Sunday/Monday Quilt Inspiration: Mini Charm Squares

My apologies for not being here for the last week. I have a sister who has Alzheimers, and she's spending the week with us. She needs constant supervision. I hadn't realized how much ground she's lost since the last time she was here. 

At first she seems the same, unable to hold a conversation but capable of answering simple questions. After a while though, it's apparent that it's a charade she cannot keep up for long. I know this charade bit is just a stage of Alzheimers, but it's still a surprise at how well a patient can sustain it...until she can't. 

Enough excuses, let's get to those mini charm squares. They start out at only 2½" square, so it takes at least five packs to make a baby quilt. Enough packs could make a postage stamp quilt, but wow! You do the math, it takes thousands of those little patches, and there are only 42 squares in a pack!  Too much! Let's look at what you can do with just a few packs...

And what you can do with several packs...

Happy Memorial Day, may all your heroes be remembered.

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: 10" Layer Cakes

The last couple of Sundays I've been using fabric precuts to inspire you, so this Sunday we'll keep going with layer cakes. You can find the SQI post on charm squares here and the SQI on jelly rolls here. 

10" squares are large enough that they can be cut down to any size that is at least ten inches. They are especially good for making disappearing patch quilts, such as disappearing four patch or disappearing nine patch. 

This D9P is a great example of how complicated they can look. Here's another in softer hues. Both use one layer cake to make a crib size quilt.

If you want a fast, easy quilt that's a little bigger than crib size, the way to go is to use layer cakes and jelly rolls, like this quilt above. Just a few cuts and the jelly roll pieces are ready to take your blocks from 10" to 14" (unfinished) and that, friends, is a fast finish. 

Of course, if you want a challenge, you can still find one with layer cakes because they are so versatile. Add a neutral and turn them into half-square triangles and see where that takes you. 

Or just have fun...

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: 2½" Jelly Rolls

Jelly Rolls, or 2½" fabric strips, are great inspiration for quilts. They are pre-cut, color-coordinated, easy to sew strips that make for super-fast sewing. 

One look at its namesake and it's easy to see the naming inspiration. Here's a recipe for Lemon Jelly Rolls from The PKP Way  that I happen to really enjoy. Notice that I've given you only a part of the recipe. Please visit their site for the full recipe. 

So Jelly Rolls in the world of quilting....

yummy, soft, pretty strips of fun!

And what, you ask, can a quilter make with these? Well, here are just a few examples...

 You can find lots of inspiration in the precuts section of my "heart, quilts" board. Have a wonderful week. 

Pin It Weekly #316

I've been adding pins to my "heart, quilts" board. In fact, I've added a whole new section for precuts. There's a link at the bottom of the post so you can find it easily. (Because you know I put it in alpha order.) Already I have over 50 pins. I guess Sunday's SQI inspired me, too.

To find my precuts section in "heart, quilts" on this link.