Easy, Pezzy Baby Quilt, a tutorial

Do you have a charm pack that you just love?

I do! And now it can be found in a quilt I made for my baby boy. He is 16 months and he was in dire need of {another} quilt. One made specially for him by his momma. {Every time he sees it he says, “Mine!” Love him.}

The quilt was so easy and fast that I thought I would share “the how” with you.

Easy, Pezzy Baby Quilt

*Use 1/4″ seam allowances throughout

Materials needed:
– 1 charm pack (choose 30 charm squares), I used a Pezzy charm pack by American Jane
– A total of 3/4 coordinating solid yardage (for an additional {150} 2.5 inch squares) to match your charms. I cut from 9 fat quarters from my stash. (Pink Chalk is selling a bundle of coordinating FQs for the Pezzy prints.) Or, you could also just use 38 charms from an additional charm pack.
– 1.25 yards for sashing, I used Kona Ash
– fabric for backing and binding

My chosen charms and coordinating solids.

Cutting
For this quilt you will make {30} 9-patch blocks. Each 9-patch is made from 1 charm and {5} 2.5 inch squares from a coordinating fabric.

1.  Once you’ve chosen your 30 charms, sub cut each charm into 2.5 inch squares. Each charm should give you {4} 2.5 inch squares.

2. Next, cut your squares from your coordinating fabric. You will need {5} 2.5 inch squares per charm square for a total of 150 squares (i.e. 150 = 30 charms x 5 coordinating solid 2.5 squares).

Typically a charm pack comes with repeating squares. The charm pack I used came with 3-4 charms of each print. So for my coordinating yardage I cut from my fat quarter {3-4} 2.5 strips and then sub cut those strips into 2.5 inch squares. The picture below uses an print with 3 charms, so I was able to cut 3 strips from my FQ.

Cutting your coordinating solid yardage

3. Cut your fabric for your sashing and border:
        – {4} 2.5 inch by WOF (width of fabric) strips, then sub cut into {24} 2.5 by 6.5 inch strips
         – {5} 2.5 inch by WOF strips
         – {2} 4.5 inch by WOF strips (border)
         – {3} 4.5 inch by WOF strips, sew end on end (border)

Sewing!
1. Begin by piecing your nine patch blocks. To make each nine patch, lay out {4} 2.5 inch squares from a charm square and {5} 2.5 inch squares of coordinating fabric in three rows of three. Sew the rows together.  Press towards one side. (I always pressed towards my solid fabric. Some always press towards the darker fabric. Some press the seam open. I like to do one side so I can better match my seams, but press however you like.) Then sew the rows together.

One set of charms and coordinating solid squares ready to be sewn

Press to one side; in the case above I pressed towards the solid.

Voila, Nine Patch

Keep sewing until you have 30 nine patches.

2. Trim your nine patch blocks so that they are all the same size. They are *supposed* to finish at 6.5 inch squares. I trimmed mine down to 6.25 inch squares.

I trim in front of the television!

3. Assembling the quilt top. Lay out your blocks five blocks across and six blocks down. Play with the blocks until you have the look you want.

My winning lay out

Rows, sewn together with 2.5 inch by 6.5 inch strips of sashing

Once all the rows are sewn and pressed, sew the rows together using a 2.5 inch by 38.5 inch strip of sashing in between each row.

A row of blocks sewn together with a strip of 2.5 inch by 38.5 inch sashing.

To better align my blocks, I often use my ruler and make a small tick mark where I want my blocks to line up. Then I pin my blocks to the mark and sew.

Added tick marks for *perfection*

 Once all your rows are sewn together with sashing in between, you then add your 4.5 inch border. Sew {2} 4.5 inch by 38.5 inch strips of sashing fabric to the top and the bottom. Sew {2} 4.5 inch by 54.5 inch strips to each side.

Before finishing your top, you may want to square up each corner.

Square up the corners of your quilt top.

Easy, Pezzy Baby Quilt, finishes at approximately 46″ by 54″

I’ll answer questions in comments. 🙂