Table of contents for April/May 2023 in Quick+Easy Quilts

FAST LANE These two words struck me in an interesting way. My first thought was how they relate to cars, racing, and driving. My next thought was about quick finishes—those quilts that you need to finish in a hurry because the baby came early or graduation is fast approaching. Yes, yes I could create an issue theme around these two words. Thus, the April/May issue of Quick + Easy Quilts is full of quilts that are either perfect for the car lover in your life or abundantly fast to make. Our cover quilt is Finish Line by Annette Falvo. We loved this dynamic quilt pattern that was inspired by the colored flags in the Grand Prix. We decided to pattern it using fusible appliqué to ensure that even beginners can…

finished size: 56” × 64” finished blocks: 4”, 6”, 8”, 10” BLOCKS I love sampler quilts. They are so interesting to look at. Scrappy is best! The more fabric, the better. With the different blocks and fabrics, you just have to keep looking at the quilt. I love the combination of appliqué, curved piecing, and classic patchwork. This quilt makes me think of a vintage quilt made with feed sacks. I love the farming and rural community that I come from, and the sense of history and family that this kind of environment brings. kari Plan Are you ready for part three of our very first series quilt? Kari Mathews designed this beautiful sampler quilt, and we thought it was the perfect design to teach a beginner to quilt or…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat and Havel's 6” Serrated-Blade Fabric Scissors. Fabric from Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. TIP: To keep dark background fabrics from showing through, fuse a white lining fabric to light-colored appliqué fabric before cutting out the shape. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Fusible-Applique…

finished size: 62” × 62” finished blocks: 16 (9”) FOUR-PATCHES 2 (6” × 9”) SECTIONS Green Light, Go! is a whimsical take on the lights and gravel pavement of a racetrack. The yellow, red, and green pay homage to the streetlights that drivers so intently anticipate at the start of a race. The charcoal gray lends itself to the pavement that racecar drivers make their home. For racing, it is a way of life, a passion. Much like quilting, there is technique and skill to learn and grow at the craft. This would be a fun project for a soon-to-be racer or a pretty wall hanging in a little boy's room. Put the pedal to the presser foot and have some fun! Cassie Plan Practice making Flying Geese 4-at-a-time for…

finished size: 82” × 82” Quilters could use either yardage, scraps, or assorted fat quarters or fat eighths for the checkerboard center. There are endless yardage possibilities for the center! Borders are created using assorted black prints and low volume white/ grey prints. The quilt is meant to be scrappy and features several low volume black, white, and light grey prints. But don't be afraid to include black prints that offer contrast, stripes, or a tiny bit of color or texture. Natalie Plan Black and white is a classic combination. With so many black and white prints and 10 borders, we suggest organizing and labeling the patches and border strips as you cut them. Create more interest in this two-color design by selecting a variety of prints and you'll have…

finished size: 80” × 88” finished blocks: 90 (6”) BLOCKS This is a very traditional quilt—but I played around with different piecing techniques. This block can be made using 10” × 10” squares or precut 21/2”-wide strips. Ramona Ramona Sorensen SPRINGVILLE, UT Plan Ramona's traditional Nine-Patch block looks fabulous in the contemporary Frisky collection by Zen Chic. For this quilt, she used 30 assorted print (10”) squares. Each 10” square will yield enough matching patches for 3 blocks. If you choose to do the same, carefully cut 4 strips 2½” wide, and then subcut the strips to make 16 (2½”) A squares (one square will be extra). Precut (2½”) strips will also work for this pattern. You will need 30 strips to cut 15 A squares from each. Use an…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat and Havel's 6” Serrated-Blade Fabric Scissors or Havel's Snip-A-Stitch. Fabric from Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnback and Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand, both for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Managing-Bulky-Seams…

