Quick+Easy Quilts August/September 2021

A while back on the Quilt & Tell podcast, Victoria Findlay Wolfe was our guest, and she talked about the “beginner mind.” Essentially it refers to having an open mind as you study something or work on your art. I took her words to heart as I navigated the stresses of the pandemic and tried to find my missing sew-jo. I found that starting with what I would consider beginner-level quilting projects, I still found new things that I hadn’t noticed before and newfound joy in finishing a quilt. This issue is filled with quilt patterns that are not only perfect for beginners but also feature projects that might have experienced quilters explore that “beginner mind.” You might look at your fabric in a new way or perhaps find a new…

Carolyn Beam Carolyn is a former editor for several of our magazines and is currently the Editor of Quilter’s World. She lives in Longmont, Colorado. Pam Boswell Pam is a quilt designer living in Lake Charles, Louisiana. When not designing and making quilts, she works for the Louisiana Department of Public Health. Kate Colleran seamslikeadream.com Kate made her first quilt as a teenager and found that designing and making quilts was a great way to express her creative side. She loves that quilting is about being part of a community. She lives in Centennial, Colorado. Michelle Freedman @stitchwellandprosper Michelle is a quilt day-dreamer and textile adventure-seeker! She recently planted a dye garden in her backyard in Portland, Oregon which she plans to use to dye her own textiles. Karen Gibbs karengibbsdesigns.com Karen creates projects out of batiks she designs as the Creative…

Most quilters have basic rotary cutting skills. But did you know that your rotary cutting technique can be improved by making a few small adjustments? I have written two books on rotary cutting, touching on the basics in Power Cutting, and moving forward to more advanced techniques in Power Cutting, Too. Still, there is much more I can tell you. Rotary cutting should be efficient. Speed and accuracy are obvious parts of efficiency. Other elements contributing to efficient rotary cutting are choosing techniques that are best suited for the project, ergonomics and safety. These photos show some hand positions that quilters in my workshops find valuable for improving accuracy, ergonomics and safety. When holding a ruler, always have part of your hand on the mat. If your entire hand is on the…

finished size: 38" × 49¼" finished blocks: 25 (4") BLOCKS I wanted to create a quick baby quilt using fat quarters. I love working with fat quarters! Many times the maker of a baby quilt wants a quick, easy quilt but there is no reason that quick and easy has to mean boring! For this quilt, I wanted it to have simple blocks but in a more modern setting. Starting with a traditional Four-Patch made the blocks quick but then putting them on point and varying the size and the placement added that more modern touch. Plan Kate made this fabulous quilt using fat quarters. She is an expert quilter, so she was able to piece together her leftover scraps for the binding. Isn’t it pretty? You may not have enough fabric for this if…

Imagine: Three hosts of the Quilt & Tell podcast team up with Michelle Freedman from Maywood Studio fabrics. The goal is to find a project quick and easy enough for all three to make in a few weeks–just in time for World Quilting Day. Searching through our archives, we found this quilt designed by Michelle Freedman, using Maywood Studio fabrics, originally published in McCall’s Quick Quilts. Serendipity! Lori, Ginger, and Tracy named their quilts “Michelle Rocks!” Read on to see photos of the finished quilts and the Quilt & Tell Quiltin’ Bee held on World Quilting Day 2021. finished size: 60" × 72" finished blocks: 54 (6" × 10") BLOCKS Plan This quilt is super fast and easy to make. Using strip-pieced bands, you will have this top together in a weekend. Use an accurate ¼"…

1. Cut number of 2½"-wide strips necessary to equal the perimeter of quilt plus 20". Join strips with diagonal seams into one continuous piece. Press seams open. 2. Press binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. 3. Begin in middle of one side of quilt. Leaving a 12" tail of binding free, match raw edges of binding strip to raw edge of quilt top. Use an even-feed or walking foot to sew through all layers with ¼" seam. 4. To miter corners, stop ¼" from corner, backstitch, and remove quilt from sewing machine. 5. Rotate quilt a quarter turn and fold binding straight up, away from the corner, forming a 450 angle fold. TIP: For a satisfying “plump“ binding, we recommend cutting the batting and backing a scant 1/8" larger all around than the quilt…