Ginger and Pickle: DIY: Patchwork throw

I'm a dabbler in sewing, I can use a machine to do basic things, mainly I like to make things for our home.

I made a patchwork throw for our bedroom. I wanted something that would tie together the grey and yellow theme and this way I got to choose lots of lovely fabrics.

I designed it as a bed runner so the finished size is 193cm x 82cm (ish!)

You will need:
5-8 fat quarters of your chosen fabrics (this will be more or less depending on your final quilt size)
Backing fabric 195cm x 84cm (allowing for a 1cm seam allowance)
Wadding 195cm x 84cm
Border fabric (same as
Matching thread
Fabric scissors
Air dry fabric pen
Pencil
Paper
A metal ruler (long if you have one)
Pins
Sewing machine

1) Make a plan - just a rough sketch that gives you a guide. I decided to have a patchwork middle with a border around the edge.

2) Make a cardboard template the size of your square - I did mine 15cm (so they would be 14cm with a 0.5cm seam allowance).

3) Cut out your squares - I ended up with 65

3) Now for the fun bit - lay them out in the pattern you want - this is the point your can also assess size and add more if you want it bigger. Mine was 13 squares across and 5 down - this then fits across the foot of a king size bed.

4) Take a column at a time and take the first two squares. With right sides together sew along one edge with a 0.5cm seam allowance (make sure your squares will end up the right way up if it matters for the pattern, i.e. my birds!) Repeat down the column so you have a strip of squares - repeat for all the other columns.

5) Iron all the seams open at the back - this will make it easier to sew them together.

6) Take the first two columns and with right sides together sew down one edge (0.5cm seam allowance) - repeat with all columns until your patchwork is complete.

7) Add your long side borders first and trim them so they are the same length as the patchwork, add the side borders (0.5cm seam allowance throughout)

8) Trim all the threads on the patchwork

9) Take the patchwork, wadding and backing fabric. Lay the patchwork first, right side up, put the wadding on top and then the backing fabric, right side down on top.

10) Sew all the way around, leaving a gap approx. 10-15cm wide

11) Turn the patchwork the right way and sew up the gap by hand.

12) Iron on a cool setting so as not to melt the wadding.

13) You can at this point 'quilt' by sewing along the lines between the patches - I didn't but because I just wanted it on my bed!