As the winter season is approaching, we all need something warm to wrap ourselves up. Quilts are the best possible way to do so. Quilts are layers of fabric, kept in place by expert sewing. Fat Quarters are an effective way for patch workers to buy fabric. Since, Fat Quarters are already cut in the requisite dimension for quilting, therefore, Fat Quarters are a popular buying material for workers who make quilts. Cotton fabric is precut to make fat quarters. Initially, the fabrics are of 1 yard. They are cut half length-wise and then half width-wise. Approximately, the dimensions of the fat quarters are to be 18” X 22”. Since, the fat quarter is cut, like a square piece of fabric, it is more useful to the appliques and the patch workers. Being a square piece of cloth, it is also more open to the choices, when it comes to sewing and piecing.
Isn’t it a treat to work with smaller pieces of fabric? Since the piecing is much more manageable, you can actually buy a lot of prints and different solids together and can store them in your yardage for future use. Plus, every time you quilt using fat quarter you will have some scraps, which you can add on to your yardage, for further use with the new scraps. Having this much of prints together, you will be way ahead of the game and will create great quilts from these fat quarters. Plus, doing these you are saving your money and reducing a lot of waste.
Fat Quarters are very useful and are great for making quilts. We love the fat quarters for this. Since fat quarters are so accessible, people are always looking for great quilt patterns. In this article, we have listed all the quilt patterns, from quick to super easy to a masterpiece. While all of them are gorgeous, some are scrappy, some will work well with one color family, some will take two or three color family to look good.
While making quilts out of fat quarters, it is very important that you have a sharp cutter to cut the fat quarters, and also a sewing machine, by which you will sew the fat quarters. Most of the expert quilt makers use a 45 mm cutter, to cut the fat fabrics easily. You will also need a cutting mat, for keeping a background to keep the fabric or the fat quarter. You should keep in mind that the cutting mat should be bigger than 18” X 22” inches. Also, a 25-inch long quilting rules are needed for the measurements.
A basic sewing machine will do. You do not need a high-end sewing machine to get started. You can actually also do the sewing by hand, but at some point of time, sewing by hand becomes boring, and that is why sewing machine is a much more feasible option. You can also buy a charm pack, which often contains a sampling of all the prints in a fabric line. A charm pack contains a collection of fabric which has been precut into 5” X 5”, and often contains all the prints in a collection. It is very evident that each charm pack should contain at least one of each print. Sometimes, it also happens the pack also contain the same print twice, and it entirely depends on the company which produced this.
Before discussing quilt patterns, made from a fat quarter, let us first talk about how to choose fat quarters.
Everybody loves quilts made from a multitude of fat quarters. Once you have a good collection of fat quarters, it is now important to know how to blend a lot of fat quarters into quilt making the material. Now, you need to choose a design for your quilt. Once you have decided on the quilt design, you just need to convert the yardage into square quarter yards necessary for piecing and sewing. Each element of the fat quarters needs to be into the same dimension. Though today, most of the company making fabrics, offer the fabrics in the fat quarter's form, therefore, it is necessary to choose your design beforehand, i.e. before choosing the fabrics. But, if your retailer is selling the full fabric, you may take a canvas, maybe black or white, and use the fabric as the palette. But, if there is an option, always choose fat quarters. Below, there are some tips for you to choose fat quarters for quilts.
Colors: While choosing fat quarters for quilts, choose the color you like the most. No matter what the value or scale be, choose your favorite color. Now, go anti-clockwise in your favorite color list, and choose one color from each color set. Decide the quantity yourself, and choose accordingly. The color is entirely up to you. But, choose the color’s accordingly, so that the other color will look good with another color you chose.
Palette: Now, create a collection of your fabric in what is known as a palette. The palette is a collection of fabrics which vary in value and scale. The fabrics here can be arranged in various shades, tints, and tones of pure color. While arranging your fabrics into the palette, it is very important that you start arranging from the brightest fabric in your collection. It just makes your collection look more engrossing. Considering the brightest and clearest fabric in your collection as the base color will open up more choices when it comes to choosing your tone and tint. Adding white to the base color will give you a pastel tint while adding black creates a warm and deep shape. Adding gray to your base color will give you a subtle note.
Flexibility: Now, if you are an experienced quilter, then you may have many yardages from your earlier fat quarters. The great thing about using fat quarters for making quilts that it is quite flexible, and you can actually attach larger cuts to the side of the fabrics, and it will not affect the effect of a scrap quilt. While adding a larger cut to the side of the quilt, you are also isolating an aspect. Now, you can devote more time to select the right fabric for the center of the quilt.
