There's a new finished quilt in the house and I have to say I'm in love. This is the latest free shortcut quilt pattern by Fat Quarter Shop. It's called the Charm Box Quilt, and I enlarged it to make a twin size for my three-year-old son's bed. I knew right away that it had to be made with Doe charm packs, so with the Architextures Crosshatch in Curry for the sashing, it's a bit of a Carolyn Friedlander fest. :)
Colton's favorite color is green, so it's backed in Doe Line Scales in Sage. The stripe down the back is what was trimmed off the front and would have been in the scrap drawer otherwise.
Colton helped me with the initial layout on the design wall, but Ed the Cat is my late night helper.
It's bound with Doe Leaning Towers in Black — one of my favorite prints from the line.
It was awesome to see his face when he walked into his room and saw it on his bed. He'd been asking for days when he could sleep under it, even sitting under it with me as I finished the binding.
Quilting was done by my friend Mary of See Mary Quilt, based here in New Hampshire. She recently started a long arm quilting business and if you're looking, I highly recommend her! She has great ideas and quilts like the wind. For this quilt she echoed many of the patterns in the fabric.
Here's the lucky quilt owner in his new t-shirt from Austin. Hook 'em Horns! There are a bunch of other Charm Box Quilts as part of the Fat Quarter Shop blog hop today; check it out over on the Jolly Jabber. There's also a video tutorial and a quilt kit. As usual, this shortcut quilt goes together quickly so I'm saving the pattern in case I need to whip up a baby quilt.
UPDATE: I'm including the fabric requirements for the twin size quilt (67.5 x 81"). Replace the cutting instructions on the original pattern with what is below. I also created a tutorial for a matching pillow; it can be found here.
180 5" squares (the Doe charm packs are 42 squares each so I used five packs and had leftovers). You will be arranging nine rows of 13 squares each. It's easier to visualize if you turn the photo of the full quilt sideways!
Sashing - 3 yards (I bought a bit extra which enabled to make this matching pillow)
12 - 3.5" x WOF strips, pieced and subcut to: 7 - 3.5 x 59" (Fabric B),
11 - 4" x WOF strips, pieced and subcut to: 6 - 4 x 59" (Fabric C),
4 - 3.5" x WOF fabric strips, pieced and subcut to: 2 - 3.5 x 59"
Note: I always wait to cut each stage of sashing until I am ready to sew it on, which saves me cutting sashing that is too short. Having to recut it is the worst, and it can be difficult to achieve perfect 1/4" seams throughout when sewing with the pinked edges on the fabric from charm packs.
Binding - 3/4 yard
9 - 2.5" x WOF strips
Backing - 5 1/2 yards (again, I purchased extra, and used the cut off pieces for the stripe down the back).
If you make a twin size quilt (or a pillow), I'd love to see it!