Natalie Crabtree @njcrabtree Natalie lived in Kyoto, Japan near the Nishijin Textile district for a year with her husband and considers it the most fulfilling time in her life. She lives in Mason, Ohio. Rachelle Craig rachellehandmade.com Rachelle is a civil engineer by trade who enjoys the entire process of quilt making—from the spark of inspiration to the tangible quilt. She lives in Wonewoc, Wisconsin with her husband and two cats. Abigail Dolinger abyquilts.wordpress.com Abigail is the Children's Ministry Director at her church and enjoys sharing her love of sewing with the children. A lifelong quilter, Abigail is from Lillington, North Carolina. Annette Falvo Annette is a former technical editor for Love of Quilting. She enjoys the mathematical aspect quilting requires, and likes to incorporate unexpected design elements into her…

TIP: This method works for any size triangle-square. Cut squares the finished size of triangle-squares plus ⅞”. Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel's 6” × 24” Fabric Ruler, and Havel's 45mm Rotary Cutter. Fabric from Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand and Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnback, both for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Quick-Pieced-Triangle-Squares…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel's 6” × 24” Fabric Ruler, and Havel's 45mm Rotary Cutter. Fabric from Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnback and Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand, both for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. TIP: This method works for any size Flying Geese unit. Cut the small squares ⅞” larger than the finished height and the large square 1 ¼” larger than the finished width. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Quick-Pieced-Flying-Geese-Units…

finished size: 51” × 51” finished blocks: 4 (17½”) BLOCKS My husband enjoys watching all types of auto races, but I admit the one that gets most of my attention is the Monaco Grand Prix. Seeing the lovely sites of Monaco and all those fancy yachts makes me a bit dreamy! The quilt colors I used are based on the colors of the flags used in auto racing. Annette Plan No need to race to finish this colorful quilt in a jiffy. Just use a few easy techniques like bands and fusible appliqué. Annette reminds us that the black and white checkered print is directional and will look better if the C/Cr's and D's are aligned with the grain of the fabric. The diagram (right) shows how you lay the…

pre-cut FRIENDLY finished size: 60” × 60” This pattern is 2½” precut strip-friendly. The center square finishes 12”, and the remainder of the quilt is a series of alternating 2½” and 6½” borders cut from strip sets. The border cornerstones and square center can be cut from coordinating fat quarters. This design lets the quilter use that beautiful precut roll they've been saving for a simple yet stunning project that showcases the full line of fabric in the roll. I imagine this quilt in bright, bold colors with a dark background. I made it with Kona's Birds of Paradise palette with a charcoal background. I believe it would also be lovely in a wintery blue with a dark blue or an ombre pink and purple with a dark purple background.…

This pattern meets the guidelines established by the Quilts of Valor® Foundation. To learn more about QOV®, go to QuiltingDaily.com/quilts-of-valor. finished size: 72” × 90” finished blocks: 20 (18”) BLOCKS Oftentimes, my most interesting designs come to me through experimentation and design play. I take traditional quilt blocks and modify them until a new block is born! I also enjoy secondary designs created when combining blocks; the pinwheels formed at the block intersections create an eye-catching movement to this piece. This pattern has large pieces, so it comes together quickly. You can showcase a special print in the second block with the 9” × 18” center sections! I'd love to see this quilt in a wintry blue and white colorway. I think the piece would look like a winter snowfall.…

finished size: 54” × 54” finished blocks: 16 (13½”) BLOCKS The Graphic Cross quilt top is made from a series of Nine-Patch block arrangements. The resulting design is bold and beautiful. To continue the modern look, it was quilted with straight lines and graphic squares using black thread on the black fabric and white thread on the white fabric. A gray binding provides a beautiful finish that highlights the bold contrast between the black and white. Use this stunning quilt to dress up a couch, bed, or chair. Or, add a hanging sleeve for a decorative piece of wall art that will create a show-stopping focal point in any room. Plan This simple yet striking quilt combines the bold contrast of solid black and white fabrics in a graphic repeating…

