Pattern Matching

I bought a length of this beautiful large scale print from the Central Park line (by Kate Spain for Moda) for the back of my quilt, but wanted to match the print since a mismatch would be pretty obvious.  Here's how . . .

Purchase enough fabric for the length of your quilt twice, plus a little extra to match the print.  There are ways to calculate this, but I just got lucky ;).  Cut it in half across the width of fabric so you have two full-width pieces approximately the same size.  Lay them side by side and do an approximate pattern match.

Fold the right piece over onto the left one.

Fold back the fabric to a chosen spot in your print.  I used the edge of the yellow cornflower, the tips of the blue "puff ball", and pieces of the green leaves as "matching points" down the length of my fabric.

Line the prints up along the edge of the fold and pin it.  Lots.  Lots and lots of pins while matching the prints down the length.

Now, stitch through all three layers (the two from the folded piece of fabric and the one below).  Stitch as close to the fold as you can.

You are actually stitching on the "back" of your piece.  A majority of your fabric is to the left with right sides together.

See how matchy, matchy it is already looking . . . and this is still the back!

Now trim the excess fabric down to about 1/2" on each side.  In the photo below, the main pieces of fabric are under the cutting mat.  Look at the leaf part of the print to see the stitching.

Now open your main pieces and give it a good press.  I still need to press the piece below, but you can already tell how the seam will disappear when it is ironed and then quilted.

Doesn't it make your perfectionist heart sing?