If you’ve been following along on my quilty journey, you know that I love doing something extra special on my quilt backs. When I saw the panel from the Mystic Fable fabric line by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society, I just knew I had to do something with it on the back of my Moon Spell quilt. I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to show you how I made it with a tutorial for creating the Perfect Panel Quilt Back.
This panel is absolutely beautiful. It has a vintage appliqué feel and so many charming details in each square. There’s such a wide range of colors featured throughout the artwork, including bunnies, horses, flowers, birds, rainbows, and stars… and somehow they all work perfectly together. The variety of borders around the blocks adds even more interest, but I think my favorite part is the 5″ strip print off to the side of the panels. It features a design I’ve only seen before in a smaller scale and different colorways — one of those prints I wish I had bought more of when I had the chance!
Planning Out the Layout
Start by getting a rough idea of where you want your panel squares to be placed. Figure out how large you want your Perfect Panel Quilt Back to be and compare that to the size and number of squares you have available.
The front of my quilt measures 66″ x 77″. Since this was for the back of the quilt, it needed to be 3–4 inches larger on all sides, meaning I needed to fill a space roughly 74″ x 83″.
Because I’ve made a lot of pieced quilt backs, I already knew it can be tricky when both the front and back are heavily pieced. My issue hasn’t been with the fabric layers but with cutting off parts I wanted to see on the back. I wanted to create a layout that would help keep everything centered. That meant adding a little “buffer” space around the blocks on the outer edges.
When piecing a quilt back, I also recommend using a slightly larger seam allowance. I’ve often heard that 1/2″ is best, though I usually sew with a generous 3/8″ seam allowance, which happens to line up with a guideline on my metal needle plate.
Making the Perfect Panel Quilt Back
Unfinished Block Size: 17″ blocks
Objective – Create Five different block styles for this quilt back, using approximately 15″ cuts from 13 different fabrics.
Fabric Used
One Full Mystic Fable Panel – RS4145 11
Dark Fabrics
- For Outline Blocks cut (4) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (3) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2″ x 7″ rectangles and (2) 2″ x 9 ½” rectangles.
Teal – RS6046
- For Outline Blocks cut (2) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (1) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2″ 7″ rectangles and (2) 2″ x 9 ½” rectangles.
- For Outline Blocks cut (4) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (3) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangles and (2) 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangles.
Purple – RS1071 14
- For Outline Blocks cut (4) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (2) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (2) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2″ x 7″ rectangles and (2) 2″ x 9 ½” rectangles.
- For Outline Blocks cut (4) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (3) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2″ x 7″ rectangles and (2) 2″ x 9 ½” rectangles.
Pink from the panel Strip
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2″ x 7″ rectangles and (2) 2″ x 9 ½” rectangles.
- For Outline Blocks cut (3) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles and (4) 3″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangles and (2) 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut – fussy cut (4) 7″ x 7″ squares.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangles and (2) 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangles.
Light Fabrics
- For Outline Blocks cut (6) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (4) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (2) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangles and (2) 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangles.
- For Outline Blocks cut (3) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (3) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Outline Blocks cut (6) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (5) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
- For Log Cabin 12 ½” block cut (2) 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangles and (2) 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangles and (1) 7″ x 7″ squares.
- For Outline Blocks cut (5) 3″ x 12 ½” rectangles, (5) 3″ x 17″ rectangles, and (1) 6″ x 17″ rectangles.
Here are the 21 Items to Make:
(4) Block A — Dark outline
(4) Block B — Light outline
(3) Block C — Dark outline border left
(3) Block D — Dark outline border right
(2) Block E — Light outline border left
(2) Block F — Light outline border right
(1) Block G — Half light border outline
(3) Half Block H
To cover the quilt back, I made 19 full blocks and 3 half blocks.
For reference, a full panel includes 18 different squares. I chose to use 16 of them because I wanted to save two for a future project — and honestly, I loved the striped blocks so much that I wanted to make a few of them.
Prep Work:
Trimming the Panel Squares
The panel squares are large — I believe they start out at approximately 13″. My very first step was trimming them down to 12 ½”. I used my 12 ½” Havel’s ruler for this step. I love this ruler because it makes it easy to keep all of my blocks accurate and consistent.
Making 12 ½” Log Cabin Blocks
Let’s create (3) 12 ½” Log Cabin blocks. All of the centers will feature the main print from Mystic Fable.
- Sew a 2″ x 7″ rectangle to the top and bottom of you 7″ square. Press to the outside. Sew a 2″ x 9 ½” rectangle to the left and right edge of the working unit.
- Sew a 2 ¼” x 9 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom of the working unit. Sew a 2 ¼” x 12 ½” rectangle to the left and right edges of the working unit.
