On-the-Edge Quilt

Whip up a too-cute quilt perfect for the little ones in your life! Bright colors and fun patterns add personality and style, while peeking on-the-edge monsters are an adorable addition.

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes

2 1/2 yards solid-colored quilter's cotton
1 yard print quilter's cotton for panels (I used three different prints at 1/3 yard each)
1 1/3 yards print quilter's cotton for borders
40"x 48" piece of cotton batting
Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100)
Air-erase pen for marking
Needle and thread
Nylon monofilament thread
Thin yarn or hand embroidery floss and tapestry needle (optional - for quilt ties)

Designs Used

For this tutorial, I used the largest sizes of the Peeking Striped Monster design, the Peeking One-Eyed Monster design, the Peeking Three-Eyed Monster design, and the Peeking Spotted Monster design. Find more of our on-the-edge designs here.

Finished Size:

37" x 44 1/2" (lap quilt or crib quilt size)

This project was featured in the following:

Christmas Gift Guide Lookbook

Gather Materials:

First, prepare the fabric for the embroidered panels.

Using an air-erase pen draw an 18 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangle on the solid-colored quilter's cotton. Leave a couple of inches of excess fabric around the shape.

Measure and mark 1/4" up from the bottom corners on each side. Draw a line connecting the marks. This is the seam allowance for the bottom edge of the fabric.

Hand draws a rectangular pattern with two nested rectangles on lime-green fabric placed on a wood table, next to a metal ruler marked in inches.

Print the design from embroidery software to make a template.

Trim along the bottom edge of the template right along the bottom edge of the design. Also, trim around the sides and top of the design leaving a bit around the design.

Place the template as shown on the quilter's cotton with the bottom edge of the design aligned with the line you just drew.

Center the template. Mark the center point and the horizontal and vertical axis points.

Hand holding a purple marker near a green fabric with a gray cartoon monster print on paper pinned to the fabric, a wooden ruler partially on the paper.

Start Embroidering:

Remove the template and draw lines connecting the marks.

Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together, aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.

Green fabric secured in a large rectangular embroidery hoop with cross lines marked on fabric, placed on a wooden surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design.

Move the hoop so that the needle is aligned with the center point on the fabric.

Embroider the design.

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering a smiling red monster face with blue and orange striped horns, yellow spots, and white teeth on bright green fabric hooped in a beige embroidery frame.

When the design has finished, trim away the excess stabilizer on the backside of the embroidery.

Close-up of hand cutting fabric along embroidery outlines with silver scissors on a pink and white fabric piece above lime green fabric.

Cut out the shape using the outer lines of the shape.

Silver sewing scissors on a wooden table next to green fabric with a red monster face applique featuring orange spots, blue and orange striped horns, black eyes, and white teeth.

Prepare the fabric for the opposite side of the panel. Cut a piece of print quilter's cotton to 18 1/2" x 6 1/2".

Lay the embroidered piece flat and align the print cotton on top, right sides together.

Pin in place along the left short side. Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge only.

Fabric pieces layered on a wooden surface: orange with white polka dots, pink with white polka dots, and bright green with a partial view of a colorful monster face applique.

Press the back seam open with an iron.

Repeat this process for a total of six assembled panels (featuring both embroidered and print fabric sections).

Alternate the print cotton fabric along the left and right sides as you go. You will need three panels with the print cotton on the left, and three panels with the print cotton on the right.

Close-up of a sewing project with an iron pressing the seam of three fabric pieces: lime green, orange with white polka dots, and red with green stitches on a textured gray surface.

Prepare the thin horizontal border fabric for in-between the embroidered panels.

Cut five pieces of print cotton to 36 1/2" x 2 1/2".

Lay the first embroidered panel flat with the right side facing up (this is the top panel).

Align the thin border fabric along the bottom edge of the embroidered panel, right sides together. Pin in place.

Close-up of a green fabric square with a colorful sun applique partially covered by a purple fabric strip pinned for sewing, all on a wooden surface.

Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge -- sewing right along the bottom edge of the design.

Press the seam.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching around a fabric piece with a bird and circular designs in black and orange thread on a light background, with bright green fabric underneath.

Align the second embroidered panel on top of the thin border. The top of the embroidered panel should be aligned with the bottom edge of the border.

Remember to alternate the print edge of the panels along the left and right sides as you go.

Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.

Press the seam.

Bright quilting fabric pieces on a wooden table include a lime green panel with a smiling orange sun face applique, pink fabric with white polka dots, and orange fabric with smaller white spots.

Add a thin border to the bottom edge of the second panel just as you did for the first panel.

Continue to add the embroidered panels and thin panels until they are all assembled.

Close-up of a colorful quilt with purple, orange, and pink polka-dot panels, green panels featuring small monster faces, and narrow purple patterned sashing.

Prepare the side borders of the quilt by cutting two pieces of the print cotton to 1 1/4" x 44 1/2".

Align the border fabric along the side edges of the assembled panels, right sides together.

Pin in place, and sew a a/4" seam along the sides only.

Press the seam.

Close-up of a quilt corner pinned along the edge with a purple binding strip; fabric includes orange with white dots, green with an orange and blue frog applique, and purple with white dots.

Prepare the top and bottom borders by cutting two pieces of print cotton to 38" x 1 1/4".

Align them with the top and bottom edges of the assembled panels, right sides together.

Pin in place, and sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.

Press the seam.

Close-up of a quilting project showing a green fabric square with a smiling pink monster applique with orange spots and blue striped horns, bordered by purple fabric. Pins secure the purple fabric strip at the top edge.

Now it's time to add the back and batting.

Lay the batting flat. Add the back fabric on top, right side facing up.

Then, add the front assembled panels on top of the back fabric, right sides together.

Pin in place, and cut around the shape of the front piece.

Sew a 1/4" seam along the outer edges of the fabric (leaving about 10" open along the bottom edge).

Close-up of a colorful handmade quilt with a purple polka dot backing being lifted to show white batting layer. The quilt has a green panel with a frog face applique and a purple border with a dotted pattern. The quilt rests on a wooden surface.

Turn the quilt right side out in between the front and back fabric (the batting will then be in between the front and back layers). Press the seams.

Turn the fabric of the opening in 1/4" and press.

Sew the opening closed using a needle and thread.

Close-up of a hand sewing with a needle and green thread on a quilt edge made of green fabric and purple fabric with white polka dots, bordered by a patterned purple strip.

Quilt through all the layers by sewing along the existing seams.

Use nylon monofilament thread in the needle, and colored thread in the bobbin that matches the color of the back fabric.

Close-up of a sewing machine needle stitching a green fabric with a purple, swirled border strip. The presser foot and part of the sewing machine are visible.

Another option is to tie the quilt.

Stitch through all the layers using a tapestry needle and hand embroidery floss, then tying the floss into a knot.

Tie at the corners of each piece and also tie a couple in the centers of each large piece.

Close-up of a quilt with colorful sections and tied brown knots, featuring a playful monster face with red skin, orange spots, blue-striped horns, and a toothy smile.

Get Inspired:

This quilt uses bright colors and peeking monster designs to add a kid-friendly look, but you can easily adapt for other themes.

Try stitching with safari-theme fabric and animal designs, underwater motifs, or even with Christmas colors and coordinating designs!

Colorful quilt with alternating panels of polka dots and bright green rectangles. Each green panel has a smiling, single- or multi-eyed monster appliqué in various colors. Horizontal purple strips separate rows. Quilt edges finished in purple.

The different colored panels, patterns, and designs makes this a fun gift for kids, or a colorful addition to a nursery or children's room.