In economics, externalities are the unintended side effects of industry. Similarly, this quilt is the side effect of many of the other quilts I've made. I always buy more fabric than I think I'll need, so I thought it was time to turn the left overs into some thing more awesome.

This quilt is a good way to use up scraps. Each color strip uses only a 3" strip of the width of the fabric. It's a quick and easy quilt, but still interesting.

If you're interested in making other sizes, it should be simple to scale up. If you'd like help, let me know. I'm happy to do it, if there is interest.

Externality Quilt

Finished size

36"x48" - a bit smaller than crib size

Supplies

• Eight sets of twelve 3" blocks
• 2/3rd white (or contrast) fabric, cut into eight 3" x width of fabric strips
• 56" x 80" Batting - I doubled the batting to make the quilt extra fluffy. A precut twin size piece is large enough.
• Backing fabric - 1 1/3rd yards
• 1/3rd yard for binding
• Yarn for tieing
• Thread and other common quilting notions

Top of the Quilt

For each two row set of one color, you will need one strip that is 3" by the width of the fabric. Since this quilt is meant to use scraps, you might not have strips that are the full width of the fabric. This is no big deal, it will just require more cutting.

• If you have a 3" x width of fabric strip, grab one of the strips of white. Sew the two strips together along the long edge. Press seam toward the color. Cut this down to twelve 3" x 5.5" pieces.
• If you do not, cut twelve 3" blocks from the scraps that you do have. From the white, cut down a strip to 3" blocks. Sew one color block to one white block. Press seam toward the color

Continue until you have ninety-six 3" x 5.5" blocks with color on one side, white on the other. For each color, chain together six of these blocks. Press the seams toward the color. You now have sixteen strips of twelve squares (alternating color and white) which can be paired by color.

For each color pair, prepare to sew them together so that the color and white alternate. Take the time to pin and line up the seams. How well your seems line up can make or break this quilt.

One you have sewn together the pairs of strips, lay the strips out to determine what order you would like the colors to appear in. Pin and sew together the strips until the top is together. Press the seams open.

Finishing

I wanted the quilt to be extra fluffy, so I doubled up the batting. Tie in the middle of the white blocks.

Bind your new quilt

I came across the process pledge last night, and since I've been hemming and hawing over what's going to be my most ambitious quilt yet, it might be a good one to share what I've been thinking.

Usually, I find inspiring fabrics, buy random amounts, fiddle until I find a block or two that I like, make a bunch of those, lay them out on the floor, take pics, and look at the pics until the right layout rises to the top. The alternative layouts in my most recent square baby quilt pattern and my tetris quilt pattern show that.

I want to make a quilt for my bedroom. My hope is that it can be a gorgeous, well-made piece that I can show off for years. And, holy crap, I'm intimidated by that.

My original inspiration was a tile I saw in a museum in Istanbul. I couldn't take pics there. I tried to sketch it (and failed) and kept my eye out for the rest of the trip for the same design, and never saw it again.

But, hooray for the internet! It took all my Google-fu, but I found this -

From there, comes the graph paper. I figured each square would be an inch and layed out what a block would be. I had to shift around where the blocks would end a couple times. I want to find the block that would be the easiest to construct. I'm SUPER worried about my seams lining up, so the easier I make it on myself the better.

It's going to be two colors, and since it should be a more intricate design, I didn't want prints that were distracting. I'm doing grey on grey, which is quite the change for a lover of color. My thought is that by going more neutral, I will create something more timeless. I might use a bolder fabric for the backing. I'm thinking a red batik - bold color, but mellow, organic and hopefully stands the test of time.

From the graph paper, I moved onto paper templates. I've never done this before, but I really wanted to touch it and work through the specific. I think it was helpful, and at a minimum, it saved me a lot of fabric.

I'm thinking about finishing already. I might use this as an excuse to get a walking foot so that I can have neat, crisp outlines of the tile pattern. Or, if I feel up to it at the time, I might hand quilt it, another first for me.

Intense. Why do I do this to myself?

I started this baby quilt pattern months ago, but am just finishing the quilt now. I wanted to make something that was easy enough for a beginner, but still modern and creative. Only two fabrics are used for the top of the quilt, and a third print for the back. You'll want to pick high contrast fabrics for your two colors for the quilt top.

The fun thing about making this quilt is that you can place the blocks as I did or get creative with how you layout each square.  The free quilt pattern is below. I have not tested the pattern, so please let me know if you find anything goofy.

Archipelago Quilt

Finished size

42"x45"

This is larger than a crib size, but smaller than a throw. I like my baby quilt patterns to be this size, so that the blanket is large enough to throw on the floor when they're babies, but small enough for them to drag when they start toddling around.

