Free tutorial: Fat Quarter Lattice Quilt

Hello quilting friends!  Today I’m happy to share a new tutorial with you, the Fat Quarter Lattice Quilt. In December I shared my original version of the quilt with you, promising that I would follow up with a free tutorial. Armed with some beautiful Holly Taylor prints that I purchased from LouLou’s Fabric Shop, I was able to make a second quilt, testing my instructions and taking photographs along the way. I think you will find this to be a fun and easy project, and one that will look terrific in any fabric collection you choose!

 

Fat Quarter Lattice Quilt

A free tutorial by Carried Away Quilting

Finished size: 70 3/4” x 81 3/4”

Share your finished projects on Instagram using #fatquarterlatticequilt

 

MATERIALS NEEDED

16 Fat Quarters (for squares and scrappy binding)
*Fat Quarters are assumed to be 18” x 21”

Neutral: 3 1/4 yards

Backing: 5 yards

 

CUTTING

From each fat quarter:

Cut (2) strips 6 1/2” x 21”. Subcut (5) squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2” for a total of 80 squares. (You will use 72.)

From the remaining fat quarter material, cut (18) strips 2 1/4” x 21” and set aside for scrappy binding.

 

From the neutral:

Cut (3) strips 7 1/2” x WOF. Subcut (11) squares 7 1/2” x 7 1/2”. Cut them once on the diagonal so that you have (22) triangles. These will be your setting triangles.

You should have enough left over from one of the strips to cut (2) squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”. Cut once on the diagonal so that you have (4) triangles.  These will be your corner triangles.

Cut (10) strips 2” x WOF. Subcut (60) strips 2” x 6 1/2”.

Cut (16) strips 2” x WOF. Sew these together end-to-end for one continuous strip.

Cut (8) strips 4 1/2” x WOF.  Sew them together into (4) pairs. These will be used for your outer borders.

 

ASSEMBLY

Sew all pieces right sides together (RST) using a 1/4” seam allowance.

1. Lay out (72) of your squares on point as shown below. (The top row has 6 squares, the second row has 5 squares, the third row has 6 squares, and so on until you have 13 rows.) Arrange your squares so that you have a nice mix of prints and colors. (During layout I noticed that I did not like the cream fat quarter I had originally selected. So, I omitted that print and cut into an additional striped fat quarter I had on hand.)  

 

2. Lay out the 6 1/2” x 2” sashing strips as shown below. Photograph your layout and print it if possible! (You will use this as a reference going forward.) Pick up all your squares in order (by diagonal row) and sew the sashing strips RST to the squares. Press toward the sashing.

 

3. Lay out all of your squares again. Now sew each diagonal row together from left to right. (Refer back to your photo often.) Press toward the sashing.  After you sew one row, lay it back down in its place and then work on the next row. Proceed until all rows are sewn together.

 

4. Now we will add the (22) side setting triangles. Layout the triangles and make sure they are in the correct “direction” per the photo below. Pin the triangles RST to the rows and sew together. Press toward the triangles. Trim the dog ears.

 

5. In the cutting instructions I asked you to sew together your (16) 2” strips. Now we will add sashing strips between the rows.

Beginning with the first row, lay the length of sashing strip onto the row RST.  Cut the sashing strip 2” longer than the row on both sides.  (We need a little tail hanging off each side. They will be trimmed later.) Then proceed to each row as shown in my photos.  Sew a sashing strip to each row and press toward the sashing. TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE of your layout so that rows don’t get mixed up in the next steps.

 

6. Sew all of the row/sashing units together and press well. As you are sewing rows together, make sure that squares from one row align to squares in the next row.  You can do these by taking a peek to see how they are lined up. I pinned rows together to make sure they stayed lined up.

 

7. Trim the tails on the two corners that have tails. Sew the (4) corner triangles RST to the corners of your quilt. Press toward the triangles.

 

8. Now we are going to trim the quilt center.

NOTE: It should measure roughly 62 1/4” x 73 1/4” after we have trimmed it.  (I say roughly because quilts sewn together on point with side setting triangles can sometimes be a little shifty.  Don’t worry about that. Once we add the borders and your quilt is quilted, it will be wonderful.)

To trim this quilt center, lay it on your cutting board and simply trim 1/2” away from the colored square points.  Continue trimming down each side in this fashion. Tip: I trimmed mine on the floor, sliding the cutting mat along underneath the quilt top as I went.

 

9. In the cutting instructions, I asked you to sew the (8) 4 1/2” border strips together into (4) pairs.  Add the left and right borders, press and trim.  Add the top and bottom borders, press and trim.

 

10. Quilt as desired.

 

SCRAPPY BINDING

Sew together the (18) 2 1/4” binding strips end-to-end to create one continuous binding strip. Your binding will be ready to go once you (or your favorite long-arm quilter) have quilted your Fat Quarter Lattice Quilt. This scrappy binding will be the perfect finishing touch.