Easy Pieces

A patchwork quilt made by many little hands and with a lot of love makes a perfect group gift.

Teamwork creates this patchwork and packs it with personalities, autographs and artwork. Inspired by a letter ("Speaking Out," December 1999) from quilter and Canadian Living Magazine reader Martha Wilson, we've designed an easy, everyone-participates project for a classroomful of kids, the entire peewee team or all the cousins at a family reunion. With a little adult help, the finished quilt makes a warm way to say thanks to any teacher, coach or grandparent.

Double-size quilt is 236 x 184 cm (93 x 72-1/2 in).

You need:
• Sixty-three 28 cm (11-in) squares of smooth lightweight fabric (choose white or off-white muslin for decorated squares, solid colours or prints for contrast squares)
• 5 m of fabric, 115 cm wide, for backing
• Quilt batting
• Matching thread
• Matching or contrasting yarn
• Darning needle
• Ruler and dressmaker's chalk pencil
• Masking tape
• Decorating supplies*

To make:
Decorate the Squares
Here are just some of the ways.

• Use Crayola Fabric Crayons* to write or draw onto paper; use a hot iron to transfer the design from paper to fabric.

• Use Plaid Picture This* (a liquid transfer medium) or Canon T-shirt Transfer* sheets to transfer colour or black-and-white photocopies of photographs onto fabric.

• Draw or write directly onto fabric using liquid fabric paint* and brushes* or dimensional fabric paint in applicator bottles* or use Pentel Fabricfun Pastel Dye Sticks*.

• When decorating squares, remember that 1 cm (3/8 in) along edges will be hidden inside seams.

*Available at craft or stationery stores. Read and follow manufacturers' instructions; some methods work better with pure cotton, others with synthetic fabrics.

Patch them together
1. Lay out squares in 9 horizontal rows of 7 squares each, alternating decorated and contrast squares in checkerboard style or arrange as desired.

2. With right sides together, edges even and using 1 cm seam allowance: Stitch side edges of 7 top-row squares together to form strip. Repeat with remaining rows to form a total of 9 strips. Press each seam allowance toward darker square. Matching seam lines, stitch strips together along long edges to form quilt top; press.

3. With ruler and chalk pencil, measure and mark a line on right side of quilt top, 1 cm in from edge.

Finish the quilt
1. Centre quilt top, right side up, on batting. Smooth layers; pin together. Trim batting even with quilt top.

2. Trim selvages off backing and discard. Cut backing into 2 equal lengths; sew together along 1 long edge and press. Lay backing, right side down, on flat surface; anchor edge with tape. Centre quilt top, batting side down, on backing. Smooth layers; baste together and remove tape.

3. Trim backing 2 cm (3/4 in) out from quilt-top edge. Press under 1 cm around backing edge, then fold over to quilt top so pressed edge matches chalk line; pin. Edgestitch, mitring corners as you work.

4. Thread darning needle with 2 strands of yarn. Push down through quilt top at corner of 1 square; take a 1 cm stitch through all layers. Tie yarn ends together at quilt top with overhand knot; clip approx 1 cm from knot. Repeat until tie quilting is complete. Remove basting.