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Using a Quilt Panel

Quilt Panels can make clever quilts – here is a tutorial with lots of suggestions and ideas.


Has this ever happened to you? You walk into a quilt shop and see the most wonderful panel. Maybe it’s a great cheater print, a large-scale repeat, or just the perfect panel you need to make a baby quilt at the last minute. You can’t wait to use it in just the most creative project ever seen. But… you don’t buy it. You can’t think of a creative project on the spot and the shop doesn’t seem to have any patterns that work. You walk out disappointed.

You don’t have to be. Preprinted quilt panels can make quick and easy quilts, perfect for that last-minute baby quilt. They can be quite elaborate too, featuring not only the panel but related blocks and borders. It all depends on the panel, the borders, and your own creativity. Here are 21 ideas for creating a work of art using a preprinted quilt panel, large-scale fabric, or border print.

Here’s a tip:  Even though that panel is long out of print, you can still use the pattern to create your own panel quilt.  Be aware that fabric panels may come off the bolt skewed or not quite the size required by the pattern.  You may need to trim the panel to the proper size if it is too large or add a coping strip to all four sides if the panel is too small. 

1. Center the Panel in Plain Borders

This is the easiest panel quilt to make. Just add borders to the tops and sides and you are done! You could add more than one border if you like, or piece a border with some simple like a four-patch. It helps when the manufacturer has a large border print that goes with the panel. The Autumn Harvest quilt below was made with a simple large border.

Mystic Garden Panel Quilt Mystic Garden quiltAutumn Harvest Panel Quilt Autumn HarvestMade with Love Quilt of Valor Pattern
With Love Quilt of Valor
Scenic Snowfall Panel Quilt Find a snow panel here

Scenic Snowfall
The Beach is My Happy Place Panel Quilt Order a Beach Panel HereButterfly Fantasia Panel Quilt Butterfly Fantasia
Dancing with the Wind Quilt by Dottie Moore
Dancing with the Wind by Dottie Moore
Seasons Greetings Quilt
Seasons Greetings
Sandy Hook Angels Panel Quilt Sandy Hook Angels
Grand Central Quilt Pattern The Grand Central Pattern includes a bonus pattern, Baby GrandQuilt with Fibonacci Borders A Fibonacci borderGalaxy Quilt Pattern Galaxy Quilt by
 Bobbin in Quilts
Book title Quilting with Panels and Patchwork

Quilting with Panels and Patchwork Book
Enchanted Plumes Quilt
Enchanted Plumes
Retro Rocket Quilt Find Space Panels here

Retro Rockets
Panel Picture provided by Patty B
Picture submitted by Patty B
Panel Picture provided by Patty B
Picture submitted by Patty B
November Night Quilt Pattern
November Night

2. Center the panel using elaborate borders with fabric, wide borders, or blocks fitting the theme.

If your LQS carries a particular panel, there might be a border print that goes with it.  If not, start looking at border print or striped fabric to see if it can be used with a panel that you really like. For example, here are several by Timeless Treasures and Hoffman

Bear Paw Panel Quilt
Find Bear Panels here

Call of the Wild has two plain borders but the bottom border is Bear Paw Blocks.
Halloween Panel Quilt
Find Halloween Panels Here
All that Glitters Panel Quilt
Order a tree panel here

All that Glitters
Ravens Quilt Pattern
Find Halloween Panels Here
Mary's Violet Eyes Quilt Pattern
Mary’s Violet Eyes
Merry and Bright Panel Quilt
Merry and Bright Quilt Panel
Fun with PAnels Book Cover

Fun with Panels
Boudoir Panel Quilt
Boudoir Dress
Evening in Paris Quilt
Timeless Treasures

3. Off-Center the Panel Using Plain Borders

Apex Panel Quilt
Apex
Alres Panel Quilt
Arles
Ankenny Panel Quilt
Ankenny
Holiday Winter Barn Panel Quilt
Find Barn Panels Here
Snowy Friends Panel Quilt
Snowy Friends by Wilmington
Sidelights Quilt Pattern
Sidelights by Mountain Peek Creations

4. Off-center the panel using elaborate borders with fabric, blocks, or applique along the side

Awry Panel Quilt The top border and the bottom border don’t have to be the same. The Awry pattern uses this idea.Cubbyholes Panel Quilt
Cubby Holes
Asian Symbols Panel Quilt
Asian Symbols Quilt Pattern
Eagle Panel Quilt
Quilt of Valor Pattern

Colorblock Panel Quilt
Colorblock
This quilt uses an offset large scale border
Scotland Quilt from Pat Archibald’s blog
Smiles Too Loudly Quilt
From the Smiles Too Loudly blog
Wild Things Panel Quilt Call of the Wild
from Hoffman

5. Framing Smaller Blocks

Happy Hubby Quilt
Happy Hubby
Be Pawsitive Panel Quilt
Sophisto Cat free pattern from Kaufman
Panel Quilt by Sylvia Pippen
from Sylvia Pippen
With Love by Hilda
Made With Love
Birds of a Feather Quilt Pattern
Birds of a Feather

6. Attic Windows

Glimpse of Home
Glimpse of Home
Rose Arbor Panel Quilt
Rose Arbor
Beach Haven Panel Quilt
Beach Haven
Window on the East by CC
Window on the East
Bluebird Window Panel Quilt
Bluebirds Panel
Pathway by Ellen B
Pathway through my garden by Ellen B (no pattern)

7. Cut it up

CeCe's Challenge Quilt
CeCe’s Challenge Quilt
(no pattern)

Paper Doll Park Panel Quilt
Paper Doll Park

8. Shadow Frame (Drop Shadow)

Dr Seuss Quilt
Dr. Seuss in a Drop Shadow Quilt
Drop Shadow Collage
Drop Shadow Collage
Layers Shadow Panel Quilt
Layers Quilt Pattern

9. A Blooming Panel

It starts in the middle and builds out from there.  All borders relate to the center in color, style, or theme.

