Crickets

Sorry I haven't posted, it's been a crazy week around here and as much as I love chatting with you all, I just haven't had enough energy at the end of the day, but don't worry; I have plenty more to share in the near future!

So, did you listen to Pat Sloan's Radio show earlier this week? I had such a nice time chatting with her, but I always do!

If you listened to the beginning of the show, for some weird reason my phone kept echoing everything Pat was saying. Right in the middle of the show instead of chatting with Pat, I'm instead talking with the technical guy at the radio station trying to figure out what's going on and testing my phones. We ended up having to switch phones completely and I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get it working so I can get back to chatting with Pat. I'm not going to lie, it was kinda stressful, but it's one of those situations where now looking back I can laugh and listening to the show afterward, Pat did a wonderful job "covering" me.

If you haven't listened to the show, you can listen to it on iTunes if you search for American Patchwork & Quilting Radio or you can visit Pat's website and scroll through the shows each week and listen to them right on your computer. She also has links on her website to download the shows onto your Android device and much much more for other players and devices too.

Head on over and get a chuckle if you haven't listened yet but now know the backstory.

Pat and I talked about:

My little cheat sheet for Precuts, you can find the original post here.

My newest book, Seems Like Scrappy.

And how I organize my stash, you can read more and see pictures here.

Have a great weekend, I'm off to get some quilting done and I will be back soon with more to share!

-Rebecca

Tomorrow is the day!!!

And I do mean it is THE day. June is going to be such an exciting month and it's really starting off with a bang!

Not only is tomorrow the official release date of Seems Like Scrappy...

There is so much more to tell, but it will have to wait until tomorrow... Don't worry, the wait will be worth it, I promise!!!

What I do have for you today is something kinda special. I came up with a printable chart to use with Seems Like Scrappy. I handed this chart out to shop owners at Quilt Market, but I wanted to be able to share it here with you too.

Basically, this chart shows each project in the book and which precuts go with each project. Not only that, but it also lists which quilts are great for kits (if you are a shop owner or work at a shop) and which projects are great for beginners.

This was designed to be used by shop owners and it has other information that may be more useful in that context. However, I realize not all shop owners were able to make it to Quilt Market. Also, I realize that several of my readers teach at shops and guilds or just with friends for a night of sewing. And that's when I thought it would be best to share this information with you all, because why not? Anyway that I can help you all, I'm all for it.

When you print out the file, there will be two of these charts, side by side to fit on a regular piece of paper. Print them out and share the spare with a friend, or hang one and keep the other tucked away for safe keeping. Either way, all of my contact information is listed at the top. I ask that you please be respectful of that knowledge, but if you have any questions, you know how to get a hold of me.

Now, finally, to get to the printable link, click here. You can either print out the form (click on the printer icon when you scroll your mouse to the top center of the page - the icons will appear when the mouse is over them if they're not immediately displayed) or you can save this file for later (click the arrow pointing to a flat line).

I hope you all can use this chart as a tool both personally and professionally. I think it's only natural I create a similar one for my first book, Seamingly Scrappy. Stay tuned over the next couple days and I will try to create a chart for that. If it helps, I can even make the printable file with one side for Seamingly Scrappy and the other for Seems Like Scrappy. Two birds I guess...

Well, anyway, I hope this can work as a little cheat sheet for you while working through Seems Like Scrappy. Come back tomorrow for some equally exciting news and each day this week. This month is going to be awesome!!!

Seems Like Scrappy Preview: Patch Stack

I know I should've written this post over the weekend and scheduled it... I should've and I didn't. And now it's late-ish morning because Daylight Savings Time didn't hit me until this morning when it was still pitch black at 7am and the dogs and I didn't want to get up... Oh well, better late than never!

Today I want to introduce you to Patch Stack:

Photo provided by Martingale, Photography by Brent Kane

There are 14 quilts in Seems Like Scrappy and they are made with an array of your favorite precuts like charm packs, layer cakes, jelly rolls and fat quarters. However there are two new precuts featured in this new book including honeycombs (6" hexagons) and Tonga 6-packs. This pattern features the Tonga 6-pack. 

What is a Tonga 6-pack? Timeless Treasures has released this relatively new precut that contains 20 strips that are each 6" wide x WOF. Some of the packs contain as few as 10 fabrics (two cuts of each fabric) and some packs contain 20 different fabrics. I like this particular precut because you can get a decent amount of fabric and still have a nice variety of colors. I love my jelly rolls, but sometimes that 2 1/2" wide strip just isn't enough fabric that it satisfies my fabric craving...

