Patriotic Tumbler Flag Quilt Tutorial
It’s a banner day when a Sewing With Nancy viewer sends me a photo of a sewing or quilting project that they’ve made. The image of the Tumbler Flag Quilt caught my attention and I knew you’d like to see it too. It was designed and made by Linda Coon from Louisiana, who caught the quilting bug about five years ago and hasn’t stop quilting. Linda agreed to share her quilting tutorial. But first, let’s me introduce you to Linda.Not only was this Tumbler Flag Quilt Linda’s fourth donation to returning soldiers; she has graciously shared the design and the quilting tutorial with all of us!
Tumbler Flag Quilt Tutorial designed by Linda Coon
Supplies, Fabrics, and Notions:
- Assorted red, off-white, and blue fabrics
- Chaco Liner Yellow Pen
- Grandmother’s One Patch Template: Tumbler Block
Cutting Tumblers:
Red: Cut 131 tumblers and 23 finishing pieces from 4-1/2″ crosswise strips, approximately 1-1/2 yards.
Off-White: Cut 138 tumblers from 4-1/2″ crosswise strips, approximately 1-1/2 yards.
Navy: Cut 55 tumblers and seven finishing pieces from 4-1/2″ crosswise strips, approximately 5/8 yards.
Tip: For easy figuring of yardage, for all of Clover’s Trace ‘N Create Quilting Templates by Nancy, please see the template package backs. Nancy has included each block size, block quantities and yardage for block quantities.
- For each solid fabric tumbler, the cutting directions are the same.
- Stack several cut strips of fabric.
- Align the template as close to the cut end as possible.
- Trace along each edge.
- Flip the template, align the traced edge with the template side, and trace the other side of the Tumbler shape. Repeat the process until the entire fabric strip has been marked.
- Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut on each marked line.
- Trace and cut the Finishing Pieces.
- Begin by aligning the template area of the Finishing Piece at the narrow end of the strip. Trace along the template area.
- Flip the template, align the traced edge with the template, and trace the center Tumbler shape. Repeat the process until the entire fabric strip has been marked with half-tumbler shapes.
- Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut on each marked line.
- Create the pieced blue and off-white strips.
- Use a 1/4″ seam to stitch together the 1-3/4″ wide off-white fabric strip and the 3-1/4″ wide navy fabric strip.
- Press the seam allowance towards the navy blue fabric.
- Cut 36 tumblers from 4-1/2″ strata strips.
Note From Nancy: For the red and white fabrics, simply rotate the tumbler template 180° to nest the shapes next to each other. 
- Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut on each marked line.
Construction:
- Lay out the rows, starting and ending with a Finishing Piece.
- Make:
- Pin the coordinating pieces of each column together.
- Offset the end ¼″—the seam allowance width. Stitch. Repeat for each column.
- Join the block pairs with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
- Finally, stitch the columns into a quilt top. Simple as that!
Linda finished her patriotic tumbler quilt with in-the-ditch style quilting.
Watch Grandmother’s One Patch (Part One and Part Two) on Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
For a chance to win the Grandmother’s One Patch Template: Tumbler Block, simply leave a comment sharing your favorite charity, where you donate quilted items. A randomly selected winner will be announced on July 11.
Bye for now
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Renea
I have made quilts and donated fabric to a local church group who makes and donates quilts to Homeless Shelters and to Veterans Hospitals. Thanks for the great giveaway.
eginter
One more thing g to add to my to do list. I tell you if I live to be 500 I will not have enough time to do everything I want, I used to say if I live to 100 not enough time but just hit 7 so now I’visited upped it to 500! Enjoy it all!!
Mary B
What a great idea to use for patriotic holidays during this time of year. Looks to be so easy w mindless sewing and letting the fabric placement do all the work. What fun!!!
Rosalind Gutierrez
I support Arizona Blankets 4 kids which serve ill and traumatized children.
Maureen Elsey
I love the tumbler block, I donate to children’s charities and also to the humane society. Thanks for the chance to win.
Maureen Elsey
I love the tumbler block, I donate to children’s charities and also to the humane society. Thanks for the chance to win. Love the show, hope you are winning the battle, prayers to you and your family
Alice Bailey
What a beautiful quilt. I would like to learn how to make this one also. I too have only been quilting for less than 2 years.
Judi Harris
This foundation provides a free homey environment for families of our injured vets being cared for at major military and VA medical centers throughout the US.
FHF also operates the Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes programs, utilizing donated frequent flyer miles and hotel points. All of these allow family members to be at the bedside of their wounded or ill soldier or veteran.
