Introducing: The FREE Prairie Plaid Quilt

This post is sponsored by Janome Canada!

Introducing the Prairie Plaid Quilt – A FREE Project You're Going to Love!

Have you had a chance to check out the Prairie Plaid Quilt yet?  When I designed this quilt, I was inspired by the classic buffalo check pattern, but with a creative twist! Imagine the gentle sway of prairie grasses in the wind... this design captures that breezy movement, making the pattern look as if it's dancing. 

And here's the best part: it's made entirely from flying geese blocks, a playful nod to the iconic Canadian geese that share our homeland. This quilt blends a touch of whimsy with a dash of nostalgia, creating a cozy yet lively quilt that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.

Finished Size: 56” x 64”
Skill Level: Confident Beginner

Fabric Requirements

*The exact specified amount of fabric is needed. This measurement does not leave much overage. Add ⅛ - ¼ yard extra if you’d like excess fabric for potential cutting errors!

For full project instructions, head to Janome Canada and click on the Inspire tab to download your copy!

Did you know? The Flying Geese quilt block dates all the way back to the 1800s!?

This classic block is incredibly versatile and works beautifully in both traditional and modern quilts. There are several ways to make a Flying Geese block, but my favourite is the No-Waste Method.

For one, I don’t love the fabric waste that comes with the traditional method. I’ll admit, I’m not the greatest scrappy quilter, so I try to minimize leftover fabric whenever I can! Plus, the No-Waste Method makes four Flying Geese at once, which is a huge time-saver. Naturally, this is the method I used for this quilt pattern!

Let’s talk Presser Feet!

I primarily sew on a Janome Continental M8, which has an excellent 1/4" seam foot, a great choice for piecing. However, my all-time favourite for achieving accurate and consistent 1/4” seam allowances is the HP Presser Foot and HP Needle Plate.

The HP Presser Foot is a slim, compact, narrow-gauge industrial foot designed for precision. It excels at sewing curves, precise topstitching, and, most importantly, flawless 1/4” seams. Simply aligning the fabric edge with the right side of the foot ensures a perfect seam allowance every time. 

Since straight, even seams are the foundation of great quilt piecing, this foot makes accuracy easier than ever!!

The HP Needle Plate further enhances precision with its single-stitch hole, rather than a wide opening. This design reduces fabric shifting and prevents fine fabrics from being pulled down into the plate. The result? Cleaner, straighter stitches with minimal distortion, crucial for perfect piecing.

When it’s time to quilt, I switch to the Janome AcuFeed AD Open Toe Foot. It combines even fabric feeding with enhanced visibility, making it my go-to choice for quilting.

The AcuFeed system ensures both the top and bottom layers of fabric feed evenly, keeping layers perfectly aligned. This eliminates fabric shifting, puckering, or mismatched seams, which is especially useful for quilting, binding, and sewing thick or slippery fabrics.

Speaking of binding, when it’s time to attach the binding to my quilt, I swap the Open Toe Foot for the AcuFeed ¼" Foot for added precision! I prefer to attach the binding to the front of the quilt first by machine and finish on the back by hand.

Finishing Touches

I quilted a crosshatch design with 2” spacing, using the quilting guide bar. I then added a diagonal crosshatch design (approx 1.5” spacing) so all the quilting lines intersect. This is also known as Crosshatch Mash Up!

I used 50wt Aurifil Thread in Moonshine (6724) for both piecing and quilting, which I felt was the perfect colour compliment.

I chose Painted Prairie Six by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics for the backing and Kona Paprika for the binding. This was the perfect shade that was sort of “half way” between Terracotta and Cocoa!

More Inspiration

Since the release of this pattern, I’ve been creating new mockups and bundles that suit the time of year or current holiday! Here are a couple of those for inspiration:

Get the FREE Project Instructions

You can find the full project instructions and step-by-step instructions over at Janome Canada. Check out this fun video of the quilt being made from start to finish in under a minute!

*Please note: if you are located outside of Canada, you may be automatically redirected to your own country’s Janome website. You will need to manually go to the Janome Canada site, click on the Inspire Tab, then “Canadian Projects”!

If you make your own Prairie Plaid Quilt, I’d love to see it. It makes my day when I get to see the beautiful things you create! Make sure to use the hashtags #prairieplaidquilt and #JanomeCanada and tag us!

Happy quilting! ◡̈

Have questions about this pattern or any other ones in the shop? Please reach out to hello@theblanketstatement.ca and we’ll help you out!