My Practice Quilt: Fast & Easy Tutorial

So yesterday I mentioned that I've decided to make a small donation quilt to practice quilting on my new 770QE before I tackle quilting a larger project that's special to me. I pulled fabrics from stash, cut big squares, and ended up with this:

At 44 x 58", this will be a good size for me to practice quilting on my new machine, to get used to the feel of it. I plan to SID around all the sashing and quilt a spiral in each 4-patch. This week I'll piece the back using leftovers of some of these prints, and get it basted and quilted.

I think this will be perfect for a tween girl, and I'll donate it the next time one of my guilds has a donation drive. This quilt needs a name. Do you have a suggestion?

This turned out to be a great quickie stash-busting quilt. Here's a brief tutorial. This is so easy, it would be a great beginner project.

Fabrics:
* 12 assorted dark or medium prints: Cut 2,  6-1/2" squares from each. (Great for fat eights)
Pale constant (white dot): 1 yard
Sashing: 7/8 yard
Posts: scraps or 1/4 yard

Cutting:
Pale constant (white dot): cut 24,  6-1/2" squares
Sashing: Cut 31,  2-1/2" x 12-1/2" pieces
Posts: cut 20,  2-1/2" squares

Assembly:

• Make 4-patches by joining a pale (white dot) fabric to each medium or dark square, then pairing up units of the same fabric.

• Sew a sashing strip to the right side of each block.
• Lay out the blocks to determine placement and sew a sashing strip to the left side of each of the blocks in the left column.
• Join the sashed blocks into rows. Press seams toward the sashing.
• Sew a post to one end of each of the remaining sashing strips.
• To make sashing rows, join the sashing strips with posts together three across, and add a post at the other end. Press all the post seams toward the sashing.
• Sew a sashing row to the top of each row of blocks and to the bottom of the bottom row of blocks.
• Join all the rows together. Press row seams toward the sashing.

Top measures 44-1/2" by 58-1/2". Piece backing to at least 48" by 62". Cut batting slightly larger. Layer, baste, and quilt as desired.

*Option: For a non-scrappy look, use one medium/dark print for all the 4-patches. From 1 yard, cut 24,  6-1/2" squares.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times. Check out what everyone else is working on over there.