New pattern: Let’s Play, a fat quarter friendly child’s quilt

When I think back on my children’s early years, I remember that quilts were a big part of their daily lives. Quilts made for snuggling became fort quilts and backyard picnic quilts. I also remember how often a quilt became a play mat where Luke would line up his trucks, cars, tractors and action figures and let his imagination go to town.

My newest quilt pattern, Let’s Play, was designed to feature inspiring juvenile fabrics and encourage play. It’s fat quarter friendly and finishes at 48” x 57”, the perfect size for a child’s quilt. From the adventure inspired fabric to the linear, roadmap like layout of the pattern, Let’s Play was inspired by my son, Luke.

For this quilt, I selected a collection called “Greatest Adventure” by Cinderberry Stitches for Riley Blake Designs. I had been saving a group of fat quarters from this collection for a couple of years, just waiting for the right quilt pattern to come to mind. Luke is a young man now, but I know for certain that he would have loved this quilt when he was a boy.  He would have enjoyed the plucky little characters and the tiny word messages.

While this fabric collection is likely hard to find now, Riley Blake Designs is well known for their fabulous children’s prints. I can imagine this pattern sewn up in other sweet and inspiring youth collections, can’t you?

Let’s Play is a fat quarter friendly pattern. Begin with two dominant color prints (I chose red and navy blue) that will create the intersecting grid or roadmap effect. Then select seven additional coordinating fat quarters to be your feature fabrics. Look for prints that tell a story with pictures.

Finished size: 48” x 57”

9 fat quarters (1 red, 1 blue, 7 coordinating)

White………………. 1 yard

Border……………… 3/4 yard

Backing……………. 3 1/4 yards

Binding: The sample shows scrappy binding cut from 2 1/4” strips from the remainder of the fat quarters. (Cutting instructions for scrappy binding are noted in the pattern.) Otherwise, 1/2 yard is required to bind the quilt.

This pattern is a bit of a departure from what I typically design, but I truly love it. Let’s Play takes me back to the sweet days when matchbox cars, stuffed animals, books and action heroes took up residence in my house, along with a spirited little boy and his side-kick younger sister.

Let’s Play is available as a digital download pattern on my Etsy Shop. I hope this pattern inspires you to sew up a much loved quilt for a child in your life. Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Taunja