Idealeon: Quilt Pattern Puzzle for Kids

Recently a friend asked me if I would make some quilt shapes with felt on the back to be part of an exhibit at the Children's Museum of Houston. The exhibit is called "Cum Yah Gullah" and began earlier this year. My kids really LOVE going to this museum!

So, after making the shapes, and put them together in a few designs and thought they could make a really good activity for kids to learn shapes and puzzle-making skills.

Here is how I made them:

Supplies

2 1/2 inch strips of fabric(or scraps)

5 inch squares of fabric

chipboard (like the back of notepads)

felt

ruler

iron

pins

rotary cutter

rotary mat

Use square corners to make exact measurements

Cut 4x4" square and triangle, 2x2" square and triangle. Cut other shapes you want like circle, rectangle, star, other polygons, but they won't 'puzzle' together.

I made a 'quiet book' a few years ago that had gray shapes on the fabric page, and the child would match the colored felt shapes on top of them. On the page next to it, I had 4 blocks of color that the child would use the same shapes to match to the correct color. I would show pictures, but it is somewhere in storage.

4x4 triangle with 1/4 seam allowances

2x2 triangle with 1/4 seam allowances

Use the 45 degree angles on your mat and square off the fabric. Using a rotary cutter makes this process super quick! Lay the cardboard piece carefully with 1/4 inch seam allowances around the piece.

Use the cardboard with the iron to make sharp exact edges

Use some folded towels to iron on for pinning (see second photo below) unless your ironing board allows for pinning. I wanted to work on the floor for this project, so I used towels. (Just keep an eye on the iron! Don't leave it on the towel unattended!)

Double up! It goes faster, but make sure it is 'tight' or the sizes will differ.

Hint: Use pins to hold the corners down and iron. Separate the fabric before doing this.

Lay them with a little space between. Pin and sew very close to the edge. Cut last, bending the felt and cutting just within the edge to hide the felt under the edge of the quilt piece.