Duplicating Fat Quarters: It is a blatant fact, that you cannot use more than one same print in your fabric. Just because there are varied options with you, doesn’t mean you can’t go with the same option again. If you want, use duplicate fat quarters.
The range of Values: Value’s of fabric is determined by the color you use in the fabric. The color factor determines all in a quilt. Therefore, when you are making a quilt from a fat quarter, be very careful of the color combination. Our tip to you is, list the fabrics available in ascending order of color values. The dark values are the fabrics with dark colors like Red, Black or Blue. Medium values should not be too dark or too light. Make your eye the boss, and it will tell you the variation. If your eye is unable to distinguish the colors, take a Ruby Beholder, and you can easily distinguish them now. List the color in ascending order, and take a color from the middle, and keep it as the new base color. If you still cannot find out which color would suit the best as your background, stand 10 feet away from the fabrics, and you will know which to use. Just trust your eyes.
Fabric Scale: Fabric Scale is the measurement of your quilt. Therefore, think about the various prints that you will like to use. After you have decided on the dimension of your quilt, examine the fabrics about the selections you would like to use. If you mix various fabrics in a quilt, it will add an interesting movement into your print. If your fabric lacks interest and is boring you, rethink about your fabric choices.
After you have selected your fat quarter and has measured them, there’s no stopping you. The patterns are easily available on the internet. You can either download them or you may buy the books from your nearest book store. They should have the top to a bottom explanation on how to inculcate those patterns into your fat quarter. We will now talk about those patterns in the next section. Before joining into the next section about the patterns, we advise you to make something yourself. This will increase your confidence in sewing. It doesn’t really matter if it looks bad or looks good. All you need to do is try to make some new patterns. If you can’t there are millions of quilt patterns on the Internet. You can refer to either them or you can also refer to the patterns mentioned below.
While fat quarters itself is fun to collect, it has got its best usage in Quilts. Here are some of the best quilt patterns that will put your fat quarters into good usage. If your fat quarters are piling up your fabric stash, then these fat quarters quilt patterns are the best way to clear out your fabric stash.
Flower Shows: Who doesn’t love flowers in their bedroom? The Flower Show quilt will give everyone the peace they want in their bedrooms. The floral and solids call for a stunning, yet easy to sew a quilt. You can also change the patterns anytime by changing the pattern fabrics. You can also customize the themes as per the setting of your room.
Neutral Appeals: A Subtle appearance is more appealing to some people who love quietness. The Neutral Appeal is for them. A small dash of color can add a lot of brightness to these rooms having Neutral Appeal palette. Neutral Appeal is a pattern with aboriginal colors like yellowish white or other hues of white.
Playing Tags: This type of quilt is great for couples who just had a baby. Make a quilt of dimension so that the baby can stroll around it. To make it colorful add some fun and function by sewing ribbon and by drawing loops into the blocks. You will see that your baby will enjoy the colorful loops.
Sunny All Around: A simple block can look great when it has different blocks within it. Surrounded by multiple borders all around the block, pieced and plain, the Sunny all around is great for the environment which gets a good amount of light. Like, the dining space can be a great place to keep this type of quilts.
Side Dish: Works great as a sofa cover, or for kitchen purposes, the Side Dish is made up of two asymmetrical blocks. A block of broken dishes with appliqued pierced border on two sides. The Side Dish will both look great with lighter tones fabrics and also dark fabrics. Because of its usage in the house, darker colors are used more.
Picnic Quilts: If you have got ample amount of scrap dark colored fat quarters, then you can make this type fo quilt. This is both good for inhouse and outhouse purposes. You can both use this quilt as a picnic quilt or you can also use this in your twin size bed. Assemble all your favorite scrappy red blue and green fat quarters, and make this quilt.
Ring Toss Quilts: For making this quilt, combine your pastel fat quarters, in units looking like floating stars, to make a sweet lap quilt. This will be useful in the winter when you watch TV sitting on your sofa, and got nothing to cover yourself.
Waves: The blending of blue and gray fabrics together, and arranging them in a zigzag pattern like waves hitting the shore on a stormy night will give you the Roaring waves quilt. Pairing blue and gray together, will make the quilt look more attractive and unique.
Get the Bow: It is another pattern that will look great when kept in the bathroom. The name signifies the pattern, The pattern is like that of a bow tie. The piecing of the blocks can be done in the shape of the bow tie, to make it look more like it.
Orchard Lanes: This is one for your bedroom again. This quilt looks like as if you are sleeping in an orchard. The dark blend of colors in every block of the bed cover will look fabulous. It can be made very easily using the time-saving strip piecing pattern.
