Today it’s time to share the fourth quilt that’s presented in my book Piece and Quilt with Precuts. Here’s, “S.W.A.K.” featuring a colorful X+O themed design. This is the last quilt in the first section of the book that’s all walking-foot quilted. Of course you can mix and match any of the pieced and quilted designs in the book, and there’s tons of options for you to choose from!
S.W.A.K Photography courtesy of Martingale/That Patchwork Place and Brent Kane.
Piece It
Of course if you look closely, you’ll see that this quilt is constructed entirely from one of my favorite units – the half-square triangle (or HST for short). I could literally design a book full of quilts based on this versatile building block!
The trick that makes this design work is the color placement of the blocks. The pattern actually includes two sizes for the quilt. You can start with fresh fabrics, or you can do what I did and use leftovers from another quilt in the book (coming up later on the hop). Whichever way you choose to make it, I’m sure you’ll have as much fun with it as I did!
For the thread, I chose a shade of blue from my Aurifil Piece and Quilt Collection It’s just the right shade that blends into all of the fabrics, but you can still see it on the navy print. The stitches sink in nicely to the quilt because I’m using one of my favorite battings from Hobbs – 80/20 cotton/poly.
See the end of the post below for a fabulous batting giveaway!
Quilt It
In each of my books so far, I’ve taught different ways to quilt spirals with your walking foot (or dual feed). For S.W.A.K. I figured out how to quilt a continuous square spiral. The secret is to count your stitches when you quilt the starting square! Of course I go into a much more detailed explanation in the book and include plenty of diagrams and closeup photography so you can follow along. I also include which fabrics and precuts I chose, along with which batting and thread I used for each quilt. I wanted you to have all the details for each quilt!
More S.W.A.K inspiration
Check out the amazing color options below. Head to each blog to read more about their fabric and quilting choices and be on the lookout for more giveaways! Whether you like to piece, or quilt, or both, we’ve got you covered with loads of inspiration!
Michelle Bartholomew
Who says you have to make the quilt exactly as shown in the book? I love how Michelle Bartholomew made fewer blocks and turned them into this lovely table runner. And her straight line quilting adds incredible texture to the piece. Visit her blog to see more stunning pics and read what she has to say about her version of S.W.A.K.
If you plan to attend at QuiltCon next year, you’ll definitely want to take her photography workshop. Isn’t her picture so fab?? I always admire those who can style and shoot a beautiful beautiful image!
Sherry Shish – Powered by quilting
Sherry from Powered by Quilting chose stunning black, white and gray prints with a pop of blue and red. Here’s a bonus tip: If you want to skip all the triangle trimming, you can, as long as all of your blocks are the same size. It will make your quilt slightly bigger but since it’s made from the same unit throughout, they’ll all fit together.
If you do choose to trim, here’s any idea on what to do with the waste: stuff them all into a pillowcase. When it’s full, simply stitch the end closed and donate it to an animal shelter to use as a pet bed. It’s an eco-friendly way to recycle even the tiniest of scraps!
Didn’t Sherry do such a fantastic job with her version of S.W.A.K? The color scheme gives it a sort of modern patriotic vibe and she did an amazing job with her quilting! Head over to Sherry’s blog to see more gorgeous pics and read about her interaction with the book.
Allison Dutton – Allison Sews
As you can see by all of these examples including Allison from Allison Sews, this is such a fun design to make from your favorite scraps or coordinated precut bundle!
Look at all that yummy texture!!
I’ve enjoyed watching Allison share her in-progress videos on Instagram. Now you can pop over to her blog to see how she chose to quilt this beauty, along with her fabulous finish!
Today’s Gift – Win Batting from Hobbs
In the book I made nearly each quilt from a different batting so I could try them out, and I listed which batting was used so you can try them out, too. My #1 piece of advice when choosing batting is to use a different batting on your next few quilts and see which ones you like best!
My preference is for natural fiber battings and I love that Hobbs offers such a wide assortment. Today’s lucky winner will receive a Hobbs batting of your choice, so you can experiment, too!
Natural fiber battings cling to the quilt, helping you to prevent shifting and puckers!
