This stunning quilt pattern includes 7 sizes and uses jelly rolls or fat quarters for the small squares, along with preprinted panel squares or yardage of a focus print, or even pieced blocks! The pattern includes instructions on upsizing the squares, so it will work for a wider range of panel squares.
The Playful Panels quilt pattern is available in the Busy Hands Quilts shop.
Perfect for Preprinted Panel Squares!
As a quilt pattern designer, I am constantly looking at upcoming fabric collections to see what works in my existing patterns, as well as patterns that exist only in my head or on my computer. There are a lot of fabric collections that include a preprinted panel with squares, especially in White Owl Textiles and Clothworks collections, and I saw the need for a pattern to pair with these collections, and thus, Playful Panels was designed!
Playful Panels is written specifically for panel squares measuring 8.5" to 10.5", with 10.5" the goal size for the squares. Squares smaller than 10.5" are upsized with sashing to 10.5" so they fit into the blocks and the quilt top. A preprinted panel usually has some leeway for trimming around the squares, so if your panel has 11" squares, you may be able to trim them down to 10.5", remembering that the outside 1/4" will be taken up with the seam allowance on all four sides.
This quilt was made following the upsizing instructions included in the Playful Panels pattern. The preprinted panel squares in this quilt were less than 10.5" square, so sashing was added to the squares to bring them up to size.
Fall is here, the leaves are beginning to change, and the wind is rippling across the pond. The corn fields surrounding our home are being harvested this week!
Playful Panels Quilt Pattern Features
Here is a list of features in the pattern. Each point is highlighted and described in further detail below in this blog post.
- Includes 7 sizes - Small Throw, Medium Throw, Large Throw, Twin, Square Queen, Rectangle Queen, and King
- Use preprinted panels or a focus fabric for the block centers
- Includes instructions to add sashing to preprinted squares that are between 8½" and 10½" to upsize them to 10½"
- 2½" strip or Fat Quarter friendly (for the small squares)
- Includes strip piecing
- Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Sweet Christmas Fabric Collection!
This fabric collection is Claus & Co by Melissa Mortenson for Riley Blake Designs, using the panel, half of a jelly roll, and the awesome diagonal stripe for the binding, along with Confetti Cotton Bright White by Riley Blake Designs. The collection is a fun mix prints with Santa and Mrs. Claus, gingerbread houses, reindeer, mistletoe, family pictures, snowflakes and stripes in red, green, aqua (or is it mint green?), pale pink, and white. I left out the very light prints and the gingerbread house prints.
The quilt pictured in this blog post is the Large Throw size which I made with one Claus & Co panel and half of a jelly roll. I plan to use the leftover rows of stockings and jelly roll strips to make two smaller quilts, probably a quilt to hang from the fireplace mantle! I think that will be a sweet addition to our Christmas decor!
Shop the Claus & Co Collection
Claus & Co is available right here on Etsy and right here at Fat Quarter Shop. Currently, both places have the panel available.
Refer to the Quilt Stats chart below to see what you'll need to make your quilt. The Claus & Co panel yields 12 squares which will make the Twin size. Add in a 2-1/2" rolie polie, background, and binding, and you're all set!
All the Quilt Sizes - Seven in All!
Playful Panels includes three Throw sizes - Small, Medium, and Large - so it's easy for you to make the Throw size quilt you're after without doing any math. I am very happy that this pattern worked for the Twin size, as well as a Square Queen, Rectangular Queen, and King. The finished quilt measurements are as follows:
- Small Throw 50" x 50"
- Medium Throw 50" x 70"
- Large Throw 70" x 70" (a great size for snuggling on the couch!)
- Twin 70" x 90"
- Square Queen 94" x 94"
- Rectangle Queen 94" x 114"
- King 110" x 110"
Options for Block Centers
Preprinted Panel Squares
Playful Panels is written to accommodate preprinted panel squares measuring 8.5" up to 10.5" square, using sashing to upsize the smaller squares. Additional sashing yardage is included as an option in the Sashing row of the Quilt Stats chart. If your squares are already at 10.5", you won't need the extra sashing to upsize them, so you'd use the first value in the Sashing row.
A Focus Fabric
Also included is the option of using yardage for the block centers instead of a preprinted panel squares. This would typically be a large focus print with lots of detail. You would follow the Yardage option under the Panel Squares row.
Pieced Blocks
Another option for the block centers is placing a pieced quilt block there. Pieced quilt block instructions are NOT included in the pattern. However, finding 10.5" square quilt blocks isn't too hard. Maybe at some point I will design some for you. :)
Precut Friendly for the Small Squares
The small squares in the quilt top are made with either jelly roll strips or fat quarters, and both options are included in the Fabric Requirement chart. The use of Fat Quarters is limited to the Bed size quilts, and FQs are not an option for the Throw size quilts. This is to ensure that there is enough variety of prints in each Throw quilt size. Having a sufficient variety of prints helps ensure that the same print isn't placed next to itself in the blocks and border. Plus, it ends up looking like a happy scrappy quilt with lots of prints!
Strip Piecing for the Win!
You know how much I love strip piecing which speeds up the process and results in more accurate piecing (for me anyway!) The strips of small squares in the Playful Panels pattern are strip pieced, and you wont' be sewing together individual squares! I've figured out all of the math for how many strips are in the strip sets and how to piece the cut segments to create the block and border designs.
Perfect for Confident Beginner Quilters
This pattern is rated Confident Beginner which means you have made a few quilts, you know how to read and follow a quilt pattern, you know how to cut fabric with a rotary cutter, you know how to press seams, and you've gotten good at an accurate 1/4" seam allowance (this is the key to becoming a proficient quilter!)
The Playful Panels quilt pattern is available in the Busy Hands Quilts shop.
Playful Panels Quilt Stats
- Pattern: Playful Panels by Busy Hands Quilts
- Quilt Size: Large Throw 70" x 70"
- Fabric Collection: Claus & Co by Melissa Mortenson for Riley Blake Designs
- Background: Confetti Cotton Bright White by Riley Blake Designs
- Binding: Red stripe from the Claus & Co collection
- Backing: Swiss Dot in Red by Riley Blake Designs
- Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton/poly
- Thread: Pieced with Superior So Fine in White, quilted with Superior Omni in Bright White
- Pieced on: Juki TL-2010q
- Quilting Design: Poinsettias
- Quilted on: Handi Quilter Amara 20 with Pro-Stitcher
- Pieced by: Kare Ybarra
- Quilted by: Myra Barnes of Busy Hands Quilts
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