Pinwheels

Got 4 Fabrics?  Make a baby pinwheel.  Well, the quilt is baby size, the pinwheel is big and chunky.

I took a cute baby print for the background.  Picking 4 colors from it,  I found 4 fabrics--it takes just one  5" strip each to get the 4 slices.  I cut 4  5" background strips into the 16 slices needed.  Pair up, then pinwheel up--and I had 4 fast blocks for a baby quilt.

I like the pinwheels with a floating background border.  It keeps the pinwheels distinct and not crowded.

Rail Baby Two

It's always fun to play with variations--even ones as simple a this baby rail.  This time I had 8 each of two colors of this little chicken print.  Making the same number of blocks as the last quilt, the layout works to have ever other diagonal row zig-zag in one or the other color.  There was enough background fabric to add a border with it, so the rails float on the background.

Another one-hour quilt, another three fabrics busted.

Rail Baby

Pair up a light and dark slice.  Turn every other block with either a dark on top or on the left, and you have a big chunky zig-zaggy rail.  I plan to use lots of the leftovers this way. 

For this little baby, I just happened to have 16 each of the two duck prints.  And in less than an hour, with a little border,  I had a sweet quilt top.

Pam Cakes as Frames

The Pam Cakes slice can be used to frame a feature print.  Here I had a little piece of the ocean creatures.  I was just able to squeak out 4  9 1/2" squares.  Each square is framed with 6 slices.

So there would be little to match, I started with a slice on the sides of 2 center squares--then added 2 slices sewn together to the top and bottom.  On the other 2 center squares, I added top and bottom first, the 2-piece sections to the sides.  With the alternating construction, there are no seams that match, and it feels a bit more random.

A Round About

I'm finally back to playing with Pam Cakes slices.   I wanted to see how it would look to go around a center piece with bands or borders of slices.

The center needs to be some multiple of 9" plus 1/2" for seam allowance.  This one is a remnant with a stripe top and bottom to finish 18 1/2" raw edge to raw edge.  Any center arrangement will do.  If you make a border of any sort, you can just frame it.  If in doubt about how big to cut the border, guess high.  Add the border, then trim to the size needed.

The rounds took 32 slices.  To make it an elongated quilt, I started with the top and bottom--2 slices.  Then 3 down each side, 3 top and bottom.  Then 4 down each side, 4 top and bottom.

It finished 36"x 45"--a sweet baby or lap size.  This quilt should also look good with borders, which I may yet do.  I already have the next one planned, with new fabrics and a different center arrangement.

Oh, and did I mention it was fast---and there are no seams to match?

A Basic Boy

This little Community Service quilt for Pine Tree Quilt Guild is made from scraps from their closet.  Built around the monkey print, I just pulled any bright colors that matched it.  I made it just a bit bigger than usual--9 x 6.  So it finished about 40x54.

Take 5-5", 12 Block Hawaiian

I got to looking at the wonderful Take 5 pattern by Teachers Pet and thought that it should work for my 5"x 9 1/2" as well--the orginal size is only slightly smaller.  I had done it scrappy before, rather than the 5 fabrics the pattern calls for, so I know it looks great.  And it is a fast and fun pattern any way you do it--5 fabrics or scraps.  Using up scraps fast makes it a great service quilt.

It only uses 1 5"x 9 1/2" per block.  But it does uses 3 5" squares.  We have plenty of our 5" Charm Squares.  And when I can't get any more 5"x 9 1/2" Slices from a scrap of fabric, I cut 5" squares, so I have stacks of those, too.  The big square is 9 1/2".  I don't have those precut in stacks, but it is easy to grab some collection of scraps that is calling to me with a color or pattern theme.  I cut whatever is possible into 9 1/2" squares, then whatever possible into 5" x 9 1/2" slices, then 5" squares from the lefovers. 

This quilt is made with just 12 blocks.  Twelve is such a fast and easy number to make.  Then they are laid out 3x4, tossed and turned any way that looks good. 

Block size is 13 1/2".  Quilt top before borders is 40x54.  Bordered with 6" it is 52x68--another great size for a youth or adult throw.

BUSTED!  12  5"x 9 1/2" Slices.  36  5" squares.  2 or 3 fabrics are gone after cutting the 9 1/2" squares, and some Slices and 5" squares.  3  2 1/2" green strips, cut in half for the inner border all gone.  Border fabric was a back trimming, now all gone with the border and blocks in this quilt.  Binding all gone, a piece just the right size from the scrap heap.  This quilt is actually the 3rd done from a box of Hawaiian fabric squares and scraps, and the box no longer exists.