Clementine Quilt Along :: Finishing Up

It's hard to believe that the Clementine Quilt Along, hosted by Fat Quarter Shop, is coming to an end. Each month has been an adventure leading toward my beautiful finished quilt! I'm absolutely thrilled with how this quilt turned out. Even better than I had hoped.

Choosing solid fabrics from a computerized swatch is pretty risky, but I'm so happy with how well these colors all play together. And I like how the soft sea foam green pulls all of the fabrics together.

I'm so happy that this quilt along benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which helps advance cures for childhood disease. I also love that Moda Fabrics will match up to $20,000 of our donations. Click HERE to see how you can help!

I couldn't be happier with the modern loops quilting done by Utah Valley Quilting. Charlie thinks it really makes my quilt shine. And for those of you who have cats, you know it's good when you get their approval!

Have you been participating in the Clementine Quilt Along? If so, leave a comment below. I'd love to check out your quilt on your blog or Instagram.

Clementine Quilt Along :: Strawberry Stars

It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway through the year and that we're on our sixth and final block for the Clementine Quilt Along to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It has been such a joy to work on these beautiful quilt blocks each month. And I think Fat Quarter Shop actually saved the best for last!

I simply love these star blocks. Each block is made using one four-patch, four flying geese, and four corner squares. The really go together quickly and easily. I'm pretty certain that I'll be using this block in a future quilt.

It's going to be so fun and exciting to assemble these blocks into a quilt next month. I'm really loving the Moda Bella Solids that I chose and hope that they come together to make a beautiful quilt. I have a feeling that they will!

Hop on over to Fat Quarter Shop's blog for this pattern and all of the details on how you can donate to St. Jude!

Saguaro Quilt Tutorial

I've been promising a tutorial for my Saguaro Quilt for quite some time, and today I'm finally going to deliver! I actually had the idea for this cactus quilt rolling around in my head for several months before I put pencil to paper, and it was last October that I made my first block and posted it to Instagram. You can see more pictures of this quilt on my blog post HERE.

These Saguaro blocks are a good way to make a dent in your green scraps. For more variety, I recommend swapping some 2.5" green squares with your friends! I'm SO grateful for my friends who donated their scraps when I made my quilt! 

Keep in mind that this isn't a quilt pattern...simply a tutorial, so you may have to do some figuring out on your own. But you're smart, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. I will give you measurements assuming that your seam allowance is a perfect scant 1/4" and all of your blocks measure a perfect 12.5"x 20.5" (unfinished). Please measure your completed blocks before cutting your sashing and borders. You may need to adjust the lengths to fit.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS FOR QUILT

3-1/2 yards PINK BACKGROUND

Lots and lots of GREEN SCRAPS

BLOCK CUTTING GUIDELINES

Color	Size	1 Block	12 Blocks
Green	2.5" x 2.5"	30	360
	1.5" x 1.5"	2	24
Pink	8.5" x 4.5"	1	12
	6.5" x 4.5"	1	12
	12.5" x 2.5"	1	12
	10.5" x 2.5"	1	12
	4.5" x 2.5"	1	12
	2.5" x 2.5"	1	12
	1.5" x 1.5"	2	24
	1" x 1"	6	72
P/G HST	2.5" x 2.5"	2	24

P/G HST = Pink and Green Half Square Triangles. Use your favorite method to make 24.

These cactus quilt blocks have ten "stitch and flip" corners. Placement is shown in the diagram (typed in BLACK) and photo below. Place the square on the corner of the fabric, right sides together. Stitch diagonally, press back to check for accuracy, then trim.

The unfinished block measures 12.5" x 20.5".

NOTE: You will need to make SEVEN blocks as diagrammed below, and FIVE that are opposite.

You may notice that the 1' x 1" squares aren't added to the bottom of this saguaro.
This was my prototype, so they were added later.

SASHING AND BORDERS

Horizontal Sashing	12	12.5" x 4.5"
Vertical Sashing	3	72.5" x 4.5"
Side Borders	2	72.5" x 4.5"
Top and Bottom Borders	2	58.5" x 4.5"

Assemble the cactus quilt blocks as diagrammed below.

I'm so eager to see your Saguaro Quilts! Will you use a pink background or do you have another color in mind? Please use the following hashtags when you share your pictures on social media.

#saguaroquilt

#cactusquilt

Saguaro Quilt

Now that the holidays are over and I'm done traveling for a while, I'm finally able to blog about my Saguaro Quilt. The idea for a cactus quilt has been been rattling around in my brain for almost a year now, but it wasn't until I was at a quilt retreat last November that I actually made my first block.

A year and a half ago I made a pineapple quilt, using a tutorial by Jackie Padesky. Two and a half-inch squares and half-square triangles are the basis for the pineapple blocks. These saguaro blocks are similar. Thirty 2.5" squares, a couple of half-square triangles, and a handful of "flip and stitch" corners. When chain pieced, these big blocks go together quite quickly.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make this cactus quilt with a pink backing, but these cute note cards from the Dollar Spot at Target reconfirmed my decision! I used the 2017 Kona Color of the Year, Pink Flamingo (AKA the perfect pink!), as my background choice.

I was somewhat uncertain which fabric I wanted to use for the binding. I ended up going with this green gingham, which I cut on the bias, even though most people chose a green and white bias when I posted a poll on my Instagram story. But I'm very happy with my decision!

