Charming Plus QAL : Piecing the Top

Wow, am I few days behind.  Sorry everyone.  My schedule and work situation took a hit last week.  I had to be in the office for three days, taking away time at home to be productive on laundry, cleaning, and of course sewing.  I have been able to get the two tops finished.

Scraps Version

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Bundle Version

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Backing fabric is picked out and almost ready for both.

 

How is your version coming along?  Have you been following #charmingplusqal on Instagram?

Charming plus quilt top is done! #charmingplusqal

A photo posted by Shannon (@theflemings9) on

Someone has even finished one completely.  Wow!  Keep going.

Deadline for entry in the grand prize is 12/15/2016 to get at least a top finished. Submit a finished quilt to be entered in the $100 gift card giveaway to Stitch Stash Diva.


Quilt A Long Info!

 

Charming Plus QAL : Piecing The Blocks

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Welcome back to the QAL.  How are things going with fabric cutting and sorting?  Let’s tackle the block piecing.  I will say it again I love to chain piece and basically create an assembly line while working.  As a mom, I only have so much time.

If you don’t like my method, that’s okay.  Do what is best for you.  I want you to enjoy the process of making and creating this quilt.

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I took my squares and made them into stacks.  It lets me play around with the contrast and determine if I need to change something.

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An epic piecing session happened this week brought to you by coffee and Netflix.  I dug deep and went to some cheesy romance moves.  Started with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days then progressed to Top Gun.   The hum of the machine did not drown out Highway to the Danger Zone.

I aced piecing my blocks and moved on to pressing.  Check Instagram or Facebook this week to see some the finished blocks.

UPDATE 11/2/16

Scrappy Version

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Bundle Version

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QAL Links

Cutting the Fabrics

Picking Out the Fabrics

Overview

Goose Is ON The Loose

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Thank you for the kind words on this all stash baby quilt.  I love this top and will be sad to see it go to it’s new home.  Deep in my stash was a Michael Miller animal print that I had a half yard left of.  Considering mom is a vet tech, it’s a great fit.

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For the quilting I went simple horizontal lines to contrast the vertical columns.  Plus, it looks extra crinkly once it’s washed.

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The bolt of corn yellow Kona I have is slowly dwindling down, but there are many more yards to go.  Maybe yellow will be my binding of choice for 2017.  Ha!

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Did you have a chance to look at the tutorial I shared?  Easy peezy with those instructions.  If you haven’t, it’s below.

 


PS…there is another version coming of this quilt with more all stash fabrics and an update on the dwindling fabric budget.

Linking up with Oh Scrap & Finish it Up Friday

Quilting is more fun than Housework
Quilting is more fun than Housework

 

Charming Plus QAL : Cutting Fabrics

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There are some wonderful fabric pulls happening for the QAL.  Here are a couple from Instagram this week.

 

 

You can use just about any size squares to make these blocks.  I recommend no bigger than 4″ as I have mentioned before.  This is how a baby quilt looks with 5″ squares.  It loses some effect I really wanted.  Wonder how it will look with a bigger quilt?

5" squares
5″ squares

Bundle Version

If you are cutting fat quarters, you will need more strips, more like 3-4 strips to avoid cutting more later.  I cut my bundle on the 18″ length so I could get the most of my fabric.  My squares are cut 3″.

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lots of strips
lots of strips

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Ready to go!
Ready to go!

Scraps Version

All of my squares for the scrap version are cut to 2.5″.

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Alternate Option

Erika is working through her scraps to make this quilt.  We chatted at the Indy Modern Quilt Guild meeting this Sunday.  If you want to save a step you can cut a 2.5 ” x 6.5″ strip for the middle.  See the picture below.  I rarely keep strips of fabric and just cut everything into squares when making scraps, hence the three square middle.

charming plus alternate

Next Steps

Once you have everything cut, it’s time to pair up fabrics to make the nine patch.  I love sewing in batches and operate the piecing in assembly line fashion.  To make that work, I lay each block out to make sure it’s the right look and keep stacking them on top of each other.  This cutting board is ready to place next to the machine and make chain piecing EASY.

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It’s a been a rainy week here in Indy, sorry the photos are not the best light.  Rainy overcast days are not helpful for pictures in the sewing room.

Questions?  Concerns?  Comment below and I will respond.

Hashtags

Follow along on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

#charmingplusquilt

#charmingplusqal


QAL Posts

Choosing Fabrics

Announcement of QAL

Charming Plus Quilt Tutorial on Sew Mama Sew

 

Quack! Quack! The Attack of the Flying Geese

Flying geese is such a staple in quilt blocks.  Why have a I waited so long to really make them?  Cutting odd sizes like 7/8″ or 3/8″ drives me insane.  The thought of making a large amount of flying geese was the obscure size squares I would have to cut makes me cringe.

I’m not alone I’m finding.  Lots of great tutorials on Pinterest to help with no waste flying geese.  Take your pick of one.  I was able to find one that is my style.  The tutorial is based on using charm squares and a squares that don’t encourage me to throw my ruler across the room.

Save the pin if you like the tutorial.


 

Since the fabric budget is at an all time low right now, I dug deep into my scraps and stash.

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Not a bad selection of colors of for a boy quilt.  Cutting was either a 5″ square or 2.75″ square.  That’s the kind of quilt math I enjoy.

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Chain piecing was so nice to work through.  It was kind of therapeutic to hear that hum and watch the progress of these blocks.  I did have to go back and make some more to complete a baby quilt top.

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The blocks look like little hearts before the next step.

For the design of the top, I knew I wanted all the geese to fly in the same direction.  Maybe in the next one I will play around with more movement.  The dad of this baby is in construction.  Having the geese like little towers is in recognition of that.  The mom is a vet tech and there are some small animal touches added to the quilt.

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I adore the completed top.  Maybe it’s the fumes from all the starch I had to use.  There are many many seams on the back that did not want to cooperate with pressing.

There should be time this week to quilt.  I’m leaving for a girl’s weekend and want to bind on the drive.