One Bundle of Fun

by Sue Pfau

Do you love precuts as much as I do? My new book, “One Bundle of Fun”, has 12 quilt patterns that use one (or two) precut bundles of fabric, and require no additional fabric to make the entire quilt top! I thought up the idea for this book several years ago, but honestly I thought it was impossible. Of course you really never know if things are possible unless you give them a try. Much to my surprise, I did it!

"Magnetized" is made with two Layer Cakes and measures 65" x 65"

This quilt is made with 42 Layer Cake squares (one Moda layer Cake), and measures 48" x 57"

When you think about it, nothing is easier than picking out a Jelly Roll, Layer Cake or fat quarter bundle and then making a complete quilt top with that fabric! Whether it be from your stash, your local shop, or the internet, picking out fabric for a project has never been easier. More time to sew! Let me also mention that I didn't use any special or unique precuts, just regular old precuts, mostly from Moda. So what I am saying is you can easily make these beautiful quilts yourself!

"Sweet Sixteen" is made with two Jelly Rolls and measures 65" x 81". There are also directions for making this quilt with one Jelly Roll, measuring 49" x 49".

This Churn Dash quilt is made with 21 Fat Quarters and measures 57" x 69". This is one of my favorites!

All of the Jelly Roll quilts are perfect for that pile of strips you have been accumulating in your stash! One in particular, “Striptastic” would be perfect to use as a group to make up some charity quilts. It goes together fast, and it is 48” x 48”, which is a good size lap or baby quilt.

These two quilts require one Jelly Roll or strips from your stash. The entire quilt can be made in one day!

The projects range from easy to intermediate. There are some quick and easy patterns in baby and lap quilt sizes for beginners or quilters who need to make a quilt in a weekend. There are larger, more complicated designs that will challenge a confident beginner and teach them new skills (half-square triangles and flying geese), and keep the seasoned quilter happy as well.

Some people love the pastel version, and others love the bold colors of the Batiks. Make this quilt with 15 Fat Quarters!

I think you are really going to get a lot of use out of this book. If you like precuts, it will become a staple in your quilting library. I hope you go back to it through the years and make many quilts for your family and friends! 

Buy a signed copy of my book in my Etsy shop. You can also order a copy through your local quilt shop if they don't already carry it!!

FABRIC GIVEAWAY

I am kicking off my second fabric/pattern giveaway!

Just like me on Facebook.

Then like the post for the giveaway. 

I am giving away 68 Chickadee Charm Squares by ANDOVER fabrics. Here is the line of fabric. It is by Jan Kalverstan. It is beautiful fabric, especially for bird lovers!

 

I am also giving away one pattern of your choice from Sweet Jane, here are the patterns:

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetjane

 

 

Good luck!!

Finishing up some projects

Finishing up some projects

Of course everyone has different habits when it comes to sewing and how they keep their sewing room. I sew a lot, everyday! I use precuts, so I am not drowning in scraps, but they still accumulate. SOMETIMES I start a project and then I get so excited I start another project and have a tough time going back to the first. So, as the above processes take place, things start to get messy.

 

 

To the right of the chair is more mess! Basically I have three projects in the works and I made some "test" blocks for two other projects. (The other parts of my house look only marginally better...). SO...I must have a breaking point, because every now and then I sew up my half finished projects, toss out some scraps, use up some scraps, etc. I believe I have REACHED my breaking point and am making some progress! I also wrote the patterns for both quilts.

 

 

I also cleaned out my "fabric closet". Here is most of my unused fabric.

 

Gosh, I feel like I am confessing my sins here! Confessions of a fabricaholic!! Confessions of a messy person who sews a lot. But that is my point, I am not THAT messy....

Stay tuned for the finished products. The quilts always look so much nicer quilted!

Check out my patterns here.

 

 

 

Auto Fabric Baby Boy Quilt

ANDOVER sent me this great fabric called "Auto" to make a baby quilt with. My five year old son loves it. He is the unfortunate recipient of a lot of girl hand me downs...but that is another story.

 

Here is a picture I took while I was sewing! I used my "Borderline Crazy" quilt pattern.

Laying out the rows. Above the picture I have a few blocks made up from ideas I am working on. Crowded sewing room!!

    

 



 

Below is the finished product. I especially like the orange and green. The designs on the fabrics are cute too.....little cars, road signs, different and interesting strips and polka dots. I quilted it with straight lines and squares. It is an easy allover design. The thread is a variegated. It looks great against the black backing. Not kind to little mistakes though, so beware!!

 

Finished quilt made with Auto Fabric from Andover and the pattern "Borderline Crazy" by Sweet Jane (me!)

 

Making a quilted bag

Well, I see that I haven't posted anything on here in ONE YEAR! That is pretty bad. I vow to be better! Maybe just six months will go by between blog posts now...

Seriously....I have been working on my first bag pattern. I went through a semi painful learning curve several months ago and just looked at a bunch of tutorials for checkbook covers, pouches and eventually tote bags. Nothing with a zipper. I went a little crazy using up scraps.

Now I have no idea what to do with all of these!



I branched out with curved and multiple pockets.

 

I have a friend, Jessica Vanderburgh, who is a bag designer, and I looked at a few of her patterns for your basic measurements and such.

 



 For anyone who is familiar with my designs, I design patchwork quilts with precuts. So, I wanted to design a patchwork bag using precut fabrics (and write a pattern for it). I added an optional zipper pocket to the directions for those who want a zipper. It turns out putting in a zipper pocket is so easy!

The above picture is my bag with Shades of Black Fabric by Me & My Sister by Moda. Those are all of the ingredients plus the medium weight interfacing (which is already ironed onto the back of the lining and straps).

Here is the bag all made up.

 

This bag is made with just one charm pack from Hoffman Batik fabric.

This is the pattern cover with all 4 bags. Comma fabric, Hoffman Batik, Shades of Black & Juggling Summer.

I made 4 bags. The one with the Comma fabric I took to quilt market with me. I am sure the only reason I got the bag DONE was because I had a looming deadline. I am very stuck in my ways and I tend to put off learning new techniques, so the bag was very different for me and the zipper was also a big deal for me!

I used just one charm pack for each bag for the outer body of the bag. I LOVE precut fabric and this is a perfect example of why. You get this fantastic variety of colors and prints for the price of one Charm Pack. Pretty awesome. This would be a great project for someone with a decent stash as well. You just need 32 squares 5" x 5" and you may be able to use your stash for the lining and handles and bottom fabrics.

I am naming this pattern "Teacher's Pet" because I am making one for each of my kids teachers and I will give it to them for an end of the year present. I am pretty excited about that, they will be really happy and they are all such wonderful teachers!

Good luck to you! Maybe it is your turn to try something new??