This awesome Kaffe Fassett backing was purchased at The Quilter's Lodge (Thanks, Robyn!) and the modern loops quilting was done by Utah Valley Quilting.

As promised, you can find a free tutorial for the Saguaro Quilt HERE.

A big shoutout to my daughter, Kirsten, who was my quilt holder. We made several stops in the desert on the way home from California last week. Mother Nature gave us a run for our money, but we won in the end!

#saguaroquilt

#cactusquilt

Dacha Quilt Tutorial

It was such a privilege to make this Dacha quilt for RJR's "What Shade Are You?" blog. Working with all of these bright fabrics was so much fun! Don't you just love the way that they stand out against the freshly fallen snow? You can find the original blog post HERE on the Quilt With Love blog.

I've had several people ask me if I was going to make a pattern for this quilt. That wasn't my original plan, but I decided to throw together a quick tutorial, for those who might be interested in making something similar.

Although I love this quilt in solids, I can also imagine this as a scrappy quilt, so I'll give directions for an individual house block, and will also include basic guidelines for making the quilt as it is shown.

For each house block you will need the following pieces:

House

• One (1) - 3.5" x 6.5"
• One (1) - 2" x 2.5"
• Two (2) - 5.5" x 2.5"

Door

• One (1) - 4" x 2.5"

Background

• Two (2) - 3.5" x 3.5"

To make the roof, draw a diagonal line on the back of each background square. Sew on the line, as shown below. Press back to make sure your blocks is square, then trim. Repeat on the other side to make one flying geese...or is the one flying goose? Haha.

Sew the small house piece to the top of the door piece.

Assemble the block as shown below. Block size is 6" x 8" (finished).

You will need 49 blocks to make the quilt as shown. It measures approximately 57" x 72".

For this design, I selected the 12 house colors from primary, secondary, and tertiary colors of the color wheel, in deep saturated shades. I used RJR Cotton Supreme Solids, which are listed on the Quilt With Love blog.

IMPORTANT: You will need 1/4 yard of each fabric. Please note that 1/4 yard will allow enough to make 4 houses. If you do the math, you'll realize that only gives you 48 houses, so make sure that you have a little extra of one of the colors to make the 49th house.

The cutting requirements for the house fabrics are pretty tight, so be mindful that you have a full nine (9) inches from which to cut.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS:

HOUSE FABRICS - 1/4 yard - 12 different colors 

From each solid, cut the following.

One (1) 3.5" strip, subcut into:

•  Four (4) 6.5" x 3.5" (roof)

Two (2) 2.5" strips, subcut into:

• Eight (8) 5.5" x 2.5" (house)
• Four (4) 2" x 2.5" (house)
• Four (4) 4" x 2.5" (door)

BACKGROUND FABRIC - 2.5 yards

Nine (9) 3.5" strips, subcut into:

• Ninety-eight (98) 3.5" squares

Nine (9) 1.5" strips, subcut into:

• Forty-nine (49) 6.5" x 1.5" (horizontal sashing)

Eight (8) 1.5" strips (vertical sashing)

Note: you may be able to get by with only seven (7) cuts, if you use leftovers from the horizontal sashing.

• Cut and piece together to fit

Seven (7) 4" strips (borders)

BINDING - 1/2 yard

I hope that you find this tutorial helpful. If you make your own Dacha quilt, please use the hashtag #dachaquilt and tag me on Instagram (@kairleoaks). I'd love to see your work!

Quilted by Utah Valley Quilting.

En Pointe Bag :: Moda Bake Shop

Who doesn't love a great fall bag? This one is made using those adorable mini charms that we simply can't resist. Hop on over to Moda Bake Shop for the tutorial. You'll be happy you did!

Mini Charm Chocolates Quilt :: Fat Quarter Shop Shortcut Quilt

It's always so much fun to test out a new pattern. This Mini Charm Chocolates by Fat Quarter Shop was quick and easy to make. I love how the Moda Bella Solids gives a modern feel to this baby quilt.

I went with straight line quilting, which is easy to do on your home machine, especially on a quilt this size. This baby size finishes at 30"x38".

This is the first time I've ever used purple for binding, but I think it was the perfect choice for this quilt.

I'm happy with how quickly this quilt went together, and I know I'll be using this pattern again when I need a baby gift in a hurry.

Fat Quarter Cobblestone :: Fat Quarter Shop Shortcut Quilt

Today I'm happy to share my Fat Quarter Cobblestone quilt, which is part of the Shortcut series by Fat Quarter Shop. This quilt is great for those of us who enjoy instant satisfaction from time to time. The blocks are big, which showcases your fabrics, the pattern is precise, and all of the pieces go together quickly.

When I chose my fabrics back in August, I wanted to add to my Christmas quilt collection. This MerryBerry line by BasicGrey for Moda Fabrics was the perfect selection. This fabric line combines updated prints with traditional color and feel.

And the stripes from MerryBerry are perfect for binding!

I absolutely love this holly and berry quilt motif, done by Utah Valley Quilting, which really adds to the charm of the quilt.

If you're looking for a fun and simple quilt that looks great and goes together quickly, look no farther. This is the pattern for you! Pop on over to the Jolly Jabber for more information on this quilt along.