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Quick Strip Quilt - Variations

One our most popular posts continues to be our Quick Strip Quilt tutorial, so we wanted to share a few variations on that fast and easy quilt. We've created four new and equally simple variations, all made from our Oregon themed batik strip rolls. For basic quick strip quilt technique, and detail photos of all the steps see our original post. 

Aren't they a pretty bunch?

Our first, and simplest, option is to follow the original quick strip quilt instructions, but in the first step sew the short ends of your strips together at a 45 degree angle. You can subcut and repeat the process for more color variation, as in the original, but we felt these quilts didn't need it. 

The quilt above is made with our Douglas Fir roll, with strips placed randomly.

This quilt uses the same technique, but arranges the colors placing the lights in the middle, with mostly green on one side and blues on the other. The quilt is made with our Blue Pool roll. 

We did the same with our Rainbow roll, putting the strips in rainbow order. This one would be such a wonderful children's quilt with all it's bright colors.

In the last version of this technique, we placed all the strips from the Walk in the Woods roll in an order to simulate a picture of just that, walking through the woods.

Our next quilt uses the Sage Meadow roll, and saves the variation until the end. After completing the basic Quick Strip top, measure from the top left of your quilt 19” to the right and cut from top to bottom. Then measure the same amount down and cut from side to side. This divides your quilt top into four parts, two of them square and two rectangular. Rotate both squares 90 degrees, then sew all the pieces back together. 

Our Oregon Sunset roll quilt is all about those gorgeous colors. Strips are divided into five groups - two light, two middle, and one dark. The dark strips are sewn together to form the center, then the middle groups are sewn together and attached to each side of the dark. The lightest strip groups are sewn together and cut until you have long strips approximately 8 1/2" wide. Sew each strip on the outsides and you're done.

This last quilt is made from a free pattern called Jelly Roll with a Zinger and uses the Coastal Fog roll. It's another longtime Stitchin' Post favorite and a simple way to jazz up a strip roll.

Hopefully all these quilts inspires you to try one of these fast and fun beauties for yourself. 

DIY Dog Leash

Remember our post back in December about DIY adjustable dog collars? Well, today we're going talk about making a leash. It's even easier to make, since there is no need to fit your dog or figure out how to make it adjustable. Plus, with one of our leash kits ,you'll have the pattern, hardware, and webbing you need for a 6' leash all in one package. 

Just like with our collars, we carefully selected the metal hardware and nylon webbing to give you the strength and durability you need to keep your dog safely under control. If you're purchasing your pieces separately, make sure to only use a quality welded D-ring, a heavy duty swivel snap and heavy duty nylon webbing. Our leash kits make a 6' leash, but if you want to make a different size you'll need to add 10-12 inches to your desired finished length for your webbing piece. 

The pattern will give you all the construction details for the leash and collar, so let's talk about fabric choice. For a six foot leash you'll need eight inches of 42"-45" width fabric or about a quarter yard. In the dog collar post we go over the types of fabrics that will work, but the real fun of making your own leash or collar is creating something that expresses you and your dog's personality. Almost anything can work, but small scale prints or geometric designs work especially well. Keep in mind that you will only see one inch width of the print at a time. 

We put together a gallery of photos to help inspire you. 

The leashes shown come from Miss Teyla's collection and many have been used for years. Those specific fabrics aren't available, but we searched the store for fabrics that we think would make great leashes (click the photo if you'd like more info about the fabric). 

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You can even make a leash from an old sheet, men's shirt, or other clothing. The one below was made with a sheet from my daughter's first big girl bedding set. She loved the print and wanted to remember her first bedroom. Using an old item is a wonderful way to upcycle and prevent waste, but it's also a great way to preserve a memory or create a unique gift for a dog lover. 

These leashes are also way more comfortable on your hands than mass made, webbing only versions with scratchy nylon thread. Quality quilting cotton is durable and soft, and just feels good. It also washes well. Just be sure to put your leash in a pillowcase or washing bag, and wash with a towel or two so the hardware doesn't damage your washing machine. Lay flat to dry and your leash will look brand new. 