To enter, leave me a comment on this blog post letting me know how you prefer to buy batting – do you like to get it by the yard, in pre-sized packages, by the bolt, or some other way? I’m curious to know! This giveaway is open to all, and a winner will be chosen at the end of the hop.
If you haven’t yet purchased your copy of Piece and Quilt with Precuts,
I have a fresh box of them waiting to ship, and I’m happy to sign one for you!
Update: Winner Selected and Comments Closed
Congrats to Peggy P. who has been notified via email.
Christa Quilts 
I usually buy Warm & Natural by the yard when it’s on sale. Haven’t tried Hobbs. The cotton/wool blend sounds interesting.
I buy it by the yard when on sale. I am still trying different kinds to see which kind I prefer.
Fantastic giveaway.
djcutting2(at)gmail(dot)com
I. Purchase batting by the roll, then my sister and I share the roll.
Finally catching up with your book blog hop. Congrats on the book. Great quilts are happening. I’ve always wanted to buy a roll of batting but usually end up buying by the yard with an occasional package size thrown in here and there.
The only way I’ve ever bought batting is pre-packaged by size. I usually get the queen sized, and cut it down to fit whatever I need. When the bamboo batting first arrived on the scene, I loved it and bought several packages. Then when I began to use it, there was so much lint that I was coughing and sneezing and inhaling it!! Now I generally buy Warm and Natural. Easier to work with and nice finish. Thanks so much for the chance to win!!
I usually buy prepackaged on sale. I buy the bigger sizes ie. queen/king and cut to the size I need for the smaller quilts I make. I sometimes buy a bigger roll when I see it on sale for a really good price.
I prefer to buy batting in a prepackaged bag but happily accept pieces from friends for my smaller wall quilts! I love Hobbs batting!
I have been vying prepackaged due to wanting to try out different battings. I’m pretty new to quilting so I don’t really know what I like best yet. It would be great to try out the Hobbs
I buy batting by the bolt, but currently have a few packs of different types to try.
I’ve been buying it prepackaged from stores like JoAnns, with discount coupons. : )
Been wanting to try Hobbs.
Fingers crossed.
I buy batting by the yard or packaged when I purchase good deals on line. A batt will usually get the price up to free shipping! I’m picky about brands of batting though, so this doesn’t always work. The important thing to me is to have purchased the batting for each quilt by the time I’ve finished piecing it even if this means several batts waiting in the wings.
I buy batting by the roll unless I have a special project that require a special batting. I’ve never tried Hobbs, but i need to try it.
I buy by the yard. I’d love to try this as I’ve been tempted to try wool batting. Thanks for the chance to win 😊
I go for a bolt. I hate to run out. Huge investment but worth it.
I prefer to buy batting by the yard. I would buy by the roll but really have no place to store it. I did recently buy a package for the king quilt I’m doing but haven’t quilted it yet. Thank you for your give away! I love your quilts!!! And books!!!
I buy the pre-packaged (queen size) mostly.
I like to buy it by the bolt but love the individual packages for crafts.
Batting by the bolt, after I’ve tried a smaller piece to know I’ll like that batting. There is such a difference in the various manufacturers of batting, it is really great to be able to try out different types and keep samples so you know which one will be perfect for your project.
I buy batting by the roll. usually I troll amazon when I am getting low until I find a good deal
presently I have a roll of 100% wool by peltex and a roll of warm and plush.
I buy it every which way! I love it by the bolt but also buy precut packages for the ease of storage. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Beautiful quilts and runners. I like to buy my batting off the bolt most of the time.
Until recently, I would buy it by the package when on sale. A few months ago, there was a great sale on batting by the roll, so I purchased an entire role. I am fortunate to have the space to store it and love knowing that I will not run out of batting anytime in the near future.
I buy prepackaged batting because I don’t have a lot of space for sewing. I use the remnants to make kennel quilts to donate.
I generally buy pre-packaged batting, as my quilt production isn’t all that fast. I also have been trying different types of batting, which has been fun. I do have a roll of polly batting, which I bought very early on before I knew any better. I use it for non-bedding projects for the most part, now.
I did that too….buy a roll of poly batting way back when. I quit using poly until my sister tried a Quilter ‘s Dream poly batting. I was shocked at the difference in quality!!!! So now I’m trying a variety of quilters dream battings. Haven’t gotten any silk batt yet tho! Probably never will!