Supplies

• Color A (squares): 1/2 yard
• Color B (background): 1 yard
• 46" x 48" Batting
• Backing fabric: 1 1/4th yards
• Thread and other common quilting notions

Cutting

• Color A
  • Cut one 4.5" strip and cut it down to eight 4.5" squares
  • Cut five 3.5" strip
    • Cut one down to twelve 3.5" squares
    • Set aside the other four for borders
  • Cut one 2.5" strip and cut it down to ten 2.5" squares
  • Cut one 4.5" strip and cut it down to the following
    • Four 3.5" squares
    • Ten 2.5" squares
    • Sixteen 1.5" squares
• Color B 
  • Cut five 4.5" strips and then cut them down to the following
    • 32 - 4.5" x 1"
    • 32 - 4.5" x 1.5"
    • 32 - 4.5" x 2"
    • 16 - 4.5" x 4.5'
  • Cut four 1.5" strips and then cut them down to the following
    • 32 - 1.5" x 2"
    • 32 - 1.5" x 2.5"
  • Cut one 3.5" strip and cut it down to the following
    • 32 - 3.5" x 1"
    • 3 - 2.5" squares
  • Cut one 6.5" strip and cut it approximately 14" from the selvage

Piecing

Blocks

All the blocks are assembled the same. Using the pieces listed for each block type, do the following until all blocks are complete.

• Sew the shorter blocks to the center square
• Press the seams toward the outside
• Sew the long side on each side
• Press toward the outside

Block A - 8 total

These are the 4.5" Color A squares. Done!

Block B - 16 total

• Center square - 3.5" square
• Short sides - 3.5" x 1"
• Long sides - 4.5" x 1"

Block C - 16 total

• Center square - 2.5" square
• Short sides - 2.5" x 1.5"
• Long sides - 4.5" x 1.5"

Block D - 16 total

• Center square - 1.5" square
• Short sides - 2" x 1.5"
• Long sides - 4.5" x 2"

Block E - 16 total

These are the 4.5" Color B squares.

Center Piecing

Sew the blocks together in the following order, press the seams, then sew the rows together from top to bottom.

1. D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E | E
2. E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E
3. E | E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D
4. E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E
5. D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E | E
6. E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E
7. E | E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D
8. E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E
9. D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E | E
10. E | D | C | B | A | B | C | D | E

I played with some alternative layouts, if you're interested in trying something else.

Borders

Sew shorter borders on the sides. Press the seams.

Sew the other borders on. Press the seams.

Backing Fabric

I like to piece the backing fabric, both because it looks awesome and it saves you fabric for quilts that are just a little too wide for 42" backing fabric.

Strip insert

• Sew the remaining seven (four color A, three color B) 2.5" squares into a strip, alternating Color A and B. Press the seams.
• Sew the 2.5" x 14.5" Color B strips on each side. Press the seams.
• Sew the two 6.5" wide strips to each end of this piece.

Finish backing

• About 14" in, cut the backing fabric the long way
• Sew each piece on either side of the insert
• Press seams

Back, quilt and bind your new quilt

I stippled in the white and did a design in each block. Be creative

Check out my new nephew! His name is Gavin, and he's snuggly, cute, and all kinds of awesome.

Such a perfect little person clearly deserves a quilt. He's going to grow up to be either a marine biologist or an avid fisherman, so he got an aquatic theme. Or my sister was doing his bedroom in brown and blues, and I complied with her colors. It's one of those.

Here's the pattern. I am writing this off my notes and haven't tested it, so you are forewarned that there might be typos. Please let me know if you have any issues.

The center of this quilt is comprised of one piece that is arranged to create a design that resembles seaweed.

Finished size

36" x 42" - I tend to make baby quilts larger than crib size, because babies aren't crib size for very long.

Supplies

Piecing

• Color A (fish prints): If you use one color, you will need 1/2 yard, but this would also be a good place to get rid of scraps.
• Color B (water bg color): 1/4th a yard - you will need a full 9" of width, so you might want to buy more to be safe
• Color C (turquoise border and binding): 1 1/4 yards
• 42" x 48" Batting
• Backing fabric - 1 1/4 yards of 56" fabric
• Thread and other common quilting notions

Cutting

• Color A - Cut five (5) 2.5" x width of fabric strips
• Color B - Cut two (2) 4.5" x width of fabric strips
• Color C - Cut three (3) 2.5" x width of fabric strips

Piecing

Center piecing

Sew one Color A strip to each of the Color B and Color C strips. Press seams.

