Quilt Activities 

A Look Back: The Quilt Challenge for the 24th Annual KTAA Exhibition 2025

Submissions are now closed, but we invite you to explore the inspiring guidelines and magnificent final pieces from this event.

Calling all quilt enthusiasts! Artists were invited to explore the third dimension through the art of quilting. The theme was Geometric Dimensions. Participants drew inspiration from tessellations, polyhedrons, or intricate geometric patterns, pushing the boundaries of traditional quilting into the realm of depth and texture.

The Challenge Guidelines Were:

• Theme: Geometric Dimensions

• Objective: The goal was to create a quilted piece that incorporated three-dimensional elements. Artists thought beyond flat surfaces to explore texture, structure, and depth in their designs.

• Techniques: Participants were encouraged to experiment with any technique that incorporated shapes such as cubes, circles, triangles, etc., or any method that created a three-dimensional effect.

• Size: The minimum size requirement was 50”x 50”.

• Materials: The use of any quilting fabrics and embellishments was permitted, allowing for any combination of colors and patterns.

It was a fantastic opportunity to let imagination soar and bring geometry to life in fabric form. We celebrated all the artists who had fun exploring the world of geometric dimensions through their quilting!

Fabric collage fun

Instructor:  Batoul AlSayegh

Collage quilting is a quilting technique where fabric pieces are creatively arranged and layered to create compositions. Unlike traditional quilting, where fabric pieces are meticulously pieced together in structured patterns, collage quilting allows for greater freedom and improvisation. You can experiment with different shapes, sizes, and arrangements of fabric pieces. 

Skill level: Any level

Materials Required:

• Fabric scraps in various colors, patterns, and textures.

• Parchment paper. NOT FREEZER PAPER.

• Fabric pen/pencil.

• Quilting cotton or other suitable backing fabric.

• Rotary cutter, cutting mat, scissors. 

• Fabric glue or fusible webbing.

• Embellishments such as beads, sequins, and embroidery floss (optional).

TIPS  FOR FABRIC SCRAPS: 

Now is the time to use up any scraps you have. 

1. Ugly fabric is great for collage quilting. 

2. Fussy Cutting is a technique where specific motifs or elements within a fabric print are carefully cut out and strategically positioned in a quilt block or design. Big bold patterns can work wonderfully here.

3. If you intend to use fusible webbing, iron the fusible webbing onto the wrong side of the fabric. Make sure to place a piece of parchment paper on your board and a second piece on the top of the fabric to protect your iron. 

Note: we will not have enough time to quilt the finished project. However, there are various ways you can finish your piece at home. 

1. Thread Painting: adds texture and detail to fabric collage quilts. Stitching lines are used to define shapes, add shading, and create depth in the quilt design.

2. Free-Motion Quilting: free-motion quilting can be done over the entire quilt or selectively in certain areas to enhance the design.

3. Walking foot: use a walking foot to create grids of matchstick lines across the piece to secure all pieces in place. 

Instructor: Norah AlAli

To make 1 block:

(40) 21⁄2” x 21⁄2” scrappy squares

(2) 41⁄2” x 41⁄2” background color

(2) 41⁄2” x 81⁄2” background color

1. start by making two 16-patch blocks (4x4) with your assorted 2.5" scrap squares. (see image 1)

2. Use the remaining 2.5" squares to make two more 4-patch blocks. (see image 2)

3. Press these blocks - ideally pressing the seams open would be best as the blocks may be rotated or flipped when it comes to assembling them, but I just tend to press to one side and deal with the seams as I come to them.

4. Now take your 4-patch blocks and sew a 4.5" background square to the bottom of the block.

5. Press.

6. Next, position your block with the scrappy 4-patch oriented up, and sew the background rectangular 4.5" x 8.5" piece to the right side of the block. Press. (see image 3)

7. Now lay out the pieces oriented just like this image (below), with the two 16-patch blocks diagonally across from each other and the pieced 4-patch blocks oriented to the center. (see image 4)

8. Sew these all together. Press it and there you have your first block all completed, finishing up at 16.5".

N.B.

-4 x Twirling blocks will make up a little baby size 32" quilt

-16 x Twirling blocks with make a nice lap size 64" quilt

-36 x Twirling blocks with make a great bed size 96" quilt

Please tag the author @ sameliasmum

Postal Stamp Quilt

Part 1 – Making Quilt Top (September 27 th , 2023)

Preparation List and Instructions

Prepared by: Yan for KTAA Updated Date: September 25 th , 2023

Preparation List:

Sewing machine, ¼” presser foot, electric extension cord, rotary cutter, rulers, scissors, seam ripper, straight pins, matching threads, and other sewing accessories.

KTAA will provide cutting mats, irons and ironing boards and a few electric extension cords.

Finished Quilt: 48:x 60”

Level: Beginner to Medium

Part 2 – Postal Stamp - Basting, Free Motion Quilting (January 24 th , 2024)

Part 3 – Postal Stamp - Quilt As You Go Yan’s Way and Binding (March 27 th , 2024)

1. Materials

Fabrics are at least 40” wide (salvage to savage = 40” width).

