Woodland Forest Friends Baby Panel Quilt

So many wonderful fabric panels!!! What to do with them!!!

Fabric panels for quilting are often called "cheater quilts". Whether you call them cheater quilts or quilt panels, quilting with panels is an easy method to include pictures into a quilt. 

Quilting with panels is a great way to add large designs to a quilt or even use it as a quilt by themselves by just adding a simple border. This fabric panel quilt, baby safari quilt, is an excellent example.

But, purchasing quilt fabric panels can be kind of intimidating.  For years I shied away from purchasing quilt panels, like a lot of quilters, especially if you have trouble figuring out what to do with them. I don't feel that way anymore.

Now, if I walk into a quilt shop and see a wonderful panel that I love, even if I don't know if, when or how to use it; I purchase it immediately because I may not find it again later.  

There are many wonderful companies, bloggers and websites that have free patterns on how to quilt with panels. Here are some free panel quilt patterns and ideas.

Today's fabric panel baby quilt tutorial, Woodland Forest Friends,  is an example of how to incorporate two panels into a baby quilt.  This is an easy and quick panel quilt project.

From time to time panels and fabric are discontinued.  At this writing the panels used in this quilt project were available.  However, if it becomes discontinued you may have to find an alternative and revise the cutting and sewing directions slightly.  

Learn more about The Woodland Forest Friends Baby Quilt by watching our video Or keep reading this post.

What is a quilt panel?

A fabric panel is a piece of material with a design printed on the fabric. There are several types of panels in quilting such as quilt panels, soft book panels, apron panels, pillow panels, placemat panels and more. 

More and more fabric companies and designers are delving into quilt fabric panel design. 

What is a panel quilt?

A panel quilt is simply any quilt that utilizes a quilt panel. Quilt panels with large images are a great way to add large designs to the quilt or a quilt can be made entirely of just the panel alone known as a whole cloth quilt. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Little Critter Panel
• Little Critter Block Panel
• Two cotton complimentary neutral fabrics 
• Rotary cutter, mat and quilter ruler
• Scissors
• As with most sewing projects, a sewing machine, pins, thread, iron and ironing board

ABOUT THE PATTERN

This pattern was designed using the Electric Quilt 8 (EQ 8) software.  To learn more about the Electric Quilt 8 Software scroll down the page to the Supporting Products and Link Section.

With the software, the two fabric panels and a variety of fabrics were scanned and imported into the EQ8 program.  

A rough sample paper sketch was used to create the quilt in the software.  Then different color and fabric variations were previewed with just a click of the mouse.

After finalizing the design, the software program tells exactly how much fabric is needed for the project and it also has a cutting chart for all the pieces of the quilt.

learn how to make this woodland baby quilt :

Finished Quilt Size: 46" x 46"
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Seam Allowance: 1/4"

ABOUT THE woodland friends baby quilt panels

Welcome to the world of bears, deer, bees, owls, birds and foxes. This quilt is made using two panels designed by Robin Roderick for P & B Textiles.  The soft neutral colors are perfect for a baby quilt.

The main panel, Little Critters Panel, with its soft neutral colors is 100% Cotton Poplin measuring approximately 22" x 44".

The second panel, Little Critters Block Panel, features eight animals with encouraging words that coordinate with the main panel. The animal block size is about 8 1/2" with borders around them. It is also made of 100% Cotton Poplin measuring 44/45" wide.

STEP 2: piecing the animal blocks

All seams for this quilt are sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance. For piecing the quilt top together, use cream thread in the sewing machine.  Set the machine to a straight stitch at the normal length.

A 1/4" piecing foot is helpful to get the seams the correct size.  If you do not have a 1/4" foot, then use your standard foot and the 1/4" guide on your sewing machine.

Begin by sewing one of the animal panels.  You'll need four 8 1/2" animal squares and three 3" x 8 1/2" rectangles. 

Pin one of the 3" x 8 1/2" sashing strips to the bottom side of one of the animal squares.  To do this, align the rectangle sashing strip fabric along the bottom edge of the animal square with the right sides together.  Sew together with a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Repeat two more times.

