I love panels! They are usually an eye catching, beautiful print! I have collected quite a few of them over the past decade or so, but have only created a few things out of them. I think it may be all the decisions you have to make. Do I leave it as is and just quilt it? Do I cut it all apart or just cut part of it? You get the idea. It can be hard to decide!
Today I want to give you some ideas on how to sew quilt panels! I have been working on a few and I have some pictures from a quilt show I attended last year that featured a lot of panels worked up in different ways. Hopefully one or more will catch your eye and help you make the decision on how to sew up your quilt panels.
What is a Quilt Panel?
A quilt panel is a printed whole cloth fabric of a picture, or object. Some consist of blocks, while others have one large picture of something. Most can be left together and quilted up as is. Others can be cut apart an arranged to create a one of a kind quilt.
Quilt panels can be a great beginner project. It’s a quick project that one can finish up fast by just doing the bare minimum. Keep it together or not, add borders or not, and you get the idea!
Panels sound great, but are there any cons to using one? One con I have found with some panels is that they may not be printed evenly or squarely. If you leave it together, then it probably won’t be much of a problem, but if you cut it apart the edges may not match up correctly. When this happens, you need to know how to “fudge”. Make sure you examine the quilt panel extensively before cutting and have a plan to make it look right.
How to Sew a Quilt Panel
Well, quilt panels aren’t just for quilts anymore! Some quilt panels consist of projects. By that I mean they make up into something else. There are a variety of different ones, but I’ve seen vests, soft baby books, and aprons just to name a few. I recently purchased this hot chocolate quilt panel. I figured out I could make a table runner, pillow, and large casserole hot pad out of the one panel! Now that spring is here, it will have to wait until next winter to be used.
Here is a great link for more images and ideas! They have lots of examples for you to look at!
So grab up some quilt panels the next time you visit your local quilt shop. It’s a great way to make a more personalized quilt because of the many different specific pictures and topics. Not to mention it’s great when you need a quilt in a hurry.
Have a great week and tell your quilting friends to come join in on the fun by leaving their first name and email in the box for the Free Quilt Labels on my HOME page.
Always find time to sew,
