Quick+Easy Quilts

CHRISTMAS IN JULY Last year, I had the idea to do a Christmas in July issue. Why? Because it is Christmas time when we start working on the issue and chances are good we might have snow on the ground during the photoshoot! Of course, we would need several patriotic quilts in the mix to represent July, too. What I love about this issue is that the majority of quilts can be done in any color palette, so you can make the quilts your own. There are three Christmas quilts in this issue that you can start now and be ready when the first snowflakes fall in a few months. Charisma Horton made Simple Celebrations using 2½" strips. Such a cute pattern to make! Next, Ramona Sorensen designed and made Hollies and…

Patricia Bochey lemontreesnippets.wordpress.com Patricia loves to combine art and geometry and to explore texture with fabrics and textiles. Her style uses abstract design and bright colors to express her vision. Susan Deshensky ladybluequilts.com In addition to being a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician, Susan enjoys community service, animals, and boating on Long Island Sound. She loves paper piecing and teaching, and is a Quiltworx Certified Instructor. Susan resides in Westchester County, New York. 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. Carolyn Florence ucanquilt.com Carolyn started creating quilt kits when her mother began having difficulty cutting out patches. She has turned her adorable kits into a business with her husband who provides longarm services. She lives in Raleigh, North…

Back It Up! You finished your quilt top, now what? Whether you ship your quilt off to a longarm quilter, or finish it yourself, you need to prepare your backing. Below is expert advice on your best use of yardage for quilt backings. Choosing a backing is simple for some quilts. If your quilt is smaller than 36"-wide, you can use a single width of fabric; if it is close to 100", 108"-wide backing fabric makes it easy. In between (or larger than!) those measurements, you have options. Here we share the math to ensure that your backing is large enough, thread tips, and why you might choose your seams to run in a particular direction. Which width is which? The backing fabric must be at least 3"–4" larger than your quilt top on…

finished size: 75" × 75" finished blocks: 25 (12") BLOCKS What I think about most at Christmas time is my dad. He could talk to absolutely anyone. And he did! He was born in a small farming community on December 24th, 1918. Yes, during the Spanish flu pandemic! His mother—my grandmother—taught my mom to hand quilt. The important thing I remember is that Mom always made Dad (and the rest of our family) a nice birthday meal on Christmas Eve. Then she cooked another big family meal on Christmas Day. I really like quilts that use two blocks. Especially when one of the blocks is a “chain” block! They seem to go with any other block you could possibly invent—traditional or modern. Plan Using two values for the red and green solids will help…

Never second guess standard quilt sizes for beds again! Use this information as a guide to planning a quilt for a particular bed. Factors to consider are the mattress size, the mattress thickness, the amount of drop you desire, whether or not to include a pillow tuck, desired distance from the floor, and “take-up” caused by the quilting itself. Suggested Standard Quilt Sizes for Beds Our suggested quilt size dimensions are based in most cases on a mattress depth of 15". No extra length is included for a pillow tuck. Quilting, if moderate to heavy, may reduce the finished size of your quilt by 1" to 3" or more and should be considered when planning the finished size of your quilt. How to Calculate Quilt Size for Bed Type (covering mattress top, sides,…

My grandparents lived just 209 steps down the street from my childhood home. It was magical having them so close. At Christmas, my grandfather always bought us sweet treats. My favorites were the ribbon candies—they swirled in loops and were beautifully glossy. The flavors were amazing—my personal favorites being cherry and orange. This quilt reminds me of those candies with a checkerboard of flavors, and the memories that are tucked away to be brought out every year. finished size: 60" × 70" finished blocks: 22 (10") BLOCKS Plan Dodi created the fun illusion of transparency in the center of her quilt with a medium red solid that is a little darker in value than the dark pink solid. A darker red solid and assorted green solids and tonals for the border blocks…