Making a batik skyline quilt

The inspiration for this design came from my son – in fact, he did the drawing and I did the pattern writing! I have involved both of my children in different aspects of my quiltmaking and it has led to some very interesting collaborations. This time I showed my son these very dramatic batiks from the Broken Glass line by Banyan Batiks which will be making an appearance in your local quilt store this month.

I knew Halloween was coming up, but while we were trying to decide what to design it was still summer which was showcasing some beautiful sunsets. To be honest, the fabrics remind me of the sunsets from my son’s favorite train show when he was younger. I shouldn’t have been surprised when he wanted to design a night skyline with these fabrics. I gave him my graph paper and set him to it.

I also laid out the fabrics to help him keep his design simple enough for me to quilt; just enough details to make different buildings but nothing too fancy. He did still design a highrise and another building with solar panels on the roof!

Once he was done designing I matched some of my pencil crayons to the fabrics so he could help me color code the design. He wanted to design a whole bed quilt with rows of skylines, but I convinced him that one was enough. He can use it as a background when filming his train videos.

Let’s get to making the wallhanging!

Fabric requirements

• half meter  Black 81500-49
• fat quarter  Blue Gray 81500-44
• fat quarter  Dark Blue 81500-48
• fat quarter  Gray 81500-77

• 10″ square  Bright Blue 81500-42
• 2½″ x 7½″  Purple 81500-85
• 5″ x 21″ strip  Bright Pink 81500-23

Cutting Instructions

Black 81500-49

• four – 1½″ x 16½″ strips
• one – 9½″ x 16½″ rectangle
• one – 5½″ x 8½″ rectangle
• one – 5″ square
• one – 4½″ x 6½″ rectangle
• one – 3½″ x 4½″ rectangle
• three – 3″ x 6″ rectangles
• one – 4½″ square
• two – 2½″ squares
• two – 2″ squares
• ten – 1½″ squares

Blue Grey 81500-44 (sidewalks, highrise,solar panelled building)

• four – 1½″ x 16½″ strips
• five – 1½″ x 4½″ rectangles
• one – 3½″ x 4½″ rectangle
• one – 2½″ x 4½″ rectangle
• one – 2½″ square
• two – 1½″ squares
• reserve leftover for backing

Dark Blue 81500-48 (houses, highrise)

• five – 2½″ x 4½″ rectangles
• five – 2½″ squares
• seven – 1½″ x 2½″ rectangles
• six – 1½″ x 4½″ rectangles
• three – 1½″ squares

reserve leftover for backing

Grey 81500-77 (doors, roofs)

• three – 3″ x 6″ rectangles
• one – 2½″ x 4½″ rectangle
• nine – 1½″ x 2½″ rectangles

reserve leftover for backing

Bright Blue 81500-42 (solar panels, windows)

• two – 2″ squares
• two – 1½″ x 2½″ rectangles
• one – 1½″ square

Purple 81500-85 (bottom of solar panelled building)

• one – 2½″ square

Light pink 81500-21 (moon)

• one – 5″ square

Bright Pink 81500-23 (road lines)

• eleven – 1½″ x 2½″ rectangles
• one – 2″ strip (for backing)

The Broken Glass fabric by Banyan Batiks has potential for all kinds of designs. Keep following along this week as we turn these moody batiks into a stunning night skyline.