Next, you must sew the animal blocks together into a panel.  Refer to the pattern chart for the placement of the blocks.

Start by taking the top animal block and lay it face up. Put the second animal block on top and pin it together. Sew together with a ¼” seam allowance, and make sure your seam allowance is consistent. 

Open up and pin the third animal block to the second. Sew with a ¼” seam and repeat by sewing on the fourth animal block.  One animal panel completed.

 Repeat the process to make the second animal block panel.

STEP 3: sew on sashing strips

The sashing strips are used to sew the main panel and animal panels together and also finish outlining the panels all the way around the outside.

If you haven't cut the main panel yet, do it now.  Cut it to 20 1/2" wide x 40" long.

Sew strips on as follows:

Sew one 1 1/2" x 40" sashing strip to one side of the main panel and sew another strip to the other side. 

Pin and sew an animal panel to each side.  

Sew on the last two 1 1/2" x 40" sashing strips to the left and right sides.

Next, sew one 1 1/2" x 41 3/4" sashing piece to the top and one to the bottom.  

STEP 4: sew outer border to baby quilt

A border is a strip (or strips) of fabric sewn around the outside edge of a quilt.  For this quilt, the border adds a pleasing accent.

Pin and sew one 3" x 42" strip to each side of the quilt.

Pin and sew one of the  3" x 46 3/4" strips to the top and one of the 3" x 46 3/4" strips to the bottom of the quilt.

The quilt top is finished.

STEP 5: backing fabric

While at the quilt shop I purchased a Grey Alphabet Stripe Cotton fabric.  After making the quilt top, I discovered the fabric wasn't large enough for the back of the quilt.

To make the backing larger, I pieced the backing together with some of the mushroom fabric in the middle.

Picture of backing

STEP 6: quilt sandwich

Before quilting, layer the quilt is called a "quilt sandwich".  The three layers of your quilt are the backing, quilt batting, and quilt top.

To make the quilt sandwich, place the backing wrong side up on a table.  Layer the batting on top of the backing.  Finally, place the quilt top, right side up on top of the batting. 

Make sure everything is smooth and there are no wrinkles in the batting, backing or top layers.  Pin baste. Click to learn more about how to Layer and Pin Baste through our beginner quilt series tutorial.

Once the layers are basted together, then it is ready to be quilted.

STEP 7: machine quilt the layers together

How to do quilt a panel quilt?

A fabric panel can be quilted the same as you would for any project.

Selecting how to quilt the layers together can be difficult with a panel quilt.  You want the panel to stand out and not be hidden by the quilting.  

For this quilt, I decided to straight line quilt through the main panel section of the quilt.  The two close-together lines were spaced 1/2" apart.  Then there is about 2-1/2" between the double lines.

Below the photo shows the how to main panel was quilted.

To much machine quilt for the animal squares would detract from the squares so I decided to simply machine quilt about 1/4" around the square.

In the photo below you can see this quilting along with the quilting done in the outside border; three straight line quilting lines about 1/2" apart.

STEP 8: binding and labeling

The finishing steps are to square up the quilt, bind the quilt and label the quilt.

Before attaching the binding, you should always squaring up quilt.  Here is our tutorial on how to do it.

If you have followed our videos and blogs for a while, one of our favorite binding techniques is the flanged binding.  It frames the quilt with a little extra pop of color.  The flanged binding is really easy requiring no hand sewing.

Use our binding calculator to figure out the number of strips of fabric to cut for creating the binding for the quilt.

Join the binding strips together.  Bind the quilt using your preferred technique.

Finally, remember to sew a quilt or sewing label onto the quilt. 

There are many reasons to create and attach a quilt tag.  Quilters use labels to tell the story of the quilt, to share some words of wisdom, maybe include a prayer, tell how to care for the quilt, and much more.  On this page are a wide variety of quilt label tutorials.

I am extremely pleased with the way this quilt turned out. 

This quilt layout is so easy and so much fun, I hope you decide to make one and that you have as much enjoyment creating this Woodland Forest Friends Quilt as I did.

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