This project tutorial is for a descending zig zag pattern quilt, made by separating darker value fabrics from lighter ones to reveal a fantastic design! Quilt blocks sew up quick to an 8.5″ unfinished square, a wonderful size for making both small and large quilts! Maureen Cracknell of Maureen Cracknell Homemade brings us this beautiful quilt!
Janome Supplies Required
- Janome Sewing Machine – Maureen uses the Horizon Memory Craft 12000
Fabric and Notions Required
Fabric and Materials Required : :
- a variety of fat quarters ( I used 10 dark value fabric & 10 light value fabric for a 30 block, 40″ x 48″ finished quilt)
- batting
- thread
- rotary cutter/mat/ruler set
- quilt backing and binding fabric
Notes on Value : I chose the Nordika Fabric Collection by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery Fabrics, along with a few coordinating Pure Element solids. Feel free to replace these suggested fabrics with fabrics in colors and prints to your own liking, just as long as you use an even mix of dark and light value fabrics.
Not sure if your fabric has a dark or light value? Separate your fabrics into two piles, one for light, one for dark, and then take a photo. Changing that photo to black and white quickly reveals each fabric value. Use this as a way to separate those dark and light fabrics properly.
Instructions
Instructions:
1. Begin by choosing one dark value and one light value fabric. Cut 1 – 3″ x 18″ strip from the dark fabric. Cut 1 – 2″ x 18″ strip from the light fabric
2. Place fabrics right sides together and pin along one long side. Sew using a 1/4″ seam allowance along that edge, removing pins as you go. Press the seam open with an iron
3. From that strip use a rotary cutter to cut four – 4.5″ patches
4. Arrange those patches in the layout shown below in the photo on the left. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew together the top two patches to make a rectangle, then the bottom two patches to make a rectangle
5. Keeping the 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the top and bottom rectangles together to make a 8.5″ square block
6. Continue making blocks using those same instructions, separating color values as you go
7. Sew together the 8.5″ quilt blocks. Baste the quilt top to the quilt batting and quilt backing. Add the quilting. I chose to quilt lines following the zig zag pattern
8. Finish with binding and you’re Descending Zig Zag Quilt it finished!