I just bought a book by Kathy Skomp called (what else?)Panels and Prints:Designs for Creative Uses of Panels and Large Scale Prints. www.lavenderlimeinspires.com

There are a couple of books I absolutely love: "Clever Quilts" and "Clever Quilts Encore" by Susan Teegarden Dissmore. I was never too excited about panels or theme prints until I saw the variety of beautiful and cute ways Susan Dissmore uses them. It blew my mind away and it isn't difficult because her instructions are great, plus she teaches you how to design your own quilts using panels, theme prints, and borders in an easy-to-understand way.

They work great. I make a lot of quilts for foster kids, so speed can be essential. They usually turn out really cute!
LindaKayCat

I also have these books...yes, very easy to follow her instructions...

Peggy, thanks for the do-it-yourself panel instructions. I have several pieces of fabric I'd like to use in quilts, but can't bear to cut them up. This method sounds like a perfect way to use them.

Some panels just begged to be taken home and used in a quilt.

I like to applique, so make a lot of "panels" but, I don't really see anything wrong with them, they do sew up fast and can really fit in if you are trying to match a theme, for a nursery, or a specific holiday or just a blanket for a kid who loves a certain cartoon character....

I have taken panels and cut into them and either used just parts that I need or reassemble with other fabrics inserted-I think that they are fun to play with-

Now this I love! Great work - great idea!

I have cut the squares out and put new sashings and borders and they come out fine, larger panels are great for charity quilts for children.

I use panels alot for baby quilts and for Christmas wallhangings! No one has turned one down yet. Of course I do alot of FMQ on mine and make a complex border for them. :lol:

I made my first "panel" quilt this past year and I loved it. I gave it to a cancer patient but I have purchased a duplicate panel to do for me to hang in my stairway.

I love panels! I pick one and then build the quilt around it. Yeah they call them "Cheater Panels." If the panel is the center and you build your blocks around it and make a beautiful quilt how is that cheating?

I love this! I have this same panel that was going to be made into a pillow for my DGS but he'd like a quilt much more. Thanks so much for the idea!

There's a new book out, called 'Maverick Quilts' that explains how to make quilts with panels and large-print fabrics. I just did a review of it on my blog.

Im getting ready to post baby quilt, used four blocks panel for middle.....they work well for me

I just completed a top using that panel! :) It always amazes me how different panels can look depending on the material used, I really like your color choices and this looks beautiful!

I have used panels to make baby quilts, they're great. Add a couple of borders or blocks and you're done.

I used to think panels were "cheating." But as time goes by I've bought panels I really liked. I always put some kind of border(s) around the panels - sometimes I cut the panels apart. Now I realize some of my most beautiful quilts started with panels.

I have done several, and really like them. The panels give you free reighn with the FMG and they are fast if you need one in a hurry.

I like them for kid quilts. They're cute and more durable than appliqué.

I especially like the for children's quilts. Children like to roll around on a quilt and it gets quite a bit of abuse. I can take that a whole lot better if I've just sewn borders around a panel, than if I've pieced a quilt.

I just took a FMQ class and the instructor said that panels were a good, inexpensive way to practice our Free Motion. You can donate those quilts, (if you don't want to keep them) to all kinds of charities from neo-natal to nursing homes.

I have these panels! Thinking of a quilt for gson...this will work...thanks!

I use them for the quilt center and then a design around it.

Depends on the panel. If it's something you love (I have one in irises), you will take the time to make it umique and make sure it has your touch. Then it doesn't even look like a cheater panel.

I often choose cute panels for baby quilts. I like to hand quilt them and take them with me when I fly or travel. I purchased an oval wooden frame that fits comfortably in my carry on bag. It's very relaxing to do on long flights. I also carry a little plastic container with extra needles, quilting thread and a nail clipper to use as a thread cutter. No problems getting it through security.

I have used panels for 3 quilts, and I like using them. In fact, I'll post my recent one as soon as I finish the binding.

This is the panel lap quilt that I did for a friend.

Africa Daydreams
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-94199-1.htm

Loved doing this one. The quilting does not show in the picture, but each tree and animal was outline quilted and the grassy area I thread painted.

It was fun to do.

One of my sister's love cats so I made her a quilt using a panel for the middle and filled in around it. It worked out nice, I think.

I am so glad I asked about useing panels in quilts for there has been some beautiful ones posted. I know many said they use them for just baby or childrens quilts and those are cute and themed for age. The most beautiful ones I've seen posted are for adults. I now know how to work up some of my wildlife, horses, and Southwestern panels into any size quilts. I had bought them just cause I liked them.

I've done a couple of throws and small bed quilts using panels. I enhanced the area around the panels with half-square trianges to keep the eye busy.....If I knew how to attach a photo, I would share. They turned out very nicely.

so....how do you attach a photo in a 'reply'????

Loving these panel quilts more and more. I don't think from a lot of the ones I have seen that they are cheaters cause you have to do a lot of planning, measuring, and designing to make that panel into a large quilt.

That's for sure! The last one I made with 8 or 9 smallish rectangular "panels" took me longer and made me use more math than any other quilt I've made. First came choosing a lot of coordinating fabrics (and for someone who agonizes over color choices that was an ordeal), next making a bunch of random pinwheels (no two the same), then interspersing the pinwheels and small blocks in between the panels, while making sure all the columns and rows were going to come out the same size. It was a challenge, but a lot of fun. I used an idea in Clever Quilts, but had to adapt it to the size of my panels, thus the need for math skills. I don't know what the "cheating" would have been :); I love using colorful pictorial panels.

I don't usually use panels, but they are good for a quick quilt. I made this one for my daughter, simple but classy I think.

I love everyone's quilt with the panels. They are beautiful

If I could get my hands on the fairy series I would make 9 for GNs and then some for sale but didn't see the fabric till some quilts on the board then I couldn't find the fabric. I usually only work with SW fabrics so they weren't in my LQS.

I bought all the fairy fabric on ebay or etsy. Last time I looked (a couple weeks ago) there were still sellers selling it.

Thanks I will check it out.