Midnight Flight Quilt

The other day, when I should have been working on a different project, I had to work on this instead! I made a very easy quilt from a piece of fabric that I did not want to cut up into tiny pieces that you end up loosing the "Oh I love this fabric" feeling. Yes, I realize I could put it in the border, but take a look at how much of each panel is showing. Now, if you have fabrics that you don't want to cut up into pieces, then here ya' go!

 I have not quilted this quilt yet, I have named it though: Midnight Flight. I also call this my Screen Quilt. I have other designs that will be following this in the next several weeks, so if you want something more interesting just hang on and I will have it up for you.
You will need 2 yards of the main fabric, the one you just don't really want to cut.
the sashing, if you want you can go multicolored, I chose 1 fabric to make life simple = 1 yard
Here is how I constructed:

Focus fabric: Iron your fabric first, make sure all wrinkles are out and it is folded so the selvage edges are aligned. Fold of the fabric will go at your belly and selvage edges are opposite end (just lay the fabric on your cutting board like you normally do).
The fabric is 2 yards. We will not be using all of this for the body of the quilt, the remaining will be used for binding. If you have some extra, you will, put it in your scrap bin.
So, I fold the fabric in half length wise. The lengthwise fold is placed at the "0" line on my cutting board, the width fold is still at my belly.
Make sure your fold is resting directly on the zero "0" line! With your strip cutting ruler, place this on the 25" line of the cutting mat, cut your fabric. You can remove the excess fabric, but not the piece that is resting on ZERO, this is what you are going to use for the screen quilt. SO:
DON'T MOVE THE FABRIC!!
Next: We are going to cut the strips/panels for the quilt, pay close attention!
I move to the other side of my cutting board at this time. So if you are looking at my cutting table I move to the right and stand at the other side, I don't move the fabric.
You are going to need a square ruler so that you can cut these panels. You can join rulers to make the amounts needed, however you can figure it out is good.
You will have the width of the fabric now running along your belly, the fold should be to your left. Place your square 12 1/2" ruler on the 8 1/4" line (this panel will be 16 1/2") but you are cutting on the fold so there will be a correction after all is done. The fold gives you slightly more fabric than you need.
Make the cut all the way up this piece at 8 1/4".
Next cut is 12 1/2".

 See!!! This is so easy: sum it up for cutting: cut from width side: 8 1/4, and 12 1/2". You only need one of the 16 1/2" x 50" panels and 2- 12 1/2" x 50".
Next cut: double check your 16 1/2" x 50", make certain this is the size, cut off any excess
Take the 16 1/2" x 50" piece, cut 1- 8 1/2" x 16 1/2" piece and 1- 12 1/2" x 16 1/2"
Take the (2) 12 1/2" x 50" pieces, leave them folded, don't pick them up and mess up your nice lines. Now you are going to cut 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" and 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" pieces. By leaving this strip of fabric together you cut the units needed at the same time.
time for the sashing! Again, place the fabric fold on the zero "0" mark make sure you fabric has been ironed and is nice and neat. I place my fabric on the zero mark and then check to make sure everything is even. I also had more than a yard of this fabric to allow for the longer cuts. If you prefer to cut your sashing strips on the cross grain not a problem, you can always piece your strips together for the longer lengths that are needed.
You are going to cut your 2 1/2" strips now.

 Here is what you will need:
4- 2 1/2" x 49"
4- 2 1/2" x 8 1/2"
4 - 2 1/2" x 37 1/2" (trim these down once you attach)
4 - 2 1/2" x 12 1/2"
Easy sewing!!!
Take you 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" strips and sew them to the sides of your rectangles: you have 2 that measure

8 1/2" x 12 1/2" and the center one is 8 1/2" x 16 1/2".
This is your first row. Attach the 3 units together: 8 1/2" unit attaches to the 16 1/2" unit to the other 8 1/2" unit. Look at the image at the top of this page.
Now you are going to attach a long 2 1/2" x 49" strip to the top of this unit and to the bottom.
Next: You will attach your  2 1/2" x 37 1/2" strips to the longer rectangles (the middle of the quilt), now join those three in the same fashion you did with the top unit. Once these are sewn together, add another long strip 2 1/2" x 49". Look at the picture again:

 See you have pieced the top rectangle sections and the middle, now we are going to work on the bottom. It is pieced in the same fashion as the other two. You should have 4- 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" sashing pieces plus the bottom sashing piece 2 1/2" x 49" remaining. Attach your sashing pieces and last bottom strip, connet the bottom section to the quilt. Walla you are done! You can do this in just a couple of hours. 

For quilting, I have not decided how to quilt mine yet. I will be binding this in the black butterfly fabric, remember there is leftover fabric.

The first time you begin this quilt, you might stumble a little, don't worry, not fretting. If your blocks don't measure exactly like mine, don't worry!! 

I have more fabrics, I purchased years and I do mean years ago, that I really don't want to cut into borders. I want more of the design of the fabric to show and sometimes borders just don't allow that. I have the Florentine collection from the early part of 2000's....like 2004? I could never make myself cut this fabric!! And honey, let me tell you!! I have yardage!! I plan on doing this will all of the colorways that I own. I also plan on making some that are larger!! I feel very comfortable in cutting this fabric now....so look for more of these easy patterns in the coming year!

Email me if you can't follow, but I'm hoping that just by looking at the picture of the quilt that is easy peasy!

Happy Sewing everyone!!!