START
STITCH A CUSTOM,
MODERN QUILT
Time: 1 Month Complexity: Medium
1. CREATE THE CENTERS
1a. Using a rotary cutter and quilting
ruler, cut out sixteen 6" squares as
your fabric centers. I chose a mix of
vintage and new prints in 4 different
color families. Remember that you’ll
lose ¼" on each side to the seam, so
your finished center will be 5½"× 5½".
NOTE: The following 2 steps are
flexible. If you don’t have a Gocco
printer, simply make 9 photos
for printing, rather than 5. Or if
you’re passionate about Gocco,
you can make 9 Gocco squares
and skip the photos. Or skip the
next 2 steps completely and cut
out 25 squares rather than 16 in
Step 1a. Mix it up as you please.
1b. Cut four 6" squares of your solid fabric for Gocco printing.
Create the image you want to print on paper. I decided to make
a map of Oregon that I could embellish with our favorite places,
so I traced it on paper using a Gocco pen, burned a screen, and
printed 4 identical map images in green and brown. (For complete
Gocco fabric printing instructions, see
craftzine.com/go/gocco.)
1c. Prepare 5 hi-res (300 dpi or better) photographs for printing, at 5½"× 5½" or the size you want them to
be. I left mine smaller and bordered by white space so I could embroider there. Now use your white fabric
and Bubble Jet Set (or a commercially prepared photo-transfer fabric) and an inkjet printer to print them,
following the label instructions carefully to prepare and wash them. When ready, cut these down to 6"
squares as well. You should now have 25 center squares total now.
