Game On Quilted Game Board Pattern

Whether you make this sweet homemade game board for family road trips or as a handmade gift for Father’s Day, this quilted game board is sure to delight. Designed by Sophie Tarrant, this fabric game board is perfect for checkers and rolls up for easy storage. This quilted game board is also made with durable cotton and features a colorful chevron design on its borders.

Skill Level: Beginner

Finished Size: 26” (inches) x 16” (inches)

Designer Note: Roll Up, Roll Up: This game board is perfect for taking on your travels! To keep it neat and ready for play, always roll the board up and tie it with a ribbon when not in use. Folding it may crease the fabric, leading to an uneven playing surface.

Materials:

• Fabric: Cotton; Gray, cream, and red, one yard of each; Teal, yellow, and black, one fat quarter of each
• Quilt wadding, one yard
• 1/2” wide double fold bias tape: Black, three yards
• Thread: White, black

Tools:

• Rotary cutter and cutting mat
• Quilting ruler
• Pins
• Sewing clips
• Sewing machine
• Iron

Piecing Instructions:

1. Begin by using a quilt ruler, rotary cutter, and a mat to cut the 2 1/2” squares needed to create your main game board. You’ll need 32 cream squares and 32 gray squares.
   
   
2. Take one gray square and one cream square, and stitch them together with right sides facing along one side edge, leaving a 1/4” seam allowance. Open the squares out and press the seam allowance toward the gray fabric. Add more squares to the row in the same way, alternating between cream and gray with each addition, until you’ve joined eight squares in total. Repeat this process to make eight rows of alternating squares.
   
   
3. Take two rows, ensuring each one starts with a different color square (for example, the first row starts with a cream square, and the second starts with a gray one). Stitch them together along one long edge with right sides facing, leaving a 1/4” seam allowance. Carefully match the seams of each square as neatly as possible. Open the work out and press flat. Repeat this process, adding the remaining rows in the same way, always alternating the colors. This will create the all-important checkerboard effect.
   
   
4. Cut a 1 1/2” x 17” strip of black cotton fabric, then place it along one side edge of the game board with the right sides facing. Align the outer edges of both the board and the black strip, and clip or pin them together. Sew along the edge leaving a 1/4” seam allowance, then open and press the seam. Repeat this process to add a matching strip to the opposite side edge of the board in the same way. Once both strips are attached, use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to trim the strips so they’re the same size as the rest of the board.
   
   
5. We’ll now make some half-square triangles (HSTs, as they’re commonly known) to create the decorative panels that sit on either side of the board. You’ll need to make 16 teal/gray HSTs, and 16 yellow/gray HSTs. We’ll begin by making the teal/gray ones. Cut eight 3” teal squares and eight 3” gray squares. Place one of each together with right sides facing, then draw a diagonal line across the square. Add two parallel lines, each 1/4” out from the diagonal. Stitch along the outer lines, then cut along the diagonal to split the square into two triangles. Open and press each triangle to reveal two finished HSTs. Repeat to make eight teal/gray HSTs, then trim each one to 2 1/2” square with a rotary cutter and a quilt ruler. Repeat these steps to make 16 yellow/gray HSTs in the same way.
   
   
6. Using the pictures for reference, sew the HSTs into rows of eight, arranging them to create a colorful chevron pattern. Stitch the rows together, leaving a 1/4” allowance for each seam.
   
   
7. With right sides facing, stitch each chevron panel to one of the black strips added to the sides of the board in Step 4. Leave a 1/4” seam allowance throughout and press the work flat once finished. Your main game board is now complete!
   
   
8. Next, it’s time to add the backing. Lay the red cotton fabric flat with the right side facing down. Add a layer of quilt wadding, smoothing out any wrinkles. Place the game board on top, right side facing up, and smooth everything flat. Pin the layers together. Trim the edges so the wadding and backing match the game board size exactly. Clip the layers in place, then quilt them together by stitching in the ditch along the lines of the board.
   
   
9. Finish the board by adding a black bias trim edge. Unfold one side of your bias tape, leaving the other side as is. Starting at the center of the top edge, measure 3” from the start of the tape, then begin clipping it around the board. Align the unfolded edge of the binding with the edge of the fabric. When you reach a corner, fold the tape up, then back down to create a neat mitered corner. Continue clipping around the board. Leave another 3” unstitched at the end, then trim any excess. Stitch the binding in place with a 1/2” seam allowance, leaving the first and last 3” sections loose. Bring the ends together, mark where they meet, and stitch them with right sides facing. Trim the seam allowance and finish stitching the binding down. Next, fold the binding edge around to the back of the board and clip it in place. Turn the board right side up and stitch in the ditch along the binding edge to secure it at the back and finish the design.
   
   

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