Very Hungry Caterpillar Panel Blocks

Inspired by a Hungry Caterpillar Panel

When looking at panels this week, I came across these two picnic panels from Andover Fabric.  I saw the panels on a number of online stores -- but I used the images from Andover's site.

Each panel measures approximately 24 x 44.

I thought I would share my idea for incorporating the blocks in a new quilt.

The tutorial will also discuss figuring out the size of the each of the squares and creating a block that incorporates the images.

​And the design could be adapted with a different panel of square images.

A-179-R Red Picnic Panel by Eric Carle for Andover Fabrics

A-179-T Teal Picnic Panel by Eric Carle for Andover Fabrics

There are additional fabrics from Andover that could be used for your quilt.  I decided to keep mine simple and just used fabrics that were already in my project sketchbook. 

​But if you want to incorporate the additional Andover fabrics, feel free to download them from the Andover website and add them to your project.

Sizing and Editing the Fabric Panel in Electric Quilt 8

Save one of the Hungry Caterpillar Picnic panels above on your computer. 

Or save another panel from either Andover or another website.  If you use a different panel, make sure to find the size of the panel.  If the size isn't on the manufacturer's website, you can often find it on a store that is selling the panel that will provide its measurements.

​The panel I used in the video measured 22 x 44.

• Import the image on the Image Worktable.
• Select Crop.  If there is white space around the image, crop off the extra white space.
• Select Scale Fabric and type in the actual width of the fabric.
• Select Add to Sketchbook and Add as Fabric.

Import and Scale Panel on the Image Worktable

• To measure the size of the individual pictures in the panel, select Crop. 
• Experiment with different numbers and audition the crop over pictures in the panel to determine the best size.
• Do not apply this crop.  Individual cropped images are not necessary for this particular quilt.

Use Crop to measure the size of the individual images in a panel.

Create the Block

• On the Block Worktable, select New Block>Pieced>EasyDraw.
• In the Precision Toolbar, set the size at 15 x 15, the snaps at 15 x 15 and snapping options just snap to grid.

New Block>Pieced>EasyDraw

EasyDraw Precision Toolbar

• With the Line tool draw the picket fence unit in the upper left corner.  
• Use a series of clones and drag the cross-hairs in the center to reposition the cloned pieces.
• Create a series of 12 picket fence units on the right and 12 on the bottom of the block.
• Draft the pieces for the corner in the lower right.

Draw Tab in EasyDraw - Picket Fence Design

Color the block and add to sketchbook.

Easy Draw Picket Fence Design

• On the Draw tab, draw additional horizontal and vertical lines to create log units. 
• The size of the logs may be varied to accommodate the best size of space for the panel. 
• For this panel it was important to have a 9 x 9 inch space.

Adding Logs to Create a 9" x 9" square in Block

Adjusted EasyDraw Block to Accommodate a 9" Image

Create the Quilt

• On the Quilt Worktable, create a New Quilt>Horizontal.
• On the Layout tab, set the number of blocks at 2 Horizontal and 3 Vertical.
• ​Set the size of blocks at 15 x 15.

New Quilt>Horizontal

Layout Settings on the Quilt Worktable

On the Border tab, create the following borders:

• Border 1:  2" Long Horizontal
• Border 2:  5" Long Horizontal
• Border 3:  2" Long Horizontal
• ​Border 4:  1/2" Mitered (for binding)

Border Settings

• On the Design tab, set the block in the quilt using the Control or Command key.
• Use Symmetry and click on one of the blocks to audition various layout options.
• ​When you have a pleasing layout select Add to Sketchbook to save.

Layout after using Symmetry on the Quilt Worktable

Under Fabric Tools, color the 9" squares with the panel fabric.  

Use Fussy Cut and drag to reposition the panel in each block to highlight a piece of the panel.

Fussy Cutting the Panel to Feature in each Block

Select Auto Border.
Under the Miscellaneous category, locate the Keyboard border and click on a block in Border 2.
Go to the Border tab and select Border #2. 
​Change the blocks in border to 5 Horizontal and 7 Vertical.  Note that the size of blocks are not the same -- but are similar in size.

Selecting an Auto Border

Adjusting Auto Borders on the Quilt Worktable

Finish coloring the quilt and Add to Sketchbook.

Hungry Caterpillar Quilt Designed by Kari Schell using EQ8

Learn more in the video tutorial.

Modification Ideas:

1. The size of the block could be altered to accommodate different panel sizes.
   
2. Change the size of the log cabin-like pieces. 
   
3. Add or subtract units to the picket fence units.

Will you do a Hungry Caterpillar quilt -- or something different?

I look forward to seeing your design in the Learning EQ Facebook group.

Very Hungry Caterpillar EQ8 Post

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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