:: Make A Patchwork Summer Throw....

Perfect for hot nights when a blanket is too much, perfect to snuggle away from the mozzies on the couch, perfect over one's legs whilst reading on a deckchair, perfect for an impromptu picnic too!

Here's how to make it - it should only take an hour or two! I promise this is EASY PEASEY!


You need ::
12 fat quarters - be sure they are all the same size - buy from a patchwork shop, Spotlight or online via Ebay or Etsy (just search for 'fat quarter')
1 piece of fabric for the backing - just some nice simple printed cotton or even gingham or calico will do (it needs to measure 150cm x 170cm)
Sewing machine and thread
Scissors
Cutting Mat and Rotary Cutter are useful
Pins
A large table or large clear floorspace to work on

Finished throw measures around 165 x 145cms :: Seams are 1.5cm give or take a bit of crooked sewing.

1. Sort your fabric into FOUR piles - three fat quarters in each pile.
2. Sew each pile of three into a strip. (I am the queen of random, so I just went for it and didn't think about what went where. You might like to position your fabric prints in a way that pleases you. Do that if you like.) So you'll have four strips.
3. Press your seams flat and trim your loose threads.
4. Now sew the strips together - along the long, joined together edges. Don't freak out if things don't match up perfectly at the corners - it doesn't have to be perfect.
5. Once you've sewn all your strips together, press your just sewn seams flat. Fold your big now-joined piece into quarters, smoothing out carefully as you go and trim all the edges until it's even and square. It's quite hard to get it exact, so just do your best, my dear.
6. Now spread it out right side up. Smooth out any bumps. Take your backing fabric and place it right side down on top of the patchwork piece. Smooth out nicely.
7. Pin the patchwork and backing fabric together along the top edge (it's narrower than the sides). Keep your pin heads near the edge and your spiky ends pointing away from the edge, so you can remove them easily as you sew.
8. You'll find your patched piece is bigger (wider!) - don't worry, we'll trim it later.
9. So sew these pinned top edges together. Now pin one of the longer sides, matching and smoothing neatly as you pin, and sew the side up. You're still working with the wrong sides facing out.
10. Repeat with the other long side pinning, smoothing and sewing. Leave the bottom edge unstitched.
11. Now trim the excess patchwork away too, in long neat strips - you can use these strips to make binding, if you like!
12. Trim your loose threads and turn out the right way.
13. Press your throw so that it's nice and neat.
14. Now turn up the raw bottom edges and press.
15. Top stitch along this edge to finish.

You can bind your throw if you want to (here's how to do the corner bits) - sometimes that's fun to do in front of the telly. I wanted to keep mine simple, loose and unbound. I might change my mind, though!



xx Pip

PS :: fabrics by kaffe fassett and philip jacobs, I think!