Happy New Year!

Hello! I am Barbara Esposito @TheQuiltedB.  I love to sew and have a passion for teaching others to do so.  It is a joy to see this craft being passed on to younger folks!  This quilt pattern came about because I was in a place where I needed FOUR baby quilts in the same month.  And that month was December.  I know I just heard a little *gasp*!  The pattern is from my “down and dirty” bag of tricks.  The top can literally be assembled in an afternoon.  It is also a great beginner's pattern.  You can change the look and size quite easily by adding sashing and/or borders (shown at the end of this post with Confetti by Me and My Sister Designs – using yardage instead of a Layer Cake).

Mama's Cottage by April Rosenthal of Prairie Grass Patterns is a prefect collection for quick piecing because all the fabrics play so very nicely together.

These quilts finish approximately 45" by 55" and 50" by 60" respectively.

Who’s ready to whip up a quilt (or two)?

 

Mama’s Cottage

Two Charm Packs 24050PP

One Layer Cake 24050LC

3 Yards 24052-24 for backing

1/2 Yard 24050-16 for binding

 

Begin by laying out the charm squares and make sets of two.  You will need a total of 30 sets (60 charms).  I like to lay all the charm squares out to play with different combinations.  If you are brave you can simply pull two at a time and sew them together.

The Layer Cakes will be cut in half so you can choose 30 different prints and have half Layer Cakes left over, or choose 15 that will be cut in half.  I like to hang on to fabric (can you say “hoarder”?) so this quilt used only 15 Layer Cakes.  In the interest of full disclosure, I did cut up some of the layer cakes to use as 5” squares...

Once the Layer Cakes have been chosen. Trim off ½” from one side.  Take care if your fabric is directional.

Cut the fifteen 9-1/2” by 10” blocks into two long blocks that will measure 5” by 9-1/2” There will be a total of 30 long blocks.

Next match up your Charm sets with a “long” Layer Cake piece.  Sew them together on the long side, and press to the long side.  This will yield 30 blocks.  The finished block should measure 9-1/2”.  Trim the blocks if necessary.

It's time to lay out your rows.  This quilt is 5 blocks across by six blocks down with every other block flipped upside down across the row.

Sew 5 blocks into a row, nesting the seams where the charms and the long block meet.

Continue with the remaining blocks to make 6 rows.

Press your rows in opposite directions – Press Row 1 to the left, Row 2 to the right, etc.  This will help the rows nest together and make all the blocks line up.

Sew the rows together.  BOOM!  Quilt top done!  Now quilt and bind as desired.

Optional Layout!

 

Optional Ingredients for using yardage in place of Layer Cakes, and adding sashing:

Two Charm Packs 22320PP

1-1/2 Yards 22322-29 for “long” blocks

3 Yards 22320-11 for backing

1/2 Yard 22321-28 for binding

One Honey Bun white 9900HB 98 (12 strips are needed)

 

Using the 1-1/2 yard piece of fabric. Consider the fabric pattern directions and cut as follows:

Either Eight 5 inch strips – sub cut into 9-1/2” by 5” blocks

OR

Four 9-1/2” strips – sub cut into 5” by 9-1/2” blocks

These pieces will take the place of the Layer Cakes above.

Assemble blocks as above, using the Long Blocks cut from your yardage in place of the Long Blocks cut from the Layer Cakes.

See the chart below for adding Honey Bun sashing and boarders.

 

NOTE:  Be sure to pin when adding sashing.  It keeps the fabric from stretching out and making your rows all wavy-wonky!

Both of these quilts come together very quickly. I hope you keep them ready in your bag of tricks.  The Confetti quilt is a bit more controlled – the “long” blocks are all the same fabric and sashing was added to bring a bit of order to the top but honestly, either one makes for a quick project.

Molly Kohler of @MollyLovelyThreads did this custom quilting.  Brilliant, no??

I love to share quilting with others, and hope you will give these easy quilts a try.  Once again, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that these two quilts may never, ever make it out of my living room.  And they will most definitely be hidden whenever my sister Nancy is in town...

I really would love to see what you make so please be sure to tag me @TheQuiltedB .

Barbara Esposito

@TheQuiltedB