Cut a strip, then subcut into...
If you’re an Average Quilter, then you’ve made a quilt top. In the making of that quilt top, you probably had some leftover fabric. There might be some yardage, maybe a fat quarter, or even a weird shaped chunk of fabric with bits missing in the middle. And of course, there are the smaller pieces an inch or two wide by however many inches long. In my world, anything smaller than a fat quarter is a scrap. Your definition might be different. That’s OK – Average Quilters can disagree and still be right.
If you’ve been an Average Quilter for any length of time, you do have scraps, however you define them. The longer you’ve been quilting, the larger your scrap pile. Well… unless you donate them, toss them in the trash, or make a concentrated effort to use them up. So, what’s an Average Quilter supposed to do with that variable sized pile of random pieces of leftover fabrics?
Pendulum of Scrapitude
Throughout my quilting journey, I’ve gone through phases with my scraps. The pendulum of scrapitude has swung from “Save ALLLLL the Scraps!” to “UGH! Get rid of them.” Currently, I’m somewhere in the middle. I cut my smaller leftover fabrics into the sizes that I use most:
- Fat Quarter
- Fat Eighth
- 2.5″ x WOF
- 10″ Squares
- 5″ Squares
- 2.5″ Squares
Color Blocks Quilt Along to the Rescue!
At this point, I don’t remember how I found Debby Brown and the Color Blocks Quilt Along, but I’m glad I did. Here’s how it works:
Every month Debby publishes a free pattern that’s based around a 16-patch made of 2.5″ squares. You can make your 16-patch whatever color you want. It can be a single color, or multi-colored – totally up to you. Some of the patterns are quite large, others on the smaller side. And every month, Debby also posts a tutorial to help you do your own machine quilting on your quilt.
That’s a lot of content for FREE. All you have to do is sign up for the program.
Oh! And if you are on Facebook, you can join the Color Blocks Quilt Along group. It’s a great place to get feedback on your Color Blocks projects, and have folks cheer you on.
Wait... What's the Catch?
I know what you’re thinking: Why would someone post all this content for free? What’s in it for her?
Well, you’d have to ask Debby to be sure, but considering this is the only program she has that’s free that I know of, I’m assuming it has something to do with getting her name recognized, driving traffic to her website, and then (hopefully) having folks buy some of her products and enroll in her (not free) classes. Makes sense, right?
So, even though this program is free, it seems to be the only free program she has – and that’s 100% fine by me!
Good and Not So Good
Can I just say how creative Debby is with these patterns? I mean, when I signed up for the class, I thought that the patterns would be pretty limited. Debby proved me wrong! She has come up with SO MANY DESIGNS that use these 16-patches. Apparently, there are more designs in her creative little head, because she just came out with Color Blocks 2022! And she’s keeping it free!
I appreciate the price point and I can imagine all the work that goes into coming up with a pattern. Since I’ve designed training programs, I completely understand how much time goes into filming and editing a tutorial. And for Debby to be doing all this while dealing with some gnarly health issues – I’m in awe.
My only real critique is that the patterns could use some proof reading sometimes. I find that extra strips of sashing or binding are unnecessarily cut. This happens pretty often, but considering she’s a one-woman show and the price I’m paying, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Also, I tend to be pretty frugal when sub-cutting, so that might affect just how many strips I need vs what’s called for.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve got a bunch of 2.5″ squares, you’re probably not going to go wrong with one of Debby’s Color Blocks patterns. They’re easy to follow and they look good in a variety of colors – it’s all up to you! Just pay attention to the cutting directions, and, if you’re frugal like me, you might consider cutting 1 fewer sashing strips. Remember: you can always cut more, but once it’s cut, it’s cut.
Go ahead! Sign up and give it a try. You will likely enjoy it.
Want to see more Color Blocks quilts? Check out #colorblocksqal on Instagram.
