4 minute read
OMBRE PUFF QUILT sew along
Brittany from Lo & Behold Stitchery shares how to make her Ombre Puff Quilt
A puff quilt is also known as a biscuit quilt and the techniques used to make it are different from the traditional methods used but well worth the extra effort.
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HOW TO MAKE
Create individual pockets using one 4½in square for the top of the puff and a 4in square for the back of the puff.
1. With the right side facing up, place the 4½ in square on top of the scrap 4in square. Align the top right two edges. Use a scant ¼in seam (a seam that’s just a smidge smaller than a regular ¼in seam) and start sewing along the right edge.
2. After a few stitches, take the bottom right corner of the top square and align it with the bottom right corner of the bottom square. Gather the fabric to the middle of the square and using two fingers, pinch the fabric to create a pleat. Hold the pleat down as you sew over it.
3. When you get about a ¼in to the edge of the square, stop with your needle down and pivot so that you’ll sew down the perpendicular edge.
4. Repeat step 2 to create a pleat, and do the same for the third side. Leave the 4th side open to create a ‘pocket’. You will stuff the puff and close that up a little later.
5. Repeat this process for all of the puffs.
ROW CONSTRUCTION
6. Once all of your puffs are created, organise them into colour families. Decide how you’d like the ombre gradient to fade across your quilt, and lay out your puffs accordingly.
7. Organise the rows into piles and label each pile with a number. Sew each row together using a regular ¼in seam. This will ensure that you won’t see the seams from the previous step. You’ll want the open edge of the puffs to all be on the same side.
QUILT TOP ASSEMBLY
8. Now it’s time to stuff those puffs! Starting with your first row, take a hand full of batting and stuff the first puff. There’s no right or wrong amount of batting, but I found that using less batting makes for an easier construction and also a more plush and flexible quilt. 9. Starting at the top of the row, using a scant ¼in seam, sew up the 4th edge of the first puff in the row. Remember to create a pleat.
10. Continue to stuff and sew up the puffs.
11. Once the first row is complete, use a regular ¼in seam to sew the next row to it. Remember to sew the edges that are opposite of the open edges of the puffs. 12. Repeat steps 2-4 until all of your rows are assembled and your puffs are stuffed.
12. Repeat steps 2-4 until all of your rows are assembled and your puffs are stuffed.
TIP: There’s no need to press any seams with this quilt. However, it’ll be helpful to alternate the direction that your seams are facing from row to row. For example, in the first row, sew all seams so that they are facing towards you. Then for the next row, arrange the seams so that they are facing away from you. This will create nesting seams and help decrease some of the bulk.
Finally
Baste, quilt and bind as desired. I cover hand tying and machine tacking for this quilt on my website. Check out the hashtag #ombrepuffquilt for more inspiration!
Brittany started Lo & Behold in 2017 in memory of her late grandmother, Lois. Her granny instilled a love of creating in Brittany from an early age and she remembers vividly spending summers at her grandparent’s house crafting at the kitchen table. While Brittany never had the chance to learn to sew or quilt with Lois, she created many quilts on her own, which Brittany inherited along with her granny’s vintage sewing machine and quilting supplies when she passed away. Using various pieces of her grandmother’s clothing, Brittany created her first quilt – a memory quilt. If you fancy making this quilt, this pattern is a free download and there is a video tutorial that goes with it. Brittany now creates her own quilt patterns which can be found on her website, www.loandbeholdstitchery.com.