Cut each of these down into 2.5" pieces. The pieces created from Color B should look like the below. This is 'Piece 1", which should be 6.5" square. Set aside those created from Color C for when you're read to work on the border.

Sew together an inverted and upright Piece 1 along the long edge. Press seam, and sew another Piece 1 to the block so that the squares alternate sides. Press seams. Your completed block should look like this.

Keeping all blocks upright, sew together six rows of five blocks. Press seams.

Alternate upright and inverted rows, making sure that the squares do not line up. Sew together. Press seams.

This completes the center of the quilt. It should be approximately 30.5 x 36.5 inches.

Borders

I don't cut borders until the center piecing is done, since size can get off. I recommend measuring and adjusting for your quilt's actual size.

From the remaining Color C fabric, cut

• Two 2.5 x 30.5" strips
• Two 2.5 x 38.5" strips
• Two 2.5 x 32.5" strips
• Two 2.5 x 40.5" strips

Sew the 2.5 x 30.5" strips to the top and bottom of the central block. Press seams.

Sew the 2.5 x 38.5" strips to the sides. Press seams.

Using the pieces you set aside ealier, piece the second border. Being sure to alternate the print and solid, piece together two strips of fifteen (15) squares and two of twenty (20) squares.

Sew the shorter strips to the top and bottom. Press seams, and sew longer strips to the sides. Press seams.

Sew the 2.5 x 32.5" strips to the top and bottom. Press seams, and sew the final 2.5" x 40.5" strips to the sides. Press seams.

This is the completed quilt top. It should be approximately 34.5" x 40.5"

Quilt and bind. I quilted it to emphasize the movement of the water, stitching in some little fish as I went.

I've been working on this quilt off and on for months. I fought the urge to completely scrap it and start over a couple times, and I'm glad I did. Below is how I made it. It's more of guidelines rather than a pattern, so feel free to ask if you have questions.

Finished size

44.5" x 52" - I tend to make baby quilts larger than crib size, since the babies are only crib size for less than two years. I like to give them things they'll be staining for years.

Supplies

Piecing

• Six fat quarters - I used batiks in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet
• 1 yard sashing fabric (white). You might want to get a little extra, to be safe.
• 1/3rd yard border fabric (red)
• Thread and other common quilting notions

Finishing

• 1/2 yard  - Binding - I used the same fabric as the backing.
• 1.5 yards 56" fabric - Backing - I used a solid red.
• 48" x 56" Batting

Cutting

Cut each of the fat quarts into strips that vary between 1" and 2.5" at their thickest and thinnest.

Divide each color into thirds. Sew the strips back together, alternating one third with the color prior in the spectrum, one third with the color after, and one third with itself. Continue to sew them together, pressing the seams open, until you have one long strip of fabric.

• Cut this reconstructed piece of fabric into 5" strips, cutting the same directions as the seams.
• Cut each of those strips into pieces that are 2.5"x5"
• From those, select 22 and cut them in half to make 44 2.5" squares - C1
• You will need 60 5" x 2.5" blocks. You should have extras. - C2

From the sashing fabric, cut

• 40 - 1.5" x 2.5" - S1
• 55 - 1.5" x 5" - S2
• 8 - 1.75" x 2.5" - S3
• 10 - 2" x 35.5" - S4
• 2 - 2" x 46" (if you use standard 42" width fabric, you'll need to piece these) - S5

From border fabric, cut

• 2 - 3.5" x 38.5"
• 2 - 3.5" x 40.5"
• 2 - 3.5" x 12.5"

Piecing

Finishing

Create 4 short rows and 5 tall rows, pressing the seams.

Short row (SR):

S3 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S1 - C1 - S3

Long row (LR):

C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2 - S2 - C2

 

Alternate color rows and sashing as follows. Press seams.

• S4
• LR
• S4
• SR
• S4
• LR
• S4
• SR
• S4
• LR
• S4
• SR
• S4
• LR
• S4
• SR
• S4
• LR
• S4

Sew the S5 pieces to the side.

Sew short border to the top and bottom. Press seams. Sew remaining border pieces to the left and right. Press seams.

Quilt and bind.

I was highly productive while avoiding writing my final paper. Now that I'm trying to finish my sister's Christmas present, I'm working on everything but it. Deadlines are crafting dementors.

I knocked out my first clapotis for a friend. It's about 3.5 skeins of Cascade Luna. I still don't know how I feel about cotton yarn, but this stuff was nice to work with, and seems to wear nice.

I think I only did two repeats, both horizonatlly and vertically. I finished it in a weekend, by far the fastest I've ever made a scarf.

