocks — that gives you plenty for eight 12 1/2" paisley squares, with room to choose your favorite motifs
- 1 3/4 yards of this same wideback for the backing — one cut about 54" x 66" covers a 48" x 60" quilt with room to spare
- About 3/4 yard of a light neutral cotton and 1/2 yard of a soft coordinating cotton for the plain squares and four-patches
- Batting about 54" x 66"
- About 1/2 yard of a coordinating cotton for binding, cut into 2 1/2" strips — you'll need roughly 230" of binding
- Matching thread, a size 80/12 needle, and a walking foot if you have one
How it comes together
First, press everything nice and smooth. Cut eight paisley squares at 12 1/2". Center a pretty motif in each one if you can. Here we go.
Cut four plain squares at 12 1/2" from your neutral. Then make eight four-patch units: sew 6 1/2" squares together in pairs, press, then join the pairs so each finished unit measures 12 1/2". Use a good scant 1/4" seam and a stitch length around 2.5. Check that first unit with a ruler before you sew the rest. Ask me how I know.
Lay out your twenty blocks in five rows of four. Paisley, four-patch, plain, four-patch — then shift the order on the next row. Step back and look. Move things until your eye likes it. Completely up to you.
Sew the blocks into rows, pressing seams in opposite directions from row to row so they nest. Then sew the rows together. Just like that, your top is done at about 48" x 60".
Layer the wideback backing, batting, and top, and baste well. Quilt it simply. Stitch in the ditch along the block seams, then echo inside the paisley squares if you like. On your machine, a stitch length around 3.0 to 3.5 gives a nice relaxed quilting stitch. Slow down on the thick seam crossings — push through too fast and you can snap a needle.
Square it up, sew on your binding, and settle in under it. You earned that part.
A few tips before you start
Cut your backing first, while the fabric is at its full width. It is much easier than trying to piece a backing out of whatever is left at the end.
Dark fabric shows lint and light thread, so keep a lint roller near your machine and choose your quilting thread on a scrap first, not on the quilt.
Here's your permission beat, folks. Your four-patch corners do not have to match to the thread. Your quilting does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic, and nobody curled up under this quilt is checking your points. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty. Thanks so much for spending a little time with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 118" Candlelight & Romance Paisley Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
