Military Max

Update (May 2020): The tutorial for this quilt can now be found below!  

Hey friends!  Happy Monday!  I wanted to let you know I have a tutorial for this Military Max quilt over on the Riley Blake blog today. 



I had my boys with me at my local quilt shop when we first saw these prints and they both were quick to tell me how cool they thought these fabrics were.  It’s nice to see a military-themed line that’s skewed a bit younger than usual.  

The quilt is a fairly straightforward pattern, and uses my favorite Heat n Bond EZ Print sheets for the appliqued circle/stars.  These are pretty slick.  You can print right onto these sheets from your regular printer – no more tracing!



If you’ve never tried a quilt with applique before, this quilt pattern might be a great way to try it out!  The applique pieces are large and with both curved and straight edges this would be great practice before moving on to more complex and/or smaller applique projects.

For the circle/stars on this quilt, I used Featherlite fusible web, and finished them with a simple straight stitch- nothing too complicated here. 



The finished quilt measures about 48” x 60” – a nice throw size. 



I used a minky fabric on the back so it’s great for snuggling (and later for using in our trailer when we camp this summer.)  When I use minky on the back, I like to keep the quilting less dense – this time I did some gentle meandering with a few stars sprinkled in. 



Just for fun, in EQ7 I made a version of this quilt using Summer Celebration – an upcoming line from Riley Blake.  Wouldn’t this make a fun 4th of July quilt?  It’s just asking to be used for picnics, isn’t it?


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Ready for the tutorial?  Let's go!

The finished Military Max quilt measures about 48″ x 60″.

Supplies:
3/8 yard each of 6 prints
3/4 yard solid white
1/2 yard binding fabric
3-1/8 yards backing, or 2 yards of 60″ wide Minky
Circle and Star template
Heat n Bond EZ Print Featherlite sheets (need 5 sheets) OR Heat n Bond Lite or Featherlite (or other similar fusible web)

Cutting:
From one of the prints, cut 1 @ 6.5″ x WOF (width of fabric). Then subcut to 5 @ 6.5″ square.

From the other 5 prints, cut:
1 @ 6.5″ x WOF, then subcut to 3 @ 6.5″ x 12.5″
1 @ 6.5″ x WOF, then subcut to 5 @ 6.5″ x 6.5″

From the solid white cut:
2 @ 12.5″ x WOF, then subcut 5 @ 12.5″ square

You should now have 30 (6.5″) squares, and 15 (6.5″ x 12.5) rectangles.

Step 1: Using a 1/4″ seam, sew all 6.5″ squares into pairs. Press seam to one side.

Step 2: To each pair, sew one 6.5″ x 12.5″ rectangle. Press seams toward the rectangle. Make 15 of these blocks (12.5″ x 12.5″).

Step 3: Print the circle and star template onto 5 sheets of Heat n Bond EZ Print Featherlite OR print one template onto regular paper and trace onto regular fusible web (such as Heat n Bond Featherlite) using a pencil. You will need to trace the circle/star five times.

The EZ Print sheets are so handy because you can print directly onto them using your regular printer – no tracing needed!

Step 4: Cut out each circle, leaving about 1/4″ around the lines. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, press the Heat n Bond Featherlite to the wrong side of the solid green fabric. You will need 5 green circle/stars.

Using sharp scissors, cut out both the circle and the star, directly on the lines.

Step 5: Peel off paper backing. Center the circle/star shapes in each 12.5″ white square. Press in place.

Step 6: Using a coordinating thread, stitch around the edges of the circle/star applique with a straight stitch. Alternatively, a zigzag or blanket stitch could also be used.

Step 7: Lay out the quilt blocks following the diagram. Sew blocks into rows using a 1/4″ seam. Press seams for all odd numbered rows to the left and even numbered rows to the right. Sew rows together. Press seams.

Baste and quilt as desired. For the binding, use the 1/2 yard binding fabric, cut into 2.5″ strips to make a straight grain, double fold binding. 

I quilted mine in a gentle meander with a few stars sprinkled about. And as soon as it was bound, both of my boys claimed it as theirs!

If you make one, I'd love to see it!  Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags #abrightcorner and #militarymaxquilt so we can all see what you've created!