Tri-me Honey Quilt Tutorial

When I got a honeybun from Barbara, I just had to do something with it.  This is what I came up with.

Here is how you make it:

Tri-me Honey Quilt Tutorial

Finished size approximately 52x 58

NOTE:  This tutorial does assume some basic knowledge of quilting and quilt assembly.  I am happy to answer any questions that come up or to clarify any steps. 

Materials:

1 honeybun or 40 strips 1-1/2″ WOF

2-1/2 yards for background

4 yards  for backing

1/2 yard for binding

batting

NOTE:  Originally I thought the binding for this quilt would be green, but, look, it turned orange.  Tricky of it!

Directions:

1. Using 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the strips together in groups of 6.  You will make six such sets.  You will have 4 strips leftover.  Save them.

2. Cut these strips sets into squares 6-1/2 inches, or whatever makes it a square for you.  Measure the width of the strip sets and use that as your measurement, in case your seam allowance isn’t perfect. You will be able to get six blocks from each set.  There will be some extra bits leftover.  Save them.

3.  Using your background fabric, cut 36 6-1/2″ squares (or your measured size).  You should be able to get six blocks out of each width of fabric.

4. Take a strip block and a plain background square.  Using THIS TUTORIAL or a similar one, create half-square triangles.  NOTE:  you need to make sure you are sewing and cutting all of your squares the same way, or your triangles will have stripes running different directions.  Iron all squares with the seam allowance towards the white.  I know this probably isn’t what you have been taught, but if you try to turn all those seams the other way it will just be a fight.  Sometimes you have to let the fabric be happy. If your seam allowances are perfect, your blocks will be 5-5/8″.  If they aren’t, just adjust your measurements and keep sewing.  The results will still be beautiful!

Notice in the picture above that you can see the stitching line and the “shadow” of the pieced block behind the fabric.  Every block should have the same relationship between the stitch line and the lay of the pieced block.

5.  Lay  out your half-square triangles in a pleasing way 8 blocks wide by 9 blocks high.  Sew the rows together and then the rows to one another, forming the main body of your quilt. It should finish at 45-1/2″ x 51-1/8″, or something close.

6.  Now it is time to build your borders.  Using the bits and pieces leftover from cuting your strips, cut any that can be cut into strips 1-1/2″ wide.  Attach these to the ends of the 4 leftover whole strips from your original honeybun.  I like to lay out my border so that two diagonal corners are pieced and two are solid.  Refer to the pictures for ideas. This will be your middle of three borders.

NOTE:  This would be great advice, if there were pictures of this step.  Either I lost them (wishful thinking, because they might reappear) or I forgot to take them (far more likely). Sorry.  I hope that the written directions and the pictures that do exist will be sufficient.  But, if not, feel free to ask questions and I will improve the directions as suggestions come in.

7.  From your remaining background fabric, cut 12 strips 1-1/2 inches wide by width of fabric. Sew them together end to end. Measuring your quilt, attach a strip to each longer side of the quilt.  They should be approximately 51-1/8″ long.  Do the same with the shorter sides using strips approximately 45-1/2″” long. 

8. Now add your colored borders, again to the longer sides first and then the shorter sides.  They will measure approximately 53-5/8″ and 47-1/2″.

9.  Now apply your final outer border of background fabric.  Using the 1-1/2″ strips apply to the long sides and finally to the short sides.  Long sides approximately 56-1/8″ and short sides approximately 52-1/2″. Ta-dah.  A finished top.

10.  Layer the backing, batting and top and quilt as desired.  If you look closely, you will see that my quilting leaves much to be desired, but that is…well, just the way it is.  It is a new venture for me and I have hope that it will improve with practice. I stitched 1/4″ away from the edge of the background triangles.  I sort of like the effect.

11.  Using your binding fabric, cut and join strips of your favorite width.  Many seem to like 2-1/2″, but I usually use 2-1/4″.  Attach that binding and stitch away.  BIG Tah-Dah, a truly finished quilt. 

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and I welcome your feedback and questions.