The Ocean State Quilt pattern is a beautiful choice for quilters who enjoy creating coastal-inspired designs.
This quilt captures the essence of the seaside with its calming color palette and flowing patterns, making it a perfect addition to any room with a coastal or nautical theme.
In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the steps to make an Ocean State Quilt, covering fabric selection, cutting instructions, and assembly tips.
1. Choosing Your Fabrics for the Ocean State Quilt
Selecting the right fabric is crucial to capturing the coastal feel of the Ocean State Quilt. You’ll want to focus on colors and patterns that evoke the sea, sky, and shore. Think shades of blue, teal, soft grays, and sandy tones. For added texture, look for fabrics with subtle patterns such as waves, seashells, or coral.
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When purchasing fabric, aim for high-quality cotton quilting fabrics, as these are durable and easy to work with. To achieve the desired look, consider using a combination of solids, prints, and batiks in your chosen color scheme. You’ll need about 2 yards each of four main colors (light blue, medium blue, sand beige, and gray), as well as 1 yard for a contrasting dark color.
Once you have your fabrics, pre-wash them to avoid any shrinkage or color bleeding after the quilt is completed. This step will also soften the fabric, making it easier to handle and piece together.
2. Preparing Your Fabric Cuts
To start, let’s go over the fabric cuts you’ll need to make for the Ocean State Quilt. Accurate cutting is essential to ensure your pieces fit together perfectly, so take your time with this step. Make sure to press your fabrics flat before cutting to avoid any distortions.
- Background Fabric (Light Blue): Cut eight 5-inch x 5-inch squares and sixteen 3-inch x 3-inch squares. This will form the base and central background for each quilt block.
- Accent Fabric (Medium Blue): Cut sixteen 3-inch x 3-inch squares for creating the quilt pattern detail within each block.
- Contrast Fabric (Dark Gray): Cut eight 5-inch x 5-inch squares. These pieces will add a striking effect against the lighter blues and beiges.
After cutting, label each pile of squares to keep track of which fabric is which. This organization will make the piecing process much smoother, especially if this is your first time working with multiple colors in a quilt.
3. Creating Half-Square Triangles (HSTs)
Half-square triangles are a foundational part of the Ocean State Quilt pattern, giving it a dynamic and flowing look reminiscent of ocean waves. To create these HSTs, you’ll need your 5-inch x 5-inch squares in the light blue background fabric and the contrasting dark gray fabric.
Place one light blue square and one dark gray square right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on the back of the lighter fabric. Sew a seam 1/4 inch from each side of the line, then cut along the line to create two HSTs. Press the seams open for a flatter block.
Repeat this process for all 5-inch squares, resulting in a collection of HSTs. These pieces will be used to form the main structure of your quilt blocks, providing that classic “quilt patterns” look.
4. Assembling the Quilt Blocks
With your HSTs ready, it’s time to start assembling the blocks. Each block in the Ocean State Quilt will feature a mix of HSTs, 3-inch x 3-inch squares, and plain 5-inch x 5-inch squares arranged in a specific pattern to mimic ocean waves.
Start by arranging four HSTs, four 5-inch x 5-inch light blue squares, and four 3-inch x 3-inch medium blue squares in a 3×3 grid. The placement of the HSTs should form a diamond or chevron shape in the center of the block. Adjust the orientation of each piece to ensure the colors and angles flow in the same direction, like the movement of waves.
Sew each row together first, pressing the seams flat after each step, then join the rows to complete the block. Repeat this process until you have enough blocks to cover your desired quilt size—typically 12 blocks for a small throw or 20 blocks for a twin-size quilt.
5. Piecing the Quilt Top
After completing all the blocks, lay them out on a large, flat surface to plan the final arrangement of your quilt top. This step allows you to see how the colors and patterns interact and adjust the placement of blocks to balance the design.
Arrange the blocks in rows, ensuring that the chevron or wave shapes align to create a continuous flow across the quilt. Once you’re satisfied with the layout, begin sewing the blocks into rows, taking care to match up seams for a polished finish.
Next, sew each row together to form the quilt top. Press each row seam to one side as you go, which will help reduce bulk and make the top flatter. After piecing all rows together, give the entire quilt top a final press.
6. Adding Borders and Finishing Touches
To complete the Ocean State Quilt top, consider adding a border to frame your design. A 3-inch border in a neutral tone, such as beige or soft gray, will add a finishing touch that complements the main quilt pattern without overwhelming it.
Cut border strips to fit each side of the quilt top and attach them, starting with the sides, then the top and bottom. Sew each border strip with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, and press the seams outward. This border will help anchor the quilt pattern and give it a balanced, framed look.
Once your borders are added, your quilt top is complete. Now it’s ready for layering with batting and backing, and then quilting to secure all layers.
7. Layering, Quilting, and Binding
With your quilt top finished, it’s time to layer it with batting and backing. Choose a lightweight batting that complements the coastal theme—cotton or cotton blend is ideal for a soft, natural feel. Cut the batting and backing fabric slightly larger than your quilt top to allow for shifting during quilting.
Layer the backing fabric (wrong side up), batting, and quilt top (right side up) in a quilt sandwich. Smooth out each layer to remove wrinkles, and baste them together with safety pins or spray adhesive. For quilting, a wave or ripple pattern echoes the Ocean State Quilt’s seaside inspiration.
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Once quilted, trim the edges to square up your quilt, then add binding in a coordinating fabric. Binding frames the quilt and provides a neat finish to the edges. Sew the binding around the edges with a 1/4-inch seam, folding it over to the back for hand or machine stitching.
8. Final Thoughts and Tips for Your Ocean State Quilt
Creating the Ocean State Quilt is a rewarding project that brings the beauty of the coast into your home. If this is your first time making a quilt, take it step by step and don’t rush the process. Quilting is an art, and each piece you create becomes a part of your own “quilt patterns” journey.
For beginners, consider working with a smaller quilt size like a lap or throw size. This makes it easier to handle and speeds up the quilting and binding process. As you gain confidence, try experimenting with different color schemes or adding more blocks to create larger quilts.
Enjoy the process and embrace the imperfections, as they add to the unique charm of your Ocean State Quilt. With this tutorial, you have all the guidance you need to create a beautiful, coastal-inspired quilt. Happy quilting!
