Bug Jar Quilt Part 1

Materials:

• At least 9 different types of bug (or creepy crawly) cotton material. I made my quilt top with 9 jars, but you could add another jar per row for 12 jars if you wanted. A fat quarter of each is good.
• Grayish fabric for the jar tops (about 1/2 yard)
• 1-1/2 yards top material
• 1-1/2 yards backing material
• Crib-sized quilting batting
• 5 yards binding - I used Satin Blanket Binding
• Large safety pins, if you use regular batting
• Steam-A-Seam 2
• Quilting needles
• Thread to match or coordinate with your top fabric
• Machine quilting foot with line guide
• Bug jar and lid pattern
  
  

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry all your fabric. I find it easier to make appliques if the fabric is ironed smooth.
    
2. Cut nine jars from bug fabric and nine lids. I also cut a bug out of one of the fabrics to make an open jar on the bottom:
   
   
    
3. Attach one side of the Steam-A-Seam 2 to the back of the jars and lids. This leaves the sticky back side showing. It's helpful to have this side sticky when you are placing the pieces.
    
4. Place your jars and lids on the quilt top. My rows are 7 inches apart and the jars in each row are 5-1/2 inches apart. How far in from the edges will depend on the width of your quilt top material.
   
   
   
   
    
5. When you have the jars and lids placed where you want them to be, iron into place.
   
   
    
6. Zigzag stitch around each jar/lid. I used a .2 length and 3.5 width (make a test on scrap first). I started at the bottom of one lid, went all the way around the outside of the jar and lid until I got back to where I started and then sewed across the bottom of the lid.
   
   
    
7. Your quilt top is finished! Move on to Bug Jar Quilt Part 2 to quilt and bind it!

This is Part 1 of the Bug Jar Quilt tutorial. Click here for Part 2.