Choosing your fabric

Take your time deciding on fabrics. You will want a great print for the "view" from the windows. You can accent different types of Asian fabrics, novelty prints for children, or different landscape scenes. The picture of this quilt shows different patterns of marbled fabrics. Whatever you choose, you want interest in each of the windows. This is a critical decision!

15: four and one-half inch squares for each window. You can duplicate some or use something different for each window. Stamp or embellish some for interest in each window. These can be from smaller pieces of fabric, or you can buy fat quarters (18 inches x 22 inches) of fabrics.

Choose two fabrics for the frames of your windows. One should act as a "shadow" of the other color. Solids are best, or prints with very small details textured details or tone-on-tone fabrics. These will be critical to add the "shading" portion for depth to the windows. The photo shows the Moda Marbles line. Black is perfect if you want a stained glass effect. If you want a different effect, try choosing shades of brown for a woodsy/nature look.

1 and 1/2 yards for main window frame color, backing, and binding.

1/4 yard "shadow" fabric for bottom portion of window frame.

One 6 1/2 inch diameter fabric circle for round "window" at top of quilt

Batting: low loft works best for a wall hanging; the hanging will lie flatter against the wall. If you are planning to do a lot of hand- quilting, make sure you invest in a batting that allows for easy hand quilting.

Thread for windows and frames - Use a light gray or light beige thread for the bobbin so that no color from the thread shows up in the blocks as you piece them.

Thread for quilting - make this decision when the quilt is finished. You decision will be based on what you will do for quilting.

Rulers and cutting tools - this pattern assumes you have working knowledge of a rotary cutter and mat, as well as accompanying rulers. If this is the case, use them for your cutting. Otherwise, get a quality sharpened pencil and good scissors and ruler. Measuring and marking will be done on the wrong side of fabrics and then cut to length.

Seam Allowance - quilters use a quarter-inch seam allowance through nearly all construction. You'll want to be as accurate as humanly possible. If you are just starting out, mark the throat plate of your sewing machine with a piece of masking tape with a one-quarter-inch line marked down the masking tape. Then, follow this line when sewing. The more accurate you are through each step of the construction, the better your blocks will go together at the end.

Your sewing machine and iron

If this is your first attempt at quilting, you will only need a basic straight stitch to make this pattern. You'll want to clean your machine of loose threads and lint. Change your needle - most important for good tension and even stitching. A size 80 needle is sufficient. If you are thinking of using metallic or other decorative threads for quilting the top, then you should invest in a size 90 needle - the larger eye lets the decorative thread go through easier without lots of breaking.

Your iron should be clean. You will not be using steam, as you don't want to stretch the fabrics unnecessarily. You will "press," not "iron." Pressing keeps fabrics from stretching. There are two parts to pressing. First, there's setting a seam: after you have sewn a seam, with the seam still closed, press the seam. This sets the threads into place. Next, you'll want to press the seam open, usually to the darker fabric.

OR - you can finger press throughout the blocks. This will result in consistency in size of your blocks, and you can press the blocks when they are all complete. Finger press means you use your fingers to press open a new seam.

As you quilt more, you will find tricks to pressing seams - open, closed, combination, depending on the pattern.

Pretreating fabrics

There are as many ways to go about pretreating as there are quilting styles! Many people will wash fabrics before sewing them. This removes unnecessary finishing chemicals. This is a good idea if this quilt hanging will be in a house with people sensitive to allergies. Also, any shrinking that will occur will happen before any sewing is done.

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