Word Search Quilt

Have you ever thought of making a Word Search Quilt?

I particularly have never seen one, so I decided to make it!!!!

To make it possible and efficient I used my Crossover II by Crafter’s Edge to cut out every single letter!!!

This quilt has 400 blocks, but you can customize it and make it in any size and amount of letters you want!!!

To hold the letters in place I used Heat’n’Bond Lite by ThermoWeb that I bought on Amazon see here.

First, I cut my background fabric, for this particular one I used 1 yard: cutting (9) strips of 4″ x WOF (assume 44″ WOF), then sub-cut (99) 4″ squares plus one 4″ square I gladly found somewhere in my scrap pile to match my fabric as I didn’t want to cut a whole new strip just for this one block that was missing.

Then, I fused 400 squares of scrap fabrics to the Heat’n’Bond, and after fusing I cut each letter that would be part of my diagram.

To make the diagram with the words I chose and the spare letters, I first sketched out a 20×20 square design on grid paper. Then I wrote the words vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, and guess what there are a total of 20 words hidden in this quilt!!!!! Lastly, I randomly wrote all the spare letters to fill out my grid.

I counted how many of each letter I would need and cut them out as described and shown in the picture above.

I then ironed one by one right in the center of each background block, and at this point, you can choose how you will finish your applique or if you want to do it after the top is done as a regular quilt.

I chose to quilt it using stitch in the ditch on every row after the top was done and basted, and to hand quilt letter by letter!!!!! Crazy right? I like challenging myself haha!

After fusing all the letters into the background fabric blocks, it was time to start sewing the rows.

I used my sketch of how I wrote letter by letter on the diagram to help me piece my top in the correct order, and I sewed my rows vertically and then horizontally.

This quilt is so much fun to make!!! The ideas are infinite! You can make it themed, for the words, for the fabrics, you choose the combinations! And the best part of it, if you’re making it scrappy which is more difficult to spot the hidden words, you can have so much fun playing with friends or the gifted person!!

After sewing my vertical rows and joining them horizontally, my quilt top was almost done. I decided to add a small 2″ border so my binding could stand out. I just measured all around and cut out the border accordingly. First the top and bottom sides, then the two vertical sides considering the inches added from the top and bottom.

Now my top is done. I basted it using Odif 505 here, and as mentioned before, I stitched in the ditch every row and then hand-quilted every letter.

Finally, I added the binding and it was done! What a great feeling of accomplishment!!!!! So happy!!!

I didn’t show my grid paper with my sketch because then you’d know which words are hidden and I want you to find them!!!!!! There are 20 words hidden in this Quilt! The hint is that they’re all positive words, to brighten one’s life!

I hope you enjoy this little game and good luck!!!!!!

Daisi Toegel