Hugs ‘N Kisses 48″ x 64″
Welcome to part 2 of my Hugs ‘n Kisses Quilt Along! Today I will be discussing fabric selection and layout.
Hugs ‘n Kisses Quilt Kits are available if you’d rather not worry about fabric selection.
For a successful design, this quilt relies on contrast between the print fabrics and the solid background.
You could choose one of your favorite themed fabrics like solids, batiks, or a favorite color range, and pair them with either a totally light solid or a totally dark fabric for contrast.
That being said, what if we play around a little? You will notice my original version has a few light colored strips. What if you wanted a modern, low-volume quilt? Just blur the contrast between the prints and background to achieve this sort of look in the pink design below.
Low Volume Hugs ‘n Kisses
Juvenile Hugs ‘n Kisses
And if you want to make a more playful, juvenile quilt, you can choose a bright background solid that matches one of your print fabrics. You could also use several different background fabrics if you want to make it a bit more “scrappy.”
If you are working with a kit where all of the fabrics are already chosen, you can make it your own by changing the setting of the squares, also known as block layout.
Hugs ‘n Kisses Bowties
Hugs ‘n Kisses Waves
The basic unit we will be constructing next week is the bow-tie block. You could lay out your entire quilt with the bow ties all going the same way to achieve a totally different look. Or how about zig-zags, all kisses, or all hugs? It’s up to you!
Hugs ‘n Kisses all X’s
Hugs ‘n Kisses All O’s
I even dare you to play around with the borders if you are so inclined. What if you swapped the border fabric for the binding fabric, i.e., a solid border and a scrappy binding instead? If you want to make a larger quilt, who is stopping you from cutting a few extra strips from your stash and mixing them in with the other blocks? You can always “borrow” the inner border strips to cut up into more block backgrounds, and replace them with something else.
I want you to look at the kits as a starting point and explore your creativity (but only if you want to – there are no hard and fast rules here)! Who knows, I might even change up my own quilt a bit when I get to that point. 🙂
Here is this week’s “homework” for those of you cutting your own strips:
- Cut out 36 assorted 2.5″ print strips for your blocks and pieced borders
- Cut 23 – 2.5″ solid strips for your background and inner borders
- Set aside 1/2 yard of coordinating solid for the binding and be sure to prewash it.
If you have any questions about this week’s homework, please be sure to join my flickr discussion or email me directly at christa@christaquilts.com.
Quilt Along Schedule – Links will go to each active post when published.
- 5.1 – 2/27/13 Supply List
- 5.2 – 3/6/13 Choosing Fabrics and Alternate Layouts
- 5.3 – 3/13/13 Cutting and Sewing the Bow Tie Blocks
- 5.4 – 3/20/13 Sewing the X and O Blocks (or alternates)
- 5.5 – 3/27/13 Finishing the Quilt Top and Pieced Borders
- 5.6 – 4/3/13 Piecing the Backing
- 5.7 – 4/10/13 Pin Basting
- 5.8 – 4/17/13 Stitching in the Ditch
- 5.9 – 4/24/13 Decorative FMQ
- 5.10 – 5/1/13 Additional Quilting
- 5.11 – 5/8/13 Binding – It’s Finished!
Christa Quilts 
I was told once to use sizing instead of starch. Starch has sugar and at tracks bugs, sizing does not. Have you ever had trouble with bugs?
I live in a very warm climate and haven’t had a problem. However, I try to only starch the amount of fabric I will be using up in a project. Then I wash it when finished to remove the starch.
Thank you for your comments. We have a winner!
I finally got my fabrics sorted. It’s going to be scrappy blues and greens this time.
Christa, how large of a quilt will this be?
Hugs and Kisses will be about 48″ x 64″ and you can make it bigger with more blocks or borders.
Is it just the binding fabric you are saying to wash? I’ve not heard this before. Can you explain please. I had trouble with a quilt recently. The very edges (binding) seem to curl and be hard instead of comfy soft. Does prewashing only the binding help this?
Oh… forgot… I left a picture on fliker that shows the fabric I’m going to us. Sew excited!
The main reason I encourage pre-washing is to prevent dye-migration (fabric bleeding!). With a dark binding and lots of white background, I don’t want to take any chancesI usually block my quilts at the end to make them nice and flat. I can’t wash the jelly roll strips since they are precut, but I can wash the binding and then wash the whole quilt with a should color catcher at the end. If you are not going to wash the quilt, then it won’t be a problem.
I’m going to use the Riley Blake Flutter I’ve had sitting around waiting for the perfect project. I’m still deciding on the background fabric. Maybe Bella Snow? Hmmm.
Sounds pretty! I love Riley Blake fabrics. That reminds me – I need to order more!!
I’ve posted a picture of my fabrics. I’m going to make a scrappy binding with the leftover jelly strips and solid fabric. Now I just need to do a bit of cutting!
Yes, bribery does work, lol, I put up a picture of the batiks I will use, still not sure if I want to go with the waves or maybe the hugs, and ordered some Kona snow and will cut them into strips when they arrive.
Do you have just the Kona Snow Roll Up for sale, it’s not in your Jelly Roll section, how do I buy just that?
I sold out of them quickly but I do have some on backorder 🙂
Okay excellent!
I like the Hugs and Kisses Waves, a very interesting quilt top.
I’m going to make the quilt just like your example with Kissing Booth. I’m wondering why we need to pre-wash the 1/2 yd solid for the binding. I’ve never heard that before with any other quilt pattern.
I always prewash whenever I can. Because there is so much light background against the dark binding fabric, it’s a good idea just to be safe. Since I can’t prewash the precuts, I will wash the entire quilt when finished with a couple of shout color catchers to soak up any loose dye in the water 🙂
Those Shout Color Catchers are WONDERFUL. They really do soak up the loose dye! I use them in ALL my laundry except my ‘whites’,
I am using strips I cut from my stash last summer. I need to seperate them out but posted a photo of all of them. Also using a Jelly Roll of Kona Grey.
Love the red, pink, brown, and lime green of the Jelly Roll sitting on my shelf of Deb Strain’s All You Need is Love from Moda. I think an excellent opportunity to use it finally! I can’t wait.
I posted a photo of some strips from my stash that I auditioned a couple days ago. I need to make a few changes/additions yet, and I am considering the 3D poofy triangles … Thanks Christa, i look fwd to cutting into them:-)
I’m anxiously awaiting my fabric to arrive in the mail so I can get started!
I looked at this pattern several times and did not notice it was bow ties until now. Wow, I am so looking forward to this one. Thanks so much Christa, you are the BEST!