JANUARY CHALLENGE - brought to you by Cassandra
Challenge:
Use an “ugly” color or print in a modern “plus” quilt, or a design of
your choice. Learn better binding techniques to get a finish that will
pass the heavy use test!
Doesn’t everyone have a fabric in
their stash that doesn’t spark your joy? This challenge is to make a
quilt you love -- with a fabric you don’t. A plus quilt is a great
pattern to play with a variety of fabrics. To finish it off, I’m sharing
tips for durable binding.
Want ideas for how to quilt it?
Scroll to the end of this post for lots of great ideas from our charity
coordinator and FMQ whiz Elle Irby!
Plus Quilt Guidance & Inspiration:
I
love a plus quilt! I am going to share how I make a plus quilt using 5”
squares because it’s a simple way to make a 36” baby quilt, and you
probably already have some 5” squares to use.
I use 64 5”
squares to make an 8x8 grid that finishes at 36”. If you use an 8x8
grid, you get this nice with four “corners.” Symmetry!
To make this version, you will need:
8 complete pluses (8 x 5 squares each)
4 4-piece partial pluses (4 x 4 squares each)
8 single squares
NOTE:
I counted the “pluses” to write this tutorial. Usually I just go for
it, and you can, too! I like to have at least 5 squares each of about 10
prints. I start with more than 64 squares because I like to move the
colors and prints around. Make sure you have a good mix of values!
I
start from the middle and work out, because I like to make the clump of
“complete” pluses first, and then fill in the odd shapes with my
leftovers. The basic pattern to remember is: BOTTOM (of plus #1), TOP
(of plus #2), BODY (3 of plus #3). Repeat! Do you see it?
Make it your own!
-
Use a “focus” fabric for the centers of one or more of the pluses --
I’ve done this when I want to use a fun fabric but don’t have enough to
make a whole “plus” -- like this one
and this one.
- Create negative space by using a solid to make pluses in the background.
-
Forget symmetry and start with a different shape in the corner. In this
version my pattern goes TOP, BOTTOM, ACROSS and I have a three-piece
plus in the top left corner.
-
Do you want to get FANCY? The “sparkle punch” pattern is basically a
plus quilt made with improv stars! Here’s mine made in holiday fabrics.
Do you need an actual pattern? No worries! Try this free one. There are lots of variations out there, including this lovely pattern by former DCMQG member Katie Blakesley.
Better Binding for Charity Quilts:
Charity
quilts are made to be used and loved, and they are likely to be put
through the washer several times. That means they need a binding that
will stand the test of time!
Machine binding can be beautiful! (I almost always do machine binding -- for all of my quilts!) This link has great tips. Other tips:
-
I cut my binding strips at 2.5” -- a little wider than the recommended
2.25” -- this extra ¼” gives you a binding width that is guaranteed to
cover the edge. You might be able to get by with a narrower binding, but
why make that the challenge?
- Another tip: you can try glue basting your binding before sewing it down to keep it from shifting under your walking foot.
- Important! Check your binding when you’re done to make sure you didn’t miss any spots.
January Challenge Quilting Ideas
It’s
been so fun seeing so many plus quilts show up on IG under the
#dcmqg2021challenge. Beyond the basic challenge each month, I plan to
offer some ideas for how to quilt the quilts about 2 weeks after the
initial challenge is laid out, so that no one is overwhelmed and so that
there are some examples from our guildmates to see. These ideas will
be kind of a “choose-your-own-adventure”, based on your current skill
level and what you would like to practice. Even if you are relatively
new to free motion quilting, these charity quilts are a great
opportunity to practice and hone your skills. I recommend making a
small practice sandwich to warm up your design, and then quilt your
whole quilt without taking a critical eye to your work until after it is
done, bound, and washed. I think it is good to look back at your
quilting at that point to see what you like and what you might like to
try differently on the next quilt, but please, be kind to yourself, and
remember that these quilts will be treasured by their recipients.
The Just Get It Done Walking Foot Quilting Options:
If
you are less interested in practicing FMQ and would like to get the
quilt done quickly to move on to your next one, there are some very easy
options that look great, are durable, and don’t take too long (they are
in order of difficulty in my estimation):
Straight-line grid quilting using your presser-foot as a guide. A great example of this idea is from Gretchen Y.
Simply baste your quilt and quilt in straight-ish lines using the seam
lines as your guide to stitch along each side. It is probably best to
feed the quilt through the machine in the same direction each time,
rather than turning your quilt after every line, and slow down as you
get to intersections so that you don’t end up with puckers where the
lines meet. Here’s another example on a fun rainbow plus quilt.
Straight-line improv grid quilting. I think this is the method Carolyn L. used on her quilt, though hers is not as variable as the quilting that, for example, @kitchentablequilting
does on her quilts. Basically, you are doing what you would do in the
last example, only you are using a bar guide to stay straight or a piece
of painter’s tape or marking it with a hera marker or just eye-balling
the distances from a seam line and changing the distance between lines
as you go. Erica Jackman of @kitchentablequilting has some tutorials about this method in her stories.
Straight lines only horizontal or vertical. You could simply sew straightish lines at intervals in one direction on the quilt.
Diagonal grid. In this design, you go from corner to corner diagonally. Here’s an example of what that will look like.
Big
curves. In this design, you would make a big curvy line across the
quilt and then echo it out in either direction, either keeping it
consistent or letting the lines play with each other.
Free Motion Quilting Options:
Cursive
“e”s: If you are relatively new to free motion quilting, you could
practice your cursive “e”s by just making loops all over the quilt in
lines. It gives a nice texture, and your loops will become very regular
by the time you are done. Here’s a nice example of what that would look like.
Here’s a link to a Leah Day tutorial for a Loopy Line design, which shows you how you can start with just those cursive “e”s or expand into a more complicated design.
Practicing
different designs in each plus: I made this quilt last year to practice
different designs in each plus. I picked designs I was better at for
the solid areas where the quilting would be more noticeable, and I tried
newer designs in the more heavily patterned areas where my quilting
wouldn’t be as evident.
Wild quilting: Lynne took this idea to the next level
by ignoring the seam lines and just moving from design to design all
over the quilt. This technique is called Wild Quilting by Christina
Cameli (and she has an excellent class on this on Craftsy), and graffiti
quilting by lots of other quilters. It’s another great way to combine
designs, and it is really fun. You don’t have to know a lot of
different designs to do it, so if you are feeling bold, give it a try!
You might be delighted. 
