Preview 46

When you simply can't cut it up--this simple quilt might be the answer.  Even simpler yet--the yardage requirements:  3 1 yard pieces. 

Finishing 52"x 52",  it can be used as a tablecloth and would be slick to serge together.

LA FRANCE Twins

Take a Berenstain Bears Layer Cake or 4 Charm Packs.  Divide them into 2 equal groups--one boy, one girl.  If you have 10" Layer Cake Squares, cut them in 4ths, so you have 5" Squares.

Dorothy did just that.  And then with LA FRANCE, just kept going around with another full round of border, then squares.  The piecing actually needs 84 squares total.  If your Charm Packs had 42 squares each, you are set.  If cutting from Layer Cakes, you will need to come up with an additional 4 squares, from the border, binding or other scraps. 

The quilts finish 54" square and are quickly ready for giving.

Preview 45

So, my goal of showing previews before Market were not met, but better late....

The INTRIGUE block is one I have been playing with a lot this past year for community service quilts.  I was doing it to use fun focus fabrics in the middle, and then framing it with my favorite 5"x 9 1/2" slices.  It makes a big 18" block--fast.  Four to six blocks make a baby quilt.

CRIMSON GLORY is the same block, but cut smaller to make good use of fat quarters. 

For INTRIGUE, I went back to the big 18".  It can use a 10" square pack, like a Layer Cake.  My model used the Pomegranate Tonga Squares.  The quilt uses 36 of the 40 squares that usually come in those packs, and the fabrics are placed randomly.  We can also use 12 Fat Quarters.  In that case, I make 6 each of two blocks--it would be hard to make 12 fabrics random.

The Centers of the blocks use 1 yard of fabric.  I used 1/3 yard each of 3 fabrics, because I had 3 I loved with the batiks.  You could also use some of your leftover 10" squares and scraps--or even orphan blocks that are 9 1/2" from raw edge to raw edge.  Or you could use embroidered blocks or vintage linens. 

Here are a couple of my little community service quilts--fast, fast and uses up stash.