This Nursery's a Zoo! Quilt Tutorial

Remember my post about the nursery and this quilt?

Today I'm starting a tutorial on how to make this baby quilt, which I've called "This Nursery's a Zoo!" Here's an image of the whole quilt. It measures approximately 31" x 40-1/2", featuring four rows of three blocks each. You could make yours smaller or larger by adding or subtracting blocks and sashings, but the tutorial below focuses specifically on this size.

Since it's more fun to quilt along with you, I chose some brights from my stash and I'm making a wall hanging version of this quilt to help me illustrate how to make these blocks. Plus, it's fun to see the pattern in something a little different. I think you'll like how cheery it is in bold colors; I know I do!

Let's start out with what you'll need, fabric-wise. 

Materials:

• 1/2 yard of a light dot (for appliqué block backgrounds)
• 6 coordinating fat quarters or 1/4 yard cuts (for pieced blocks and appliqués)
• 1/2 yard of a coordinating print (for sashing) Note: This is a fun place to use a stripe like I did!
• 1/4 yard of a coordinating print (for sashing squares)
• 1/3 yard of a coordinating print (for binding)
• 1-1/3 yards of backing fabric
• 37'' x 48'' piece of batting
• Fusible web

I chose these bright prints below--the bright dots on a cream background for the backgrounds of the appliqué blocks, and the bright prints, already sorted into pairs, for the pieced blocks. I'll choose my sashing, sashing squares and binding after I've made the blocks.

And now it's time to get out that rotary cutter and ruler!

Cutting:

From the light dot:

Six 8'' squares

From each of the fat quarters (or ¼ yard cuts):

Three 3'' squares

Two 3'' x 8'' pieces

From the sashing fabric:

Seventeen 2-1/2'' x 8'' pieces

From the sashing squares fabric:

Twenty 2-1/2'' squares

From the binding fabric:

Four 2-1/4'' x 42'' strips

Ready to make the easy blocks, the pieced ones? (Did I mention that I am not a fan of appliqué? Why did I choose to make a baby quilt with appliquéd animals for my baby, you ask? Good question. I'm still not sure.)

Making the Pieced Blocks

1. Sort the 3'' squares and 3'' x 8'' pieces into six block piles. Each pile should include two 3'' squares and two 3'' x 8'' pieces cut from the same fabric and one 3'' square cut from a contrasting fabric.

2. From the first pile, sew the match 3'' squares to opposite sides of the contrasting square and press. Sew the 3'' x 8'' pieces to the top and bottom to complete the block.

The finished block:

3. Using the remaining piles, make a total of six blocks. I'm just showing you three here to whet your appetite. Can you tell I love dot and circle prints?!

That was easy, right? Next up, the appliquéd blocks and quilt assembly.