Things You'll Need
3/4 yard of each of six fabrics, progressing from light to dark
Cutting mat
Rotary cutter
Quilter's ruler
Sewing machine
Thread
The trip around the world quilt has a beautiful progression of colors but is easy enough for a beginner quilt maker. Basic strip-piecing methods make it easy to put the trip around the world quilt together. Make your own trip around the world quilt for your next quilting project.
Step 1
Use the rotary cutter, mat and ruler to cut four 6 1/2-inch strips the width of the fabric from each of the six fabrics.
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Step 2
Sew the strips together in order from light to dark, using scant 1/4-inch seams. Press seam allowances in alternating directions. Sew the top and bottom together to make a tube. Repeat with the remaining strips of fabric.
Step 3
Cut the tube into 6-1/2 inch rings. Carefully pick out the stitches in each ring to make a strip of colors. Open the first ring at the first color, so the strip has fabrics in order 1,2,3,4,5,6. Open two rings to make strips with fabrics in order 2,3,4,5,6,1. Open two rings to make strips in order 3,4,5,6,1,2, and continue. Do this with two tubes of fabric.
With the remaining two, repeat the process but remove one square of fabric from each strip so the first strip is fabrics 2,3,4,5,6, and the next two are fabrics 3,4,5,6,1, and so on.
Step 4
Sew the strips from the first two tubes together, with strip 1,2,3,4,5,6 in the middle, then strips 2,3,4,5,6,1 on each side of it, and so on. Because seams were pressed in alternating directions, they will butt up and nest together to match.
Sew strips fron the last two tubes together, with 2,3,4,5,6 in the middle and progressing out from there.
Step 5
Sew the two long pieces you have created together with the lightest color in the middle. Press.
Tip
Larger numbers of fabrics make prettier quilts. Use an even number of fabrics. Mix patterns and solids. Borders are optional. The traditional quilting design for this pattern is diagonal lines.
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