Sunday, February 25, 2018

Scrumptious Scraps Quilt-Along - The Ever-Faithful 4-Patch!

Hi, all!

It's that time again - time for another great scrap quilt tutorial, simple and quick enough for charity quilts.  After all, the idea is to inspire you to make quilts for this year's Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge, right?  I hop you're been enjoying the quilts we've shared so far - today's is one of my favorites, and a great scrap buster!  Enjoy the tutorial, and be sure to hang on until the end, when I'll announce the winner of last week's scrappy giveaway - and since I still have an over-abundance of scraps, there'll be another change at a package of scraps this week!

**&**&**&**&**&**


Thankfully, we were blessed with some beautiful sunny days after I finished this quilt, and I got some good pictures.  This simple quilt is a variation on a four-patch design, and works up quickly and easily!


This was the inspiration shot I started from (no way to attribute it, as it goes to an unconnected link. If it's yours, I'm sorry!)  As I was making my version, I fully intended to run my background strips horizontally, but when it was finished, I found that I preferred them running vertically.  The advantage of a square quilt?  You can change your mind!  So here's how I made it...


The first thing I needed was four-patch blocks.  These are each made using two different fabrics, although I suppose you could use four different fabrics if you preferred.  My friend Lisa helped me out and made the four-patch blocks for me, using some of the over-abundance of 3.5" squares we had on hand at church.  I sorted out 80 four-patch blocks in mostly bright colors for this quilt.


These blocks measured 6.5" unfinished, so I cut 2" x 6.5" strips in one of my favorite grays to act as sashing between them.  I chose to have my sashing strips finish out at 1.5" wide because I felt that width would look good in proportion to the 3" finished squares in the four-patch blocks.


 Isn't chain piecing wonderful?  A stack of sashing strips and a stack of four-patch blocks and an hour, and you've got the building blocks for your quilt top!  I sewed one sashing strip to the right side of each four-patch block, then pressed the seam towards the sashing strip.


Once all the building blocks were complete and pressed, it was time to lay it out on the design wall.  By the way, if you don't have a design wall, I highly recommend the Fons & Porter design wall.  Basically a plastic backed piece of flannel-like material with grommets at the top, it hangs on Command Hooks that I mounted on a wood piece that sits on top of my fabric storage shelves.  When I need it, I hang it up in front of the shelves, when I don't, it folds up and sits in a drawer!  

The picture above was one of many layouts I fiddled around with.  I'm not very good at discerning color values (light to dark) with multiple colors, but I've discovered that my phone has a great tool to help with the process - the "mono" filter will transfer the picture to black and white, and then it's easy to see which blocks read darker or lighter!

 

You can see just how much easier it is to see in this picture.  The light blocks are easily distinguishable from the dark blocks, and can be moved around as needed.


And once again, here's the finished layout.  I chose to organize my colors on the diagonal, putting the darkest blocks in the lower left and the lightest ones in the upper right, to establish movement across the quilt.  I love the way it draws the eye across the quilt!


Someone last week commented that she hated to hear "quilt as desired" so I'll show you how I quilted mine - a random meander that is quick and easy on my long arm machine.  But it would be equally interesting with a straight line stitch on either side of the background sashing where they meet with the block above, and on either side of each row.  Or if you feel really inspired, I think it would look great with straight line stitching in the same direction as the sashing strips, about 1/4" apart across the whole quilt.  It gives a quilt like this such texture!


I was lucky enough to have a stash of single-sized top sheets in my stash - my grandkids don't like sleeping under a sheet, so my daughter gave me the other half of their sheet sets - and I had one that worked perfectly with the front of this quilt to back it with.


And here's another picture, just because it's pretty!!  It really is a simple quilt to make, and can easily be adjusted to fit whatever size squares you may already have cut.  Here's how to do just that...

First of all, find out what you have on hand.  For my quilt, I had access to an abundance of  3.5" cut squares, so that's what I used. I needed 320 of them, 160 pairs, to make the 80 blocks I needed for this quilt.  To figure out how many blocks I needed, I used the formula for quilt math from this post.  I wanted my quilt to be around 60" square, and these blocks measured 6" x 7.5" finished, which meant I needed 8 columns across and 10 rows down.  You may find you have more 2.5" squares, 2" squares, or 5" squares on hand that you want to use, so just adjust the directions to get the size quilt you want.  

