Quilt panel giveaway with Quilt Girls

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I don’t want to startle anyone, but Christmas is only five and a half months away! Do you have all of your gift sewing projects lined up? Or, are you stumped and stalled by what to make for your loved ones?  Are you hesitant to start a quilt because you won’t be able to finish it by the holidays? Well then, I have an idea for you: start with a festive quilt panel and add some borders or simple blocks to make it larger. You’ll have a quilt top finished in record time.  You could probably even complete more than one. To get the ball rolling, the kind folks at Quilt Girls have sent me two quilt panels to give away!
Making a quilt from a panel is a great idea if you are short on time. But more than that, today’s digitally printed quilt panels are beautiful and rich in color. The two pretty panels that we’re giving away measure 35” x 44”. One features a jolly Santa Claus quieting a cardinal, and the other features a darling snowman in a serene winter setting. Either of these panels from Quilt Girls would make a wonderful foundation for a quilt gift for someone you love.

 

 

 

I want to share a few tips and ideas on sewing with a quilt panel. First off, while the manufacturer may describe the panel as being 35” by 44”, that may or may not include the white (non-printed) area surrounding the image.  Also, the image may be printed ever-so-slightly askew.  Fabric is shifty, so that can happen. You will definitely want to square up your panel and remove any of the surrounding white area.
If you plan to add blocks or a pieced border, you’ll also want to trim it to a measurement that makes for easy block calculations. For instance, if I were to add borders or blocks to one of these panels, I could trim it to 33 1/2” by 42 1/2”.  Why this measurement? 33 and 42 are both divisible by 3.  That would allow me to surround the panel with fabric squares (or blocks) that were 3 1/2” (unfinished). Here is an example.

 

 

 

Since most quilt panels will feature a dominant figure in the center, surrounded by secondary or background art, you typically will be able to trim the panel to any dimensions you like without hurting the overall design. You’ll have to do a bit of math to determine what makes sense for your plan or what gives you the most options. For instance, if I trimmed the panel to 32 1/2” by 40 1/2”, I would have more options, since both 32 and 40 are divisible by 2, 4 and 8.
Probably the easiest concept of all is to simply surround the trimmed panel with borders. You could use a solid inner border to frame the panel, and then surround that with a pretty coordinating fabric for the outer border.

 

 

Another option is to sew blocks along one side of the panel, along with borders. Look at your quilting books and patterns for ideas on blocks you might like to add to your quilt panel. The sky is the limit!

 

 

Now for the details on the giveaway. To enter our giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me which panel you\’d like to win. You MUST include your email address. The giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only due to the high rate of international shipping. Comments are open through 5:00 pm (CST) on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. At that time, I will do a random drawing and announce the winners. *Only one comment per person/per email address.  Email me if you are having trouble leaving a comment and I will leave a comment on your behalf. (carriedawayquilting@gmail.com) Many thanks to Quilt Girls for their generous giveaway offering!

 

 

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas to get started. If you don’t win one of the giveaway panels, please visit the Quilt Girls website and take a look at their great selection. Once you’ve ordered a panel, you can spend a little time with your sketchpad and calculator and come up with some fabulous ideas, I just know it!
~Taunja

 

107 thoughts on “Quilt panel giveaway with Quilt Girls”

  1. These panels are great – I would love Santa but would be happy with either one. Thanks for the chance to win. a(.)haun(@)sbcglobal(.)net

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  3. Comment left for LuAnn S:You offer the best surprises! I have followed you for over a year and made the Star Watch quilt out of The Harvest Road material. Next will be 4 pillow cases to match.If I were to be selected to receive a panel I would select the snowman one.

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  4. I would have fun with the snowman panel ❄️��⛄️Mona.dickey@icloud.comThanks!

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  6. Let me try this again, this time with my e-mail address. I have 2 Granddaughters that would love Santa, and I am just drawn to Cardinals. The Santa panel is a win for everyone!pmteska@yahoo.com

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  12. What a fun givewaway! I have never made a quilt using a panel. I would choose Santa ( I collect Santas ) and my mother loved cardinals! Thanks for the chance!

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  15. Love both panels but would opt for the snowman panel simply because I could use the quilt past the holiday season. Thanks for the great tips on using panels and the opportunity to win! dusnc @ tds.net

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  16. Thank you so very much for the opportunity to enter to win one of these wonderful panels. They are both a total delight and I love them both. Santa, of course, screams Christmas and he is such a wonderfully nostalgic Santa. The snowman, on the other hand, could be out all winter long. Oh my! Decisions, decisions. I guess I'll say Santa, because more people have picked the snowman, but truthfully, I would be beyond delighted at either one. Thank you again. pehinsa@yahoo.com

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  19. Taunja- you DID startle me! haha! I'm finished with my 4 day sewing room cleaning and I'm a bit punchy :)I would love to win the Santa! He reminds me of the ones we saw in advertisements when we were youngsters. suekeida@gmail.com

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  22. I love your idea of the flying geese and borders – I've done too many with plain borders! I especially love the snowman and think it's a great idea for a holiday gift. Thank you!

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  23. Either would be wonderful. I have at least 10 cardinals in my backyard right now. Jmikebalou (at) aol (dot) com I like the checkerboard idea.

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  29. Comment left for Linda B:Thank You for the fun giveaway opportunity! Both are so cute! I commented but it doesn’t show up, so I’m not sure if it went through. I’d choose the Santa 🎅🏻 and Cardinals! When I was a girl I lived in in Virginia and the Cardinals are the state bird!Thank YouLinda B

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  36. Both panels are as cute as can be! I would choose the snowman! Thanks for the ideas on using the panels as I'm getting ready to use one I already have and wanted to make it larger! yoyopattycakes@ hotmail dot com

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  37. I'd love the Santa one as birds and trees are two of my favorite things. It WOULD make a great Christmas present, but must admit, if I won it I'd make it for ME! : ) Thanks for the giveaway & the chance to win it! Deb E mdenders@msn.com

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  45. Comment left for JoannI'd like to enter the giveaway that you are having on your blog. I like the Santa panel and with a red and black (or maybe white) checkered border, I think this would look really nice.I enjoy reading your blog and thank you for doing the give-away. THank you!Joann

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