Braid Quilt from Finders Keepers Quilts
Posted by Edie McGinnis on Jan 18th 2017
One of the quilts found in the abandoned house that inspired Finders Keepers Quilts was this old carriage robe. It had been tossed on a mattress and a pillow thrown on top of it. Of the quilts found in the house, this one was in the worst shape. Even though the quilt was tattered in places, its beauty could still be seen. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what it must have looked like when it was fresh and new.
We reproduced the quilt using Daiwabo fabrics that included many yarn dyes that had slubs of wool running through the fabric. As well as texture, we used a wide assortment of plaids to reflect the look of the original quilt. The reproduction quilt was stitched by Sandra Amstutz, Bloomfield, Iowa, and quilted by Shelly Pagliai of Wien, Missouri.
Quilt Size: Approximately 80” x 96” Finished
Fabric Needed
-Scraps to equal 10 1/2 yards
-2/3 yard for binding
Note: We used 85 fat eighths from the Taupe Collection by Daiwabo for our quilt. Any homespuns, lightweight wools or cottons would be perfect fabric choices for this quilt, too.
Cutting Instructions
From the fat eighths or scraps or yardage, cut 680 – 2 1/2” x 7 1/2” rectangles. If you are cutting from fat eighths, you will get 8 rectangles per piece by cutting vertically along the lengthwise straight of grain.
Each braid is made using 68 rectangles – 34 per side.You will need to make five A braids and 5 B braids. Sew the strips together, alternating sides as shown to make an A braid.
Continue in this manner until you have sewn 68 rectangles together to make one A braid. Make five. To make a B braid, sew the strips together, alternating sides as shown.
Notice that the placement of the strips is reversed from the A braid. Sew 68 rectangles together to make one B braid. Make 5. When the sections are complete, trim the edges so they are straight.
Sew the strips together, alternating Braid A with Braid B. Layer the quilt with backing and batting, and quilt as de-sired. After the quilt is quilted, trim the top of the quilt so it is straight across. The points should remain at the bottom of the quilt. Before binding, staystitch around the outer edge of the quilt to stabilize the bias edges.