Blooming Rails Panel Quilt made by Becky
Blooming Rails
Garden Party Panel Quilt by Joyce
Garden Party 
Bouquet for Nana Panel Quilt
Bouquet for Nana

10. Small blocks of different sizes

Many panels come with smaller blocks – off to the side, or on the top and bottom.  The question is: how do you use those blocks in a quilt, especially if they end up being different sizes?  Here are some suggestions.

House Cats Panel Quilt House CatsAround the Neighborhood Panel Quilt Around the NeighborhoodHorse Sense Panel Quilt Horse Sense

11. Scatter small blocks in a sampler

Labrador Puppies Panel Quilt
Labrador Buddies
Fight Like a Girl Panel Quilt
Fight Like a Girl by Denise B
(this is a Windham Fabric)
123 Baby Quilt
ABC-123 Baby Quilt Pattern

12. Smaller blocks set into rows

Row Block Panel Quilt
Metro Quilt Pattern
Desert Night Sunset Panel Quilt Desert Night SunsetPanel Quilt by Anita Shakleford from Anita Shackleford’s blog

13. Fracture the quilt – both horizontal and vertical

Majestic Mountain Quilt
Majestic Mountain Quilt
Fractured Beach Panel
Find a Beach Panel Here

Outlaw Biker Quilt
The Outlaw Biker Quilt Tutorial
Reflections by Robert Kaufman Fabrics
Reflections using a Robert Kaufman Panel
Slashed Panel Quilt
Slashed Panel

14. Surround Small Blocks with Sashing

Quilt of Valor
A Quilt of Valor by Denise B. 
She pieced the alternate blocks.
Crazy Lady Quilt
The “crazy lady” sent me this picture.
Paper Dolls Baby Quilt
Paper Dolls Baby Quilt

15. Set on the Diagonal

Panel Quilt
Torus Maximus Panel Quilt
Torus Maximus Pattern

(uses a Hoffman panel)

16. Horizontal panels with thin borders on both sides

17. Cut the panel so it fits a related opening or other design

18. Make a triptych

Oriental Triptych Panel Quilt
Oriental Triptych
Meadow Stars Panel Quilt
Order a similar panel here

Meadow Stars by Patti Carey Designs

19. Quilts with related smaller blocks or blocks of different sizes

20. Use small blocks as an alternate block or in a nine-patch or four-patch small quilt.

Fabric for Panel Quilt

I used a wide border print as if it were a small panel to create Strolling Geese. (The picture shows a selvage to selvage view.)  It was much too wide to be an outer border, so I cut it in half and used it as if it were a solid piece of fabric in the quilt. I designed the pattern to be used as a tutorial for different methods of making Flying Geese blocks.

21. Use with bags, clothing, placemat pillow, etc.

Poppins Bag
Poppins Bag by Aunties Two

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9 Comments

  1. Where can I find the/a pattern for the barn panel with the 9 quilt blocks surrounding it? I have been looking and trying to follow your links, but the only link is for barn panels click here. Please helpe

    1. I’m sorry, it was something the owner made it. It’s not a published pattern, as far as I can find out.

  2. I’ve made quilts with different panels and love it. I still have more panels I want to use. I really love the Attic Window that looks like a curve.

  3. Great compilation of ideas! I have a few panels on hand. I’m pinning this great article.

  4. I love this post and plan to get out a panel of blocks and figure out a way to use it, with inspiration from you!

    I made a quick panel quilt for a relative facing chemo for pancreatic cancer. I just had to have something I could finish in a weekend and get in the mail. It had to bring a smile to the face and be a partner for the chemo visits. I found just the thing! It was a Crazy Cats panel in my local shop. It ticked all the boxes and was received in time. I couldn’t have accomplished this without a panel!

  5. Thanks! I have used these patterns – we make quilts for the Children’s Hospital and often start with the panels. It makes a nice lap quilt as well and “conversation starter” for people visiting a sick child. The fabric is very good quality and wonderful prints. Thanks!

  6. I NEVER use panels because I’ve never found them to be very pretty, not even when shown in a completed project. However this one, Nightfall(?) Is absolutely stunning and I ordered the kit. It is exceptionally rich looking, sophisticated, has tremendous depth and will be my first panel project. Thank you!!!!!

    1. Well, thank you. I admit I was surprised by the scale when the fabric arrived – I am so used to seeing this as a tiny graphic that it never occurred to me how big 68″ x 82″ actually is. I am putting my sample together now and the fabrics work so well together. It really is quite nice.

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