Apple Core Quilt

I finished the Apple Core Quilt.


It came out to be 65" x 55".

For those interested, here are some how-to's.

I cut the apple cores with the Baby GO! and the 6¼" Apple Core die.

I used ½ meter cuts (about 20") of 8 different fabrics (I used "Along the Fence" by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass & Co.) to make this quilt, plus another 0.8 meters (30") for the binding. Sorry about the metric and imperial measurements - we buy fabric by the meter, but all the quilting is in inches.

I cut the fabric in length wise strips (very important to minimize stretching) slightly bigger than the width of the shape (I cut 5+3/4" strips), and folded in into lengths that were 7½". You can cut up to 6 layers at a time.

I gently pressed on the die where the blades are to make sure to make sure the fabric was placed correctly.

This isn't what Accuquilt recommends (I mean the size of the fabric pieces, although you probably aren't supposed to press you fingers on the die either!), but by cutting the strips this size I was able to get 21 Apple Cores from each ½ meter. The package states that from 1 yard of fabric you can cut 24 or more Apple Cores using pieces that are 6½ x 8".

The 5+3/4" x 7½" pieces work fine if you are careful. With very little waste.

21 Apple Cores and the scraps from a ½ meter of fabric.

These Apple Cores are nice and large, and go together so well, with notches for accuracy.

Start by pining the notches,

and then pining the edges, I added an extra pin in between (5 pins each side is all it takes).

¼" seam.

I clipped each curve about every inch after stitching. Press the seams as you go and press the seams towards the concave curve.

I found it was easiest to work in groups of 4.

When sewing the groups of 2 together match the seams first,

by locking the seams together and then pinning.

Match the notches and ends. I also added an extra pin in between.

When pressing, fan the seams by unpicking a few stitches,

the seams were perfect every time.

When I made the quilt I worked in rows of 2 and just kept adding.

My quilt is 12 rows by 14 rows and I used all 168 Apple Cores.

I did starch it for the final pressing with Mary Ellen's Best Press.

I also added a machine appliqued rabbit (the pattern for this is from "Simple Seasons" by Kim Diehl) just because I had just bought the book and thought the rabbit went with the curves of the apple cores.

I did the machine quilting on my home sewing machine using Aurifil thread (bought from Tristans -check out this months special) and wool batting with flannel backing, using a #80 Microtex needle.

This is the flannel back showing the quilting.

I sketched out a few designs before I started quilting.

I made a cardboard template for the apples so that they would all be the same size and just traced around it with a Clover iron out pen. I would just traced them as it was time to add an apple. Plus lots of echoing and some feathers freehand.


To bind the quilt I made a continuous bias binding using this method and a 30" square of fabric. It went on beautifully and I would definitely use this method again.

This was a really simple, fun quilt to make, and such a nice change from the usual straight lines.

Here is another link for a quilt using the same die, very pretty using just 4 colours -Four Colour Apple Core Throw , from Fave Quilts a new website of free quilt patterns (I have a couple on the site).

I have recently discovered Google Images as a way to search for quilt patterns and if you search Apple Cores there are some amazing images! It is such a beautiful pattern and my hat goes off to those who make it all by hand!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