Friday, October 12, 2012

Charm Quilt -- WIP

I was inspired by a recent article in the American Quilter magazine (November 2012 issue) -- "Building a Palette by Seeing Fabrics in a Different Way” by Weeks Ringle -- to use sample fabrics I had been saving over the years.  The fabrics were mostly 5 in X 5 in squares.  Seemed perfect for inclusion into a charm quilt (see info in post after pattern info).
The article did not give the pattern names or directions for the quilts featured, so I drafted my own (still don't know the name of the pattern).  Here's my drafted pattern and the photo which inspired me.

The pattern consists of two basic blocks.  One block is simply square A.  The other block consists of the three pieces:  square A, rectangle B, and rectangle C.  The measurements of the pieces:
square A:  2.25 in squares (finished square will be 1.75 in)
rectangle B:  2.25 in X 4.5 in (finished size 1.75 in X 4 in)
rectangle C:  1 in X 8 in (finished size 0.5 in X 7.4 in)

Here is one of the finished composite blocks:

Here are some finished blocks laid out on my design wall.  Notice the layout of the blocks, one upright and the next one rotated 90 degrees.  The single block A will sit in the “hole.”

The fabric packs I am using are two from Benartex, one labeled the Modern Mix by Jennifer Young and the other not further labeled.  Another fabric packets from Merryvale -- the Fine China Blue designed by Bonnie Benn Stratton.  Other fabrics used will be just whatever I have in my stash.

The big difference between a charm quilt and a scrap/scrappy quilt is that each fabric is only used once.   As I am using the white muslin repeatedly, mine is not a “true” charm quilt.
Here are some nice articles on charm quilts:
A Brief History of Charm Quilts by Robin Brisson
Charm Quilt History: The Ultimate Scrap Quilts by  Judy Anne Breneman
The Charming One Patch by Janet Jo Smith

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