Quilt coats are having a moment right now and I am here for it. ❤ They are absolutely gorgeous, and even though winter is basically over in Texas, I know I will get a lot of use out of mine because my hubby loves to keep the A/C set to subzero.
Today I am thrilled to share how to add a single quilt block when making a quilted coat. I made this version of the Seamwork Easton last fall when the pattern was first released, and for the Quilt Coat Along I plan on making another version but this time I plan to add a hood. Plus I have another idea brewing that I think is going to be awesome. 😉
How to Add a Quilt Block to a Garment Pattern
When making this tutorial I decided to offer a written tutorial here on the blog, and since my poor YouTube channel has been neglected, I filmed a quick video tutorial that can be watched below. They are the same content, just different formats. 😊
Seamwork Easton Quilted Coat
The following tutorial was made using the Seamwork Easton Quilt Coat pattern and a quilt block from my upcoming Blanco Quilt Pattern, releasing March 22nd. I love the Seamwork Easton because it is a forgiving drop shoulder shape (no set in sleeves 😉), a simple facing and lining, and bias binding along the edges and sleeves.
You want to start by taking your pattern and looking at the back pattern piece. You need to see if you have to cut the pattern on the fold of fabric, or if the back is made out of two pieces with a seam down the middle. The Seamwork Easton has a seam down the back, so we need to remove that for this tutorial to work.
Above you can see where I marked the 5/8″ seam allowance and then folded it over. The benefit of folding the seam allowance rather than cutting is that you will be able to use the pattern for making other garment versions which might not need to be cut from a single piece.
Now we are going to start the process of measuring for our block borders. We will be adding the side borders first, followed by the top and bottom borders. Center your quilt block on your pattern piece in the location you would like it to be on the back of your coat. When making my Easton I knew I wanted to have it slightly higher than the middle. You can pin your block to the pattern piece to prevent shifting when measuring for your borders.
Using an acrylic ruler of your choice, measure from the edge of your quilt block to the edge of your pattern piece. Add about an inch to this measurement to account for your seam allowance plus overage for when we cut the pattern pieces out. In my example above I will cut two 10.5″ x 12.5″ pieces for each side of my 12.5″ quilt block. Stitch the borders to the quilt block using a 0.25″ seam allowance.
Next we measure for the top and bottom borders for the quilt block, again adding about an inch to account for seam allowances and overage for cutting out the pattern pieces.
Since the quilt block I was using above is destined to be in a quilt I did not actually sew borders onto it, but I do have the following photo and you can reference the video above for clarification on the next steps. Once your unit is constructed lay it out flat on your cutting surface, and lay the center back seam of your pattern piece in the center of the constructed unit. Using a fabric marking pen or pencil trace around the edge of the pattern piece *Do not draw a line down the center of your fabric unit*.
Flip the pattern piece over, once again lining up the pattern piece in the center of your fabric unit and matching the pattern edge to the lines you just traced, and continue drawing around the remainder of the pattern piece. Now its time to layer your fabric and batting, and get prepped for quilting. 😊
I hope this was helpful and that I’ve inspired you to add a quilt block to your next quilt coat project. Please let me know if you have any questions about this process and I cannot wait to see all the gorgeous quilt coats created during the #QuiltCoatAlong!
