Boho Quilt Progress

Back in January I took a quilting class at my local Joann Fabric Store. For my first ‘real’ project I thought about making a pillow, a tote bag or a table runner but I knew I wouldn’t really be satisfied until I made a real quilt – you know, one that you can curl up under and enjoy a book.

I really struggled selecting fabrics and ended up buying a bunch of fat quarters at Joann’s. Fat quarters are quarter yards of fabric cut to better utilize the fabric the way a quilter would. Rather than being a long narrow quarter yard, they’re short and wide.

I agonized over whether or not I had chosen the right colors. And then there was the measuring and the cutting. Tedious but I tend to find comfort in tedium. Strange but true.

Next came piecing it all together. The pattern is a very simple Four-Patch. Each quilt block is made up of four 5 1/2″ squares that create a 10 1/2″ square, including seam allowances. You can create just about any four-patch block size you like. I went with 5 1/2″ because I wanted a bigger quilt that would work up quickly. My next quilt will probably be a four-patch of smaller squares or maybe a nine-patch. Anyhoo . . .

I started back in March and then got waylaid by my guest room renovation. Well, I just got my Boho Quilt mojo back and I completed the quilt top.

Look what I did!

I couldn’t be happier with how this is turning out. I love the colors!

This project has been a blast and I can’t wait to actually start machine quilting. I have the fabric for the back and for the binding. It should be about a 6′ square when it’s done.

The gray fabric is for the back. I plan to use the striped fabric to bind the edges.

I plan to purchase the batting this week. If you’re a beginner like me and you’re not sure which batting to use, Amy Smart’s ‘Batting and Backing 101’ article is super helpful. One of her tips is to use one of the 40% off coupons that a lot of fabric shops have online or in the local paper.

I promise to keep you posted.