BEHIND THE QUILT
BUILD YOUR SKILLS
“Secret Garden is a variation of Cathedral Window and is used in this design for a bed runner for a king-size bed. The effect is very different from the classic version, as instead of overlaying cut squares of fabric onto the folded blocks as windows, each individual folded square contains the window within its layers. This is revealed as four petal shapes when the top bias edges are rolled back (Fig 1). To make a sample of Secret Garden, it is not necessary to fold and stitch two fabric squares and join them together – as with classic Cathedral Window. Just one cut square of fabric is needed with its own contrasting window square to make an individual unit of Secret Garden.
“Traditionally a completely hand-stitched technique, here, this is constructed using the sewing machine and fixed in place on a square of background fabric with just the rolled-back curves achieved with handwork. This makes for a more stable quilt without compromising on the magical look of the technique in any way.
“Each Secret Garden block is constructed individually – only once the block is completed is it then joined with the other blocks to make the design. Each block has a centre Secret Garden folded square that measures 3¾in x 3¾in with a surrounding frame of background fabric (Fig 2). The rolled-back curves of each Secret Garden square reveal a different fabric in the four petal shapes at the centre of each block.”
You will need
■ Plain fabric – 1⅔yds or thirty-five (35) 8in x 8in squares
■ Patterned fabric – 1⅞yds or thirty-five (35) 8in x 8in squares plus extra for the end triangles
■ Inner layer of plain fabric (revealed in the Secret Garden blocks) – ⅝yd or thirty-five (35) 3¾in x 3¾in
■ Backing – 3yds
■ Batting – 109in x 35in
■ Border – ¾yd
Finished size
■ Runner: 103in x 28in
■ Block: 7½in x 7½in
Notes
■ Lynne
