Quilt from fabric panel?
 

I purchased a fabric panel on eBay that is meant to be sewn as a baby's book, but it is so cute that I got the idea to use the blocks to make a quilt.

Don't know what would work best; I thought about using one piece of fabric as the quilt top and appliqueing each block on it, or making a jellyroll top, or even using a sheet. There are a LOT of blocks (it's an alphabet panel) on it.

I'm a new quilter, so I probably need to do something simple since I don't want to get bogged down and totally discouraged.

Anyone have ideas or suggestions?

Many thanks in advance,

Renate

Sounds like you have a fun project ahead of you! One suggestion is to separate the pages/blocks, put a border around the, add saying with pinwheels at each corner and add borders. I wish I had a picture/link to show a picture. Try looking on the Picture section for baby quilts to get ideas. Have fun and I hope to see your finished quilt!

I have taken panels and made tops with them. I sometimes surround them with other blocks (using compensating fabric strips to make the blocks fit) or just random strips of fabric in a bigger version of the piano key border. Or just border with one or more borders of different sizes.

I've seen that done, with story pages, and it makes a very cute quilt! :thumbup: It's been a while but I think the one, I saw, had sashing between the blocks.

Here is a photo of a Curious George quilt I made from a fabric book. It was fun to make and my daughter loved it.

Fabric books make great quilts! My grandma made one for my sister and it was fantastic! My sister still uses it 15 years later! She just used complementary fabrics as sashing and borders. It turned out awesome.

I made one a few months ago for Project Linus from a Veggie Tales book. The cover and back page were bigger than the other pages, but I just bordered out all of the blocks each in a different color, and it went together nicely. Bordering works for me, because I am always struggling with the way things are printed on panels (off grain and not standard sizes). Once you have it bordered, you can trim to accurate size.

Dayle

It sounds like a really fun beginning project! Cut the pages as square as possible. Choose border fabric and corner fabric (usually referred to as cornerstones). Start with either the top and bottom or sides. Make the border and cornerstone strips slightly wider than the size you want the finished blocks. If the pages aren't perfectly square or exactly the same size the borders will compensate for it. Measure the edge of the block you wil be stitching to and cut your strip the same length. Sew top and bottom or sides onto the page. Add Cornerstone pieces to remaining cut strips and sew them on the other sides. When you are all done you can trim the blocks to a consistent size. Seams may be pressed open or pressed oppposite directions so they fit together. Clear as mud? Look around at some of the free patterns and that may help.

What a neat idea. I saw a panel like that at Joann's in Waukegan this pass weekend. Had no idea what to make with it. Yours is pretty. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, what great ideas, everybody! I've never been on an online board that was so receptive and helpful! I definitely like it here, plus everyone's experience is a huge plus.

You all are awesome!