Indholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2022 i McCall's Quilting

Precut Party! Am I speaking for all quilters when I say that precuts are amazing? I love them so much! There’s nothing quite like opening up one of those enticing little packages, looking through the range of beautiful fabrics, and then…you just start sewing. No pre-washing, pressing, or lengthy cutting stages—just jump right into the patchwork! While there are many gadgets and tools available to make quilting easier and more convenient, pre-cut fabrics are among the best. They’re not ideal for every pattern, obviously, but when they can be used, it’s a time-saving, game-changing delight. Of course, with precuts you don’t necessarily need a pattern. Depending on the precut, there are so many simple, fun designs that can be stitched together without much planning—and they’ll turn out great every time.…

Vivika DeNegre Director of Content I love 5" charm squares. To me, having ‘just a little bit’ of fabric to work with can be more freeing than having unlimited quantities. I enjoy featuring small bits and pieces in table runners. One of my favorite patterns is Amy Ellis’s Graphic Patchwork table runner. I’ve made this runner three times and even used the pattern to make two sets of placemats. An added bonus? The manageable size makes it a great piece for practicing walking foot quilting motifs and patterns. Gigi Levsen Editor of McCall’s Quilting I love a bundle of precut 2½" strips. I can just open it and start sewing right away! Strip piecing for sub-cutting into all kinds of blocks, French Braid patterns, using them for sashes and borders,…

Quilt Designed & Made by Ramona Sorenson Skill Level Beginner Finished Size 72" x 83" Finished Blocks 42 Blocks 11" x 11" Planning Bright and cheerful, these colorful suns will keep you warm all through the day and night! The black background makes the colors even more vibrant and luminous. Ramona worked to get the proportions of the center suns and their rays just right, and in the process, she eliminated bulky seams in joined blocks, making pressing very easy. The blocks are made from precut 10" squares; each block requires two squares plus the black background fabric. If you prefer not to use precuts, you will need 4⅛ yards total of assorted bright tonals instead. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 40" usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted.…

Quilt Designed & Made by Jen Daly Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 13½" x 17½" Finished Sections 13 Section 1 2" x 2½" 12 Section 2 1½" x 2½" NOTE: See Pattern Pull-Out Section for foundation sections. Planning “I love mini charm packs—they’re inexpensive and irresistible!” Jen said. “There aren’t many patterns available for mini charm packs, so I like to challenge myself to design one once in a while. Foundation piecing makes miniature blocks easy for any quilter to achieve. The little houses and trees would be cute embellished with little fusible appliqué doors and windows, or with embroidery.” Jen also made a Christmas version of this charming pattern! Mini charm packs contain precut squares measuring 2½" and usually come with 42 squares; you’ll need 39 squares for this…

Quilt Designed & Made by Barbara Eikmeier Machine Quilted by Theresa Ward Skill Level Easy Finished Size 76" x 76" Finished Blocks 64 Blocks 8" x 8" Planning Criss Cross Applesauce is a great stash-buster! Start making this quilt by choosing 16 fat quarters of assorted prints. You will be making 4 blocks from each fat quarter. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Handle all bias edges carefully to avoid distortion. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42" usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Cream solid 1⅝ yds. for blocks • Assorted prints 16 fat quarters* • Cream floral 2⅛ yds. for blocks and border 1 • Brown floral 1⅞ yd. for border 2 and binding •…

Heather Akerberg Heather is a quilt pattern designer and a member of the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild. Instagram: @gladhand_sews Jen Daly Jen is a quilt designer, author, and Etsy shop owner who lives in New Hampshire. jendalyquilts.com Connie Kauffman A prolific designer, Connie has authored several quilt books and enjoys teaching. conniekauffman.com Ramona Sorensen Ramona grew up surrounded by quiltmakers and hand quilters. She also designs quilting motifs. Karen Bialik Karen has been quilting for about 40 years. Her favorite style is traditional blocks set in an untraditional way. fabricaddict.net Joanie Holton Born and raised in Minnesota, Joanie comes from a family of sewers and makers. sewquiltcraft.com Terrie Peterson Terrie lives in Utah and has been designing quilts for over 25 years. Elaine Theriault Elaine is obsessed with life, fun,…

