Jewel Box block tutorial
Have you guys had a chance to sew with Liberty Tana Lawn yet? It's like the fabric equivalent of a glass of lemonade on a summer day, so light and refreshing. I would say it falls right in between quilting cotton and voile as far as softness and consistency. I found it very easy to sew with—it may be a bit stretchier than quilting cotton, but not to the extent that it will cause you much difficulty. It's a fun option for quilting.
Liberty prints have such a strong, recognizable look that I think they often work best with simpler patchwork. I just don't want to distract too much from the beautiful works of art that are the prints! So I'm going to show you a tutorial today for an easy Jewel Box baby quilt, which I think is just perfect for Liberty. This quilt sews up quickly and looks amazing.
Jewel Box Baby Quilt
Finished block size: 8" x 8"
Finished quilt size: 32" x 32" (4 blocks across by 4 blocks down)
(This tutorial makes 16 Jewel Box blocks, but you could triple it to make a quilt that is 48" x 64" - 6 blocks across by 8 blocks down.)
Fabric requirements
• 8 fat-eighths of various Liberty Lawn prints
• 2/3 yard of background fabric (I'm using Kona Steel)
Cutting requirements
From each Liberty fat-eighth:
• (1) strip, 2-1/2" x 20"
• (2) squares, 5" x 5"
From the background fabric
• (8) strips, 2-1/2" x 20"
• (16) squares, 5" x 5"
Making the quilt
1. Sew a background 2-1/2" strip to each Liberty 2-1/2" strip, the long way. Press seams open or toward the background fabric (your choice).
2. Cross-cut each strip set into 8 pieces 2-1/2" x 4-1/2", as shown.
3. Sew together the cross-cut units into 4-patch units measuring 4-1/2" x 4-1/2".
4. Make (32) 4-patch units.
5. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of each 5" Liberty print square. Pair each Liberty square with a 5" background square. Sew 1/4" out from the marked line, on each side, to make 32 half-square triangles (HSTs).
6. Cut HSTs apart on the marked line and press open. Square up your HSTs to 4-1/2" by lining up the diagonal line on a 4-1/2" square ruler with the diagonal seam and trimming.
7. Each block is made up of two HST units and two 4-patch units. Sew together as shown, pressing seams toward the HSTs.
8. Arrange your blocks 4 across by 4 down and sew together. That's it! Told you it sews up quick! : )
Be sure to check out the other stops on the Liberty Tana Lawn blog hop for more Liberty inspiration. Enjoy!
February 24th: Kick Off! A Crafty Fox
February 25th: Astrid at Red, Red Completely Red
February 26th: Svetlana at Sotak Handmade
February 26th: Andy at A Bright Corner
February 27th: Chase at Quarter Inch Mark
March 1st: Emily at Simple Girl Simple Life
March 2nd: Ashley at Film In The Fridge
March 3rd: Lee at Freshly Pieced (you are here!!)
March 4th: Audrie at Blue is Bleu