In Patch Stack, I used the Tonga 6-pack for the creamy and greenish tones. I used yardage for the blue background and I love how this quilt looks masculine yet interesting. I love the colors because I live so close to Lake Erie, it gives off that lake vibe. However, I think this quilt would look amazing in a totally scrappy mix of prints reminiscent of a grown up I Spy.

This quilt was so easy to make and even easier to layout and piece. I thought it would be much harder than it was so I made the pieces and laid it out, then I gathered them up and set it aside for a long time. I don't know what I was afraid of! I started stitching the rows together and was only planning to fill a small amount of sewing time I had open. It was a boring night with nothing much going on and I just wanted to sew for a bit. Not long into my hour or so I set aside to sew, I was almost done with the top, so I kept going!

Patch Stack finishes at a decent size (71" x 86") so it would be a great large throw or a twin size. That's also without borders, so the size can easily grow if you'd prefer it a bit larger if you added borders.

I love this quilt and I hope you do too! Remember that I will be back here each Monday showing off a new quilt from Seems Like Scrappy before it's release in May.

Also, if you missed it over the weekend, I put together a little chart listing the three most popular precut sizes and the names each fabric company uses to identify them. It's a free pdf printable and you can get to it by clicking here. 

And last but definitely not least, tomorrow there will be a super exciting post you'll definitely want to checkout... did someone say giveaway??? Come back tomorrow for the details. Have a great day! I'm going to enjoy my coffee and get in gear... I've got quilts to make!

Clearing Up Precut Confusion

Has anyone else noticed the variety of names given to different precuts? You think that it must be something new and different, yet to find it's the same exact bundle as something else...

Well, I started researching and looking and sorting and I came up with a little chart to share with all of you to ease the confusion:

What I did here was take the three most popular precuts (5" squares, 10" squares and 2 1/2" strips) and listed what each manufacturer names each precut.

Now, there is a reason each manufacturer may have a different name. It basically all comes down to trademarks and licensing and such. Plus it gives each company an identity for their products in this mass sea of precuts available. Not many quilt shops only carry one manufacturer's products, so each fabric brand needs to stand out and make a statement how they can. Just on this chart alone, 2 1/2" strips have 11 different names between 13 different fabric brands!

I started noticing this confusion when I was teaching classes. Some people would come up to me and say, "I don't have a Charm Pack but I have this stack of 5" squares, will this work?" It's one of those situations where when it happened once, no biggie, but after a few times, I felt there had to be an easier way.

Plus, with the release of Seems Like Scrappy coming up in the near future, I didn't want anyone to have the same confusion and feel they couldn't make a quilt because they don't have a jelly roll that the pattern calls for when they have a Bali Pop sitting on their shelf... It's the same thing...

Now, here's the disclaimer part of this post and it's also clearly stated at the top of the printable:

Not every quantity is the same between precuts... Let me say that again:

Not every quantity is the same between precuts

Most precuts are made with either a manufacturer standard of pieces or they are dependent on how many fabrics were in the particular line of fabrics. Each bundle should be marked with the amount of pieces it contains. Double check before you begin that you will have the correct amount of pieces needed for your project.

To get the printable chart, click here.

I've had some questions in the past of how to save or print these files. When you open the pdf, there will be a series of icons at the top of the screen (they may not show until you move the cursor over them).

Please pardon the grainy look, I took an actual picture of my screen.

If you just want to print this chart now, the first icon on the left is to print (the one that looks like a printer).

If you'd like to save this pdf file to print again and again at your leisure, the icon with the downward arrow is to download the file and save it.

I hope you enjoy and can use this chart because I know how confusing it can be at times. Feel free to share this with your quilting pals and keep it handy.

Last disclaimer, this information was collected and compiled all by my little lonesome. This is an ever changing industry and the names and precuts available are subject to change at the will of the manufacturers. This information is current as of this date, but I'm sure it can and will change in time. If needed, I will reissue an update in the future, but be sure to print out this handy little chart and keep it near your precut stash!

Speaking of precuts... come on back to the blog on Monday (and every Monday for a couple months) to see previews of each new quilt in Seems Like Scrappy, my newest book due out in May! I've already posted a couple quilts, you can see them here and here. Just think, with this new chart in hand and inspiration brought to you each Monday, by the time the book is released you'll be all set and ready to create a new quilt or two! There are 14 quilts in this new book and I've already made duplicates of some... Just remember Monday... I'll bring you a little creative colorful moment to make Mondays not so mundane, alright? See you then!