The Foundation also manages other military grant programs and scholarship funds for military spouses and children of our fallen and disabled veterans.
Linda Phillip
I work with a group of young adults with autism. They manage a business called Aspergraphics. They research, sew and market items they make. Most of these adults are unemployed so the profit goes to assist them in being independent.
vickie bohi
One of my favorite charities is Little Dresses for Africa, Anything to help children tugs at my heart strings.
Shirley Lemanski
I have donated to Project Linus and am working on a quilt right now for the Quilts of Honor organization. I would love to make the Tumbler Flag quilt to honor a Veteran as well. Thank you!
Sandra Yosten
I donate quilts to Quilts of Valor.
Sandal
i have donated quilted items to my Church as well as a work related Christmas project for needy families. I would love to know the size of the completed flag. Thank you for the opportunity to participate. This is a great project!
Bonnie
I donate to Project Linus
Donna Klug
I am brand new to quilting. My local sewing guild is in the process of making quilts for Project Linus here in Pittsburgh. For a few of us, it is a new worthy endeavor. I’m excited about getting my quilt done!
Cyndi
Project Linus is my favorite charity but there are many, many in need of quilts, Wounded Warrior, Quilts of Valor, Az Blankets4Kids, TAPS Ugly Quilts, and many more. I also donate to others who might need a quilt but for one reason or another might not have received one. When I am making a charity quilt I think of the recipient. Remember to do your best but remember they will not be judging your quilt-just loving it!
Marilyn
I have made quilts for Hospice, Caring Hands quilts for cancer patients, for the homeless and for veterans….my favorite is Hospice and their family grief groups.
Beverly Smith
Great idea for Quilts of Valor or support for the Wounded Warrior Project. Many thanks to those who serve and sacrifice for our freedoms.
Pat
What a wonderful quilt pattern. I have donated items to Quilts of Valor. Thanks for the chance to win the template.
Peggy
Great idea for a gift for my disable Iraq son. Thanks for the instructions and pattern.
eileen costello
i usually give them o my quilt guild for the world’s largest baby shower.
Cheryl Dodson
I donate my quilts to Arkansas Children’s Hospital and pray over each block for healing for the child.
Edith Howland
I give quilts to fire department, cancer, vets home,and if someone losses a home by fire or such.
Delilah Libby
I have recently purchased an accuquilt cutter with the tumbler block die. This is a great first project using the cutter. Thank you for all you do for quilting. I watch you every morning on PBS in Tampa, FL. You taught how to quilt and use my serger.
Connie Cain
Being a newbie, I have not had the honor to make a charity quilt yet. I have some red, white and blue fabric that I would love to make a Quilt of Valor for the vets. 🙂
[email protected]
Jeanne
Made a quilt and donated to a local organization that gives them to children of prisoners and woman with postpartum depression at a local hopital.
Sonja Schario
Great instructions for an awesome quilt. I have donated quilted items to the guild in Perryville, MO for the foster children in the area.
Kathleen Van O
I am very much involved with Quilts of Valor. I facilitate and teach quilting to a group of 23 ladies and am ALWAYS looking for new patterns for them to use with quilts for our veterans. This year, we have already awarded 21 quilts to veterans – many of them WWII vets. I would love to be able to have the template to use in a future QOV – I have my template and will this weekend start a Patriotic Tumbler Quilt. Thanks to you and Ms Coon for this nifty design!!
Dawn
I have donated many quilted items to Oasis, a loca shelter for abused and homeless women and children.
Karen B.
I help make quilts for Project Linus; The Care Center, for unwed mothers; Quilts for the homeless; and Placemats and bibs for local nursing homes.
Myra Ungeran
I donate money and have made one small wall hanging to the Wounded Warrior Project. I plan on donating a quilt, also, and have started on it. They have made a long-term commitment to returning injured veterans. They will help them and their family with whatever they need. It is an awesome project.
Diane C
The Linus Project — One of the local quilt stores takes finished tops and there is a group that get together once a month to finish them.
Karen payton
We have widow and early ladies in our chruch who enjoy homemade gifts of any sort 🙂 can’t get more local than that!!
Elizabeth Lewis
The Salvation Army is my favorite place to donate something so special as quilted items.
Margaret
I give many of my quilts to Project Linus. I also make some for church collections for pregnancy centers.
Leslie
I donate my finished quilts to new grandmothers or as in the case recently, to my ladies’ group to be auctioned off to help fund the scholarships that we provide two students annually.
Robin T
I have given supplies such as fabric and notions to local church groups who make projects. They do great work.
