Let's face it, I love novelty fabric. Once I saw this Into the Deep blue pattern full of jellyfish and aqua accents I was hooked.
Again, the biggest challenge for novelty fabric is how to accentuate the whimsical patterns. A tutorial from Ashley of "Mommy by day Crafter by night" saved the day with this large scale lattice quilt tutorial (using layer cakes).
Usually I make my quilt blocks and then lay them out - but with this lattice quilt pattern it was essential to do the layout before sewing to get good color placement. A 10" square is cut once on the diagonal. Two 'triangles' are sewn onto one dividing strip - which for this quilt was white Kona cut 1.5" wide. Starching is always a good idea - and if your sewing is a bit wonky - don't worry. Any distortions disappear when you trim down to the unfinished size of 9.5" x 9.5". The important part is that your middle strip must be longer than your two focus fabric triangles. The pictures above show this. I like to trim my blocks down and always opt for bigger rather than smaller.
It's a hard choice to pick a thread color when fabrics go from dark to light in the same quilt. I am realizing that these novelty images can handle bold thread choices, especially if there are not acres of white as a background. I used Aurifil 50wt. #1148. Simple wavy lines sewn on the seams and horizontal/vertical lines 2.5" to 3" apart with a walking foot.
I think that this type of block could be made with any size square. One square cut on the diagonal, a center strip that extends beyond the two edges and a final trim. This lattice block in different sizes could be a good start for any quilter. Lastly, to help with layout placement, Ashley's tutorial here, my pixs and Pinterest are helpful resources. Materials: Into the Deep / Patty Sloniger for Michael Miller Kona white Warm & White batting Aurifil 50wt. #1148 Size: 73" x 81" July 2017
