Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Garden Fence Quilt/Bernina Foot #57

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This is my beginner applique project, a design called "Garden Fence Quilt" from two of my favorite designers, Joanna Figueroa and Lisa Quan of Fig Tree Quilts.  Their booklet Hearth and Home Quilts has a number of great patterns in it, including one called Sew Simple Baskets that is a real favorite of mine (in my Quilt Album, called "Christmas Baskets").  The applique is beginner level, but the piecing of the Garden Fence quilt is not for sissies.

As you can see, the quilt blocks have a pieced checkerboard lattice.  These little squares measure 3/4 of an inch, finished (1 1/4 inch cut).  That is pretty tiny.  In order to make your checkerboard strips measure up to exactly match your 8 inch square in a square block, you must be extremely accurate in your piecing.  Any deviation from a strict quarter inch seam allowance will throw everything off and you will have a frustrating mess on your hands.

To achieve the best results, I used a new foot attachment that Bernina came out with recently and everyone is raving about.  This foot is called #57, and it has a little drop down edge that helps you stay right on the 1/4 inch seam allowance measurement.  Fabulous.

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The method the Fig Tree gals use is not to cut the fabric into individual squares, but a method called "strip piecing", which I am sure you all are familiar with.  You cut your fabric into the required number of strips and sew them together into units like the one pictured below.

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Trim the edge of your unit so it is straight.

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Then cut into strips measuring 1 1/4 inches wide, and you have your checkerboard lattice units.

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Then you sew them onto your square in a square block, creating the checkerboard lattice effect.

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One down, nineteen to go.  Here is a finished block:

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34 responses to “Garden Fence Quilt/Bernina Foot #57”

  3. I just love your blog. You give beautiful pictures, and always great verbage. Wish you were my sister. I’m a longarm quilter but love piecing as well. I have a separate building from my home for quilting, so spend alot of time doing it all. But I love looking at your blog, seeing what your doing, and you get so much complete. Beautiful!!!! Thanks for always sharing it!
    Admiring from afar. gloria g. Richards, TX

  4. I just love your blog. You give beautiful pictures, and always great verbage. Wish you were my sister. I’m a longarm quilter but love piecing as well. I have a separate building from my home for quilting, so spend alot of time doing it all. But I love looking at your blog, seeing what your doing, and you get so much complete. Beautiful!!!! Thanks for always sharing it!
    Admiring from afar. gloria g. Richards, TX

  5. I love that pattern and the book that it’s in – one of my favs! Like you, I’m a Fig Tree Quilts fan.
    Great looking quilt. Can’t wait to see it finished.
    I loved my #57 foot and used it like crazy on my Bernina. When I put my Bernina on a shelf in favor of my new Janome 6600 I was happy to see that it came with a foot with the little “fence”, too.
    So, I’ll expect this cutie in the mail soon. +3 is coming up very soon and it would be a fabulous gift. teehee! By the way, I’ll be happy to quilt it – the top alone would be great. LOL

  6. I love that pattern and the book that it’s in – one of my favs! Like you, I’m a Fig Tree Quilts fan.
    Great looking quilt. Can’t wait to see it finished.
    I loved my #57 foot and used it like crazy on my Bernina. When I put my Bernina on a shelf in favor of my new Janome 6600 I was happy to see that it came with a foot with the little “fence”, too.
    So, I’ll expect this cutie in the mail soon. +3 is coming up very soon and it would be a fabulous gift. teehee! By the way, I’ll be happy to quilt it – the top alone would be great. LOL

  7. What a beautiful quilt, Nicole! I can’t wait to see more of it. And of course, your pictures are FABULOUS! I think you need to give me some lessons.

  8. What a beautiful quilt, Nicole! I can’t wait to see more of it. And of course, your pictures are FABULOUS! I think you need to give me some lessons.

  15. Add me to the list of those who LOVE that quilt. I saw the pattern on a recent quilt shop trip — it’s SO cute. I also love my little fence foot. I’d had mine for a few years and it never gave me a good 1/4″ (cause my needlehead seems to be a little off?) but I finally realized I could move my needle. I used it recently when I had to make all those extra blue and white blocks — the piecing was so MUCH more accurate — it was amazing. You’ve done such a great job — it’s going to be a stunning quilt!