As you can see our adorable model Teyla enjoys her outings and her leashes get a lot of use. She may be more interested in the walks, but does appreciate all the comments she gets about how pretty she looks in her custom collars and leashes. She also enjoyed her reward for being such a good model - getting in the river!

 

Simple Sashiko Projects

Some days you want to enjoy the peace of sewing without a lot of thinking. Ambitious projects, new techniques, and stretching your creative muscles all have their place, but so do simple projects. These elegant placemats, napkins, and coasters are wonderful examples of the beauty of simplicity. 

Whether for yourself, or a quick gift, it's the fabric that makes these projects shine! The placemats below are constructed from two colors of French Sashiko for Moda (one for each side). The fabric is a heavier cotton with contrasting sashiko stitching. The texture is so lovely!

This set of placemats couldn't be any easier. Mats are simply two 18 1/2" x 14 1/2" rectangles sewn right sides together and turned. Push out the corners with a chopstick or turning tool (don't forget to clip corners before turning), then press and hand stitch the opening closed. Last, top stitch around the mat one inch in from the edge. You are finished!

For our mats we used two different fabrics, once for each side. The blue side is French Sashiko in Indigo and the cream side is French Sashiko in Pearl Indigo. We have two other colors of this fabric with the added stitching and three solids (Indigo, Oyster, & Pearl). The solids would be wonderful to add your own stitching to or to use as backing if you don't want reversible mats and/or coasters.

The napkins are made from the fabric Ebb & Flow in Pearl Ocean, using our Placemat & Napkin Pattern by Valori Wells. The simple stripes look fantastic with the stitching in the placemats, and really make the set feel pulled together. 

The reversible coasters above are made with two 4 ½” squares and constructed in the same manner as the placemat. They would look great on any coffee table and are so fast to make. With a half yard of each fabric and an hour or two, you can make 18 coasters! Keep them on hand for the next time you need a gift or want to brighten a friends day. 

Our final project, the grey and cream placemat shown above, is made from another textural woven fabric collection called Boro Foundations from Moda. We followed the Placemat & Napkin sewing card pattern by Valori Wells to make the mat. The black and grey combo looks crisp and modern, while the pattern and texture of the fabrics soften the look and make it something special. 

If you're interested in making these projects or your own with these special fabrics, you can find the French Sashiko collection here and the Boro Foundations collection here. The Placemat & Napkin pattern is available in PDF or printed versions.

Happy Sewing! 

DIY Felt Hydrangea Bouquet

Here in Central Oregon, spring flowers are just starting to poke through the ground. We couldn't wait for them to bloom and bring a little spring cheer, so we made our own flowers. Our bouquet has the added advantages of never wilting, needing water, or activating anyone's allergies. 

Hydrangeas are always a favorite, and they look so good in fabric people think they are real. Set a knock out Easter table with a bouquet or two--or if you aren't hosting, bring a bunch as a gift. While a beautiful bouquet is always wonderful, you could also attach finished flowers to a headband, cover a tote bag in them, or add some to a pillow. 

The key to this project is high quality wool. You need the fabric to be dense enough to hold its shape but still have enough drape to look soft and flexible, like real flower petals. Our flowers are made with Sue Spargo wool . We love it for its wonderful feel and rich color.

Our Hydrangeas may look real, but they're made from wool and floral wire, with a bit of ink for shading. To make a full bouquet does take a bit of time, but is simple enough for older kids and beginning crafters. No sewing skill needed. We created a full video tutorial to walk you through each step, and put all the supplies you need together in a kit so you can't go wrong. Plus, kits cost about the same, or even less than, a single fresh flower bouquet and you won't have to throw them away after a week. 

The picture above shows the size of one completed purple hydrangea kit. Add a second kit or mix colors for a larger bouquet (like in the first picture).

