Cluck Cluck Sew

Last week my friend Trish posted her new project to make an hourglass block a day, and it felt like a perfect fall project for my current crazy life situation. 

I can make 2 hourglass blocks in just a few minutes…so I can fit in a block here and there while I’m helping my kids with schoolwork.  I also have a large random assortment of fall-ish fabrics I’ve had for years…so it’s a great way to stash bust.  

I wrote a tutorial for an hourglass quilt years ago, so I thought it a good time to update it, add some sizes, and make it printable.   

Click here or the image above to go to the printable pattern.  

It also has a handy chart for lots of sizes.  

I’m currently making the 4 1/2″ finished size (6″ starting squares), and hoping to have 208 blocks to sew into a throw size quilt by the end of November (16 rows of 13 blocks each 58 1/2″ x 72″) . 

If I make 6 blocks a day I’ll have enough to sew into a quilt in 35 days. 

It makes a great low stress project if you decide to join us making an hourglass (or 6) a day!  

Except… can someone please send the block trimming fairy to my house?   Trimming might be my least favorite chore!

Last year I made my son a bat quilt, and I’ve been planning a colorful version ever since. 

I used the Bats pattern I wrote last year, and a variety of bright basic fabrics. 

The background bones fabric (isn’t that cute?!) is from the line Scaredy Cat by Riley Blake.  It’s getting tricky to find now, but I bet brick and mortar shops might have it.    

This lime bat was my favorite of the bunch…and you can see I placed it smack dab in the middle of the quilt.

These blocks go together SO fast with Diagonal Seam Tape, and you can checkout a super quick video of me making one of these Bat blocks with it here.  

I quilted this one myself in a swirly pattern.  I dragged my feet to quilt it for a few weeks and then once I finally made myself get started, it only took me a couple of hours or so. 

I love the quilting part….but I will procrastinate making a backing and basting the quilt foreeeeeever. 

I backed it with the blue plaid from my Backyard Blooms fabric, and bound it with a pink stripe.

Now it’s draped over Sophie’s bed and she’s happy as a clam with her Halloween quilt in non-Halloween colors.  

Here’s the one I made last year for Ryan:  

His is definitely more Halloween-ish….but hers is so fun with all the color!   Bat quilt pattern can be found here.  

Have a great day!  -Allison

Same quilt as last post…totally different look!  

I made this version late last fall with Carrie Bloomston’s new line Wish for Windham Fabrics.  It’s out of my color comfort zone, which is probably why I loved working with these deep saturated colors so much. 

The Fat Quarter Shuffle pattern uses 16 fat quarters for the Throw size.  When using busy big prints like these, I always throw in at least as many near solids and solids to give your eyes some resting space in the pattern.  

I don’t recommend using directional fabrics for this quilt since the blocks are rotated…but I used the elephant print for this quilt and had to make sure each block was flipped the correct way so they wouldn’t be upside down.  I don’t recommend it, but it can be done! 

I especially love how the brushed off white fabric looks in the finished quilt.    

The brushed near solids balance out the busy large prints so well!  These blocks and quilt top are so quick to put together.  

Kaitlin quilted this one for me, I don’t remember the name of the design, but it’s clean and modern.  The backing fabric is from Joann fabrics (old) and looks like it was made for this line.  

I love how this one turned out, it’s definitely my favorite version I made of this pattern.  

The pattern is Fat Quarter Shuffle, which can be found in my shop as pdf, or paper.  

The fabric is Wish by Carrie Bloomston, which came out in May and is in local quilt shops, or online here, here, here, here, here.