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!
102 Responses
Now is the time to get in the habit of starting with a piece of “scraps”. I am “collecting” mini-charm packs so what I am waiting for.
Happy Creating
wonderful Loretta!
ahh.. now you know!
i think that is why we all started doing this way before the internet showed us others did too!
i’ll have to do that sometime when I’ve got the camera out. It’s called ‘nesting seams’ Trudy.
you are welcome!
that’s another one Judy!
haha.. well i try!
awesome Janet!
You can certainly take it to many levels of sewing units Nancy! Sounds like you have fun!
hope you try it Dorothy!
Yeah Roseanne!
True!
Perfect!
Thanks Pat for the great idea I have a box of 2 1/2 inch and 2 inch squares and didn’t know what to do with them will make long body lap quilt with them.
I love it!
Could be a perfect back for a quilt to!
Thank you for the good idea Pat.
Pat, I do this too! I am not quite as organized as you, and don’t have them sorted by color. I guess mine is very much scrappy – but this works great as push-through items when sewing. I always have one of these 2.5″ block sets in my machine rather than the waste scrap of fabric. Who doesn’t love looking at the finished result and remembering what each fabric was originally used for. Love this!
LOVE THIS IDEA!!!!$
Terrific idea!!! I’ll have to keep this in mind when starting my next quilt for Project Linus! Thank you Pat.
You are always thinking….and this is a great idea. I actually have 2 stacks of 2.5 inch squares that I bought thinking they were 5 inch. I didn’t read very well… no wonder they were such a god buy! LOL I like keeping them all together by color too.
Thanks Pat! You are the best.
Could you show the back so I can see what you mean by alternating directions. I am a newbie at all this. Thanks a whole bunch!
I do leaders & enders to avoid the little “bird’s nest” that sometimes bunches up on the back. I love the idea of an “extra quilt” but how do I avoid the little “nest” of thread thing? Any ideas?
As a new follower, I’ve learned something new already. Great idea, have so many scraps. Thank you for the tip!!
I haven’t done that, but I’ve always sewn the triangles I cut off other pieces and make half square triangles! Someday I will make something from them!
I love this idea. Pat you are awesome besides being organized.
I’m doing something like that now. A while ago I cut up a bunch of charm packs for something else that didn’t work out. Now I’m in the process of sewing them black jelly roll strips.
I have done many split 9-patch quilt tops using the leaders and enders method. I even make the HST this way. I have done others with 4-patch then rectangle, 4-patch, rectangle.
Thank you so much for the suggestion.
that is a great plan LisaJo!
you are so welcome, have fun Jacqui!
super!
i’ve been doing this forever Lovay.. it’s way fun!
cool Ellie!
it’s a fun way to use them… very easy on the brain!
you are so welcome!
you are so welcome!
Pat – I sew together the little triangles to make little pinwheels to usurp for centers of Blocks or place them together to make other blocks.
they are Sue!
Everyone was new at one point .. even us Shirley!
you are so welcome!
press the seams in opposite directions Donna then pin until you get using to sewing without pins.. that should help!
Susan I’ve been doing this for years, before the internet even.. wink!
have fun Denise!
Jacki you are so sweet!
perfect!
it will be gorgeous Joyce!
that works too Angie!
go Linda go!
thank you Evelyn!
neat Barb!
can’t wait to see what you make!