Summer Days: Table Top quilts are cute as well as very helpful. If you have some light pastel color fabric lying around here and there, start working on the summer days quilt. It is one of the easiest to be made. There will be bright print squares alternatively with four patch blocks. The cheerful running around of colors in the print will make anybody’s soul happy.
Painters Palette: If you are already experienced in making basic quilts, and want to get on to the next level as soon as you can, then try out painters palette. Include a few brighter and lighter fabric alternatively in a triangular pattern all throughout the block. Make the piece more attractive by blending in with some color transitions, so that the eye of the viewer moves.
Eye Catchers: Use every piece of floral and solid prints you have got and start working on the Eye Catcher. This is also a project which should be done after you have some idea about basic quilts. Balance the piece with alternating prints of floral and solid color. While, this when hanged on the wall looks great, it also isn't overwhelming, therefore, maintaining the subtlety.
Broken Dishes: A traditional quilt, and should be used for in-house purposes, this should be made using two prints for each of the blocks.
Floral Wall Hangings: Simple appliques on bright fat quarters prints pop off a unique transition. It goes on to make a coordinating solid and creates a great dynamic wall hanging.
Lanterns: A Batik Print on a solid fabric, makes the quilt look like as if lanterns are burning on a bright blue sky. This pattern will look great when made a wall hanging, and will be brightening your rooms up.
Simple Rectangles: If you have got an ample amount of light color fabrics like aqua, lime, and cocoa, then make this simple yet scrappy quilt using these light color scraps. Make rectangles out of the lighter colors, and one of them as the base. It will be of great usage in sofa or chair.
Country Windmills: Making this one is intricate. The Country Windmill is favorable for your cushions. To make this, you have to blend in 30 different color fabrics and stitch them all together. While cushion is the most comfortable thing that one can have on their sofa, its cover should also be special.
Simple Strips: This is a simple quilt which is just made by five rows of simple sewing with two different colors. Five rows of lengthy rectangles with long strips and single novelty points.
Twin Bed Quilts: One for the bedroom again. The idea is to just cut rectangles from floral print fat quarters, and join it with pineapple colored strips to make rows. Then, paste them into a background fat quarter. This will be of great usage as a sofa cover or a bed cover.
Table Mat: Buy a charm pack containing all the same fabrics. Now, bind six of the fat quarters up, and make it a table mat. Choose transient colors like red and white, or pink and blue, the colors which are soothing. Table Mat’s should be cute, and therefore, choose tonal colors.
Fresh Four-Patch Table Toppers: Make patches for different square blocks. Four patches for each block, and four blocks for the main table topper. It will look great. Choose colors like green or olive green. It will look subtle.
Building Blocks: Ever seen building blocks? Or the bricks which come out of the old buildings? The Building blocks quilt made from fat quarters will exactly look like that. Make it up with any color you like, but the most favorable color would be chocolate. Only chocolate won't do, it would become boring. Instead, blend lighter colors like aqua blue, and sew the square blocks into the green mesh background. It will look great as a table top.
Scrappy Bed Quilts: Make a scrappy bed quilt by combining some neutral color squares. Colors like cranberry reds, greens and rose petal pink, will be great for this neutral appeal quilt.
Bright Four Patch Throw: With a rich black background, give some very small four patch units here and there randomly. This quilt will look like a 2D digital game. With the sparkling look of the Amish quilt, this can be used anywhere.
Pinwheels Table Toppers: A colorful flamboyant table topper made with fat quarters. The borders are plain and pieced, while the frame smaller towards the middle and larger pinwheel blocks towards the end. The Pinwheel Table Topper is irresistible. It's subtle, yet flamboyant characteristics will color every household.
Lamps Wall Hangings: A two color wall hanging quilt, which features lamp shaped applique pieces. Combine any types of special prints you have, and it will make it look more attractive. Add some assorted floral prints, dots and stripes for some attractiveness to the quilt.
The above patterns are available free on the Internet. You can download these anytime and can start designing your quilt. The instructions in designing your quilt for these patterns are given in detail. It is easy to get tempted by the fat quarters bundle available in stores and is cheaper than the full fabric. They are beautiful, irresistible and versatile too. Not only quilts, but fat quarters are also useful for other things like making diaries, and diapers for baby toddlers etc. Fat quarter bundles actually help you make a quilt. With so many varied choices they give you, fat quarters are pure intuition for quilters. As the intricacies increase in case of the quilt, the more attractive the quilt becomes. The more the pieces you sew with the existing background, the more flamboyant your quilt becomes. So, keep making patterns and keep sewing!
How to Use Fat Quarter Bundles