Now for all the details... 

Supplies:

• Hydrangea Kit or
  • 2 - 9" x 11" quality felted wool fabric (we used Sue Spargo Wool) in two colors for each group of flowers
  • 1 - 6" x 9" piece of green felted wool fabric for leaves 
  • floral wire
  • floral tape
• hot glue
• all-purpose ink 
• paper towel

Tools:

• Sharp Scissors
• Pinking Shears
• Low Temp Glue Gun
• Wire Snips
• Round or Needle Nose Pliers
• Fantastix (to apply ink)

Once you've got all your materials together this video will lead you through the process of making your flowers one step at a time. 

In the video we show you how to free-cut each flower and leaf, but if you prefer, you can make a template to trace and then cut from. Download the template page, and trace onto a sheet of template plastic or card stock. Download the templates here.

Your last step is to gather the flowers into bunches and wrap with floral tape. Real hydrangeas grow in clusters and grouping your stems makes it easier to arrange and helps them stay put in a vase. For each kit we make four clusters of flowers. One large, one medium, and two small. To make a cluster start with a single flower and build your arrangement around it. You want to approximate a half dome shape. Start making your final arrangement with the large cluster and arrange your other clusters around it. Be sure to vary the height of your flowers when making clusters and the height of your clusters when doing your final arranging. Once you have your clusters arranged you can secure them with more tape or use a green rubber band if you want to be able to take them apart later. 

Here's a few close-ups of our finished flowers. See how subtle the inking is, but how much it adds to the look. You can also see how using two similar colors of wool gives the flowers a more natural look. 

We hope you enjoy this project. Share your finished bouquets  in our Show Us Your Stuff Facebook group or use tag #stitchinpost on Instagram.

Let us know if you liked this kit and tutorial. We have some other flower types we could offer if there is enough interest. 

Happy crafting!

Face Mask Tips, Patterns, and Information

Face masks are in desperate need and anyone who can sew, can help. We've gathered the best information and patterns we could find and added some of our own tips and tricks in this post. We also created an information page on our website that we will update as more information becomes available. 

Let's get started with some general information and guidelines...

Each organization accepting masks has its own needs and requirements. Before you start sewing find an organization in need, get their requirements, then choose your mask pattern to fit.

Completed masks can be donated at many local hospitals. If your hospital isn't accepting masks at this time they can still be a good source of information. More organizations who may be accepting donations are hospice care, senior centers, first responders, and shelters. Other options for finding an organization in need are to contact your local quilting guild or quilt shop, join a mask making group on Facebook, ask a healthcare professional you know, or check your local news and community websites.

If you are in Central Oregon,  Partners in Care (a hospice and home health organization) reached out to us and is in desperate need of masks. You can also join Central Oregon Emergency Mask Makers Facebook group. They are organizing mask making and collection, and are a great source for up to date patterns and information. 

General Mask Requirements
Use tightly woven 100% cotton fabric & cotton thread
Remember that both men & women need masks
Masks will be washed and sterilized before use
Any excess masks will be donated to others in need

Possible Organization Specific Requirements
No elastic (it may have latex)
Nose pocket for wire
Filter pocket
Set size

In general pleated masks with fabric or ribbon ties are preferred. 

Now that you have the basics, here are some pattern options...

Mask Patterns & Tutorials

• Video tutorial- Double layer with nose wire, filter pocket and elastic from Easy to Sew
• Pattern - Double layer contour mask with ties from Free Sewing
• Pattern - Double layer with filter pocket and ties from St. Charles Hospital  

Tips & Tricks (most apply to the pleated style mask)

1) Cut and sew your masks in batches. For example if you are sewing the pleated style mask, most instructions have you complete the rectangular face portion then add the ties to the sides. It's faster and easier to cut your fabric two to four times the width of a single mask, follow all the construction instructions, then measure and cut your individual masks.

