Stitching Stories with the Bookshelf Quilt

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Use this fun project making a Bookshelf Quilt to surprise someone special! This is such a great gift idea for the reader in your life!

Queen sized bookshelf quilt including personalized photos and a cat lounging at the top.

Learn how to make a fun and personalized bookshelf quilt.

Looking to add a touch of literary charm to your quilting repertoire? Look no further than the “Book Review Quilt” pattern from the Missouri Star Quilt Company! This delightful design is the perfect way to combine your love for quilting with your passion for books. And to add a cozy finishing touch, we’ll be quilting it using the “Reading Room” design from Urban Elementz.

If you are like me, you have a lot of scraps of fabric. This quilt is perfect for busting those scraps and finding uses for even the tiniest bits of fabric.

See the full quilt quilt at the end of this video!

How to make a bookshelf quilt Step by Step

Ready to make a bookshelf quilt? This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience! Read my full disclosure policy.

Materials you’ll need

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Ensure you have all the materials listed above, and maybe put on some relaxing background music for inspiration!

Materials in place to make the bookshelf quilt include fabric, pattern, rotary cutter, ruler, mat and thread.

Step 2: Cut Your Fabric

Follow the pattern instructions to cut your fabric into the necessary shapes for the books and shelves. This is where your rotary cutter and mat will come in handy.

Pieces of fabric cut to make books for a bookshelf quilt.

Step 3: Piece Together Your Books

Sew the pieces together according to the pattern, creating the charming book blocks. Play with different fabric combinations to give each book its unique character. Another important aspect is to make sure that they are all different sizes. I cut them from 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inches and everything in between.

Fabric pieced together to look like books on a bookshelf.

Step 4: Assemble Your Shelves

Arrange and sew the book blocks onto fabric strips to create the shelves. This is where you can get creative with the layout, making it as whimsical or organized as you like. For example, I added a couple of pictures of the family to make it even more personalized. The pictures were just printed on transfer paper and ironed onto the fabric.

Arrangement of the shelves on a bookshelf quilt.

Step 5: Add Borders

Follow the pattern’s instructions to add borders to your quilt top. This step frames your bookshelf masterpiece and ties the whole design together. To make the top and bottom to look like a bookshelf, piece together half-square triangles for all 4 corners.

Borders on a bookshelf quilt.

Step 6: Prepare for Quilting

Layer your quilt top, batting, and backing fabric. Smooth out any wrinkles, securing the layers with pins. Now you’re ready for the quilting magic!

Step 7: Quilt with Reading Room Design

Quilt using the Reading Room design from Urban Elementz or if you have a longarm, use the pantograph with your quilting machine to quilt the design. This whimsical pattern of books, open and closed, will complement your bookshelf theme perfectly.

Reading Room pantograph from Urban Elementz.

Step 8: Bind Your Quilt

Follow the pattern’s instructions to bind the edges of your quilt. This step adds the final touch, creating a polished look. You can use any kind of fabric that you want for binding. I used a Newspaper Print from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Newspaper print fabric from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Step 9: Enjoy Your Literary Creation

Once your quilt is finished, take a moment to appreciate your hard work. You’ve created a cozy masterpiece that combines your love for quilting and literature!

Feel free to experiment with different fabrics and colors to make the Book Review Quilt uniquely yours.

Happy quilting! 📚✂️

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