Home is where the art is: How to make a patchwork quilt bedspread from embroidered linens

The tradition of quilting began with army wives waiting for their husbands to return from war, or expectant mothers making a quilt for their new baby. Usually hand-sewn, the quilt evokes a maternal and sentimental feel with each patch signifying a story of its own. I have taught beginner's Patchwork quilting courses over the past few years. I have acquired embroidered linens from various sources with little idea of what to do with them. I love them, but I'm not up for draping doilies around my flat, and there are only so many doily clutch bags I can use. 

I saw a number of quilts using embroidered linens in beautiful big houses in London that we use for photoshoot locations. I was struck by the 'French Chateau' appearance the quilt gave to a simple room and wanted a piece of the action!

You will need

• A range of fabrics for your patches
• Cardboard
• ruler
• Pen 
• Pencil
• Scissors and dress making scissors
• Dress making pins
• Needle and thread
• Double Duvet cover
• Lining fabric the size of your quilt plus a 5cm seam allowance all around the edge
• Long ruler

How to make

1. choose your fabrics and plan your design. I.e. alternating plain and patterns
2. cut out your template square from card. This will be your master template and forms the basis of your patchwork. A double duvet is 2m x 2m, therefore I went for a 25cm square, requiring 8 rows of 8 to completely cover one side of the duvet.
3. place the template onto the wrong side of your fabric and draw around it with a pencil 
4. cut out leaving a 2cm seam allowance.
5. take 2 fabric squares and pin right side together, matching up the corners.
6. join using a running stitch. 
7. Pin the next square to one edge and sew as before, making a row of three.
8. continue adding squares until you have the desired width. 
9. iron seam allowances to one side and continue to pin and sew rows of squares.
10. when you have enough rows you can assemble your quilt by pinning two rows right sides together making sure you match up the squares accurately. Find the centre seam and work your way out to the sides. Join with a running stitch.
11. once you have your complete quilt, press and trim the excess edges on the wrong side of the quilt.
12. Place onto one side of your duvet, right sides up, smooth all the wrinkles out, and work your way around the edges, turning under the raw edge, pinning in place and then hand sew an oversew stitch all around the edge.