This method works great for fat quarters and a pleated style mask. You can get six masks (without ties) from two fat quarters with almost zero waste. Use ribbon, bias tape, yardage, or another fat quarter for the ties. 

Steps below are meant to be adapted to your patten, not a full pattern.

Place fat quarters right sides together and square up. Sew a 1/4" seam along both long edges (note: this won't work for a directional print). Cut in half lengthwise.

With one of the halves, mark and turn back cut edges 1/4" inch. Sew turned edge. Repeat this, and remaining steps, for both sides.

Lay flat and pleat both sides, using the turned edge as the top (see pleating tip below).

Square raw edges if needed and cut into three equal sections (about 7 1/4" each)

Fold right sides together and sew turned down edge in 1 3/4" from each side. This will leave a gap in the top middle of the mask to insert a filter.

Turn right sides out and press.

Add ties to the sides (see tip below) and you're done. Six masks from two fat quarters and very little time.

2) If you have pre-made bias tape or cotton ribbon, using them for ties will speed up construction significantly. Just make sure anything you use is 100% cotton, durable, and can be laundered 

3) When making your own ties, use a bias tape maker or try this hack with pins. Pins should be about an iron width apart and make sure the pins you use can be ironed over. Pressing your strip in half first gives you a guide to follow as you pull your strip through the pins. Strips should be cut 1 1/2" wide by 36". Finished tie will be 3/8" wide

4) Make a paper pleating guide. Measurements shown are what we used for our fat quarter masks, alter the measurements to fit your pattern. This guide makes two pleats.

5) Use two different fabrics, one for the front and a second for the back. This helps wearers keep track of which side faces out if they need to remove the mask. 

6) Tightly zigzag the ends of your ties instead of folding fabric back. This eliminates bulk that can be difficult to sew over and saves time, but still gives a finished edge. 

7) Open your bias tape/ties and sew to back of mask, before sewing entire tie and top stitching on front of mask. This is more secure and much easier than worrying about catching both sides of the tie with one stitch.

If you have any tips to add, please leave them in the comments.

Organizations Accepting Masks in Central Oregon 

• Partners in Care (home health & hospice care)
• Central Oregon Emergency Mask Makers Facebook group
• St. Charles Hospital

If you know of an organization that would like to be included on our list please email us at [email protected] or leave a comment. 

Thanks for helping. We can do this together!

 

No Knit Yarn Hats

Christmas is only a few days away! Most of us are super busy with last minute preparations; focused on wrapping, baking, and simply getting through it all. So our last project of Christmas couldn't be easier, plus you probably already have everything you need to make it. These adorable yarn hats only take a few minutes to put together and make charming package toppers or a quick last minute ornament to give. 

Let's get right to making one...

You'll need: yarn, card stock or toilet roll, glue or double sided tape, thread, and some scissors

We used worsted weight red and green yarns from our stash, card stock in similar colors to the yarn and strong scrapbooking double sided tape. Just about any scrap yarn you have will work for this project, but if you go for a super thin or thick yarn you may need to change the dimensions of your base circle.

Cut your materials (makes 1 hat):

    card stock  3/4" x 6" or toilet roll 3/4" wide round

    yarn 14" lengths

Using double sided tape or glue, form your card stock strip into a circle (overlapping the ends 1/2") making the hat base. Fold a yarn piece in half and wrap it around the base, pulling the cut ends of the yarn through the loop made by the fold. Repeat until the entire hat base is covered. The number of strips you need is dependent on your yarn weight. Keep adding yarn pieces until the base is fully covered, pushing them together as you add them. We used about 46 strips per hat. The more you add, the better your finished hat will look. 

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Once the base is entirely covered with the yarn, gather up the all the cut ends of yarn and tie tightly (with more yarn) about 2 1/2" above bottom of hat. Trim ends to make the pom pom. Add thread or ribbon to hang. 

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Fill your hat with yarn or batting to get that rounded shape. We used the yarn trimming scraps from the last step and found that because we used wool yarn they stayed inside on their own, but you can also finish your hat by gluing on card stock or a piece of fabric trimmed to fit the hat opening. 

