Hopscotch Quilt Tutorial ~ DIY Tutorial Ideas!

Hopscotch - Perfect Kids Quilt with Tag Fabrics. Free Sewing Tutorial.

The construction is actually really easy, but I have a few pointers to make it go smoothly. Plus, I made a few mistakes that I can warn you against should you decide to make it, too.

For this quilt you will need:
3.5 yards of cream solid
10 fat quarters
stabilizer
twin size batting
backing(I'm terrible at knowing how much)
printer
basic sewing supplies

Block Assembly:
All seams are 1/4" unless otherwise specified.
Cut (10) 9.5" squares from your cream solid. I thought at first that I would just use 10" squares to go along with layer cakes, but this quilt is rather long anyway. 9.5" seems a good size, because it keeps it in the twin size, but also gives enough room for your feet when you are hopscotching.

I like to stack and whack. Stack 5 of your FQ's, even them and then rotary cut (4) 2.5" strips from the short (18") side. If you are new to quilting, maybe just stack 3 FQ at a time, because 5 is a lot to go through.

I actually love the edges of washed cotton.

Stack your strips the way you cut them. No need to sort.

Maybe I am a bit wasteful, but I just eyeball my cuts.

Sew this edge.

Continue to trim and sew all 5 strips in your first stack then do the same with your other stack of 5. Chain piece all 10.
Leave all your chains intact and DON'T cut them!

Flip your chain over and start to add strips to the opposite side. Chain piece in the same manner as described above. Iron your seams toward the colors.

Cut all your chains and trim the edges. Stack in order and then add your other borders just as you did the first 2, keeping the chains intact.

If you already have a method for making simple blocks like these, then by all means, use it. Better yet, share it! This just saved me a huge amount of time!

I loved to see them all lined up like this! Just gorgeous!

Blocks should now measure 13.5" square. I laid out my blocks in a few different color arrangements and then settled on this. Mae was "helping" the way only a 2-yr-old can!

Before quilt assembly, attach the numbers.
I used Engravers MT, size 600 font in a Word Document.
Print your numbers.
(Here's my first mistake) Flip the image if you can. The ink is dark enough to see through the paper, but it would be easier flipped.

Stabilize a square or a corner big enough for your number.
I used Heat n Bond Lite.

Using a spray adhesive or basting spray, spray a thin coat over the front of the number. If you flipped your image, spray the back. I used my trash can inside, but I might have been high for a while. Make sure your area is well ventilated.

Stick it spray side down over the stabilizer. Your sandwich should be printer paper-spray adhesive-Heat n Bond-fabric. The adhesive should NOT touch the fabric.

Using sharp scissors, cut out your numbers. I know this will shock some, but I used my sewing scissors to cut these out. They were a bit dull and needed to be sharpened anyway. They didn't get gummy or gunky from the adhesive. Use your best judgement here. If you don't like my method, here is another. I like it this way, because it creates a very stiff surface to cut on. It's best for very intricate designs with areas that are very slim (like the 9 above).

Cut all your numbers out. I used the same color for the numbers as I did for the borders.

Peel off the paper and the stabilizer backing. Eyeball center it on your block. Iron it on.

Stabilize the back of the block to support your stitches when you sew around the numbers.
(This was my 2nd mistake) I used Sulky Tear-Away. If I do this method again, I will use a permanent stabilizer. It was so tedious to tear out all those little bits of paper.

Attach the numbers with a decorative stitch. I used a blanket stitch. Remove the stabilizer from the back of your block.

Quilt Assembly:

I added a 1.25" strip to the bottom of the "1" block and top of the "10" block so the binding wouldn't touch the borders.

From the cream solid, you will need:
(4) 26.5"x14.5" (sides of the "1" and "10" blocks)
(4) 26.5"x13.5" (sides of "4" and "7" blocks)
(6) 20"x13.5" (sides of all the double blocks)

I marked all the block sizes for simplicity sake.

I ironed the block border seams out and ironed the other seams open.

There is a much better tutorial for this method here. I'm really just copying Vicki's genius!
This is an easy way to get your blocks lined up straight. Start with your 10 block. Pinch pleat the top and bottom center. (bottom shown)

Line the center seam of the 8/9 blocks with your pinch pleat. Make sure all your numbers are facing the right way and sew your rows together.
Wait to open it up!
Keeping right sides together, align the center seam on 8/9 blocks with the top pinch pleat.

Make a small mark on your 8 and 9 blocks that aligns with the top side seams of your 10 block. Now you can prepare to sew the 7 block row on.

Pinch pleat the top and bottom center of the 7 block.

Line up the side seams of your 7 block with your little mark! TaDa!
Do this the whole way down. It will keep your blocks lined up perfectly.
If my explanation is not making sense, go check out Sassyblog's mini tutorial that I mentioned above.

I quilted with straight line quilting echoing the Hopscotch. I used a rainbow of thread colors to mimic the color gradation of the blocks. I wish you could see it better! It adds such a sweet detail that only another quilter would notice.

I did a pieced backing. I bought this adorable polka dot sheet at a thrift store months ago. I knew it would be great fabric for something!! It works so perfectly!
Since this quilt is an oversized twin, I add some of the leftover FQ's to the bottom and used the offcut strips for a little pieced block at the top.