  16. Add me to the list of those who LOVE that quilt. I saw the pattern on a recent quilt shop trip — it’s SO cute. I also love my little fence foot. I’d had mine for a few years and it never gave me a good 1/4″ (cause my needlehead seems to be a little off?) but I finally realized I could move my needle. I used it recently when I had to make all those extra blue and white blocks — the piecing was so MUCH more accurate — it was amazing. You’ve done such a great job — it’s going to be a stunning quilt!

  17. I MUST find out if Husqvarna has a foot like that! If they don’t, I’m tempted to buy a Bernina just to get one! LOL!
    Your tutorial continues to be very well done. Love the pattern – it is one I must have!
    Thank you for sharing, Nicole – the only thing better would be to sit and sew with you! I guess I could pretend…..

  18. I MUST find out if Husqvarna has a foot like that! If they don’t, I’m tempted to buy a Bernina just to get one! LOL!
    Your tutorial continues to be very well done. Love the pattern – it is one I must have!
    Thank you for sharing, Nicole – the only thing better would be to sit and sew with you! I guess I could pretend…..

  19. I thought the black and white strips were striped fabric! I would never get that all lined up properly….
    This looks very MacKenzie-Childs to me – very appealing.

  20. I thought the black and white strips were striped fabric! I would never get that all lined up properly….
    This looks very MacKenzie-Childs to me – very appealing.

  21. Nicole-
    Thanks so much for your nice comments on my blog. So glad you like the new colors. So far they are the just colors and not actual swatches but as soon as I have those I will show them! I haven’t gotten out much into blogland lately so have missed reading your fun blog. I love the way your Garden Fence is coming out! can’t wait to see it finished. I have to have that foot I’m telling you!!!
    joanna

  22. Nicole-
    Thanks so much for your nice comments on my blog. So glad you like the new colors. So far they are the just colors and not actual swatches but as soon as I have those I will show them! I haven’t gotten out much into blogland lately so have missed reading your fun blog. I love the way your Garden Fence is coming out! can’t wait to see it finished. I have to have that foot I’m telling you!!!
    joanna

  23. It looks good! Did you see that a quilt made from this design was the Best of Show winner at the Vermont Quilt Festival earlier this month? (I’ve got pictures on my blog).

  24. It looks good! Did you see that a quilt made from this design was the Best of Show winner at the Vermont Quilt Festival earlier this month? (I’ve got pictures on my blog).

  25. beautiful quilt. You always do such nice work. I tnought the one in the picture was yours and it was already quilted. LOL I was totally impressed with you for a brief moment. LOL!!!

  26. beautiful quilt. You always do such nice work. I tnought the one in the picture was yours and it was already quilted. LOL I was totally impressed with you for a brief moment. LOL!!!

  29. I have a similar foot to my husqvarna, and now I can`t sew without it,LOL! Another great project from you,looking forward to see this one finished.

  30. I have a similar foot to my husqvarna, and now I can`t sew without it,LOL! Another great project from you,looking forward to see this one finished.

  31. There’s something about checkerboards that really trips my trigger. It really makes this simple circle block much more interesting.
    I wish I could use that new 57 foot, but I’m pretty sure it won’t work on my 200 (with the wider feed dogs…)

  32. There’s something about checkerboards that really trips my trigger. It really makes this simple circle block much more interesting.
    I wish I could use that new 57 foot, but I’m pretty sure it won’t work on my 200 (with the wider feed dogs…)

  33. Wonderful applique lesson you’ve given. I have the Fig Tree pattern and always loved it. I too have made the Simple Baskets from that book. I’ve taken the plunge and I’m switching from hand applique on my DWR to machine, it looks great with the tiny zig zag and matching thread. I’m very happy with the outcome.

  34. Wonderful applique lesson you’ve given. I have the Fig Tree pattern and always loved it. I too have made the Simple Baskets from that book. I’ve taken the plunge and I’m switching from hand applique on my DWR to machine, it looks great with the tiny zig zag and matching thread. I’m very happy with the outcome.