Have fun and Happy Holidays!

If you're looking for more last minute holiday ideas, check out some of our previous blog posts:

Wrap It Up

DIY Fabric Chain

Three Scarves You Can Make in an Hour

Favorite Holiday Cookies

Make Your Own Veggie Bags

Every little bit helps when in comes to living greener. One way to make a difference is by using reusable produce bags, instead of plastic. While reducing your plastic use is an obvious benefit, the ventilation in mesh veggie bags can help your fruits and vegetables stay fresh longer and you can wash them right in the bag. Making your own bags also allows you to customize the bag size to the type of produce you buy regularly, getting rid of all that wadded up plastic in your vegetable drawer for a single lemon. On top of that, these bags look great, are strong, durable, and easily washable. It's pretty easy to "do the right thing" when it also makes your life easier.

Pair a set of bags with a grocery tote, some beautiful fruit, or a set of beeswax wraps for a thoughtful and useful gift any time of year. You can make up a set or two in a couple of hours max - and I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend the time with my sewing machine than braving the mall. 

On to the good part - making the bags! First you'll need to gather your materials: stretchy, fine mesh fabric (not netting, tulle, or large mesh), fabric for the top casing, cording, and toggle closures. The key to the best bags is finding the right fabric. Make sure your fabric has a fair amount of stretch to it to accommodate all shapes and sizes of produce. It should also be soft and have small holes in the mesh. Large holes can catch on stems or leaves, damaging your bag or your produce. Lastly, you want fabric that can tolerate a cool iron. Mesh fabric has a tendency to buckle and gather a bit when sewn, and pressing is the key to flat seams. 

We like Sensua Mesh fabric for this project. It has 25% four-way stretch, is 74% nylon 26% spandex, is cool iron friendly, and has tiny holes. We put together kits with everything you need to make four bags of varied sizes, or you can purchase the fabric and pattern separately. Kit's include instructions, 1/2 yard mesh fabric, casing fabric, cording, and 4 toggle closures.

 

We've made enough of these bags now to have a few tips to help ensure your process goes smoothly and your bags look amazing. 

• Use a walking foot if you have one.
• Start and finish your seams with a "bunny tail" (a small non-mesh fabric scrap).
• Use a wider seam allowance  - 3/8 to 5/8, depending on your machine and comfort level. If your seam is too narrow, the fabric can be pulled inside your machine. 
• Press all your seams. The fabric is very lightweight and stretchy, so has a tendency to ripple and gather a bit, pressing will keep it flat.
• Add your cording to the casing before you stitch it to the bag - so much easier than feeding it through after! Just be careful not to sew over it.
• Cut your casing piece 1/2" longer than you need. Pause at the end of stitching it to the bag and trim it to fit exactly. (Don't forget to leave enough to fold the raw edge over.)
• Use nylon cording. You can melt the ends so it won't ravel and the cording will hold up to lots of use.

(photo shows navy mesh and old scrap fabric, not fabric included in navy kit)

If you are making the four bags from the kit, they will all fit nicely inside the smallest bag for storage. Keep a set or two in your car, purse, or inside your grocery totes and you'll always be ready. These bags also work great as a laundry bag for delicates, or to hold artisan style bread that needs to breathe. 

Little Wallet - Tutorial

One of our most popular patterns is Valori's Little Wallet. It's easy to understand why - it's quick to make, only needs two fat quarters, and is so versatile. Organize a few cards and bit of cash in a small bag or your pocket. Use your wallet to help you corral of all those reward cards and business cards floating around the bottom of your bag. Slide it in the front of your carry-on bag to organize your ID and essentials for travel. Make a gift card more personal by gifting it inside a little wallet, with a print you know they'll love--Just the thing!

Depending on the fabric you choose these wallets can be whimsical, sophisticated, funky or casual. They are a wonderful way to show off a little of your own handmade style. Here's a gallery of wallets to inspire you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you believe how different they can look?!