1) 5” each of 18 different print fabrics (A) for quilt top (18 different strips of 5” x 40”)

2) 2.5 meters white or neutral solid or light printed fabrics (B) for quilt top (2.5 meters x 40”)

3) 1.7 meters fabrics (C) for backing (at least 42” wide) (1.7 meters x 40”)

4) 0.5 meters binding fabric (0.5 meters x 40”)

5) 52” x 64” batting

2. Cutting Instruction

1) From each fabric (A), cut 2 strips 2 ½” (salvage to savage). Total 36 strips.

2) From fabric (B), cut 36 strips 2 ½” (salvage to savage). Total 36 strips.

3) From fabric (C), cut 2 strip 7” x length of fabric (1.7m), cut 2 strips 15 ½” x length of fabric (1.7m).

3. Binding

Cut 6 strips 2 ½”.

4. Examples (images from Internet)

(see images below)

5. Making the Quilt Top

Tips:

 The seam allowance is ¼”.

 Press the seam allowance at the cross point (see image 1)

1) Sew 1 of the 36 print strips (A) to 1 of the 36 solid strips (B) to form 36 paired strip units.

2) Put the strip units into 3 random piles (12 units per pile). Pick 1 unit from each pile and sew together, alternating the print trips and solid strips. Create 12 strip sets. Each set has 6 strips. (see image 2)

3) Crosscut each strip set into 1 unit 8 ½” wide and 10 units 2 ½” wide.

Stack the 8 ½” units as 1 pile as quilt backing. 2 ½” units into 12 piles of 10 identical units for the quilt top.

You should have a total of 12 units for the back, and 120 units for the top. Set aside the 8 ½” backing units. (see image 3)

4) Sew pairs of 2 ½” strip sets along the long edges, randomly selecting 1 strip set from each pile. Make a checkboard pattern. You should have 60 strip units.

5) Assemble a block like below. You should have 20 blocks (see image 4).

6) Sew the blocks together, 5 rows and 4 columns. (see image 5)

6. Making the Quilt Back

1) Divide the 8 ½” quilt back units into equally 2 piles. Sew each set of 6 units together along the long edges to make a 72” long strip.

2) Sew a pieced strip to the right side of one 7”- wide back strip, and another pieced strip to the left side of another 7” – wide back strip.

3) Sew a 15 ½” – wide back strip to each side of pieced strip.

4) There is a gap between the two pieces of the backing. Do not sew them together. This is for the future “Quilt As You Go” consideration. (see image 6)

Palm Leaves and Kermit the Frog – Foundation Paper Piecing Quilt

KTAA Quilt Group Sew Day

Wednesday October 25th, 2023

Instructor: Teresa Al-Aban

Documentation: Yan Liu & Teresa Al-Aban

Created Date: October 05, 2023

Updated Date: October 09, 2023 v4

Preparation List:

Sewing machine, 1⁄4” presser foot, electric extension cord, rotary cutter, small cutting mat, small rulers, scissors, seam ripper, thin straight pins, matching threads, scotch tape (transparent single side tape) and other sewing accessories.

KTAA will provide large cutting mats, irons, ironing boards and some electric extension cords.

**Optional preparation List (not must): Vellum paper or foundation Paper Piecing paper (for future homework or large quilt work), travel (small) size iron (for convenience) and thin needles (preferably size 70 or 60).

Palm Leaves

(Beginner – Medium Level)

Patterns:

Please print your own copies of the patterns.

Print 4 copies of Pattern A (page 85) onto FPP papers or A4 papers.

(*FPP - Foundation Paper Piecing)

When printing, select “Actual Size” for paper size. (see image 1).

1 Palm Leaf Finished Block: 6 1⁄2” x 6 1⁄2”

Materials (for 1 palm leaf)

1. Background: any color 12”x12”.

2. Leaf: 8 strips. 2.5”x12” each strip. Various shades or colors of solid or printed scraps. Or various shades of green

colors. You may construct as many blocks as you like. 4 Palm Leaves together (see image 3)

Kermit

(Medium – Advanced Level)

Patterns:

Please print your own copies of the patterns:

Print 1 Pattern K1, 1 Pattern K2, 1 Pattern K3 onto FPP papers. When printing, select “Actual Size” for paper size. (see image 1)

Finished Block: 10”x10” (see image 4)

Materials:

1) Background fabrics: 20’x20”.

2) Kermit fabrics: 6 colors fabrics. Each 10”x10”.

*Attached Pattern A is by Liz Schwartz and Stephen Seifert for the book, The Foundation Piecer. Pattern K1-K3 is by Michelle Thompson on Pinterest.

** This manuscript is the exclusive property of KTAA, the Instructor, and the Author(s) (manuscripts and patterns). All rights are reserved. No segment of this manuscript may be utilized or reproduced in any manner - visual, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage and retrieval systems for profit without the express written consent of KTAA, the Instructor, and the Author(s) (manuscripts and patterns). When permitted to use this manuscript, citation of the source is mandatory.