Hey everyone. Today we're making a twin bed quilt, and you'll learn how one pink wideback print can be both the star on top and the backing underneath.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the 108" Vitality Chic Pink Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard from P&B Textiles.
It is cotton. It is 108 inches wide. And this colorway is a warm, cheerful pink.
The product notes say this new 108-inch design exudes visual movement. I believe it, y'all. The print does not just sit there.
P&B says it will certainly be ideal for the backing of a quilt. They also say it is stylish enough to hold its own as a duvet cover, pillows, or other home décor accents.
If it can hold its own in home décor, folks, it can hold its own as a whole-cloth top. Just like that, the print becomes the design.
That 108-inch width is the real gift. Regular quilting cotton would need seams for a twin. This wideback covers it in one piece.
The project: a twin bed quilt
We're making a simple whole-cloth twin bed quilt. One piece for the front, one piece for the back, batting in the middle, and binding all around.
Finished size is about 68 by 88 inches — a true twin, for a bed, a dorm room, or a generous couch quilt.
Why this fabric suits it? Twin quilts get used hard. They get washed, dragged, and loved on. A whole-cloth top has no pieced seams to stress. And that moving print hides everyday wrinkles beautifully.
My preference is gentle wavy quilting lines that follow the print, spaced about 3 to 4 inches apart. Straight lines look clean and modern too. Echo quilting is a third option. Completely up to you.
Materials list
- 5 1/2 yards of this 108-inch wideback — enough for the front and the back, with room for squaring up
- Twin-size batting, about 72 by 90 inches — low to medium loft keeps it soft and washable
- 1/2 yard of coordinating cotton for binding — 8 strips cut 2 1/2 inches wide
- Thread to blend — a soft pink or warm neutral disappears nicely
- A walking foot, safety pins or basting spray, a long ruler, rotary cutter, marking tool, and an iron
Cut math: cut two pieces, each about 74 by 94 inches. That gives you about 3 inches extra all around your finished 68 by 88 inches for quilting shift and trimming. Two 94-inch lengths is just over 5 1/4 yards, so 5 1/2 yards leaves breathing room.
Brief steps
- Press the fabric well. Smooth fabric cuts straighter. Take your time — it's not a race.
- Cut your two 74 by 94 inch pieces, print direction running the same way on both.
- Layer it up: back piece face down, batting centered, front piece face up. Smooth from the middle out.
- Baste really well. On a twin, I pin every 6 to 8 inches. This bad boy is big, and shifting is the enemy.
- Quilt from the center out. I use a walking foot and a stitch length around 3.0. Keep your hands flat — guiding, not pulling.
- Check the back as you go. Catch a tuck early and it is a five-minute fix. Catch it late and it is a seam ripper afternoon.
- Square up to 68 by 88 inches once quilting is done.
- Join your binding strips, press in half, and sew around with a 1/4-inch seam. Fold to the back and stitch in the ditch, or finish by hand. Tie off and press.
Practical tips for a twin that lasts
First, mark a few quilting guide lines before you layer up. On a print with this much movement, guides keep your waves even across 88 inches.
Second, quilt evenly, about every 3 to 4 inches. Even quilting helps a bed quilt hold up wash after wash.
Third, measure both diagonals before you bind. If they match, your quilt is square. Really really simple, and the bed looks neat.
And here's the permission part. It does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. If one wavy line wanders a bit, that is the print doing its job — movement, remember?
If I can do this, y'all can do this. We're not reinventing the wheel here. One wideback, twice, a little batting, and you have a twin quilt that looks designed, not improvised. Super duper satisfying.
Thanks for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 108" Vitality Chic Pink Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