This makes a 12 ½” square ready for outer boards.
Turning the Panel Squares into Quilt Blocks
4 Block As — Dark outline
- Pair a dark fabric with a lighter panel square.
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the outer edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the right and left sides of the square. Press to the outer edge.
Repeat for a total of:
(1) Orange, (1) Red, (1) Green, and (1) Log Cabin Block As.
4 Block Bs — Light Outline
Block B is the same as block A, just with lighter-outline fabrics.
- Pair a low-volume fabric with a dark panel square (or log cabin).
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the right and left edges of the square. Press to the inside edge.
Repeat for a total of:
(1) Log Cabin Block, and (3) Low Volume Block Bs.
Border Blocks Process
All the blocks that meet the edge of the quilt will have a 6″ border on the side that meets the edge. The block below would be a Border Left block.
3 Block Cs — Dark Outline Border Left
- Pair a dark fabric with a light panel square.
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the outer edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the right edge. Press to the outer edge.
- Sew a 6″ x 17″ rectangle to the left edge of the square. Press to the outer edge.
Repeat fora total of:
(1) Red, (1) Green, and (1) Purple Block Cs
Then, only for the red block, cut the red block in half vertically so you have a top portion (sky) and a bottom portion (ground).
***I didn’t end up using the top portion.
3 Block Ds — Dark Outline Border Right
- Pair a dark fabric with a light panel square.
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the outer edge.
- Sew a 6″ x 17″ rectangle to the right edge. Press to the outer edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the left edge of the square. Press to the outer edge.
Repeat for a total of :
(1) Purple, (1) Orange, and (1) Teal Block Ds
Use the Teal Block D in two different places
After you finish the teal block, cut the red block in half vertically so you have a top portion (sky) and a bottom portion (ground).
On the top half of the block, trim the right edge from 6″ down to 3″ so it can be placed in the top row, in the middle.
2 Block Es — Light Outline Border Left
- Pair a low-volume fabric with a dark panel square (or log cabin).
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the right edge of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- Sew a 6″ x 17″ rectangle to the left edge. Press to the outer edge.
Repeat for a total of:
(1) Log Cabin Block, and (1) Low Volume Block Es.
2 Block Fs — Light Outline Border Right
- Pair a low-volume fabric with a dark panel square.
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- Sew a 3″ x 17″ rectangle to the left edge of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- Sew a 6″ x 17″ rectangle to the right edge. Press to the outer edge.
Repeat for a total of:
(2) Low Volume Block Fs.
Block G — One Block Used in Two Corners
- Pair a low-volume white fabric with a dark panel square.
- Sew a 3″ x 12 ½” rectangle to the top and bottom edges of the square. Press to the inside edge.
- *** Cut in half vertically. Then cut your 3″ x 17″ rectangle into (2) 3″ x 8 ½” rectangles and your 6″ x 17″ rectangle into (2) 6″ x 8 ½” rectangles
Top Half:
Sew a 3″ x 8 ½” rectangle to the left edge of the square. Press to the inside edge.
Sew a 6″ x 8 ½” rectangle to the right edge. Press to the outer edge.
Bottom Half:
Sew a 3″ x 8 ½” rectangle to the right edge of the square. Press to the inside edge.
Sew a 6″ x 8 ½” rectangle to the left edge. Press to the outer edge.
This will make (2) Low Volume Corners, Block Gs.
3 Half Block Hs
We made it to the last few blocks of the Perfect Panel Quilt Back, and these are Half blocks. I struggled with the thought of using the panel squares here because I love them so much.
These are space fillers. They are 17″ x 8 ½”.
You could use the other half of the Red Block C here, and a Block B cut in half vertically. Or make full Log Cabin Blocks, and cut it in half vertically. Even a piece of the main print would work perfectly to fill this space.
These are the dimensions I used.
Sew the blocks into rows
Row 1 (Half Blocks) – Half of the Red Block C, Half Block G, Half Block from Block D, Half Block from Block H
Row 2 – Block E, Block A, Block B, and Block D
Row 3 – Block C, Block B, Block A, and Block F
Row 4 – Block E, Block A, Block B, and Block D
Row 5 – Block C, Block B, Block A, and Block F
Row 6 (Half blocks) – Half Block from G, Half Block from H, and Half of the Teal block from Block D
Sew the Rows together to make the Perfect Panel Quilt Back.
Now here is the important part. When I create my quilt sandwich, I use basting spray. First spray the back of your quilt and batting. Trim down your batting so you see your quilt’s back edges. Then center the quilt top, making sure you have as much room on your right and left edges. And also making sure there is the same amount of space between your top and bottom. This will make your bottom quilt look as purposeful as your top.
