November 16, 2017

#plusblockQAL...coming soon!

I am so excited for our #plusblockQAL we'll be starting in January, 2018! There's only about 6 weeks until we start. I wanted to give you a few things to think about so we're all ready to go after we survive the holidays.


The Pattern
I have chosen these dimensions for Rachel's low volume charm plus block she shared on Flickr way back in March 2013. (Just to make this 100% clear, I did NOT come up with the dimension for the block we are using....Rachel of Wooden Spoon Quilts did. I am forever grateful for quilters that are so willing to share their ideas with non-quilt-math people like me. Please check out Rachel's blog, Flickr, and Instagram feeds to see her beautiful work.)

Each block finishes around 11.75" and I recommend trimming them to 11.5" for a finished (once assembled into a quilt) size of 11". Do you know what's great about 11" blocks? I can multiply by 11 in my head! Making a quilt 4 blocks wide by 5 blocks long? It will measure 44" x 55"! (I totally did that without a calculator.)

You can make whatever size quilt your want for this QAL. If you decide you're done after making one block, no worries! You just made yourself a cute little wall hanging or pillow cover. Want a queen-sized quilt? You only need 64 blocks. Totally doable.

Getting Ready...
Since we aren't starting until January, why am I posting this in November? (I know...it's not even Thanksgiving yet!) Well, there's a few you can start thinking about/doing...

  • Color Scheme: I'm planning on doing a scrappy, low-volume background with Moda Grunge pluses in a variety of colors. This quilt would also be great in a low-volume background with the crosses in a single color....or you can do a two-color scheme...or how about a warm/cool combination. The possibilities are endless.
  • Quilt Size: You can make any size quilt you want...from a wall-hanging to a king-size quilt. Start thinking about what size you want so you can figure how many blocks and how much fabric you'll need.
  • Start Cutting: Now is a great time to start cutting pieces. Since I'm going scrappy, I've been picking out low-volume scraps in my stash to cut the 2.75" and 5" squares for my background.
  • Ask Santa for Fabric: The holidays are right around the corner. Maybe you should put that fabric bundle you've been eyeing on your wish list for Santa or ask your spouse/significant other/parent(s)/child(ren) for gift cards so you can make sure you get exactly what you want. :)
I realize there may be quilters of many different skill levels joining in the fun. If you have questions, please ask me here or send me a direct message on Instagram. (I'm @stephkucera on IG.) If there are things you need me to cover, I'm more than happy to explain them the best I can or refer you to a tutorial or instructions. I'd love some feedback on a preferred timeline. (I'm thinking 2 to 3 months for making blocks and a month to complete the quilt?) I'm really excited about this and can't wait to see what everyone creates.

A beautiful red & white version made for a Red Cross fundraiser.