LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW
Ruffle Baby Quilt
RUFFLE BABY QUILT FREE PATTERN
Having completed a ruffle quilt with ruffles running down the middle of the quilt (to read more click on ruffle quilt), I decided I would like to try a ruffle quilt with the ruffle as an edging. A baby quilt seemed the obvious choice and I used a fabric panel so that I could concentrate on the ruffle rather than the piecing of the quilt.
MAKING THE QUILT TOP
The fabric panel was rectangular and just needed the edges trimming to straighten them.
I wanted to try the ruffle on curved corners and on square corners, so I folded the panel in half along its length, marked a curve on the top corners with a plate and cut the curve.
Place your backing fabric right side down, smooth gently and lay the wadding on top. Smooth gently and lay the fabric panel on top. It's difficult to give any measurements because fabric panels do vary, but the one I used was 43" by 34" so the wadding and backing fabric were 46" by 37". Pin and baste the 3 layers together, then quilt and trim the excess wadding and backing fabric.
QUILTING
I quilted around the teddy and the border pattern and then meander quilted the bits in between. Fabric panels are a great way to practise machine quilting because there are no seams so your quilt sandwich is likely to be more flat than a pieced quilt top might be.
MAKING THE RUFFLES
For the ruffle I used 4" strips cut across the width of the fabric. The overall length around the ruffle quilt is twice the length and width - in my case twice 43 plus 34" - making 144". I cut 4 strips to give an overall length of about 168" (assuming 42" width of fabric). The more strips of fabric you use, the more gathered and frilly the ruffle will be.
Sew the strips together along the short edge to make one long strip. Fold the strip in half along the length. Sew a seam just below the fold to hold it in place using normal stitch length and then sew a seam along the bottom edge using the longest straight stitch that your machine does.
GATHERING THE RUFFLES
By folding your ruffle strip in half and then half again, use a safety pin to mark the half and quarter points on the strip. Take the top thread of the long stitch row of stitching in your right hand and start to pull. Gently ease the fabric along the thread with your left hand to gather it.
Keep pulling the thread and easing the fabric until you have gathered as far as the half way point. Measure the length of this half of the strip (just approximately - it doesn't have to be accurate). The gathered length needs to be the length of width plus length of the ruffle quilt top. In my case this is 77". If necessary ease the fabric back along the thread or pull some more thread through to get to this measurement. Gently run the ruffle strip between your thumb and forefinger to even out the gathering. Repeat the process with the other half of the ruffle strip, starting from the other end of the strip.ADDING THE RUFFLE STRIP TO THE QUILT
When you are satisfied that the ruffle strip is the right length to go right round the ruffle quilt top, place one end with right side down on the edge of the quilt about half way down one of the sides. Continue pinning the strip to the quilt all the way round. For the curved corners just follow the line of the curve with your ruffle strip.
The square corners are obviously more of a problem. With hindsight I would probably make all corners curved another time. Pin the ruffle strip up to the corner and then again after the corner. This will leave you with a fold in the strip as shown above.
When you are back to the beginning of the ruffle strip, adjust the gathering so that you have an overlap of about 1". I decided that the neatest way of joining the ends was to use a similar method to finishing binding.
Turn under a small hem on the right hand edge of the ruffle strip. Tuck the left hand edge inside the fold of the right hand edge and pin in place. Slipstitch along the join.
BINDING THE RUFFLE QUILT
As there are curves in the ruffle quilt outline, the binding needs to be cut on the bias. Click on cutting bias binding if you're not sure. Cut 2.1/2" strips of binding, fold in half along the length and press. Cut enough strips to join together to go right round the quilt edge with a little to spare for corners and joining. For my quilt that was about 150".
Here I have a confession to make: I completely forgot to cut my binding on the bias and just cut across the width of the fabric in the normal way. My quilt turned out okay.
With the fold towards the middle and the raw edges all together, place the binding on the edge of the quilt, making sure that you start a few inches away from the join in the ruffle to reduce bulk. For full binding instructions click on baby quilt free pattern.
For the curved corners, just follow the line with your binding. For the square corners, fold the ruffle strip corner flap to the right and sew to 1/4" from the edge. Fold the binding up away from the quilt and fold the ruffle fold to the left. Fold the binding strip back down over the ruffle strip and in line with the next edge of the ruffle quilt. Begin sewing again 1/4" from the edge - not right at the edge as is usual.
Before you flip the binding over to the back of the ruffle quilt to sew in place, make a series of small snips on the curved corner seams, taking care not to cut the stitching line.Then flip the binding over and slipstitch in place.
Goodness, I do seem to have gone on a bit! I hope you enjoy making your baby ruffle quilt as much as I did.
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