Leslie
I donate them for action to my ladies’ group to help fund the 2 scholarships we give each year.
Melody DeGraziano
Our guild donates to Comfort for Kids which donates to kids in need. It’s a favorite project for all of our members.
Candice
Our church group makes quilts every year for our graduating high school seniors, and we donate to several local charities: vets (lap quilts), children (abused, homeless), and others as the need arises. Please pass on a message to Linda Coon – this is fabulous, and inspiring! I can’t wait to make my own version of this. Thank you for sharing!
Nancy
I donate quilts to my local guild , which supplies the local hospitals with quilts for all the preemies born in the hospitals.
allen king
We also donate to first responders. Being taken from your parents or watching your house burn down is so traumatic for children and we hope offering a quilt or stuffed toy they can hug or hold onto and call their own helps in some small way.
Kay
I love Linda’s clever use of tumblers in her flag quilt. I look forward to digging out my scraps and making a wall hanging.
Suzi smith
Our sewing group donates our quilts to the local women’s shelter and veterans group.
Kathleen Van O
SOmehow my first post didn’t go through. I would love the chance to win the template to use in a Quilts of Valor. I facilitate and teach a group of 23 ladies in a group here in Tennessee. I am always looking for new and exciting patterns to teach them and would love to use the template for that purpose. I would love to start through my QOV stash (I have two stashes – one for me and one for the QOV quilts I do). To date we have awarded 20 quilts – many to WWII veterans. Thank you Nancy and Ms Coon for a neat pattern that looks like fun!!
Sandy
I lead a dedicated group of ladies from my church. We make quilts for the local City Rescue Mission and quilted shawls for the local cancer center. We call our group Threads of Hope.
Lori Morton
My Friend & I made Lap Quilts for our local Nursing Home, and I helped another Friend make baby quilts for a Neo Natal dept at her local Hospital.
Donna G.
I make and donate quilts to Project Linus, and donate fabric to other community groups who make quilts.
Ny Nelson
I donate baby quilts to the pregnancy care center.
Cora Whitson
Several of my friends and I volunteer for “The Quilts of Honor”. On our own we make 20 to 30 quilt tops a year and volunteer to do the binding and help give the quilts to qualified veterans. This tumbler block quilt will be one of the quilts donated this year.
Martha Fewell
Our quilt guild selects a different charity each year. This year we
are giving to hospice. As a hospice patient my Mother so enjoyed
the afternoon of hair and nail care. She glowed afterwards. I hope
To give back to someone else, to give them joy, as they go through
This most difficult of times. The tumbler template could be used to
Make a lovely, comforting quilt for someone facing their final days
On earth.
Deb
I made and donated bags for walkers/wheelchairs to the local nursing home.
Joyce Reed
I have made many Project Linus quilts in the past, but my current love is QOV and I really wanted to make the tumbler flag I saw on Pinterest today. However, I need a new template to do so.
KathyinMN
Child quilts to the local Ronald McDonald house and Children’s hospital.
Irene
I make and donate to my local veteran’s hospital through my local VFW. The last one I made was auctioned to bring needed funds to the club for veterans projects.
Barbara R.
I belong to a charity sewing group. We make walker bags, NICU and preemie quilts, tote bags and pajamas for foster children, and hats and Christmas stockings for homeless teens.
Jan
With my church group, I make walker bags for a senior’s day care and we make baby blankets for the local pregnancy center.
Lorraine Snipes
American Cancer Society is one of the most important to me, just loss another sister, her battle with cancer ended 09/14/2014, loss an aunite 09/1990. My mother was diagnosis but no chemo, just taking medication, her diagnosis was early, so I “Thank God” for that. My oldest sister had bleeding on the brain, she didn’t suffering, it happen so fast 8/1/2013. So now I’m my mother caregiver.
Lorraine Snipes
The most important charity for me would be the American Cancer society. With the passing of my sister Leila 09/14/2014, before her loss my auntie Alberta 09/1990. So now I’m my mother caregiver now, because we loss my oldest sister Sharron 08/01/2013 bleeding on the brain, it happen so fast, our life change so fast, one moment I had my oldest sister, then the middle sister now it is me and three brothers. I would also get involve with memory loss charity, because my mother lived with me with memory loss. I Love this quilt, I didn’t some quilt work for Macy’s for the 4July decoration. I would enjoy making this quilt.
tina
I have only donated fabric to an organization that teaches women living in third world countries how to sew. I am new to quilting so I hope to start donating some quilts when I get more proficient.
