Harry Potter Apron Panel

A fabric panel is a printed piece of fabric featuring a complete design, illustration, or scene. Panels come in various sizes, from small blocks for a single quilt square to large panels that serve as the quilt's center. Some panels feature multiple coordinating blocks printed together. To use a panel, you typically add borders, sashing, or additional pieced blocks around it, then layer, quilt, and bind as usual. Panels offer a shortcut to a beautiful focal point without complex piecing.

Stabilizing the panel prevents stretching and puckering. Spray-baste or pin the panel to your batting more densely than for pieced sections. Start quilting from the center and work outward. Use gentle, even pressure without pulling the fabric. For panels with printed designs, stitching in the ditch along the printed lines or using invisible thread helps keep the image prominent. If quilting over the panel image, keep stitch density consistent with the surrounding areas so the quilt lies flat.

Border yardage depends on your finished size goal and border width. For simple borders, add 8 inches to the panel's width and height for 4-inch borders all around, then calculate yardage from those dimensions. For multiple borders, stack the border widths, then calculate. Rule of thumb: 1 yard of 44" fabric typically handles borders up to 6" wide on a panel up to 36" x 44". Measure your panel first (sizes vary), decide on the finished quilt size, then calculate the border widths. Many panel kits include coordinating yardage with cutting instructions.