Did you notice the wallets made from Kraft-tex? Kraft-tex is a paper fabric. It's the same stuff Levi jean tags are made from. So it's washable, durable, and has a unique texture. The browns look a lot like leather. Besides being a different look and very sturdy, Kraft-tex doesn't ravel, so you can leave all your edges raw. No folding, pressing, or flipping! Just layer your pockets (don't cut on fold--you only need one layer of fabric) on top of the body piece and stitch. It couldn't be any easier.

To make your own wallet you'll need the pattern, 1/4 yard of two fabrics (fat quarters are fine), a 6" x 9" piece of interfacing, and 1 large snap. We made a variety of kits that include the fabric, interfacing, and 1 large (sew-on) snap. We kept the pattern separate, so you could make multiple wallets without purchasing the pattern more than once. That helped us keep the cost of the kits low ($4.50). That's about the same as many cards and a lot more useful. Plus, you can probably make one in less time than it takes to pick out a card. 

Once you have all your supplies, follow the pattern instructions to cut out all your pieces. If you plan to make more than one wallet, we recommend tracing the pattern templates on template plastic for easier cutting and durability.

We put together a photo tutorial of all the steps for making a Little Wallet to help make the process even easier. Let's get started...

Step 1: Gather Materials, Cut, Press Pockets

Step 2: Interfacing  & Stacking

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Step 3: Sew, Press, & Turn

 

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Step 4: Add A Snap

Step 5: Tada! Enjoy your new wallet.

Shop Supplies:

Little Wallet Kits

Kraft-tex

PDF Pattern

Printed Pattern

Template Plastic

Snap Setter Tool

Snap Setter Adapter (for pearl snaps) 

Pearl Snaps

 

 

 

D.I.Y. Beeswax Wraps

While you're thinking about gifts this year, consider giving a gift to our environment and try using beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap. Beeswax wraps are a wonderful natural alternative for keeping food protected. Use them in a lunch bag to wrap a sandwich or a cookie. Wrap and store cheese, fruit, or vegetables in the refrigerator. Wrap up a baked good for a snack on the run or to share with a friend. Beeswax wraps work brilliantly with just about any cold, dry food. 

Besides being good to our environment, using beeswax wraps has other benefits. They're reusable, unlike plastic wrap, so they save you money. They're a natural product (only cotton, beeswax, and jojoba oil) and won't expose your food to any unknown chemicals. Our large round wraps also do double duty as a clean mat when eating your lunch, or snack, protecting you or your family from questionable public surfaces. If all that's not enough, they are darn cute to boot. 

Even though beeswax wraps are awesome, they aren't the same as plastic wrap. Don't wrap hot or warm food (the wax will melt). Also, don't try the old seal the bowl and flip it upside down trick they do in plastic wrap commercials--it won't be pretty. Beeswax wraps will not cling like plastic wrap, and they aren't air tight. That's a bonus for things like cheese, bread loaves, and produce that like to breathe, but they won't work well with liquids, food that turns brown, or to contain strong odors. 

If you've read other tutorials, it's likely you've seen some telling you that adding pine resin to your wrap will make it cling. We did a lot of testing and have to say that while yes it will add a tiny bit of tackiness, it's not worth it. The wraps still won't stick like plastic wrap and the resin makes the application process a lot more troublesome (it clumps!). If you want to use your wrap as a bowl cover, we recommend adding skinny elastic to the edges instead. You'll be much happier with the results. 

We also used our test runs to determine the best recipe and technique to use for a flexible wrap with no wax cracking or flaking off. In the end we felt a two part application had the very best results. It only takes an extra minute or two and the finished wrap is just as good as any store bought product. To make it easy for you to give making your own a try we created a video and instruction sheet with all the details.

 

Find the written instructions here.