Now, for your sashing.  First of all, be sure that you measure your four-patch blocks to see how long to make your sashing pieces.  You'll be happier with the finished quilt if you have all the same size sashing pieces, instead of sewing the four-patch blocks to a long strip of sashing and trimming it off.  One piece of sashing for each four-patch block.  For my quilt, I needed 3/4 of a yard for the sashing, which I cut 2" x 6.5".  You may want to fiddle with different widths of sashing if you change the four-patch block size, finding the perfect width sashing for your block.  I usually try to make my sashing half the width of one finished square in the four-patch, but not to the point of weird fractions!  Just lay it out and see what looks good.  

**&**&**&**&**&**

And now for the winner of last week's scrap bundle...



Congratulations, Joan!  I'll be emailing you for your snail mail address so I can get that package out to you this week!

And I have another package to give away this week!  Leave a comment below to be in the drawing (if you aren't interested in scraps, leave a comment anyway and just say so - comments make me happy!)  I'll announce another winner next Sunday!

Hugs!

Sarah

59 comments:

  1. I would love to receive a package of your scraps! 4 and 9 patch scrappy are my favorites. Love your new quilt! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for your tutorials on makin quick charity quilts. I plan to use your ideas! And would love to win!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely blocks and what a super layout and tutorial.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This just shows that by going back to basics like a four patch can produce lovely quilts, it would make a great leader and ender scrap project too. No need to enter me Sarah, I'm in the UK.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Another great simple quilt. Thanks for so many ideas. My own pile of scraps isn't decreasing very fast. No need to add to it but thanks for the offer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. One can never have too many scraps - would love to add to my collection.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another great tutorial for using up my scraps. I like the quilting ideas too. It would be fun to add some new scraps to my pile.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I finished a quilt for this year's challenge yesterday! It is my first year participating, and I'm looking forward to it! I'd love to play with some of your scraps to create another donation quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I meant hat thank you for showing the feature in the RK app to determine how much yardage is needed by piece count. I use the app but didn’t know that existed. I was using another feature and backing into the figure. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love your four patch quilt. Four patch and nine patch are a great way of using scraps and make very pretty quilts.
    I would love the chance to win a box of your scraps. Thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yet another scrap busting idea :-) The designs are a fun reason to play with a lovely grey or other loved solid color along with the four patches. Hey, I was finally able to sew steady this week. I finished a quilt for friend and then sewed up a baby quilt top. This week I'll get it quilted and bound. Happy Sunday, Sarah!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Another great tutorial for busting through scraps! Thanks for sharing. I would love a chance to win scraps. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely quilt. I already have a pile of 9 patches so will use them for a "similar" quilt for Project Linus. Thanks anyway, but no scraps for me, already have too many.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great tutorial as usual. Your scraps would be a welcome addition to mine. I wonder what a combination of vertical and horizontal background strips would look like.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Did someone say scraps? When I hear that I'm all ears. A very interesting 4 patch and doesn't take a lot of any 1 color.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am really loving the quilt this week! I am sure your scraps would mingle nicely with mine;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have 4 patch exchange blocks, and this would be good to use with them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. A fun to make quilt, even if you have to start from scratch! Thanks for sharing it.
    I don't need any more scraps, but I'd love to get some happy mail. Thanks for the chance.
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great tutorial for happy scrappy four patches. Easy and pretty . I would love your scraps. Thanks for the chance. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Another wonderful tutorial! I like how you did the color gradation from dark to light across the quilt. My son doesn't sleep under a top sheet either. And I do have a couple hanging around!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for what looks like it would be a fast easy quilt. Would love some scraps.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the great tutorial. This will be a great pattern to share with my guild.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love the flexibility of this one. You really can adapt it to use whatever size squares you have available.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a nice tutorial- fast, easy and flexible! Would love some of those scraps!

