Welcome to the Block Chain quilt along! This week we will be cutting all the fabric needed to make this quilt. It will be super easy because the center of each block features precut squares which are already cut for you (one of the reasons I love working with precuts)!
My version uses 36 out of the 42 squares included in the Gridwork Charm Pack.
Sorting the Charm Squares
You will need one charm square for each block in your quilt. Because the throw size consists of 36 blocks and my Gridwork charm pack includes 42 squares, I pulled out 6 squares of the black and gray prints. I like the random coloring below with just two of the black/white squares included for interest. Refer to the Block Chain pattern for the number of squares you’ll need for the smaller or larger sizes.
The important thing to remember is that as long as there is contrast between the squares and the surrounding frames (black in my quilt), it will still look good. Here’s another tip: if one of your squares is the same color as your background, it will look like there’s a hole in your block, so avoid that if possible.
Click here to get the Block Chain quilt kit wile supplies last.
Cutting the Black and gray Fabrics
Refer to the Gridwork quilt pattern on page 3 to cut out your accent, background, and binding strips. Here are closeup images of the fabrics that I used:
The black is called Square Grid. I included this one in the Gridwork line specifically for this quilt!!
There are several great grays in Gridwork but I really like the look of the gray Hourglass print for the background. It gives the quilt just the right amount of interest and texture!
I especially love using fun geometric bindings for my quilts, so I picked the black Circle Grid print to finish off the edges of the quilt.
Here’s a tip to save for the end: if you want a super narrow binding thats finishes exactly 1/4″ evenly on front and back, cut your strips 2″ and sew the binding on with 1/4″ seam allowance.
Click here to stock up on yardage and bundles of your favorite Gridwork prints.
Looking ahead to next Week:
Next week we will start sewing all of our cut units into blocks. Just remember, you can work at your own pace, faster or slower as you wish. I’m here to cheer you on each step of the way!
I had two charm squares I was uncertain about because they matched the fabric that goes around the charm. Thanks for the tip that it won’t work, now to find another charm.
You are welcome! You only need 36 out of the 42 charms that come in a standard size pack, so you should be ok 🙂
Christa Watson Instagram @christaquilts website/blog: ChristaQuilts.com