Even better, we made kits with absolutely everything you need to make three large wraps. No need to search for food safe ingredients or buy huge amounts you won't use. Kits includes the oil and wax pre-mixed for you, enough fabric for three 14" circle wraps, hook & loop tape, and a 1" paint brush to apply the wax. It's all wrapped up in a wide mouth quart mason jar ready for you to melt your mixture in. All you'll need to complete your wraps is 20-30 minutes and a couple household supplies!

Kits feature Betty's Luncheonette fabric and come with two color options: pink and orange, or blue and green. They make a great gift as is, or enjoy making them yourself, then give one with a treat wrapped inside. We also offer beeswax wrap kits without the fabric, so you can use the fabric of your choice--just be sure to pick fabric that is 100% cotton. 

This is a gift you can feel good about giving!  Everyone can use them, and at less than $20 for three wraps you can give them to everyone on your list. 

Wonky Four Patch - Part 1

February's project of the month is a wonky four patch quilt made from Grunge Hits the Spot 10' squares. The finished quilt will look something like this ...

"Something like," because obviously my quilt is still in progress, and because this project is designed to be random and unique. All my four patch blocks are done, but I'm still moving them around on my design board to find the composition I like best.

Now that you have an idea of our final look, let's go a few steps back and talk about how I selected the colors for my block groups. To make the blocks for this quilt you need to divide the squares into groups of four (each group will make 4 blocks). My package came with 42 squares, so I could make up to 10 groups of four. I decided I wanted my quilt to be 5 x 7 blocks or 6 x 6 blocks, which means I need nine groups of four (36 sqs total). Ok, task number one is to eliminate six squares. 

I selected 36 squares, then folded them in quarters and laid them out side by side.

Anything stand out? Yes! The white immediately draws your eye, and not in a good way. For this quilt I wanted a harmonious mix, and not a focus color. The white has to go. 

Besides eyeballing it, try taking a photo in both color and black and white. You will see things differently. 

The white is even more obvious in the black and white photo. 

Take two - I replaced the white with lavender and the pink with yellow. I think the pink worked ok in the mix above, I just have personal issues with light pink and wanted to bring in the purple so the dark purple had a light companion. 

This time I didn't like the yellow and replaced it with a second lavender square. Much better. In the end, I eliminated two white, two yellow, and two pink squares. 

Next, I divided my colors into warm vs cool, and then split the warm and cool groups into light and dark halves.  

(top left = warm dark, top right = cool dark, bottom left = warm light, bottom right = cool light)

You will have to imagine the lavender in place of the pink and white. I forgot to retake the photo after I finished playing with my colors. I'm sure you get the idea anyway. 

At this point there are four groups of nine squares, but we want nine groups of four. To make my final groups I pulled one piece from each group. Taking the time to divide your fabrics into four groups and then building your sets helps ensure there is balanced color distribution and contrast in every block and across the entire quilt top.

I set myself a few other guidelines for selection my groups. Each group of four should have no more than one neutral color (creams, browns, greys & black) and the remaining three colors selected should include as many varied colors as possible. In other words chose a neutral and try not to select three blues in the same set. Here are the groups I came up with. 

You won't be able to keep to all the guidelines/rules in every group (there is a lot of blue and orange), but the more you can, the more unified the finished quilt top will look. 

In the example group below I have two blues, but I tried to keep them as different as possible by selecting one dark blue and one lighter and brighter blue. 

You can apply the same principles to other groups of fabric, or try dividing your fabric by color family, print size, value, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Just shoot for even distribution of color/print across the quilt top and enough contrast in the blocks to see each section clearly. 

Here's an example with prints from the Garden Delights bundle. With this fabric I first spilt the pack into color groups: red and purple or blue and green. Then I split each color group into a light and dark group. I also tried making four color groups, but found there wasn't enough contrast. 

Pulling one fabric from each group you'd get block something like this...

A completely different look from the Grunge collection, but equally pretty. 

Next post we will go over how to construct your wonky four patch blocks and put them together. No pattern required! 

Cheers,

Samantha