Vanessa Goertzen - Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5 Squares: A Beginners Guide

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Editors: Lynn Koolish and Monica Gyulai Technical Editors: Del Walker and Debbie Rodgers Cover/Book Designer: April Mostek Production Coordinators: Zinnia Heinzmann and Tim Manibusan Production Editors: Nicole Rolandelli and Jennifer Warren Illustrator: Freesia Pearson Blizard Photo Assistants: Carly Jean Marin and Mai Yong Vang Style photography by Lucy Glover and instructional photography by Diane Pedersen, unless otherwise noted Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 dedication To Olive and Lorenzo, my favorite snugglers, who dance the hokey pokey with me every night before bed. You are the best that a mama could wish for. To my amazing mother, for sharing her time and talents with me since I was young. Thank you for teaching me how to play with fabric, use a sewing machine, and run wild with my ideas. You are one of my greatest treasures.

To my family and friends, for always cheering me on in my crazy endeavors. This is for you. acknowledgments Thank you to Abby and Natalia, my wonderful friends and quilters. You have transformed my quilt designs into veritable works of art. I fell in love with Moda Fabrics long before I worked for them. Thank you to all the wonderful people thereespecially Mark, Lissa, Cheryl, and Jamie.

It is a dream come true to work with you. A special thanks to Riley Blake Designs, Marcus Fabrics, Cotton + Steel, and Art Gallery Fabrics for allowing me to use your beautiful fabric collections. Thanks to Alex at Aurifil for the superb thread; to Prym and OLFA, for your amazing tools, which make the cutting process so much easier; and to Fairfield, for your wonderful Nature-Fil battingthe unseen but vital part of making a quilt come to life. To my dear friend, Susan, for being my second pair of eyes and providing invaluable input. Finally, thank you, C&T Publishingespecially Amy, April, Carly, Debbie, Del, Diane, Freesia, Gailen, Jennifer, Lucy, Lynn, Mai, Monica, Nicole, Roxane, Tim, and Zinniafor your hard work and support in making this book come to life. INTRODUCTION When I was pregnant with my first child and found out I was having a girl, I went straight to the quilt shop next door to start looking for fabric.

I found a few perfect fat quarters and then happened to notice the sweet little precut bundles of 5 5 squares called charm packs. I had never seen them before and was so enchanted by them that I grabbed a couple, just to see what I could make. I found that playing with these 5 5 squares was such funand that there were endless possibilities for what I could do with them. I used them like building blocks and discovered a whole new world of creativity. I hope youll join me at my Charm School. In my mothers time, charm school was a place young ladies attended in heels and hoseto learn perfect table manners and ways to become socially brilliant.

At my Charm School, you will learn to work with precut charm squares, and, if you wish, to use fat quarters or scraps to make your own 5 5 squares. The project directions include all the information you need. The best part is that you dont need heels and hosewhile attending my Charm School, you are cordially invited to work in your pajamas or your jeans! While basic information is included for beginning quiltmakers, Ive presented quilts for all levels of experience. Start with the 5 5 squares, just the way they are, and gradually learn how to make simple alterations. Half-Square Triangles will make your designs more interesting and fun. Read the lessons and hints to help you put the quilts together quickly.

Each of the chapters builds on techniques introduced in previous chapters. As you progress in the book, youll practice techniques you have already learned and also learn new ones. Basic instructions on finishing (layering, basting, quilting, and binding) are included to help you complete the process. Look through the entire book before you start so that you have a visual picture of the possibilities and techniques. By the time you finish making several of the quilts in this book, youll be ready to graduate from Charm School. SELECTING THE FABRIC The thing I love most about using 5 5 squares is that there are many ways to cut them from fabric.

Even though precut charm squares were my inspiration for the projects in this book, it is very easy to substitute fat quarters or even scraps. Dont hesitate to make your own charm packs. Choose what youd like and get started. charm packs A charm pack is a little bundle of precut 5 5 squares. The wonderful things about charm packs are the convenience and the fabric selection. Within each charm pack, youll find an assortment of coordinating prints curated by a professional designer.

And, of course, the cutting has already been done, so you can begin to use those 5 5 squares right away. Charm packs are produced by a number of manufacturersalthough the manufacturers may market them under a different name. In this book I use the Moda Fabrics brand of charm packs as the standard, since Moda charm packs always contain 42 precut 5 5 squares per bundle. This is important to remember if you use a different manufacturers version. Check how many squares are in your precut bundle and adjust the number you purchase accordingly. fat quarters I always have a great time creating my own special mix of fabrics when choosing fat quarters.

Sometimes I pick my favorites within one fabric collection, or I might create a totally unique assortment from several groups. When substituting fat quarters for charm packs, you wont have as wide a variety of prints. This works well when youre going for a less scrappy look. A fat quarter measures 18 22. It is a quarter-yard of fabric, just as is a piece measuring 9 44. But a chunk is sometimes more useful to quilters than a strip.

This is especially true when it comes to cutting 5 5 squares. For example, a fat quarter can be cut into twelve squares 5 5, whereas a skinny quarter-yard will yield only eight squares. Visit your local quilt shop. Most shops will cut fat quarters from the bolt if you dont find what you need in their precut selection. scraps Most quilters accumulate a lot of scraps over the years, but they dont always have a lot of room for them. I like to keep a pile of 5 5 square leftovers so I can assemble my own charm packs.

Look through your stash and see what you can come up with! Cutting Charm Squares FROM Precuts and Yardage You can cut 10 10 precut squares (also called layer cakes, stackers, or stack packs) into 4 charm squares. You can cut 5 WOF precut strips (also called charm rolls, dessert rolls, or fat rolls) into 8 charm squares. CHARM SQUARE CUTTING FROM YARDAGE As a busy mother of young children, I am glad I live during a time when there are so many wonderful tools available to make quilting a quick and convenient process. Because quilting relies heavily on precision cutting and piecing, I find the following tools essential to success