Quick+Easy Quilts

FAST LANE These two words struck me in an interesting way. My first thought was how they relate to cars, racing, and driving. My next thought was about quick finishes—those quilts that you need to finish in a hurry because the baby came early or graduation is fast approaching. Yes, yes I could create an issue theme around these two words. Thus, the April/May issue of Quick + Easy Quilts is full of quilts that are either perfect for the car lover in your life or abundantly fast to make. Our cover quilt is Finish Line by Annette Falvo. We loved this dynamic quilt pattern that was inspired by the colored flags in the Grand Prix. We decided to pattern it using fusible appliqué to ensure that even beginners can make this…

Natalie Crabtree @njcrabtree Natalie lived in Kyoto, Japan near the Nishijin Textile district for a year with her husband and considers it the most fulfilling time in her life. She lives in Mason, Ohio. Rachelle Craig rachellehandmade.com Rachelle is a civil engineer by trade who enjoys the entire process of quilt making—from the spark of inspiration to the tangible quilt. She lives in Wonewoc, Wisconsin with her husband and two cats. Abigail Dolinger abyquilts.wordpress.com Abigail is the Children's Ministry Director at her church and enjoys sharing her love of sewing with the children. A lifelong quilter, Abigail is from Lillington, North Carolina. Annette Falvo Annette is a former technical editor for Love of Quilting. She enjoys the mathematical aspect quilting requires, and likes to incorporate unexpected design elements into her quilts. Annette resides in Golden, Colorado. Cassie Harms @cassieharmsdesigns Cassie's inspiration lies in…

Perfect Formation: Tips for Flawless Flying Geese Stitch-and-flip. It sounds so easy. So why do Flying Geese and Snowball corners look so wonky sometimes? Chalk it up to a corner that pulls to one side as it goes through the feed dogs, and you might have a goose that seems a little drunk! Here are some handy tricks to keep those geese flying straight. Make it Perfect Draw a line on your square patch from corner to corner. This is your stitch line. However, rather than stitch directly on the line, stitch about one thread width away from the line as shown. Press your square to set your stitches, then fold the corner back—aligning it with it with the corner of your rectangle. You see how your stitched line isn't as important as ensuring…

finished size: 56” × 64” finished blocks: 4”, 6”, 8”, 10” BLOCKS I love sampler quilts. They are so interesting to look at. Scrappy is best! The more fabric, the better. With the different blocks and fabrics, you just have to keep looking at the quilt. I love the combination of appliqué, curved piecing, and classic patchwork. This quilt makes me think of a vintage quilt made with feed sacks. I love the farming and rural community that I come from, and the sense of history and family that this kind of environment brings. kari Plan Are you ready for part three of our very first series quilt? Kari Mathews designed this beautiful sampler quilt, and we thought it was the perfect design to teach a beginner to quilt or to keep seasoned quilters engaged…

You are sew Accurate! Have you ever made all your quilt blocks for a quilt only to realize they aren't all the same size? If you have, you are not alone. Sewing an accurate seam allowance takes more than just throwing a specialty foot on your machine. It takes practice to become consistent when even slight differences can significantly affect your results in a project with many seams. Beyond that consistent seam, there are other factors that make a difference in your finished block. When patches are opened and pressed, a bit of fabric is “lost” in the seam, which can leave you with sewn units that are slightly too small unless you take this into account when stitching. The block you are making also makes a difference. Let's consider two different blocks.…

Creating Faced Appliqué Here we share step-by-step instructions for creating the Dresden Plate block. This handy technique uses fusible interfacing to aid in turning the curved seam allowance for appliqué. Quilters who love this technique like how they don't have to worry about turning the seam allowance. Give it a try—if you love it, you can use this technique for most appliqué shapes. 5. Trim away the interfacing and Dresden approximately ⅛” away from the curved seams. Gently clip interfacing at the intersections between the blades, being careful not to cut through the seam. Gently turn right side out through the Dresden center opening and smooth the curved edges of the blades with a turning tool or chopstick (Do not use an iron).…