 

All that's left to do is hand-sew the binding on the quilt I made from this fabric. I'm pretty happy with the result. The owner should be making her world debut in about 2 months, so I'll post the top after I give it to her folks.

I'm pretty pleased with my quilting, though. I did something other than stippling.

I bought fabric for the nephew's quilt. It's fishy, so I think he'll grow up to be a marine biologist. Hopefully, I'll start that this week or next.

I made Oliver some catnip toys using scraps from the quilt.

I have this.

I made it from cutting up 6 batik fat quarters and reassembling.

I was thinking about doing a paintbox-style quilt, and cut this up into squares and then put white sashing between the blocks. Not sure if I'm going to do that now.  I'm thinking vertical rectangles with white between.

Whatever it is, there will be lots of white. That much I know.

Finished a damson last night. I do like it, but I fear that it's one of those things that knitters love and wear and non-crafters think are weird. There is something about making things that makes you completely blind to whether or not you should actually wear them.

I'll wear it 'backwards', so that the back bunches up in the front. Can't quite do the shawl thing. It's a little too 1940's Poland for my tastes.

I also finished the quilt top for one of the baby quilts. I went with a slight variation of Layout #3. I don't have any backing fabric, so odds are this one will sit on the shelf for a while.

I can't really decide if I'll actually give it away. I kind of want to drape it on Pico's chair, but that's all but a death sentence for the poor quilt.

Two more babies coming. Babies everywhere!

This means quilts. Any opinions on which layout I should use?

I'm pretty sure I won't use 4. These are all layed out as squares, but I'll probably add two more rows to the bottom to make these a little taller.

This quilt was inspired by one I saw at the International Quilt Study Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mom, my aunt, my grandparents and I went when I was home for Thanksgiving.

This version is for the newest little one in my life, Rowan. It's 40" square

I'm not going to write up instructions, but here's the Excel spreadsheet that shows construction and has some notes. If you have questions, feel free to drop me a line and I'll answer it here. Close up of the fabric is here.

Download Excel spreadsheet of pattern.

Supplies

• Main color (MC), white - 1 yard
• Color 1 (C1), green - 1/4 yard
• Color 2 (C2), blue - 1/4 yard*
• Color 3 (C3), yellow - 1/3 yard*
• Color 4 (C4), red - 1/2 yard
• Binding fabric - 1/3 yard (2.5" binding)

*You will need exactly this amount of cut fabric, so you might consider buying a little extra to be safe.

 

This was a quilt made for a friend's first born.

Finished size: 48" or 4' square.

This is a good size for a small child's bed or to lay on the floor where a baby can play.

Supplies

Piecing

• Main fabric (Monkeys) - 1 yard I used Monkey 'n Round by Erin Michael for Moda.
• Bars (stripes) - 1 yard (doesn't matter if the stripes run with or cross grain)
• Squares (polka dots) - 1/3rd yard

Finishing

• Binding - 3/8th yard. If you use the same as the square fabric (I did), you'll need 2/3rds of a yard total. (You might be able to squeak it out of 5/8th, but I wouldn't risk it.)
• Backing - 1 1/2 yard 56" wide. If you use a 44" wide, you'll need to piece, in which case you'll need about 3 yards. I used a solid red.
• Batting - 56" square. If you buy the pre-cut packages, you need a twin.

Cutting

• From the main fabric, cut seven 5" strips. Cut those down to 5" squares. You should have enough for 56 total. Block A.
• If you are using stripes for the bar fabric, you'll need to cut them slightly differently. If your stripes run parallel to the selvedge, cut fourteen 2.5" strips, and cut them down to 2.5" x 5" rectangles. If the stripes run perpendicular to the selvedge, cut seven 5" strips and cut them down to 2.5" x 5" rectangles. You'll have 112 total. You'll need all of these, so be careful. If you want, you might buy a little extra fabric. Vertical = Block B1. Horizontal = Block B2.
• From the fabric for the squares, cut four strips of 2.5", and cut them down to 2.5" squares. 64 total. Again, you'll need all of these. If you're using this fabric for the binding, you can cut five more 2.5" strips now. Block C.

Piecing

Piecing on this quilt is very fast and easy, but you'll want to take extra care that the seams line up well. There are two rows- Row A (create 8): C B2 C B2 C B2 C B2 C B2 C B2 C B2 C Row B (create 7): B1 A B1 A B1 A B1 A B1 A B1 A B1 A B1 Press the seams. Sew together the strips alternating Row A and Row B, ending with Row A. Press all the seams.

Finishing

Back the quilt. For the quilting, I stippled around the monkeys. On the corner squares, I outlined them and drew and X in the middle. Bind off.