Perfect Formation: Tips for Flawless Flying Geese Stitch-and-flip. It sounds so easy. So why do Flying Geese and Snowball corners look so wonky sometimes? Chalk it up to a corner that pulls to one side as it goes through the feed dogs, and you might have a goose that seems a little drunk! Here are some handy tricks to keep those geese flying straight. Make it Perfect Draw a line on your square patch from corner to corner. This is your stitch line. However, rather than stitch directly on the line, stitch about one thread width away from the line as shown. Press your square to set your stitches, then fold the corner back—aligning it with it with the corner of your rectangle. You see how your stitched line isn't…

Creating Faced Appliqué Here we share step-by-step instructions for creating the Dresden Plate block. This handy technique uses fusible interfacing to aid in turning the curved seam allowance for appliqué. Quilters who love this technique like how they don't have to worry about turning the seam allowance. Give it a try—if you love it, you can use this technique for most appliqué shapes. 5. Trim away the interfacing and Dresden approximately ⅛” away from the curved seams. Gently clip interfacing at the intersections between the blades, being careful not to cut through the seam. Gently turn right side out through the Dresden center opening and smooth the curved edges of the blades with a turning tool or chopstick (Do not use an iron).…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel's 45mm Rotary Cutter, and Havel's 6” × 24” Fabric Ruler. Fabric from Garden Glory by Maja Ronnback collection and Abstract Collage by Ampersand collection for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Stitch-and-Flip-Corners…

finished size: 69” × 82½” finished blocks: 20 (11½”) BLOCKS As a toddler, my grandson loved miniature cars. He collected over 100 and would always pick the fastest when racing Grandma's car around and around the patio table. I will never forget the Christmas when Santa left “the ultimate garage” under the tree. He toddled into the family room early Christmas morning and found the longed-for toy beneath the lit branches of the tree and said in hushed tones, “the ultimate garage.” What fun he had on Christmas day and many days thereafter parking all the cars, raising them up and down on the elevator, and rolling them down the spiral ramp. Abigail Plan Sewing strips into bands is a quick way to assemble the blocks and sashes for this…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel's 45mm Rotary Cutter, and Havel's 6” × 24” Fabric Ruler. Fabric from Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnbeck and Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand, both for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. TIP If combining units from multiple bands, such as for a Nine-Patch block, press seams in bands in alternating directions to “nest” seams. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Making-Bands…

The Maker's Guide to Cricut by Megan Meketa Rocky Nook, 2023 Perhaps you have been dreaming of getting an electronic cutter to enhance your quilting and crafting—or worse, you got one and have been too afraid to take it out of the box. (Fear of the unknown happens to the best of us!) Megan Meketa holds your hand every step of the way as she shows you how to put your Cricut electronic cutter to use with her new book, The Maker's Guide to Cricut. Learn how to cut paper, vinyl, faux leather, and even shrink plastic as you projects that range from simple banners, jewelry, and etched glass to stencils. While this book isn't specifically about how to use the machine for quilting, it is helpful for finding your…

Products used: Havel's Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel's 60mm Rotary Cutter, and Havel's 6” × 24” Fabric Ruler. Fabric from Gulls Just Want to Have Fun collection, Abstract Collage collection by Ampersand, and Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnback, all for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Watch this Sew Easy™ Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Cutting-Segments-From-Multiple-Bands…

finished size: 84” × 84” finished blocks: 9 (24”) BLOCKS What's better than a quilt pattern that is fast and easy? One that looks like it is complicated to make! Ramona is the queen of fun quilt designs. She truly has a gift for making quilts that are a breeze to piece, graphic, and fun to quilt. At first glance this quilt looks like it is made with triangles, but the entire top requires only squares and rectangles. Simple stitch-and-flip corners create the optical illusion created in the sections. So easy, even a beginner can make this one. Grab some colorful fat quarters and a soothing background and let's make this dynamic quilt! TIP: For perfect stitch-and-flip corners, turn to Beginner Bootcamp, Perfect Formation: Tips for Flawless Flying Geese (page…