Summer-themed Calendar Quilts - Advanced Embroidery Designs

Download PDF

Summer-Themed Calendar Quilts

These three "Calendar" quilts form a matched set that's a perfect seasonal decoration for your home. Check out our Winter, Spring and Autumn Calendar Quilts too!

For these summer-themed quilts we used the June, July and August designs from the My Beautiful Garden series for the commercial hoop (8" x 12" or more).

The finished size of each quilt is about 17" x 19".

You can purchase these wall quilts from our Etsy store!

You will need

embroidery thread (either polyester or rayon), we used:

dark green, purple and navy blue for the main embroidery, and
teal, watermelon pink and ochre for the names of the months.

white or cream polyester craft felt, used as stabilizer and batting;
1 fat quarter of light-colored fabric for each quilt - this is used for the central embroidered parts of the quilts (read about our color choices below);
small amount of fabrics for the first borders and corner blocks,
about 1/2 yard of fabric for the second border and binding,
fabric for the backing,
quilting thread,
quilter's ruler and roller cutter, or pencil and scissors.

June Quilt:

For this quilt, we used:

pale green batik for the central part and corner blocks,
a teal blue and green batik for the first border and corner blocks,
bright green yellow-dotted batik for the second border, and
green-yellow-teal batik for the binding.

The embroidery used dark green and bright teal thread.

July Quilt:

For the July quilt, we used

a pale green batik for the central part and corner blocks,
dark teal for the first border,
light green for the binding,
bright green with a leaf pattern for the second border and
watermelon pink for the corner squares.

The embroidery is in dark green and watermelon pink.

August Quilt:

For the August quilt, we used

pale green for the central part,
dark green for first border,
lighter green with leaf pattern for the second border,
yellow batik for the corner squares,
multi-colored batik for the corner squares, and
light green with yellow for the binding.

The embroidery is in dark green and ochre yellow.

Cutting for 1 Calendar Quilt:

Out of pale fabric, cut a piece measuring 10 1/2" x 12 1/2" for the central part;

Out of the fabric for the first border, cut

2 strips measuring 1" x 10 1/2",
2 strips measuring 1" x 12 1/2"

Out of contrast fabric for the corner squares, cut 4 squares measuring 1" x 1",

Out of the fabric for the second border, cut

2 strips measuring 3 1/2" x 11 1/2",
2 strips measuring 3 1/2" x 13 1/2",

For the corner blocks out of each of the two fabrics, cut 8 squares measuring 1 7/8".

Sewing the Corner Blocks:

Note: seam allowance is 1/4", press each seam after you make it.

To sew half-triangle squares, position the 1 7/8" x 1 7/8" squares in pairs, each pair with 2 different fabrics, face to face. You'll get 8 pairs.

With a pencil, draw a diagonal across the top square. Stitch 1/4" from the pencil line on both sides.

Cut along the line. Open the new squares. Press the seam towards the darker color. Trim the "ears". Repeat for all the pairs. You should get 18 two-color squares, measuring 1 1/2" x 1 1/2".

Out of each 4 half-triangle squares sew 4 blocks:

Assembly of the Top:

Sew the 1" x 12 1/2" strips (first border) to the left and right edges of the central piece,

Sew the 1" x 1" squares to the ends of the 1" x 10 1/2" strips. Press the seams.

Sew the strips to the upper and lower edges of the central part.

Sew the second border, strips measuring 3 1/2" x 13 1/2", to the left and right edges of the working piece.

Sew the corner blocks to the ends of the 3 1/2" x 11 1/2" strips.

Sew the borders with corners to the upper and lower edges of the central part.

Embroidery:

Spread the quilt top over the piece of polyester craft felt. Press with your hands. The felt will cling to the fabric. Hoop the central part.

Upload the file of June, July or August into your machine and embroider it.

Quilting and Finishing:

Now place the backing on a flat surface (table) face down. Cover with batting. Spread your working piece over it.

Pin all three layers together with 1" pins and start quilting. We quilted in a freemotion style, with matching threads, each part of the quilt - around the embroidery, the first and the second borders.

After the quilting is finished, press the work with heavy steam and square the work -- all corners should be 90 degrees and opposite sides should be of the same length.

Finish the raw edges with the binding.