Sometimes, the right fabric is all you need to turn a simple quilt into something truly spectacular. That’s exactly the case with my Island Steps quilt, which uses vibrant multi-colored striped batiks and coordinating batik squares to create a quilt that’s full of movement, depth, and texture—without a single tricky seam.
If you can sew a straight line, you can make this quilt. And the best part? The design looks far more complex than it really is.
It's The Fabric That Makes the Magic
For this quilt, I chose striped batiks from Riley Blake’s Express Yourself! Color Bands collection. Each fabric has gorgeous color shifts running along the length of the fabric (parallel to the selvage) and is overlaid with a delicate floral design. The result is fabric with built-in drama and interest—perfect for a design that’s all about letting the fabric shine.
I selected seven different striped batiks that work beautifully together, plus vibrant batik prints for the contrast squares. This combination adds rhythm to the quilt and gives the eye a place to rest while still keeping things colorful.
Cutting and Arranging
Here’s how the quilt comes together:
Cut two 6½” strips from each striped batik. These will be sub-cut into various lengths (detailed in downloadable pattern).
Arrange the strips in an order that you find pleasing and label them A–G. (You don’t have to label
From the contrast batiks, cut one 6½” strip from each fabric and sub-cut into 6½” squares. I cut four squares from each color and played around with placement during the layout stage.
I recommend laying everything out on a design wall, bed, or floor so you can visualize your quilt before you start sewing.
Easy Quadrant Construction
This quilt is constructed in four quadrants. Simply start at one corner and build out to the opposite corner, placing your contrast squares where the strips intersect.
Once the quadrants are complete, sew Quadrant A to Quadrant B, Quadrant C to Quadrant D, and finally join the top and bottom halves.
That’s it—you’ll have a quilt top that looks like you spent hours on intricate piecing, when in reality, it’s just clever fabric placement and straight-line seams.
A Weekend-Friendly Project
From start to finish, you can easily complete this quilt in a weekend. It’s a perfect choice for confident beginners or experienced quilters who want a relaxing project with maximum visual payoff. The striped batiks do all the hard work—you just get to enjoy the sewing.
Get the Kit or Pattern
There are a limited number of Island Steps Quilt Kits available from Vintage Pink and Green, both in their Maryland and Pennsylvania shops and online. The kit includes all the fabrics you need for the quilt top and binding, plus a link to download the pattern for free.
