First Contact: How to finish your jumbo alien quilt

Say “Hi”. Today I’d like to share with you how you can turn the jumbo alien bonus block included in my First Contact quilt pattern into a fast and easy 40″ x 50″ baby quilt. Maybe you like my little alien friends but are a little nervous about the tiny pieces of the regular pattern? Or you just need a fast finish for an upcoming baby shower? In both cases, this jumbo alien layout option is perfect for you!

So let me show you in a few easy steps how you can make your own jumbo alien quilt. At the bottom of this post, I linked a PDF summary of the instructions for you to download and print for your convenience. You’re welcome!

Fabric requirements

Ok, let’s not make this tutorial any wordier than needed but let’s get started! In order to make your jumbo alien quilt you’ll need the following materials:

In addition to the pieces shown in Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 of the First Contact pattern, prepare the following pieces for the beam and the background:

Making your jumbo alien quilt

Refer to the diagram and instructions below to assemble your quilt top.

1. Sew a jumbo alien block as described in the First Contact quilt pattern.
2. RST, sew a BG1 piece to each the left and right side of your jumbo alien block from step 1 and press your seams towards the BG1 pieces.
3. RST, sew your BG2 piece to the top of your alien section from step 2 and press your seam towards the BG2 piece.
4. RST, sew your BM piece to the top of your BG3 piece and press your seam towards the BM piece.
5. RST, sew your beam section from step 4 to the bottom of your alien section from step 3 and again, press your seam towards the BM piece.
6. Finish (baste, quilt and bind) your quilt as desired.

And that’s it, fast and easy! I pieced and quilted Mr. Confetti from the picture above in a day – a big first for me! And I promise that school pick-ups and dinner-making weren’t skipped that day! 😉

To download and print a PDF summary of the above instructions, please click on the button below:

I hope you’ll have lots of fun stitching up your own jumbo alien quilt! And because I’d love to meet your best Martian buddy, please share your project using the hashtag #FirstContactQuilt or #JumboAlienQuilt!