Quilt Designed & Made by Terrie Peterson Machine Quilted by Ruth Ann LeBaron of Quilted Rabbit Skill Level Beginner Finished Size 103" x 103" Finished Blocks 25 Blocks 15" x 15" NOTE: See Pattern Pull-Out Section for foundation section. Planning “I wanted to make a happy scrap quilt using up a lot of fat quarters,” Terrie said. “I wanted it to be big enough for my king-size bed, too. I love batiks and thought they would make an excellent scrap quilt.” Do you think she was right? We do! You can make your king-size quilt with batiks like Terrie did, or you could use a favorite bundle or two of fat quarters that you’ve been saving for a special project. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of finishing a big,…

Quilt Designed & Made by Elaine Theriault Skill Level Beginner Finished Size 42" x 49" Finished Blocks 42 Blocks 7" x 7" Planning Elaine’s clever design turns a pack of precut 10" squares into a fun and fabulous quilt. It’s a deceptively simple design and would work with any collection of 10" squares. Elaine chose jewel-tone fabrics that read as solid, but this design is so versatile you could make a different one for every holiday or occasion! Use two packs of precut squares and add some borders to make a larger bed quilt. Each pair of contrasting squares makes two blocks. You’ll stack two squares and cut them into multiple pieces, so make sure that the squares don’t shift while cutting for best results. You can make the squares…

Quilt Designed & Made by Heather Akerberg Machine Quilted by Haley Schober Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 71" x 88¾" Finished Blocks 20 Blocks 17¾" x 17¾" Planning “This design started with an idea, or maybe it was a challenge,” Heather said. “How can I use a Disappearing Nine-Patch in a new and interesting way? With a block that’s been around for so long, there’s a chance that all the design possibilities have been exhausted. But I wanted to try.” The Nine-Patches are made with precut 10" squares—perfect for showcasing favorite fabrics and prints. She paired her large disappearing nine-patch blocks with a cool, graphic block border, also made with precut 10" squares. “The pieced strips attached to the center block add movement and give this quilt a bold look.…

Quilt Designed & Made by Catherine Redford Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 16" x 16" Finished Block 1 Center Block 9" x 9" NOTE: See Pattern Pull-Out Section for embroidery motif. Planning Bring the best of nature inside to enjoy! Catherine designed this delightful daffodil embroidery motif and set it within a beautiful batik frame. The delicacy of the embroidery is especially enhanced by the opalescent shifting colors of the batik border. Catherine used 3 different variegated embroidery floss colors for her motif—yellow variegated floss for the daffodils, pastel variegated floss for the small flowers, and a bright variegated floss for the central butterfly. This project makes a pillowcase with binding and an envelope backing, though you could simply quilt and bind it to make a small wall quilt or…

Quilt Designed & Made by Connie Kauffman Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 39" x 31" Finished Blocks 9 Block Y 5" x 5" 4 Block Z 5" x 5" NOTE: See Pattern Pull-Out Section for foundation sections. Planning “I love to work with scraps,” said Connie. “The leaves on the flowers use lots of different colors of green; this gives great variety and movement to the design. It was fun to dig through scraps to find colors for each of the nine flowers. By placing the flowers on a blue background, I was reminded of water lilies and how they float on the water.” Bring a calming flower pond indoors and put it on your table to enjoy all year long. This would also make a beautiful gift for Mother’s…

