How to make your own Grid Foundation for Quilts

This month in the quilt group we are working on a little doll quilt- the Honey Bun Doll quilt.   It’s soo cute and simple and uses those small mini charm packs—

The process is pretty simple and can save you a lot of headache because it keeps your fabrics right where you place them!

How many times have you laid the quilt top out perfectly only to loose the placement when transferring it from the design wall (or floor) to the sewing machine! No matter how hard I try I always find that they get out of place and a row goes backwards and things just get all jumbled up.

This process will not let that happen!

You will be making the grid, placing your pieces, glue tack them down and stitch lines.  Couldn’t be easier!

How to make your own Grid foundation for quilts-

1)  Measure your fabric squares just in case they are off just a bit  these are from a little pack and they have the pinking shears area and are a bit larger than the 2 1/2 square.  I used the measurement I got from them to use in the next step.  Please measure your squares and then go with the measurement you find.

2)  Start along one side of the fabric and using a ruler, mark off a line with a pencil and ruler the measurement that you come up with (I drew mine at 2 3/4) if you are using the 2 1/2 squares, your measurement marked will be 2 1/2

3)  Repeat measuring and drawing the lines on the muslin background until you have enough squares drawn for the squares you are using.  My grid was 8 squares across by 6 squares down.

4)  Lay the squares out on the muslin until you are happy with the placement

5)  Using a glue super stick (thermoweb is my favorite!) tack the corners down of each square

6)  Fold over one full line the fold will naturally follow the edges of the squares, iron if needed

7)  Sew 1/4 seam along the fold line

8)  Repeat- fold and sew, fold and sew until you finish one direction of the mini quilt

9)  Iron the seams to one size

10)  Repeat fold and sew until you finish the other seams of the mini quilt.  Below is how the back looks like when it’s done.

11)  Layer the top, another piece of muslin (or batting if you choose) and backing fabric.  I decided just to line it with muslin because the foundation fabric that is sewn along with the squares give it a bit of weight.  The size of the mini quilt is kind of small and so I didn’t want to use batting and make it poofy.  You can decide for yourself what you’d like to do when you get to this stage.

To make the quilt shown in the tutorial you can visit here:  Postage Stamp Quilt

If you are interested in joining the group for the Honey Bun Doll quilt (plus over 40 other patterns!) then head on over here:  Honey Bun Doll Quilt & Quilt Group. 

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