Five Strips, One Woodland Throw: How a Fabulous 5 Cuddle Kit Works
Some quilts begin with a stack of yardage and an afternoon of cutting. A Fabulous 5 kit begins with the cutting already done. The Woodland edition from Shannon Fabrics uses just five pre-cut strips of plush Cuddle fabric to build a cozy throw, which makes it a useful case study in how much quilt you can get from a very simple construction — and why strip kits are such a good way to learn to sew with minky.
What You Make: A 38" by 58" Throw
The finished quilt measures approximately 38" by 58". That is a versatile lap and throw size: long enough to cover your legs on the sofa or in a reading chair, generous for a child to curl up under, and easy to fold over the back of a couch or the foot of a twin bed when it is not in use. It is also a manageable size to finish on a home machine — large enough to feel like a real quilt, small enough that quilting and binding do not become a wrestling match.
Stylistically, long bands of Cuddle run the length of the quilt, so texture and the Woodland theme carry the look rather than intricate piecing — a clean layout that suits cabins, nurseries, and family rooms.
What Is Included — and What You Still Need
The kit includes a pattern, five pre-cut 10" strips for the quilt top, and fabric for the binding. The pre-cut strips are the heart of the idea: you go straight to layout and sewing, the strips stay consistent, and you skip rotary-cutting long, slippery plush yardage — the step beginners struggle with most in Cuddle fabric.
Backing is not included. The product notes that approximately 1 1/8 yards is needed for the backing, so choose that separately before you start. Picking your own backing is a small creative bonus: echo the Woodland mood, choose a solid, or go extra-plush. Follow the included pattern for layering and binding.
Skill Level and Time
This is a confident-beginner project. The skills involved are the fundamentals: laying strips out in an order you like, sewing long straight seams with a consistent seam allowance, keeping the fabric layers aligned, doing simple quilting to hold the layers together, and attaching binding. There are no points to match, no curves, no templates, and only a handful of pieces to keep track of.
Because there are only five strips, piecing the top is quick — many makers will have it sewn in a single short session. Add backing, quilting, and binding, and a relaxed weekend, or a couple of evenings, is a realistic start-to-finish timeline.
Tips for Success With Cuddle Strips
Check nap and direction first. Cuddle fabrics have a pile that looks slightly different depending on direction. Lay all five strips out, smooth each one the same way, check the Woodland design is running the way you want it, and take a quick phone photo of your final layout before you sew.
Pin or clip generously. Plush fabric can shift and stretch a little as it feeds. Place pins or clips much closer together than you would with quilting cotton, use a walking foot if you have one, and consider a slightly longer stitch length for smoother seams.
Alternate sewing direction. Sew one long seam from top to bottom and the next from bottom to top. Alternating helps keep long strip sets from bowing and gives you a flatter top.
Expect a little fluff. Cut Cuddle sheds fibres at the edges. Shake pieces outdoors, keep a lint roller nearby, and clean your machine when you finish — it stops once the quilt is bound.
Press gently, if at all. Use low heat and press from the back, or simply finger-press seams. High heat and hard pressing can flatten the pile you chose this fabric for.
That simplicity is the point: a soft, woodland-themed throw and a low-stress first plush project, without the usual cutting marathon.
Shop the Fabulous 5 Cuddle Kit - Woodland at Linda's Electric Quilters.