Frances
Not really considering myself a quilter (and so far behind on projects for myself & famly) I haven’t made a donation quilt yet. When I do, it will likely be for Project Linus; but I might look around a bit at other charities first (Special Olympics comes to mind). This such a beautiful quilt! I love the Tumbler anyway. Thank you so very much for sharing how to make this quilt, Linda!
Joan
I have donated 3 queen sized quilts so far, to Mt. Olive Christian School, who in turn, auction them and use the proceeds for needy local families and a missionary in Central America. I worked in collaboration with my sister, Patricia, and we are proud to say the quilts auctioned for a lot more money than we had expected. It makes me feel warm and cozy inside, as if I were wrapped in one of our quilts.
Susie Kroll
I recently participated in a Project Linus event. The lead for Project Linus talked about the families that have been helped by blankets and quilts. She talked as everyone worked. It was a very creative group. I think everyone felt good about the families that were going to benefit from the things they helped to make. My favorite charity is Project Linus.
Marty
naming “a” (meaning ONE) favorite quilt-donation place is too difficult! But my three current favorites are: Hope Prayers & Squares Ministry (patchwork quilts are actually tied; strings are knotted after each prayer for the ill recipient), Quilts of Valor (for veterans) and Quilts For Kids Inc (for children with medical issues).
Mary Lou
A friend and I made a terrific I Spy quilt for Camp Sunshine. I also make quilts for a local church group.
Margie West
Hi Nancy, there are six of us in my group. We recently made over 80 lap quilts to be delivered to the meals folks with this year’s Christmas dinners. Thanks for the chance to win the tumbler template
Dorothy Schreyer
I have only helped on donation quilts, they were for auction quilts for the American Red Cross and for the flood victims in Colorado in 2013.
Anne
My guild donates quilted items to Good Shepherd House, which is a housing and work facility for men with developmental disabilities. Such a wonderful and worthy cause!
Jonnie L Staggs
I’ve only made a few quilts for charity. Two of them went to the Lake County Center for Independent living (LCCIL) for their fundraiser. The others went to project Linus.
My favorite things to make are pet beds. I save all my sraps and make them for our local shelter.
Anne Z.
I donate quilts to Project Linus.
Helen T
I make baby quilts and crocheted baby blankets for Catholic Social Services.
Lou Ann Johnson
I like Bethany Christian Services, and Love, Inc.
Debora Nipper
I haven’t made a lot of quilts yet but most of my quilt work has been done for Quilts of Valor. It helps me to learn quilting and piecing and it’s for a good cause.
Donnae Cope
Project Linus is 1 of my favorite charities.
sonia tuttle
My quilt guild makes Quilts of Valor from block patterns I provide them with. It is such a worth while cause. I love your tutorial and would love to win your template.
sandy
I’m just learning but want to do quilts of valor. Think this would be get quilt for that cause. As cancer survivor would also like to make quilt for cancer center.
Linda
My passion is animals. I make quilts for our local Humane Society for the animals to be able to lie on something softer then the cement floor. And hopefully, it will keep them a little warmer in the winter.
Joyce O.
I have been helping our quilt guild’s charity group make quilts since I first started quilting in 2001. We have donated to cancer chemo patients and a children’s ward in a local hospital. For the past several years we make quilts for the children in a local home for children who’s families cannot take care of them. When the children leave to be reunited with their family, they take the quilt with them, so the home is in constant need of quilts.
Caiti
what are the dimensions on the final product following this?
Nancy Zieman
The quilt is approximately 45″ x 50″.
Carolyn
I have been quilting lap robes for our nursing home and baby quilts for our local crisis pregnancy center and a boutique that new moms can earn points for well baby care and use them in the boutique to “purchase” baby related items. I am just now starting to make quilts of valor for three service men in my family. Thanks for the opportunity to join in this drawing. Carolyn
Dawn
I have been donating to a local woman’s shelter, Oasis, for many years.
Amanda
I read the quilt measures 45″ x 50″ but I need it to be a single bed size which would be like at least 53″ x 78″ how many pieces would I need? Or how can I figure it out? This would actually be my first quilt so I don’t really understand how to configure. I would be grateful for any help.
Nancy Zieman
HI Amanda, Please write to me at [email protected] and I’ll give you some personal assistance.
Eileen Wehling
I enjoy giving to “The Caring Place” in Georgetown, Texas. It
is a local charity for local people.
S. Croner
I make and donate quilts to our Homeless gear, local churches that help homeless families, and to the battered women’s shelter through our local police department. I also make and donate smaller infant size to the children’s hospital. Makes my soul sing