Making Arthur's Alphabet
A collage quilt project unlike any other
I have admired alphabet quilts for many years- I love the intricate details, the whimsy and the scale of them. Most alphabet quilts that I admire are turned-under applique, and I have thought for a long time about how I would approach an alphabet quilt using my techniques.
Two life-changing events happened to me in 2025: my oldest daughter, Amelia, announced she was pregnant, and my dear dad passed away. The concurrence of these momentous events made me realize that I needed to make this quilt because it was something that I wanted to do as a celebratory statement about becoming a grandmother. And making it also provided me with a measure of healing from the great loss I experienced. Applying myself to this project gave me immense joy and peace, and I hope that you also might lose yourself in creativity for a time as you make Arthur’s Alphabet.
A Joy to Make!
This quilt project was unlike any that I’ve attempted before, and it was a joy to make! The color play and design challenges that it presented to Amelia and I were fun and exciting (Amelia is my daughter and the mother of Arthur). We are both maximalists when it comes to design-- we love intricate patterns, bold compositions and interesting color combinations.
No Two Blocks the Same
One of the challenging things about this quilt is that each block has its own color palette, while also complementing the other blocks in the quilt. Because it’s an alphabet quilt for a boy, we wanted the color palette to be somewhat traditional (reds, blues, yellows and greens). Additionally, the colors are true colors, but not fully saturated.These are the only parameters we had for ourselves as we designed each block. Generally each block only uses a two-tone color palette, and I was careful not to use the same color palette for blocks that were next to each other.
The Magic of Quilting
Quilting each block independently allowed me to create an intricate little work of art with each block. Also, it was a way to narrow down the scope of the project into manageable bite size portions. Applying sashing on the back of the quilt after all the blocks had been quilted and sewn together was the most challenging step in the process of making the quilt, simply because the quilt was large and bulky under the needle of my domestic machine. If you have a long-arm quilt machine or a favorite quilter that you like to hire, you can avoid this step. But as I said, I enjoyed quilting each block so much, that I would make this as a quilt-as-you-go again, but perhaps quilt it in sections to eliminate some of the seams on the back side of the quilt.
Enjoy the Process!
I recommend making one block at a time, from collage to composition. I hope that you enjoy the process of creating each letter in this quilt!
To see more about the process of making this quilt, check out the ABC's of Collage Quilting Series on my YouTube Channel.
A Word About Fabric Selection
Each block requires two 14 1/2” square of fabric (for the front and back), and four 5” squares. I used a random assortment of fabric from my stash. However, if purchasing fabric, select 13 half yards of coordinating fabric.
For the collage fabric, try to select 8-20 pieces of fabric per collage. The pieces can be small scraps-- I like pieces that are no bigger than about 5”. Our color bundles provide a nice assortment for the collage pieces in the quilt. See the color bundles HERE
Many of the fabrics that I used in the quilt are available here in our shop! Unfortunately, some of the fabric I used in the quilt is not available for purchase anymore. However, I've pulled fabric from our shop that I think make great replacements for those that are no longer available for sale.
