Serger Quilt as You Go Baby Quilt

Disclaimer: We try our utmost to make sure our directions are accurate. However, we cannot guarantee our instructions. Mistakes can be made! If you see an instruction that looks wrong, or there is something you do not understand. email us: info@sewvac1.com. Have fun! For PDF printer-friendly instructions click here

Supplies
  1. Serger in good working order 
  2. Accessories:
  1. 90/14 needles appropriate for your serger,
  2. Thread: For quilt: 4 cones of serger thread to match or coordinate with your project, (Note: you may use regular sewing thread for your needles
  3. Tools: tweezers, small screwdriver, needle inserter, small scissors
  4. seam sealant (e.g. "Fraycheck") or crewel needle for securing thread tails
  5. Straight pins (use sparingly – you may not need them)
Fabric: The quilt is about 35"square. Yardage requirements assume careful cutting with a rotary cutter –buy extra if desired (it can sometimes be hard to cut all these strips without making mistakes)–Also, feel free to use scraps to make a scrappy log cabin.
½ yard of dark fabric #1; (*note if fabric is at least 44" wide you may be able to get by with 3/8 yd.)
3/8 yard of dark fabric #2
3/8 yard of light fabric #1;
¼ yard of light fabric #2
¼ yard of border fabric
backing fabric: 1 1/2 yards.
¼ yard fabric for binding. *NOTE: if you want to cut binding on the bias you will need more fabric.
crib size thin needlepunch cotton batting or cotton flannel. *The thinner the batting the easier the project. Batting needs to be at least 45 by 60. (If you don’t want to have to cut carefully, you may want to get a larger batt. [NOTE: some battings wear serger blades.]

Cutting

Pre-wash fabric & Cut strips *all strips are 3 ¾ " wide*. There are 2 dark fabrics and 2 light fabrics. TIP: label the size of your strips with small price labels as you cut them out.
  1. First dark fabric: cut 6 strips in all: 33 ¾"; 30 ¾"; 21 ¾"; 18 ¾"; 9 ¾:6 ¾";
  2. Second dark fabric: 5 strips in all: 27 ¾"; 24 ¾"; 15 ¾"; 12 ¾"; 3 ¾";
  3. First light fabric: 6 strips in all: 30 ¾"; 27 ¾"; 18 ¾"; 15 ¾"; 6 ¾"; 3 ¾";
  4. Second light fabric: 4 strips in all: 24 ¾"; 21 ¾"; 12 ¾"; 9 ¾";
  5. From Batting and backing fabric cut strips in the following sizes: one 33 ¾" and 2 each of: 30 ¾"; 27 ¾"; 24 ¾"; 21 ¾"; 18 ¾"; 15 ¾"; 12 ¾"; 9 ¾"; 6 ¾";3 ¾";
  6. From Border, Batting and Backing fabric: 4 strips 1 ¾" by width of fabric or at least 35" It will be easy to trim after inner square is completed and all trimmed up.
  7. 2" strips of fabric for binding sewn into one long strip at least 4 yards long.

Assembly

  1. Serger setup: Thread serger for a 4-thread overlock stitch. Test with scraps and adjust tension as needed.
  2. Now to layer your fabrics: Find your 3&3/4" squares. Put two 3¾"backing squares right sides together, Top with one 3¾" batting square, one dark 3¾" square, right side up, one light 3 ¾" square wrong side up and second 3 ¾" square batting.
  3. Lift presser foot and position fabrics just to the left of the cutting knife. (shaving off a hair of fabric or none at all.) Serge.
  4. Open out your fabrics so that the backing fabrics are on the bottom, and the seam is enclosed. Finger press.
  5. Find one each:of your 6 ¾" rectangles: one batting, one backing and one light fabric.
  6. Turn serged squares so that dark square is on top. NOW: Layer one rectangle of backing fabric right sides together underneath the squares. Then layer one rectangle of light fabric right sides together on top of squares, followed by batting. Serge. Open out fabrics and press.
  7. Find the other 6 ¾" rectangles: one batting, one backing and one dark fabric.


  8. Turn the serged piece so that light rectangle is along bottom. Layer one rectangle of backing fabric right sides together underneath the squares. Then layer one rectangle of dark fabric right sides together on top of squares, followed by batting.
  9.  Serge. Open out fabrics and press.
  10. Continue adding strips, turning your work clockwise with each addition.
  11. When logs are complete, add top and bottom border followed by side borders.
  12. Moving to the sewing machine, bind as desired or use method below.
  13. Add further quilting if desired, but it is not necessary.
 

Readying the binding: Seam together in one long strip. Iron one side a generous  3/8" wide.

Sewing the binding: (This method is done on the sewing machine. See quick method below)

A. Using a ¼" seam, and leaving a 3" tail, begin sewing the un-ironed binding edge to the edge of one side of the back of the quilt right sides together. When you get to 1/4" from the bottom of that side, back stitch.

B. Raise needle. Lift presser foot. Turn quilt for next side.

C. To align binding with next side fold binding up at a 90 degree angle and then fold it down so that the edge of the fold is even with the edge of the side you just sewed and the raw edge of the remaining binding is even with the raw edge of the quilt you are about to bind. Continue with all four sides.

D. When you get within 5 to 8 inches of the beginning secure stitching and remove quilt to finger press as follows: Find where the two ends meet. Finger press that join on both pieces of binding. Align those two lines, pin and sew a seam. Trim seam allowance to 3 inch. Finish sewing binding. Fold binding to front of quilt and edge stitch down to quilt. TIP: use a decorative stitch such as the feather stitch or multi-step zigzag so you do not have to worry about having an even line of stitching on the back of the quilt.

Quickest Binding:

Iron a paper-backed fusible web to your binding fabric. Cut in 1&1/4" strips. Or cut 1 & 1/2" wide but use the wonderful wave blade on your rotary cutter. Remove paper and (if necessary) piece into lengths long enough for each side of the quilt.

Fuse 1/2 of one binding strip to one back side of quilt. Fold to front. Fuse from the front. Repeat with each side, trimming strip as needed. Edge stitch fused binding. Voila!