Cutting quilt strips for the Garden State of Mind quilt

Yesterday I showed you how to use nature to inspire a unique quilt design. Today I’m cutting and piecing our background of the quilt design with the help of some indispensable cutting tools!

The background of this quilt is a simple design involving strips onto which the nature-inspired applique pieces will be laid.

Do you remember? I’m using Hoffman Fabrics Garden State of Mind for the applique and for the 24/7: Linen for the background cut as follows.

Three colorways of Hoffman 24/7 Linen that I used for the background

From the 2yds G8555-3G-White Gold cut the following measurements:

• 11½” cream
• (2) 9½” cream 
• 6½” cream
• 2” cream

From the 2 yds G8555-33G-Cream Gold cut the following measurements by WOF:

• 3½” gold
• 6½” gold
• (2) 15½” gold

From the 2 yards S4705-198-Apricot cut the following measurements by WOF:

• (2) 1½” orange
• (2) 2” orange

I used the UNIQUE Folding Cutting Mat – 12″ x 17″, Sew Easy Quilting Ruler 24 x 6½” and KAI rotary cutter to achieve clean, even cuts.

The UNIQUE Folding Cutting Mat is so cool! If you quilt you know that it can be a challenge to keep your mat flat and even. Cutting mats do not like to be bent or folded, however not this cutting mat! It’s foldable! Amazing and so useful for transporting or storing cutting mat. The wavy line that is cut into the cutting mat to allow it to fold does not affect the cutting surface at all. In fact, I completely forgot it was there.

UNIQUE Folding Cutting Mat

Using the KAI large size rotary cutter and the Sew Easy Quilting Ruler 24 x 6½” makes the cutting simple and easy.

KAI cutter, UNIQUE cutting mat and Sew Easy ruler are indispensable tools for avid quilters

Once all your pieces are cut lay them out and piece them as follows:

• 11½” cream
• 1½” orange
• 9½” cream
• 3½” gold
• 2” orange
• 15½” gold
• 6½” cream
• 6½” gold
• 2” cream
• 2” orange
• 15½” gold
• 1½” orange
• 9½” cream

Use the illustration below to guide you but feel free to move things around as you like, this is your quilt after all. Do not worry if the top is not quite even, it will be trimmed square after the quilting has been completed.

Using your Oliso iron, press the seams well.

My Oliso Butter Yellow Iron! OLISO PROTM TG1600 Smart Iron – Yellow!

Tomorrow I begin preparing the applique pieces and will be bringing back my favorite tool, the TRUECUT 360° Circle Cutter!

TRUECUT 360° Circle Cutter makes fabric circles easy to cut!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Creating an original quilt design in a Garden State of Mind

Go to part 3: Improv applique makes quilting magical!

Print this page or save as a PDF