Hugs Before Kisses - A MBS Quilt Tutorial

Okay, so I have been hinting for the last week or so about this tutorial and today is finally the day!!  Introducing . . . Hugs Before Kisses my newest  Moda Bake Shop Tutorial !! 

X's and O's are my favorite part of Valentine's day!! (Yes, I know it is past Valentine's day, but I figured we can celebrate love for a whole month :)  When I was a kid, my Grandparents used to send me presents with XOXO written on the card or in the front of the book.  Those far away hugs and kisses have always meant so much to me.  So around this time of year, I always have a desire to figure out some design that I can tie X and O into :)  This years happened to be a twist on a basic lattice quilt.

The quilt measures 72" x 72", just the perfect size for you and someone special to snuggle up in :)  It is made using a Honey Honey by Kate Spain jelly roll and some Bella Solid.  It really is a fun quilt to put together and is very beginner friendly.  Don't you just love how those lattice strips blend together framing out the O's :)  So fun!!!

And now that this Moda Bake Shop Tutorial has been published for a while, I can now post it here on my blog for your convenience ;)   So just follow along below for the full step-by-step tutorial.  And if you love it, you can get the printer friendly version here :)  

1 Honey Honey Jelly Roll
3 1/4 Yards of Bella Solid White

3/4 Yard for Binding
5 Yards for Backing

STEP 1 – CUTTING

Choose 36 jelly roll strips from your bundle.  (I set aside 4 of the double prints)  Lay them out as follow, keeping them folded in half.  You can cut about 6 rows at a time.  Using the lines on your mat as a guide, cut a sliver off the end to remove the fold.  Then cut a 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangle, a 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle, and a 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square.  Place the remaining bit in scrap.  You will have 2 of each cut.  Repeat with all 36 strips to have a total of (72) 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangles, (72) 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangles, and (72) 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ squares.

Now from your white yardage cut the following.

Separate your cut pieces into 2 groups as follows.  The first grouping will be used to create the O blocks and the second grouping will be used to create the X Blocks.

STEP 2 – O BLOCKS

We’ll start by making the O blocks.  Gather a 6 1/2″ square and (2) 6 1/2″ print strips and lay out as shown below.  Place the strips onto the square with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4″ along the edges, aligning as you sew.  Press towards the center square.  Repeat to make 18 center units total.  (Chain stitching saves time)

Gather a 6 1/2″ strip and (2) 2 1/2″ squares and lay out as shown below.  Place the squares onto the strip with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4″ along the edges, aligning as you sew.  Press towards the squares.  Repeat to make 36 top and bottom units total.  (Chain stitching will save lots of time :)

Lay (2) top and bottom units and one center unit out as follows.

Lay the top and bottom units onto the center with right sides together.  Nest the seams and pin.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the pinned edge.  Press.  And now, you just have to add the sashing border.  Gather (2) 10 1/2″ white strips and (2) 12 1/2″ print strips and layout as shown.  Lay the top and bottom border onto the O with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4″ seam aligning as you go and press.  Repeat for the two side borders.

And the O Block is finished measuring 12 1/2″ x 12 1/2″.  Repeat the last 2 sub-steps to make a total of 18 O Blocks.

STEP 3 – X BLOCKS

Gather a 10 1/2″ strip and 2 subcut white triangles and lay them out as shown.  Place the right hand square onto the strip with right sides together centering the triangle.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the edge, aligning as you go.  Open and finger press the triangle.  Lay the second triangle onto the left hand side of the strip with right sides together and lining the tips of the triangles up.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the edge, aligning as you go.  Press towards the triangles.  Repeat to make 72 lattice units.  (Chain stitching will save lots of time here)

Print of the Squaring Up guide that is attached at the end of this post.  Lay any square ruler onto the guide.  (It is okay if your ruler is larger than the guide, it just means you will have to turn it while trimming.  If you have a 6 1/2″ square ruler it will save time :)

Using masking tape, mark the edges of the diagonal lines creating a guide on your ruler for squaring up your units.

Place your marked ruler onto your unit, aligning the lines of the seams with the edges of the masking tape.  Trim the excess along the edge of your ruler.  If your ruler is larger, trim 2 sides, then spin your unit, realign and trim the remaining 2 sides.  

And you have a perfect lattice unit that measures 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″.  Repeat for all 72 lattice units.  

Lay 4 lattice units out as shown.  Lay the right hand side units onto the left hand sides with right sides together.  Align the diagonal seams and pin.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the pinned edge and then press seams open.  Lay the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Align the diagonal seams as well as the center seam and pin.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the pinned edge and press the seam open.  

And the X Block is finished measuring 12 1/2″ x 12 1/2″.  Repeat the last step to make a total of 18 O Blocks.

STEP 4- SEWING THE QUILT TOP 

Lay the X and O blocks alternating into 6 rows of 6.  Play with the layout until you get a look that is please to the eye.  I tried to separate the red and navy units most as they tend to pop.   Once you have a please layout you are ready to sew the blocks into row.

I find the easiest way to do this is to stack each row and place some sort of marker on the first block indicating what row it is.  This way you don’t lose the layout you just did.

Then just start sewing the blocks together, one block adding to the next, and the next until you have sewn all 6 in the row.  Then just repeat for all 6 rows.  I do not pin my blocks when sewing them into row as there are no seams to line up.  I just align as I go.

Press your seams in the rows towards the O blocks.  This will allow you to nest the seam and avoids bulk around the X corners.

Sewing the rows together is just like creating them.  Lay the first row onto the second with right sides together.  Nest the seams and pin them and then along the rest of the edge.  Sew a 1/4″ seam along the pinned edge.  Press open.  Then repeat adding the third row to the now sewn together first and second row and so on.

And before you know it, you have a beautiful Hugs before Kisses Quilt Top!!

STEP 5- FINISHING THE QUILT

So now it is time to turn that finished quilt top into a finished Quilt ;)  Time to  Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!!  Which is a whole lot in one little sentence.  If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of video tutorials that will walk you through Basting, Quilting, and Binding step by step ;)      I choose to quilt mine in an all-over free motion design of traveling loops and hearts to fit the Valentines theme.  There is also a video tutorial of how to do this on the Video Tutorial Tab of my blog, Just look down the page a bit  

One adorable Hugs before Kisses quilt measuring 72″ x 72″ perfect for snuggling under.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and if you make your own Hugs Before Kisses Quilt I would love to see it!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc  or or add it to my flickr group here ;)  I can't wait to see your Hugs Before Kisses Quilts!!!

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!