10th Annual No Foolin' Sale!

Moda Bake Shop - Flowers In the Park

We've been published on Moda Bake Shop!  Click here to see our new Flowers In the Park tutorial using the Easy Dresden ruler!

Product Review - No Sew Pie To Go Pattern

We recently received a pattern called No Sew Pie to Go by Pie Plate Patterns.  I was intrigued by the "No Sew" part of the title.

Upon reading the basic instructions, I realized that the squares and rectangles were raw-edge appliqued onto a base background fabric.  The only actual seam required is piecing two lengths of background together to create a base cloth of around 72" x 80".

I decided to give this pattern a try.  I will give you an overview of the basic technique, but this review is not  intended to replace the actual instructions inside the booklet.  The printed instructions are very good, by the way.

1.  There are 3 patterns included in the booklet.  Each pattern uses 4 to 4-1/2 yards of background fabric and a layer cake.
2.  Seam the background fabric to create one large rectangle.
3.  Cut the layer cake (or FQs or scraps) according to the direction for the pattern selected.

3.  Mark the background fabric in a grid as directed.  I did this on my dining room table while watching TV one evening.  I used a Sewline Pencil and absolutely loved the ease in which it marked.

4.  Lay out your quilt pieces according to the diagram using the marked grid on the background.  I used my design wall and pinned each piece until I had the look I wanted.

5.  Once all the pieces are pinned, take the top to a flat surface and use washable Elmer's glue to secure the pieces prior to quilting.

6.  Glue each square/rectangle to the background, making sure to orient each piece the same way on the grid.  i.e., upper left corner of piece is flush with upper left corner of grid.  The grid is larger than the pieces, creating the negatvie space between the pieces.

7.  Once all your pieces are glued, trim the background fabric, layer, and quilt.  All the quilting is done in straight lines, securing each piece to the background as you go.  Larger pieces will have multiple grid lines securing the piece.

8.  After quilting, trim, bind, and wash!  The glue and marking lines will be removed, and the raw edges of the pieces will fluff up, giving you a soft and squishy quilt!

Pros:

• Minimal quiltmaking skill required.
• Minimal quilting skills required - all quilting is straight-line using the piece edges as a guide.
• Makes a fairly large quilt using just a layer cake.
• Resulting quilt is really soft and cuddly; this is the quilt your kids will fight over.
• The 3 quilt layouts in the booklet are distinctly different enough from each other, making the booklet a good value.
• There's even a recipe for no-bake cookies included!

Cons:

• You really need a large surface to mark and lay out the pieces.
• You have to trim off the "fuzzies" after washing.

Overall, I think this is a clever pattern.  I can see adapting the size to use one width of fabric for a quick and easy baby/kids quilt or even pillows.  You can click here to order your own pattern and try it yourself!



Just One Star

If you will recall, I told you all about the Quilts of Valor fabrics and programs that would be debuting this spring.  The two lines of fabric we have purchased to support this endeavor have arrived in the shop and will be on the showroom floor in a couple of days.

If you'd like to support the Quilts of Valor project, but are hesitant to commit to making an entire quilt, please consider making JUST ONE STAR.

Just One Star is a challenge issued by Moda.  You can read all the details here.  Moda is asking for 1800 star blocks to be made between now and May 1.  Their intent is to make 100 quilts in 100 days so that they can meet their delivery date of Flag Day - June 14.  These quilts will be donated to deserving soldiers through the Semper Fi Fund.

The star block pattern can be found here.  It's very easy!  Each star uses a 10" square of red or blue and a fat 1/8th of background.  You can make 2 stars from just 2 fat quarters!  You may use any fabric of your choice - it does not have to be Moda.

I made these 4 star blocks yesterday.  The beauty of this block is that it is over-sized and Moda will trim all the blocks down to the size that they need.

The Quilt Asylum will be collecting blocks to send to Moda.  Our goal is to send a packet of 50 blocks to them.  To be included in our packet, your block must be turned into us by the end of the day, Saturday, April 23.  Will you help us?