I designed this quilt for my brother and his family, but it has a big-brother-little-brother look to it. Or, maybe, how people play a larger part or a smaller part, but always an important part, in this big world where we are all God’s children and, therefore, brothers and sisters.
However you want to look at it, I hope you like the looks of Brotherly Love. In case you might want to make one yourself, here are some directions. Sorry about so few pictures. I wasn’t planning on writing a tutorial I started the quilt, but I will be happy to help out anywhere things aren’t clear.
BROTHERLY LOVE QUILT
56″ x 80″
MATERIALS
You could use charm packs and layer cakes, or you need a good sized batch of larger sized coordinating scraps.
A good sized batch of background fabric. About 3-1/2 yards or scraps.
A total of 5-1/2 yards for backing
batting
1/2 yard for binding
CONSTRUCTION
1. Get out two charm packs and one layer cake, or cut your colored scraps into 74 5″ squares and 17 9″ squares.
2. Do the same with the background fabric: 74 5″ squares and 17 9″ squares.
3. Create half-squares triangles using your favorite technique. I like to mark a diagonal and then sew 1/4″ away on both sides, cutting down the center and ironing open to reveal 2 half-square triangles. If you need more explanation, this TUTORIAL will help. It is the first one I ever found on the internet.
4. Square up the smaller blocks, the “little brothers,” to 4-1/2″ and the larger blocks, the “big brothers,” to 8-1/2″.
5. Now, it is time to make larger sections. Using the 4-1/2″ squared up blocks, make 29 groups using four and 8 using two. Keep all of your “flags” facing the same way. Press often. Your results will be worth it.
6. Using the picture as a guide, lay out your alternating big brother and little brother blocks. You will have one big brother block left over.
7. Sew together the rows and then sew the rows to one another to create a complete top.
8. Layer, baste and quilt as desired. I used my faithful Pfaff 130 to put a single seam 1/4″ away from the seam in the background part of the smaller squares. It creates an interesting diagonal line and is do able on a home machine, even with a small throat space.
9. Add that binding and a label.
10. Ta-dah! Brotherly Love.
Brotherly Love Gallery
Here’s Lauren’s nautical quilt for her great-nephew. Lucky boy!
your quilt here…
Wedding Dress Blue 
Even without tons of pictures, the directions are so clear and simple to follow. I have put this on the list!
Your tutorials are always so well-written and concise! Thanks for sharing the ‘how to’ on this wonderful quilt!! 🙂
i love this and i will be cutting 2″ squares and 2.5″ squares this week for a PSQ and will cut these out first then my smaller squares…by the time i get thru i will have enough cut to make this quilt..i love it and love the way it turns out…half squares have always been a favorite of mine..thanks for the tutorial..
Deanna:
Lovely quilt – great tutorial! Fantastic idea for all those charm squares I have been saving (hoarding)!
Love this – very scrap friendly. So nice to have someone do all the math!!! 🙂
Great quilt and wonderful tutorial. Thqnks so much for sharing with us.
Beautiful!
Thank-you for the great tute. My favourite type of fabrics to use (pre-cuts), I have a stack of them just waiting for the perfect project. Thanks to you I have found it.
That’s a wonderful design and such a sweet message to go along with it.
just getting started making my “brotherly love” quilt today. I have been dreaming about this pattern since I first saw it last summer. Thank You for the great instructions!
Can’t wait to make this quilt for my son! He will love it
I made this quilt using what I call “refondling of saved fabric”. This is a great pattern that I plan to use a lot. Going to try the other pattern for honey buns (can’t remember title) as well, since I ordered two honey buns by mistake — so got to use them somehow.
Love this pattern sowell explained. Thank you for sharing with us.
Radha