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!

Gorgeous! That is a family heirloom, for sure!

Yep, QB is a great place for ideas.

Here's an idea from another board member that I've bookmarked: http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...ilt-t4302.html

Two weeks ago I finished a baby quilt from a panel that was meant to be a fabric book...Pokey Little Puppy. I made a Warm Wishes quilt out of it, alternating 13 "pages/cover" from the book with the Warm Wishes block. Turned out cute, 25 blocks altogether.

With lots of pages from an alphabet block, simple sashing might be good.

One thing I've found with panels is they are often not square and if you prewash that can make it worse. I always prewash, but for the Pokey Puppy quilt I did not. I carefully squared up each page into a block. I washed the finished quilt with a color catcher in case there was any bleeding from the fabric.

Hi and welcome to the board. Good Luck with your project, sounds like you've got a lot of suggestions here!

Welcome to our board! This is one thing I have subscribed to that I open and read every day. So many others I delete before I even open them. Enjoy!

I have cut a panel for a fabric book and made it into a wall hanging quilt as well - did it for Halloweeen for the DGC. I then glued on Halloween trinkets to embelish it, turned out cute.

Here's another on the forum here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t197496.html

I'm thinking with 26 blocks, depending on how big the individual blocks are, that is going to be one BIG quilt top. Unless, you do a blocks on the front and the back of the quilt. How big are the blocks/pages??

Here's one my sis-in-law and I did last summer using Paddington bear.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...m-t145338.html

quilt from fabric panel
 

Here's my quilt that I made using a book panel. It was fun figuring out how to use the panel.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...45965719FHAaAr

Sharon W.

Panel Quilt
 

This is one I made for my new nephew a few years back...
I have another panel I need to make up and am stumped too - hope to see more ideas here!

what a terrific idea i bought a few cloth book projects last season and didn't get around to making them for my granddaughter and they were christmas stories but i can make a seasonal quilt from them that she can use for years to come over the holidays. and i have a great christmas fabric to use for the strips around the blocks, now to come up with a corner idea i will be all set. love this board. i get so much out of it. thank you folks you are all amazing.

I am in the process of making a top from a fabric book-Can you find?-I cut the 'pages' out and bordered them with different bright colours. Just need to sandwich and quilt. Was super easy.

I have a couple of book panels, but keep put it on hold because there are so many patterns to do. The examples shown are great.

They are 5" blocks. I may have to piece some of them together so it's not too big!

I did that one time, several years ago and can't find a picture if I even took one then. Think I used a sashing when I did it. Just lay it out and be inspired!!! Let us see it when you're finished. Jan

I'm really poor at getting on the board lately (harvest season in full force!), but this post has been awesome! I have a couple of fabric book panels and I have lots of ideas now! Thanks to all of you!

With or without the cornerstone stars, IMHO, Polly has the right idea. You may not need that many filler blocks. The ones I've made only needed one after page 2 and one before the last page. Do a layout and see what looks good to you. Unless the book fabric is terribly flimsy, it should not need any special backing to strengthen it. If it does, selectlight weight iron on interfacing.

PS. Generally quilters love to help. Don't get in a twist about asking. I'd have become a competant quilter much faster if I had been ready to ask for help.