I usually get mine pre-packaged for the convenience. I would love to try to Hobbs batting. Thanks for the chance to win!
I use mostly Hobbs 80/20 and buy it from the Bolt.
I buy prepackaged online; can’t usually find size/type I want locally.
I buy pre-packaged for personal use and on a roll for charity quilts, but I store the roll in our terrific sewing closet at church. We are so lucky to have a great space for a great group of quilters. We even have one quilter who “Frankenstein’s” our batting leftovers together so there’s no waste.
I like to buy batting by the roll, especially if I have hound I like it. When I buy to try out a specific batting, I buy it either by the yard or package. Buying on the roll helps me keep it better organized.
Due to space limitations, I usually buy pre-packaged batting.
I have a longarm so I buy by the bolt. I have some packaged batting for specialty projects or I want to try a different type of batting and don’t want to buy a whole roll. Thanks
I love seeing the variety of quilts from your patterns, SWAK may be my fave! I shop for deals, usually packaged online, as well as W&N by the yard – so good to have on hand!
I buy both ways, prepackaged with a coupon or by the the yard. Did buy it by the roll once and still have some but I like some variety and that roll last me forever!
I prefer to buy batting by the bolt. You can often find coupons online and free shipping that makes it worth your while. Then whenever I’m in the mood to finish a quilt, it’s ready to go. I use the scraps from the bolt for smaller projects like charity baby quilts, cage quilts for the Humane Society and simple little gifts.
I like getting a package of batting. I am always using it , I really love it , when they send me their largest box!!!
Oh, Christa! Wow!
Today I have a new favorite pattern!
This pattern, S.W.A.K., was one of several that immediately caught my eye when I first looked at the pictures in your wonderful book! But, as each day of this hop has progressed, and I see more closely what others, too, have made of your “starting point” patterns, I’ve had a new favorite *each day*!!
Today, I see the staggered chevron pattern imbedded in your design!… And I love it!
Batting??…
Unfortunately, I don’t have room for big rolls, so I’m limited… I have to get my batting in pre-packaged cuts (and sometimes by the yard, if the batting I want to try is not available in packages.)
Christa, *Congratulations!* on a fantastic new book!!
Pat T.
Last time I bought batting, I bought a bolt online..so was delivered to door..LOVE having it..I know i have batting when i need it. Doesn’t matter what size i need… Used a coupon and saved even more.. Works for me. I am curious in different types of batting though… So will occasionally try new, so I know how different ones work.
I have never bought batting by the yard ,I just buy it prepackage by size I need for the quilt I am making .
I buy it by the yard…because I can’t fit a roll on my car!
I really love the Hobbs 80/20. It is nice to quilt with. I buy it in the bag, have never tried to buy by the yard or never tried the 100% cotton batting, someday I would like to.
Love all of these versions! Great job! I usually buy by the roll.
I prefer to buy batting by the yard. I have less waste that way. Packaged batting is easier to find in local stores, though.
I tend to buy batting both ways. I have pre-packaged batting on the shelves of my closet to use for bed quilts, but I tend to make mini quilts leaving me with odd size scraps, so I like by-the-yard, too. I do like the comment on here to use every inch by saving the scraps for QAYG (Thanks Teresa@Aureaskitchen, you just gave me an idea). I usually end up using my bits and pieces for quick dusting/sweeping down baseboards and toss. I think QAYG sounds much more fun than dusting and sweeping!!
I buy the giant rolls of cotton. However, I just used Hobbs 80/20 in my most recent finish and I absolutely love it the best so far! I agree on trying new battings. I’m glad I tried something new! Now to get those big rolls used up so I can switch 🙂
I love the crisp handfeel. Thanks for sharing
If I can find yardage on sale then I go that route. Otherwise I buy prepackaged.
When I have room and availability, I prefer to buy by the case. But, typically pick up packages when they are on sale. Thanks for sharing
I tend to buy the pre-packaged by size batting, I don’t have a lot of room to keep a bolt or I certainly would!
I buy the pre-packaged batting mostly. Especially when it is on sale. I don’t have room for a bolt.
I buy by the yard, I couldn’t find where to buy by the bolt where I live. I try to use every inch by using some scraps for QAYG.
Thanks