Pat Sloan's I Love To Make Quilts

FREE Precious Fabric Block 15 Solstice Sew Along with Pat + BONUS full quilt diagram

We all have it, that fabric we are saving, that fabric full of memories, those t-shirts or clothing or jeans ... they are our 'Precious Fabrics'. 

Over the years I've had table cloths, tea towels and many pieces of fabric that had memories. On my talk show this week Blair Stocker and I talked about that fabric and her wonderful book  shares all kinds of ways to use it.  My show this week was really about creativity, 3 guests and then I did a Q/A segment. I wanted a block to showcase fabrics in a BIG way. I give you directions for a 12.5" version and show you how the large version looks in repeat.. I'm thinking of fabric ideas for that one.. i have a few quilts to do for family and this might be the block to use! 

SHOW #334 Talk Show with Pat Sloan

LISTEN to THIS show right at the player above. 

• Prior Shows can be Listened to at MY Podcast Guest List page!
• ITUNES subscription available - Subscribe HERE 
• GET the APP to listen on your Android

.......keep reading to see my finds this week...!

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Download Pat Sloan Block 15 directions Solstice Challenge

• **List of Prior blocks
• Email notices send at 11am EST (my time). 
• If you are missing a pattern or lost an email .. come to the website and download .. no need to write me!

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I love how this oversized block looks in repeat.

you can make each block a different color, or alternate colors in a pinwheel 

Add a border to this and you have a fantastic sized quilt!

 

If you have never tried wide backing for your quilt, you might really like not having to piece it! And on sale it's a great way to try it out

Everyone is READY for spring!! I can totally see a quilt in this pretty blue and yellow Dutch Garden line.. can't you?

The Goodies!

• Wide Backing
• Dutch Garden Fabric & KITS 
• The cushion mat, at a reasonable price!
• My art bin containers. They fit perfect in my Koala Studio and store my projects in progress! I LOVE them!

My Quilt book shows you in photo step outs how to do techniques. 

• My books At a Discount   at Amazon with digital option 
• My Books with International Shipping  
• Charm Packs on sale! 
• 
• Basics that are on sale this month and
• Check what is in the Discounted Precuts

The Details

• Enter your email to get a notice of when each block is posted
• Share your block at the Quilt Show below by clicking the blue box  (tutorial here on loading a photos) FYI if your photo is too large Resize it and try again
• Join me Online to share and ask questions!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pat Sloan: How to make a Bonus quilt with 2.5" squares while you make other things!

For years I've been sewing 2.5" squares together at the start and end of much of my patchwork sewing. While I do this I'm actually creating a bonus quilt!  So many people have told me they didn't know about this, so here is how I do it!

If you have never thought about doing this, I'll walk you through it. It just takes a tiny bit of planning to have things 'at the Ready'!

First I cut my scraps into 2.5" squares. And I keep them together by color.

Here is a bin of Green squares and Cream squares. The lights might have other colors in it but they read as a light fabric

The reason I do these as 2 color is I like the final effect it makes. You can also make it totally scrappy or control it with a light and the alternate is totally scrappy! SO FUN!

Let me me show you...

BIG TIP - I find it more effective to sort out about 10 of each color and sit them on top of the machine

Because it saves time.

When i cut them, i might have 5 of the same fabric in the stack, but i don't want to SEW the same fabrics to each other, this way I get random placement and don't have to hunt each time I go to pick up a square!

When I start patchwork it's great to have something that has already been sewn.

Many people will use the same 2 square folded and sew over it again and again. But why not make something while sewing something else instead?

The bonus is... You save thread! No long tails as you just clip between!

Here I am sewing up a backing. I have my set of 2" squares and roll right into my backing..

I will clip the threads between them. 

Then when I come to the end of this backing, I sew another 2.5" square onto the unit I'm building!

Pretty soon I have.... 

Sets of 2.5" squares sewn together!

I sew 6 at a time alternating color.

When I have 6 strips... 

I lay them out, then I'll press the seams alternating directions

At this point i can either sew this block. 

Or I use these units to start and stop other patchwork! 

Here is the 6 x 6 block.

It's 12.5" square before setting it. 

I keep making them... and pretty soon I have enough to set into long vertical strips.

And when I do that ... 

I'm getting very close to calling this green & white 'Done'.

getting the last strips sewn for anther vertical row.. then maybe a horizontal row or 2 on the bottom

and here it is without the last one...looking good! love the pop of the tomato print

I have a FREE Lap quilt in progress, which is so exciting!

These can be a baby quilt, a lap quilt.. or a bed size, just depends on the use you want. 

I'm sure you have left over jelly rolls, smaller fabrics you can clean up and store better as 2.5" squares.. all good things come of them with this technique!

What do you think? Have you tried this before? 

Goodies I use

• MINI charm Packs - If you don't have much fabric yet, you can jump start a quilt with 2.5" mini charm packs! They are Awesome .. some on sale too!
• Trimming rulers to trim 2 sides at once
• Bloc Loc rulers
• Sign up for my notices to get a FREE quilt Block each Wed!