Tricky Little Charm Packs

...or should I say:  Tricky little charm pack producers?     Notice anything about the charm packs in this photo?

Yes, you are right!   The packs are different sizes!!!  Variation seems to depend on the fabric line rather than the fabric company.   Go figure...

• 50 charm squares in Moda / "Peace on Earth" by 3 Sisters
• 43 charm squares in Robert Kaufman / "Hello My Name is Charm Square"
• 22 charm squares in Benartex / "Spirographix"
• 56 charm squares in Benartex / "Victoria" by Nikki Russell
• 32 charm squares in Timeless Treasures / "Hampton Blues"

...and my precious little charm packs that I want to use for this QAL...

• 25 charm squares in Moda / "Penelope" by Sentimental Studios

I suppose I always knew there was some variation in the number of charm squares per package but...  I did not realize just how wide the range was!     So, ladies... check your charm packs for actual numbers of 5" squares when using the chart below to estimate how many you will need for the size quilt you'd like to make.

The measurements for quilt sizes were found on the net; the numbers of charm squares need for a borderless quilt were computed by me...  who is prone to error; however, it's a good starting place, I hope.

This is based on the following layout:

 In figuring how many charm squares I have with the five "Penelope" charm packs, I had to consider that two of the 25 charms are from the fabric I want to use for the center square...   so I actually have only 23 charms for the corner squares.

Confused yet?

Don't worry, we'll work through this...

Additionally, you will need some extra yardage for sashings and cornerstones for two sides of the assembled quilt tops.

Because these charm packs and yardage came from stash, I have three yards of what will be the borders and binding...

...as well as three yards of the fabric that will be the cornerstones...

 

The actual color is more rosy than this appears to me on my monitor.

 Extra yardage will end up on the back of the quilt.


Hope this helps you estimate what you'll need for your quilt.  Remember that I can't guarantee the numbers I've provided in the chart above.  I'm going to have to do some more figuring to work out how many 9-patch blocks I'll need for a double quilt with borders... but I won't bore you.

Happy stash shopping and fabric assembling! 

 

Photo of BlueRibbonGirl's stash.

My stash is much smaller... I swear!

  

Barbara Brackman's New BOW: "Grandmother's Choice"

Ms Brackman's new BOW will be starting on September 1st, 2012 so... if you want to join in, you may want to start assembling your fabrics.  Suggestions are on the BOW blog where the blocks will be posted each week.

The theme for this BOW is women's suffrage and Ms Brackman will be including history of the movement as well as photos from the period.

I am looking forward to learning about the fight for women's suffrage and the weekly challenge of the posted block.

Ms Brackman suggests a purple, green, and white color scheme but also gives other options.  Of course, you can chose whatever fabrics and colors you'd like.  One participant of the Civil War BOW did hers in batiks... it was gorgeous!

I had been thinking of using 1930s reproduction fabrics but with the green/purple suggestion, I recalled I had a small stack of these fabrics...

"Art Nouveau" by Blank Quilting (c. 2008)

I'm not sure white white would be a good choice as a solid but maybe a pale purple and green?  Or a soft blue?  I think a trip to the LQS is called for, yes?   I have the rest of August to prepare...

The Home Stretch

I'm on the home stretch with finishing up Cowabunga Florabunda and am planning to be finished within two weeks.  Yup... two weeks.  Actually, I'm hoping to be done by next Sunday evening... but I'm giving myself some wiggle room.

Last night, I made the binding and tonight, I'll work on the label.

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Have you read Bonnie Hunter's post about her latest mystery quilt-along, which starts November 18th?  I've not done a mystery quilt before and am tempted... but have too many things going right now.

Bonnie tells "you right up front that I do intense piecing…..lots of pieces, many of them small. This is a labor intensive quilt. One WORTH the piecing!"

If you're interested in Bonnie's "Orca Bay" Mystery Quilt Along, the fabric requirements are posted... so be sure to check it out.

JL QAL Group Photo

...of the blocks I've completed, not our QAL group!

Thirty-one blocks completed, 17 more to go!

Is that right?  6 x 8 = 48 - 31 = 17...  yes, I think that's right!  

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A blog friend posted this video and I did indeed *LOL*... wanted to share and brighten your day!

Blueberry

I’m not sure what color this Kona solid is but I’ve decided to call it blueberry!  I believe two others working on the Bottle Rainbows QAL used the same blueberry fabric and I knew I had to include it as well…. because my granddaughter Emma loves… with a capital “L”… loves blueberries!

The girls got to see the completed block yesterday and Emma was so excited about the blueberries… she couldn’t believe there was fabric with very real looking blueberries on it!  Chloe identified the Kaffe Fassett tree-looking print in the lower right corner as a blueberry bush!

It was nice to place the last block on the bed with the others…  they look very nice together…

I spent a little time getting all the unused fabric scraps (believe me there were quite a few of them) back into their bins and otherwise cleaning/straightening up.  I'll start sewing the blocks together and working on assembling the quilt.

I've decided not to put on a border and will piece the binding so it matches each border block. 

The Bottled Rainbows QAL has been such fun and a real joy to work on... all the beautiful colors, all the wonderful fabric scraps to revisit and play with, and a new challenge by working on my first QAYG project!  I don't see this quilt being finished overnight but I already have my next FNSI project ready to work on...

Bottling Rainbows

Rachel from Stitched in Color  stores her small fabric scraps in jars, a good organizational strategy and decorative as well.

Yesterday, Mariliz of Mariliz' Musings bottled hers yesterday in preparation for the upcoming quilt along...

Needing to clear my cutting table of all the scraps from the mug rug marathon and, borrowing from both Rachel and Mariliz, I decided to bring in some quart canning jars from the garage and bottle these small scraps instead of putting them back into the drawers of the scrap bins.  Once that was done, I went through the bins and fished out all the small scraps and bottled them too.

Turns out I don’t think I’ll be too short of fabric scraps for my rainbow quilt top… but you never know.  I may just have to pick up a few more to make some of the squares work…

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Crystal of Sonnet of the Moon has already completed her lime block.  Doesn't it look great?

 Crystal used pinked edges, which another option! 

It's All Mariliz' Fault....

It's not like I don't have two quilts in progress to work on and my first BOM to begin... but Mariliz, a new blogging friend, told me about the Bottled Rainbows Quilt Along.  I checked it out and was immediately intrigued.   Fabric + color = what's not to like?

When I saw the sample block, I knew this would be PERFECT for all those itty-bitty fabric scraps in the bins under my cutting table...  you know, the ones so tiny that I felt I was stupid to save but just couldn't throw them out?

This project also uses a washable "school" glue stick, which I've not used before when quilting!   There will be scrap swaps to help folks accumulate a sufficient variety of each color to complete the blocks.  What fun!


I understand that the start date has been pushed back to the 2nd week in March in order for folks to get their Kona solids (ordered mine last night).   One block per week for 16 weeks and then sew the blocks together in June.


Yup, it's all Mariliz' fault that I'm starting another quilt when I have three in the works already....  but I'm so glad she let me know about this quilt along!  Thanks, Mariliz!