Pat Sloan: How to make a Bonus quilt with 2.5″ squares while you make other things!

For years I’ve been sewing 2.5″ squares together at the start and end of much of my patchwork sewing. While I do this I’m actually creating a bonus quilt!  So many people have told me they didn’t know about this, so here is how I do it!

If you have never thought about doing this, I’ll walk you through it. It just takes a tiny bit of planning to have things ‘at the Ready’!

First I cut my scraps into 2.5″ squares. And I keep them together by color.

Here is a bin of Green squares and Cream squares. The lights might have other colors in it but they read as a light fabric

The reason I do these as 2 color is I like the final effect it makes. You can also make it totally scrappy or control it with a light and the alternate is totally scrappy! SO FUN!

Let me me show you…

BIG TIP – I find it more effective to sort out about 10 of each color and sit them on top of the machine

Because it saves time.

When i cut them, i might have 5 of the same fabric in the stack, but i don’t want to SEW the same fabrics to each other, this way I get random placement and don’t have to hunt each time I go to pick up a square!

When I start patchwork it’s great to have something that has already been sewn.

Many people will use the same 2 square folded and sew over it again and again. But why not make something while sewing something else instead?

The bonus is… You save thread! No long tails as you just clip between!

Here I am sewing up a backing. I have my set of 2″ squares and roll right into my backing..

I will clip the threads between them. 

Then when I come to the end of this backing, I sew another 2.5″ square onto the unit I’m building!

Pretty soon I have…. 

Sets of 2.5″ squares sewn together!

I sew 6 at a time alternating color.

When I have 6 strips… 

I lay them out, then I’ll press the seams alternating directions

At this point i can either sew this block. 

Or I use these units to start and stop other patchwork! 

Here is the 6 x 6 block.

It’s 12.5″ square before setting it. 

I keep making them… and pretty soon I have enough to set into long vertical strips.

And when I do that … 

I’m getting very close to calling this green & white ‘Done’.

getting the last strips sewn for anther vertical row.. then maybe a horizontal row or 2 on the bottom

and here it is without the last one…looking good! love the pop of the tomato print

I have a FREE Lap quilt in progress, which is so exciting!

These can be a baby quilt, a lap quilt.. or a bed size, just depends on the use you want. 

I’m sure you have left over jelly rolls, smaller fabrics you can clean up and store better as 2.5″ squares.. all good things come of them with this technique!

What do you think? Have you tried this before? 

Goodies I use

• MINI charm Packs – If you don’t have much fabric yet, you can jump start a quilt with 2.5″ mini charm packs! They are Awesome .. some on sale too!
• Trimming rulers to trim 2 sides at once
• Bloc Loc rulers
• Sign up for my notices to get a FREE quilt Block each Wed!