Hey everyone, today we're making a cozy lap quilt with big, easy blocks that let a pretty leaf print do the talking.
Here we go. Let's talk fabric first. That's the star here.
This is Daydreams Small Leaves from In The Beginning Fabrics. It's part of the Daydreams collection. It's 100% cotton quilting fabric, 44"/45" wide. Our quilting cotton is lightweight. It tends to hold its shape even after being washed. That makes it perfect for quilting and for crafting structured garments, too.
The print is a small leaves design in a multi-color mix, with yellow in the mix. It's fresh and cheerful, like a garden on a good day. Because the leaves are small, the print works at almost any cut size. Big blocks show it off. Small pieces still read clearly.
I reach for a print like this when I want a quilt that feels lively without a lot of fuss. One good fabric, a couple of quiet coordinates, and you're already halfway there. Just like that.
Why this fabric suits a lap quilt
A lap quilt is the quilt that lives on the couch. It gets draped over legs on movie night. It gets folded, unfolded, and washed. A lot. So the fabric has to hold up and hold its shape, and this cotton does exactly that.
The small leaves suit a lap quilt really, really well. The pattern repeats evenly, so your blocks look consistent wherever you cut. The multi-color palette makes it easy to pull coordinates from your stash. And the scale is forgiving. A slightly wavy seam won't shout at you from across the room.
My preference is a simple block layout here. Big squares, minimal fuss. But a half-square triangle layout looks great too, and a strip-pieced version is faster still. Completely up to you.
What you'll need
- 2 yards of Daydreams Small Leaves cotton, 44"/45" wide, for blocks and outer border
- 1 yard of a coordinating solid or tonal for alternating blocks
- 1/2 yard for a narrow inner border, optional
- 3 yards of backing fabric, 44"/45" wide, pieced as needed
- One piece of batting, about 54" x 66"
- Binding: about 1/2 yard, cut into 2 1/2" strips
- Matching thread for piecing and quilting
- Your usual basics: rotary cutter, ruler, pins or clips, and a size 80/12 needle
This plan finishes around 50" x 62". That's a generous lap size. Big enough to share with a grandkid. Small enough to finish in a weekend or two.
Brief steps
First, press everything well. Then cut your print and your coordinate into 10 1/2" squares. You'll need about 20 of each for a checkerboard layout, and you'll have print left for the border.
Second, lay out your squares in alternating rows. Step back and squint. Move anything that bothers you now, not later. Then sew squares into rows with a 1/4" seam, and press seams in opposite directions from row to row so they nest.
Third, join the rows. Add your inner border if you're using one, then cut border strips from the remaining print and add those. Press everything flat.
Fourth, layer it up. Backing face down. Batting on top. Your top face up. Smooth from the center out. Pin or spray baste every 4 to 6 inches.
Fifth, quilt it simply. Stitch in the ditch along the block seams is my pick. Then echo a few leaf shapes in the print blocks, or run a gentle meander across the top. Try about 8 to 10 stitches per inch. Slow down over thick seam joins. Slow down or the needle snaps, and nobody needs that.
Last, trim the sandwich even and bind it. Join your 2 1/2" strips, press the binding in half, and finish by hand or machine. Completely up to you.
My tips from the sewing room
Tip one: let the print carry the quilt. Simple blocks plus a busy, happy fabric beat a complicated pattern every time for a lap quilt. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Tip two: test your quilting on a scrap sandwich first. Check the tension. Check the stitch length. Two minutes now saves an hour of picking out later. I've learned that the hard way, folks.
Tip three: take your time, it's not a race. If a point doesn't match perfectly, leave it. You're your own worst critic. The person wrapped in this quilt will feel the warmth, not measure your seams. It doesn't have to be perfect.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Super duper fun, and you'll actually use this one every single day.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today, folks. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Daydreams Small Leaves 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