• trends • tools • cool stuff Cindy’s Seam Ripper A seam ripper is a tool that quilters must always have on hand, even though one hopes it never needs to be used. The unique ergonomic design of Cindy’s Seam Ripper from Riley Blake Designs is a revelation—it fits perfectly in your hand to make unpicking seams quick, easy, and even fun! With superior ease-of-use and control, you’ll never go back to a standard seam ripper after trying this one. Available in four colors and two sizes. rileyblakedesigns.com Steady Betty Wooly Betty Board If you want your seams to press totally flat and stay that way, it may be time to upgrade your pressing station with a woolen pressing mat. The lightweight, durable Wooly Betty mat from Steady Betty puts…

Quilt Designed & Made by Reed Johnson Machine Quilted by Sunshine Quilts Skill Level Beginner Finished Size 62" x 82" Finished Blocks 35 Blocks 10" x 10" Planning This quilt is so simple to sew and so striking to see! Reed thought that the masculine assortment of plaids was perfect for a Father’s Day quilt, but this would really suit anybody with its cool, contemporary design. The different plaid patterns weave in and out in the composition and give the basic design a very complex appearance. If you don’t want to use precut 10" squares for making the blocks, you will need 2½ yards total of assorted plaids. Study the quilt photos and note the layout of the various plaids; Reed used 9 different plaid prints and scattered the blocks…

Quilt Designed & Made by Karen Bialik Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 89" x 103" Finished Blocks 30 Blocks 13" x 13" NOTE: See Pattern Pull-Out Section for templates A and C. Planning The traditional Dresden Plate block is transformed and infused with new life with the butterfly and floral prints that Karen chose for her quilt. She also included stitch-and-flip corners and sashes to further customize the classic pattern. You don’t need to use florals to make your quilt; this design works with just about any color scheme or fabric choices; imagine using scraps from your stash to make a wide variety of Dresden Plates! Take a moment to study the quilt photo—each of the 30 blocks uses two different prints for the Dresden blades, and the center circles…

Quilt Designed & Made by Kristen Clay Machine Quilted by Di Cluff of Sister Chicks Quilting Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 78" x 78" Finished Blocks 10 Block Y 14" x 18" 4 Block Z 14" x 8" Planning Kristen’s large block quilt is sewn up with precut 2½"-wide strips so you can breeze through the cutting and get right to the sewing! She also included a unique ruched sash feature to give the quilt even more texture. “This striking design would look great in southwestern earth tones or primaries, but I chose pastels because the shape of the blocks reminded me of saltwater taffy,” Kristen said. “Candy-colored shades give it a unique spring touch—a fun way to allow basics or low volume prints to shine!” You'll want to sort…

Quilt Designed & Made by Joanie Holton Machine Quilted by Naomi Polzin Skill Level Beginner Finished Size 59" x 77" Finished Blocks 4 Block R 9" x 9" 4 Block S 9" x 9" 4 Block T 9" x 9" 1 Block U 9" x 9" 8 Block V 9" x 9" 2 Block W 9" x 9" 4 Block X 9" x 9" 4 Block Y 9" x 9" 4 Block Z 9" x 9" Planning Joanie’s adorable design is filled with hugs, kisses, and lots of love! The X’s and O’s are made with stitch-and-flip corners then arranged into a beautiful medallion-style composition that belies the simple sewing required for the quilt. This pattern is much more than the sum of its parts—while the pretty florals, easy blocks,…

I dreamed of making a quilt with a modern graphic setting, calming tones, and a feeling of the outdoors. Not too much to ask, right? Quilting offers such a world of creativity; it’s good to have some constraints when designing. Barbara Eikmeier’s original design Criss Cross Applesauce is timeless and fun in florals, and I immediately took another look due to the diagonal piecing. Simple rotations of the blocks can change everything! The solid colors in the Assembly Diagram helped to spark my idea to use tonal fabrics. I used Electric Quilt 8 to replicate the quilt and tried many different settings by rotating the block. I settled on a layout that mimics the popular chevron shape that has been trending for a while. Modern graphic setting: check. I narrowed…