    ReplyDelete
  25. That mono filter trick is pretty cool! I've been playing with scraps and love seeing what you do with yours. I would be happy to win some scraps, should I be the lucky one this week.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have that same inspiration quilt "Pinned" to one of my quilt boards! I've started making it using 2 old(er) charm packs cut into fourths and a coordinating Kona solid. Maybe I'll make another one using larger scraps...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Another great scrap buster tutorial. Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love scrappy quilts, and I love scraps! LOL Your quilt is really great!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Another great scrap quilt! You really are a cornucopia of wonderful information about scrap quilting! And just because of that I’ll put in for the opportunity to win another scrap bag! I’m inspired!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I really love quilts made from simple, classic blocks: four patches, nine patches, etc. I think of them as "Pioneer Quilts", and more and more I'm working on them while I make other quilts and tending to use them as my choice for our own quilts and baby quilts. I love the connection with the past.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love the simplicity of your quilt. The colors really makes it shine.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Another nice quilt, lots of wonderful fabric colors! Thank you, Susan

    ReplyDelete
  33. Will have to make this quilt, have a lot of 3-1/2 in strips. Would love some new scraps.

    ReplyDelete
  34. A great layout for using four patch blocks!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am making a scrappy quilt right now with small pieces that I am sewing together as leaders and enders. This quilt would also be a great leaders and enders quilt! It may be my next charity quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Another fun scrap pattern! I really like this in brights against gray, and it would be pretty and old fashioned with repro fabrics, too. Using the top sheet as backing must have simplified things...no piecing on the back :)

    No drawing for me, thanks. Good luck to the next winner!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks so much. I feel very lucky to have won this week. You aren't going to believe this, but group of Quilter's spent last week making four patches from fabric that we all contributed. I'll be taking this post to the group so we can make a quilt using this pattern. Obviously, having won last week, please exclude me from the drawing.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Another great tutorial and I love the quilting! Thanks for a chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  39. What a great scrap buster! And I love the tutorial. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am such a Scrap Addict!! LOOOVE your quilt! Thank you for info on how you made it too! Definitely on my GOTTA MAKE List! :) Thank you for chance to win your scrap give-a-way too!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  41. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  42. This gives me great way to use up some scraps that I am creating for another scrap quilt. I really like the 4 patches with the strip in between to set them off. Thanks for the inspiration. cknapp3626(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  43. Love the light to dark gradation!!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Thanks for another great scrappy quilt idea. The only thing better than sewing scrappy quilts is being able to donate them to a charity. To that end, I’d love to win some of your scraps!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. This quilt is going on my list! Sure looks like you could bust some scraps with this one! Thanks a bunch!!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I like 4 patches too. Wonder why it's always so much more fun to sew with someone else's scraps? Thanks.
    joyecox@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Love the quilt. Amazing the quilt variations you can make with a simple 4 patch block. I'm in again for another chance at your great scraps giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I always marvel at how much you get accomplished each week. Maybe, I should start writing down my weekly goals, too. Lovely quilts. I'd love to win some of your scraps. They would be cut into little treasures for my postage stamp quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I would love to win some of your scraps. Mine are so lonesome. Thanks for all you do.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Thank you for sharing another great scrap quilt pattern. I really like the grey with the scraps!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Another great scrap pattern! Thanks for all the hard work you do to make H2H happen. I would love some of your scraps to work with.

    ReplyDelete
  52. returning to quilting again. love fabric and what it can turn into.

    ReplyDelete
  53. This is a great scrap pattern! Now to see what size scrap I have most of and adapt to that.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Love this scrappy quilt , next one on my to do list . I use my scraps to make quilts for teenagers who have just left foster care and are now ‘ on their own ‘ and love to receive a hug quilt .

    ReplyDelete
  55. Such an easy scrappy quilt to make use of my stash of 2.5 inch squares. Thanks for sharing the pattern. Anxious to get started on another quilt for the needy. Would be a lucky gal to win a stash bag.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I've had 4 patch pieces sewn together forever and decided to do something with them. I came across your pattern and loved it so I'm trying it. Cant wait for it to be finished. Thank you for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  57. Love the pattern. I prefer the sashing at the bottom, as opposed to the side, of the four-patch. Thanks for your site.

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me smile!! If you want a PDF of a pattern, PLEASE leave your email address in your comment, or email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com!