Pink & Purple Unicorn Strip Quilt

While I was on bed rest with my last baby the Pink & Purple Unicorn fabric from Michael Miller arrived. It was absolutely painful to not be able to get my scissors into it back then, but I did today!!! I feel like a little kid in a candy store when I walk through my shop choosing fabrics, and creating this bundle absolutely made my day!

Pink & Purple Unicorn Bundle

I wanted to make a quilt for my girls with these fabrics and decided on a strip quilt for several reasons but mostly because I LOVE making them!!! The strip quilt design is perfect for letting the fabric be the focus, rather than the piecing. The fact that I can quilt as I go feels like I'm skipping a step and saving time...although it takes me just as long to make one of these as it does any other quilt!

My Unicorn Quilt

The finished size of this quilt is my new favorite "Kid Size Quilt" or 40" x 60". The size of this quilt is perfect for your little to snuggle up with on the couch to read a book or watch a movie. We are big snugglers in my family, so we all LOVE and very much need our quilts to take naps, read books, watch movies...this is basic survival in this Diva's house! I used the seven fabrics pictured in the Unicorn Bundle (see above) and these are the cuts I made of each:

1) Pink & Purple Unicorns 14"
2) Pink & Purple Mini Chevron 8" (I cut 8" to create a 6" cut, details to follow)
3) Violet Mini Dots 5" for the top strip and 5.5" for the bottom strip
4) Once Upon A Time 14" (I cut 14" to create a 12" cut, details to follow)
5) Grape Ta Dot 6"
6) Pink & Purple Small Castles 12"
7) Pink & Purple Princess Chevron 8" (I cut 8" to create a 6" cut, details to follow)

To make a Quilt-As-You-Go Strip Quilt, you begin with the backing right side down.

Add the batting

Then, you begin by adding the first strip at the top. As messy as my layers look in these pictures, I actually spend a lot of time getting them lined up perfectly to start my first strip. After I have my first strip lined up I take the quilt sandwich over to my ironing board and iron all three layers at once. After ironing, I then pin a LOT to keep the quilt sandwich from shifting. I use straight pins because I am lazy and have gotten really good about not sticking myself constantly, but safety pins would be the smart choice!

The Quilt Sandwich

I like the heavily quilted look on my strip quilts so I spend more time than is really needed making my quilting lines, but this part is entirely up to you and the look you are after. I quilt in straight lines no more than three fingers between lines.