Stitch a bed of roses for your modern country home.



Gather your supplies
Graph paper and pencil; large set square; variety of cotton fabrics, including floral prints, plain homespun, gingham and stripes; quilt batting; polycotton sheeting; sewing thread; assorted buttons; stranded embroidery cotton.

Here's how
1 Work out the basic shape of your quilt blocks on graph paper, starting by deciding the finished dimensions of your quilt and ruling a rectangle or square on your graph paper to represent the finished size Divide this rectangle into four sections. A, B, C and D, not necessarily all the same size, then divide each of these sections into smaller pieces. Number each piece in the order you need to put them together to achieve each of your larger sections. In the end, you will be able to stitch the four sections of the quilt together along straight lines, which makes the construction very simple.

2 Once vou are happy with your graphed design, you can begin to cut the pieces of fabric according to your measurements, remembering to add 6mm seam allowance to all edges. (Using a large set square to measure at this stage means perfect corners). Stitch the pieces together in the order you have worked out and press all seams open.

3 Once you have completed each of your four large blocks, you can stitch them together to complete the quilt top.

4 Place the backing fabric on a large flat surface, wrong side up, cover with batting, then place the patchwork on top, right side up. Carefully pin all three layers together, working from the centre outwards, smoothing all the layers as you go to prevent any wrinkles Once you're sure it's all wrinkle-free, baste the layers together thoroughly.

5 Using two strands of embroidery cotton, stitch buttons randomly to the quilt top at the junction of patches, stitching through all layers.

6 Trim the batting even with the patchwork, but trim the backing fabric so that it extends by 3cm all round. Press under 5mm on the raw edge of the backing, then fold the extending edge of the backing to the front and pin in place, forming a binding on the quilt front. Slipstitch this folded edge in place, folding the corners into neat mitres.

7 To keep the edges of the batting firmly in place, machine-stitch around the finished quilt along the inner edge of the binding.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens August 2004