Two Charm Pack Tutorial /Pattern

What can you do with 2 charm packs? Here's an easy idea that would be good for beginners! Here's a general overview. Maybe sometime I'll put a detailed pattern in the etsy shop. :o)

Sew a 5"  X  1 3/4" white or off white strip (sashing) to each of  60  5" charm squares.

I used 70 / 72 sq.s so I could use more of the fabrics, but it caused me to have a quarter square in two corners. You'll see below.

 

Press all the squares open and lay them out in Rows on the floor or table to see where they look best. you should have enough squares to use them on the edges and just cut them off a quarter inch past the points. (I didn't have enough squares to do that, so I cut some of my squares in half into triangles for the edges. It worked just fine even though technically there wasn't an extra quarter inch for the seam.) Sew those squares and their sashings together in these Rows.

Then sew the same width sashing in long strips along the side of each row. Then you can sew the rows together. Try to make sure that your squares stay lined up with each other so they're straight in both directions. Use pins if you need too on long rows like that. You'll notice I have a quarter triangle on this corner (above). I added an extra row to my original plan which forced me to do that. It would be better to do both corners like the one below!

 

On two corners you'll have the sashing end like this.^  The problem is, it doesn't extend to a square corner. I just took a sashing scrap and sewed it on to the corner. It looks like it's too wide here, but it won't matter.

Then take your ruler and trim like this. ^

OR you could unpick the whole corner (above) and put a new sashing piece in - an inch longer than the first one was.

Put a 2 1/4" border on (same fabric as sashing). Then a 1 3/4" Inner border. And an Outside border however wide you want.

Ta-da!!

These always look great no matter what line you use!

Have fun!

 

Urban Cowgirl by Urban Chiks for moda

                    Here is a great idea for 2 charm packs. Simple squares on the diagonal, but looks great.
                                                                  See the tutorial here.

I like the single squiggly line quilted down the sashing. ;o)

You can sorta see it in the upper right area.

Love the fabrics in this line!

I did my first feathered border on this quilt! I started with light thread but switched to dark so you could see it better.

Here's one example of  how I use rit dye on the fabrics in my quilts. See the narrow inner border there? that's the original color. It matches the lighter blue in the quilt nicely. But, I thought the darker blue in the line was a more pleasing color, so i dyed the backing with some navy blue rit dye. It changed it so it's closer to the dk. blue. 

Here's how i quilted the squares. You can see it better on the back. What would you call that? double tear drop machine quilting?

a better view of the machine quilted feather border.

Annie Basket Quilt with Lakehouse Fabrics!

Lots of Polka Dots in this one. 

 

I just looove.. this Annie Basket quilt. I only did half of it to hang in the store here, but it was so much fun!

I wasn't sure about it at first because it seemed kind of a cheat... the baskets and bases and sashing are all printed on there for you. All you do is put the applique on. I sorta wanted to have the satisfaction of making my own baskets. But, this is by far more economical, so went for it and I'm so glad I did!

 

 

Here is one of the panels. There are two in this set. I like how she gave us some fabric scraps on the side to work with. :o) This line was just the living end! ...the roses, the polka dots...delightful!

What I didn't like was that you have buy the gingham (shown below) to re-sash the top and bottom. The first time this was cut for me, I got home and realized that she hadn't left me a quarter inch to attach the exact same fabric back on. I didn't blame her, it was impossible to know where to cut it. I had to go back and get a new panel cause the first one was ruined. It would have been so much better if they had given you the full plaid strip plus a quarter inch like they did on the sides of the panel. Or at the Very Least, a dotted line for the clerks to know that they have to cut down the middle of the sashing.

 

It was so so fun to pick some cute fabrics for the applique!

I used matching colored thread to do a nice big blanket stitch around each piece.

This is probably my favorite block. I love all these fabrics as strawberries! and the ric rac under the leaf!? ...to die for.

I quilted exactly around each basket and handle so it fools you a little bit into thinking it was pieced on there.

 

Polka dot Cherries! Plaid handle!

 

Here's how I quilted Annie Basket Quilt on my home machine - with loops in straw colored thread.

I love to quilt squares around the borders with and X. You do that in a zig zag all the way around rather than one X at a time so that you're not stopping and tying off constantly. but you probably knew that....