Another great sewing idea from the authors of Thread and Bobbin! This lap quilt is a great weekend project. Choose a focal fabric for the large center medallion, and then surround it with easy string bean blocks – they are quick to make but make a great edging pattern. We added beading to the center fabric panel for added interest – but you may choose to use some thread painting techniques, free motion quilting, or just basic straight line quilting.
Janome Supplies Required
Janome Supplies Required
Any Janome sewing machine
¼” Seam foot O
Walking foot
Free Motion Foot Set (optional)
Blue Tip Needle
Fabric and Notions Required
Fabric and Notions Required
1 yard Light Purple Floral (for quilt center)
1 2/3 yard Dark Purple Solid (for borders and blocks)
1/4 yard Gold (for first border)
1 1/4 yard Purple Print (for blocks and binding)
1 1/4 yard Brown Print (for blocks)
4 yards backing fabric
Twin size batting
Thread in colors to match fabrics
Basting pins
Basic sewing supplies
Instructions
Quilt Size: 58” x 58”
Finished Block Size: 7 ½”
Cutting
From the Light Purple Floral, cut:
One 27 ½” square (for the quilt center)
From the Dark Purple Solid, cut:
Five 4 5/8” x 42” strips; recut into forty 4 5/8” squares (for Fabric C and D squares in String Bean Block Instructions)
Five 6 ½” x 42” strips (for outer borders)
From the Gold, cut:
Three 2” x 42” strips (for first border)
From the Purple Print, cut:
Four 8 3/8” x 42” strips; recut into twenty 8 3/8” squares, then cut the squares in half diagonally (for fabric B in String Bean Block Instructions)
Six 1 ½” strips (for binding)
From the Brown Print, cut:
Four 8 3/8” x 42” strips; recut into twenty 8 3/8” squares then cut the squares in half diagonally (for fabric A in String Bean Block Instructions )
Instructions
Create the Blocks
1. For the block instructions below, use the 8 5/8” Brown Print squares for Fabric A, the 8 5/8” Purple Print squares for Fabric B, and the 4 5/8” Dark Purple Solid squares for Fabric C and D.
2. Stitch an A triangle to a B triangle on the long side. Open and press seam toward the A triangle.
3. Draw a diagonal line on the back side of each C square.
4. Place a C square right sides together on the A corner of the pieced unit. Trim the seam allowance to ¼”.
5. Press the C corner open.
6. Repeat on the B corner to complete one block.
7. Repeat to make a total of twenty blocks.
Add Borders to the Quilt Center
1. Stitch the three 2” x 42” Gold strips short ends together to create one long strip. Refer to the layout diagram below.
2. Cut two 27 ½” strips and two 30” strips.
3. Stitch the 27 ½” strips to the top and bottom of the 27 ½” Light Purple Floral square. Stich the 30” strips to the sides.
4. Press the fabric toward the border strips.
Create the Block Borders
1. Stitch four String Bean blocks into a row as seen in the diagram below.
2. Repeat to make a second row.
3. Stitch these rows to the top and bottom of the quilt center.
4. Stitch six String Bean blocks into a row, referring to Diagram 2.
5. Repeat to make a second row.
6. Stitch these rows to the remaining sides of the quilt center.
7. Press the seams toward the blocks. Trim.
Add the Outer Border
1. Stitch the five 6 ½” Purple Solid strips together to create one long row.
2. Cut this strip into two 45 ½” strips and two 58 ½” strips.
Hint: You can measure the sides of your quilt center at this point, as the size of your quilt center may vary somewhat from the numbers cited above. Your border strips should be cut at something similar to these numbers, but yours may not be exact. This is an outer border, so it is easy to cut them to the size of your quilt – just be sure to add ½” to each border measurement to allow for seam allowances. You might also cut the borders to roughly the length necessary, and then trim after they have been sewn on.
3. Stitch the 45 ½” strips to the top and bottom of the quilt center.
4. Stitch the 58 ½” strips to the sides.
5. Trim if necessary. Press the seams toward the Purple Solid.
Complete the Quilt
1. Layer the backing fabric right side down, the batting, and the quilt top right side up.
2. Baste all layers in place using the Basting Pins.
3. Quilt as desired using the walking foot for straight lines, or the optional free motion foot set for free motion techniques.
4. Once quilted, trim all edges even with the quilt top.
5. Stitch the 1 ½” x 42” Purple Print strips short ends together to create one long row.
6. Using this strip, bind the quilt edges.