This quilt was made to welcome my first niece to the family. It's inspired by an abacus, and I hope she'll be good at math. It also looks like lollipops, though, so she might get cavities. :) Finished size: Baby Crib - 32" x 40"

Supplies

I used 6 fabrics for the beads - 3 oranges, 2 pinks, and a yellow - but as long as you have 84 3" squares, you can stash bust. This could make a good scrap, I-Spy, or Memory quilt.

• Beads - Fat Eight (9"x22") of 6 fabrics
• Pipes (dark purple) - 1/4 yard
• Background (white) - 1 yard
• Inner boarder - 1/4 yard

Cutting

• Cut each Fat Eight into 3" strips, and cut the strips into 3" squares. You should be able to get 21 out of each Fat Eight, but will only need 14, so you have some wiggle room for mistakes.
• From the pipe fabric, cut five 1" strips, and cut those down to 1"x4" strips.
• From the background color, cut:
  • Five 1.5" strips. Cut those down to 1.5"x4" rectangles. These will become a part of the pipe blocks.
  • Eight 1" strips. Cut them down to 1"x3" rectangles. These will border the bead blocks.
  • Four 2" strips. Cut them down to 2"x3" rectangles. These will be the spacers for the border.
  • Three 1.5" strips. Cut them down to 1.5" squares, and then cut those squares on the diagonal to make triangles. These will be the corners of the beads.
• From the inner border fabric, cut four 2" strips.

Piecing

• Making the beads can take a little bit of trial and error to get right. Basically, we are just replacing the 3" square's corner with the background color. Take the white triangles and lay them across the corner of the bead. You need to give enough space to allow for the seam. Sew and press. Trim the original corner fabric away.

Front and back of the bead showing how to add the white corners.
• Repeat on all corners for 42 beads.
• After pressing the beads well, sew the 1"x3" white rectangles to either side. Press.
• Sew the 1.5"x4" background pieces to both sides of the 1"x4" pipe fabric. You will want to press between adding the pieces, or pressing them later is difficult.
• Sew the pipes to the beads to make a piece that looks like a lollipop. Press the seam.
• Sew the lollipops into eight rows of six.
• Press the seams well.
• Sew the strips of lollipops together alternating the direction of the strips. Press well.
• Sew the inner border to the top and bottom. Trim the leftover. Press the seam.
• Sew the remaining strips to the sides. Press seams and trim excess.
• For the outer border, alternate the 2x3" white with the remaining 3" squares. You will need two strips with eight colored squares ending in white for the top and bottom. For the sides, two strips with 13 blocks ending in color.
• Sew the 8 block strips to the top and bottom. Press.
• Sew the 13 block strip to the left and right. Press the seams, and then press the quilt well.
• Back, bind, and quilt.

Finished size: 49"x55" This is a good size for a blanket for a baby to play on and works well for a toddler bed.

Materials

• .25 yards of 6 colors
• .5 yard white (includes .25 yard for the border)
• 2/3 yard Border 2
• 1/3 yard Binding
• 1 2/3 yard 60" wide Backing
• Batting - if you buy pre-cut pieces, you need twin size

Cutting

• Cut each of the six .25 yard pieces of fabric in 1.5" strips. You should have enough fabric for 6 strips per color (36 total).
• Of each color, cut 2 strips into 1.5" squares. 26 squares per strip.
• Cut the remaining four strips of each color into 3.5" x 1.5" pieces. You should get 11-12 per strip.
• From the white fabric, cut six 1.5" strips. Cut them down to 1.5" squares. You should have 144 total.

Piecing

 

For all the colored 1.5" squares, sew them on either side of a white square, like the pic below.

 

Press toward the colored square. You now have a 3.5" x 1.5" rectangle.

 

Sew the 3.5" x 1.5" piece you cut in the matching color to the top and bottom.

 

Press toward the outside.

 

You now have 3.5" squares, like this one.

 

Now comes the fun part! Layout the blocks in different ways until you find the one that you like. Here's are some of the alternatives I played with.

 

Once you have the layout you like, sew the blocks together into rows.

 

Press the seams.

 

Sew together the rows

Borders and Finishing

Depending upon the layout you decided to use above, you might need to make some corrections to the amount of fabric needed for borders, binding, and backing. My pieced center was 12 x 14 blocks (37" x 43"). Borders are routine, so I'm going to slack on my explanations. Let me know if I need to explain more.

• First border: 1.5" finished width. You need four 2" strips of white.
• Second border: 5" finished width. You need five 5.5" strips (2/3 of a yard)
• Binding: Six 2.5" inch strips.

Finished size: 34"x41"