1+1=4: Top 1 (Simple Strips)

The premise of this week is simple: I’ll show you how to make four small cuddle quilts out of a single roll of 2.5″ strips and a yard of cuddle fabric or fleece. The final quilts measure 18″×24″, so these are meant for comfort more than sleeping under. Today, we’re making the first quilt top. If you’re just joining in, you may want to hop over to all posts tagged 1+1=4 or start from the beginning of the series.

This is the simplest top of the four. In fact, you’re only going to have to sew three more seams!

Choose four of your strip sets. If you’re going scrappy, make sure that no strips that read the same will be sewn together. If you’re coordinating, you’ll need two dark- and two light-dominant strips. If you separated your sets into groups, this is group one.

Cut a rectangle 18.5″ long off of each strip set. Set the excess aside—you’ll be using it for another top.

Sew all four rectangles together to create a 18.5″×24.5″ top. Alternate light- and dark-dominant sets if you are coordinating.

Alternate cutting instructions: if you choose not to make top three, you can create this top out of only two strip sets, allowing you to use the other two for a second version of top two or four.

To make the top using only two strip sets, cut two 18.5″ sections off of each of the two strips, and sew them all together.

If you would prefer to make two versions of top one, you can use the alternate cutting instructions above, or cut a second set of rectangles from the four strip sets.

Tomorrow, we’re on to top two!

Link up:
<a href="http://raevenfea.com/tag/1-plus-1-equals-4/" rel="external" title="Learn how to create these quilts"><img src="http://raevenfea.com/media/1plus1equals4-280x280.png" border="0" width="240" height="240" alt="1+1=4: 1 roll + 1 yard = 4 quilts for charity"></a>

This post is part of a series on making small cuddle quilts for charity. My finished quilts will be donations to the 2012/13 service project being sponsored by the Quilter’s Consortium of New York State. If you’re in a NY quilt guild that is a member of QCNYS, contact your consortium rep to learn how to donate (and tell your guild or club about this series!). If you are not a member of a participating guild, but would still like to donate send me an email and we can figure out how to get the quilts to the right place.