A square quilt this large asks different questions than a lap quilt. At 78½ inches in both directions, the Backyard Iconic Quilt Kit is big enough to cover a bed properly or drape over a sofa with room to spare — and a project at that scale rewards planning before the first cut. This kit, sold by High Country Quilts through Linda's Electric Quilters, pairs one fabric collection with one pattern, so the two biggest decisions — what fabric, and what design — are already made well.
What This Kit Makes
The finished quilt measures 78½ by 78½ inches. That square format is part of the design's character: a square quilt reads as a bold, centred statement rather than a directional one, and it can be rotated on a bed or folded over a couch back without a “right way up” to worry about. Allow wall space or bed width to match that full dimension before you commit — at nearly six and a half feet across, this is a substantial finished piece, not a throw.
The fabrics are from the Backyard BBQ collection by Clothworks, and the pattern is Iconic by Lella Boutique. The kit format means the pattern and the collection were chosen for each other: the prints arrive in the proportions the designer intended, rather than a quilter having to guess how a collection will behave inside an unfamiliar layout.
What Is Included — and What to Check
As the product description puts it, a kit pairs a specific pattern with the exact yardage from one collection, which removes both the fabric maths and the colour matching. In practical terms, you receive the Iconic pattern and the Backyard BBQ fabric yardage needed for the quilt top, cut and measured against that pattern's requirements.
Read the kit contents carefully when it arrives and check what is and is not listed for backing and binding before you start sewing. Large quilts need a generous amount of backing fabric, and discovering a shortfall after the top is finished is an avoidable frustration. Lay everything out, confirm the pattern's fabric list against what is in the box, and only then begin cutting.
Skill Level: Who This Kit Suits
The kit itself removes the selection work, which helps beginners, but the finished size is the honest consideration here. A 78½-inch top means long seams, bulky pressing, and a lot of fabric to manage under the machine when it comes to quilting and binding. A confident beginner who has finished a smaller quilt and can sew a consistent seam allowance should manage the piecing well; the quilting stage is where most makers at that level choose either a simple all-over design or a longarm service. Experienced quilters will find the appeal in the pairing itself — a proven pattern in a complete collection, with no stash-diving or substitution required.
How Long It Takes
Plan this as a multi-session project rather than a weekend sprint. Piecing a top of this size typically spreads over several sittings, and the quilting and binding of a near-80-inch square adds real time at the end. Working in stages — cut everything first, piece in batches, then press and assemble — keeps a large top from becoming overwhelming, and it makes errors easier to catch while they are still small.
Tips for Success at This Scale
First, protect your seam allowance. On long seams, small drifts compound: a seam that wanders by a fraction early on shows up as a top that will not lie flat at the end. Sew slowly on the long joins, pin or clip at intervals, and measure blocks as you go rather than only at assembly.
Second, press with intention. Press seams as the pattern directs, and take the time to press each section flat before joining it to the next. With this much fabric, a well-pressed section feeds more evenly and assembles more squarely than one carried straight from the machine.
Third, plan the quilting before you finish the top. Decide early whether you will quilt it yourself — and whether your machine's throat space suits a quilt this size with the design you have in mind — or send the top out. That decision affects how you prepare the finished top, and making it late is how large quilts end up folded in a cupboard waiting.
A kit like this earns its place by removing uncertainty: one collection, one pattern, and a finished size worth the effort. If you have been waiting to make a full-size square quilt without gambling on fabric choices, this is a well-matched way in.
Shop the Backyard Iconic Quilt Kit at Linda's Electric Quilters.
