** Let's create a Traffic Jam! **
Welcome to my 2020 Wednesday Sewalong!! And yes, it's Tuesday because I thought it would be way more fun to kick off on New Year's Eve! You know we quilters like to party, if party means sewing in our jammies, wink!
I'm excited to see all the great creations you make while you bust your small pieces of fabric, better known as 'scraps'!
I created this 'all squares' block a few yrs ago for the sole purpose of using up 2.5" squares.
- Download the pattern at the end
- At the END share photos of your scrap piles and your blocks, I can't wait to see
This is my original quilt. I looked around and I couldn't find it. I may have given it away. With a lot of green and orange in my scrap bins, those are the 2 primary colors. I added in white, light blue, and a bit of red.
So why did I call it Traffic Jam? It was a fun way to say that my fabric was not going to cause me any 'delays', it looks like a roadway intersection, and it's fun to say!
** Selecting Fabric **
There are many ways to approach deciding on the fabrics you want to use. Personally I'm a 'controlled scrappy' person that likes to have the fabrics go together in some way. I have seen this done with total random colors, so don't be afraid it that is what you want to do. When doing totally random I recommend one fabric for the squares and sashing. Like white,cream, or black. The holds all the random colors together.
- If you already have a lot of 2.5" squares cut, pick colors that you have the most of so you reduce that pile
- use some of those mini charms you have been hoarding
- Or a charm pack cut into 4 sets of 2.5" squares
- Pick your fabrics then place against a background,
- look at options OTHER than white or cream.
** Pop in video **
Here i'm talking about my Bonnie Lane Sew along, then showing some of my traffic jam blocks
** How to sew Efficiently **
- How to look at a block for sewing order
- Oh i approach the order of Traffic Jam to sew Faster!
** Options – show how to think it through **
After sewing the 2.5" squares I tried out 4 different backgrounds.
Note that I sewed the 4patches and I sewed the center 2 x 6 unit so that it's easier to audition
Using a Design board REALLY helps me!
You can cut the squares like I did with these charcoal ones
Or open the fabric and place the squares on top
** Blue & White **
- The main quilt I'm doing for this is the Blue & White.
- My brother wants a 'bigger lap quilt' since he is over 6' tall, so this will go to him!
- I'm planning on a 6 x 5 block setting.
** Assignment **
- Pick your 2.5" square fabrics
- Pick a background
- Start making blocks
- Share photos of your fabric and blocks below!
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Download Pat Sloan's Traffic Jam pattern
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33 Responses
Thank you for Traffic Jam. I made a black and white quilt this summer and have lots of squares left. Wondered what I was going to stitch with them. I just knew that a few years down the road I did not want to be finding them in my stash 🙂 Perfect for your quilt. Not sure my background fabric color yet.
I love this quilt , I’m naking it for 1 of my great nieces/nephews not sure which them will get it but I cutting up blues ,grays,blacks and teals and away I go .
Started Traffic Jam with leftovers from Main Street sew along. This is perfect because my sewing room won’t be “jammed” with scraps! Thank you Pat for another awesome project 😁
I have started on my blocks for Traffic Jam. Mostly blues, and other darker colours. I haven’t made a final decision on the sashing, but thinking a darker/navy blue vertically and a lighter blue horizontally? Making it look like a plaid? What do you think?
Hi Pat, was wondering the same thing. Do you give them away or sell them or keep them? I am impressed!
Got started this morning cutting a Jelly roll and sewing 4-patch blocks.
Unable to post a pic. 🤷🏼♀️
take care of yourself!
why finish an ugly one? just call it day and move on
Happy New Year!
cut from your fabric.. that is where this came from
perfect!
the blue buttons is RIGHT AFTER the photos and BEFORE the comments
change devices or browsers
go Elvis!
Most tops are quilted. I do have about 20 tops right now that are not critical .. I made about 50 finished projects in 2019.. almost 700 in 25 yrs
Happy New Year!
it makes it so much easier to have them tidy!
I’ve gotten started but oh, my! I got a concussion on Sunday afternoon so I will have to approach this slowly! Darn ice. Anyway, I’m using up red, black and grays from my stash and my friend lent me her 2 1/2″ square cutting board! Yay. I hope to post photos soon!
I was going to do this, but remembered several years ago I started a scrappy quilt and decided it was the first to complete in 2020. I found it tonight and started putting rows together. It is so ugly. 😳 I’m determined to finish it and then do traffic jam. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get both done this year! Love your patterns! Happy new year, everyone!
I raided my scrap box and have cut all my 2.5″ squares–over 600! This is going to be truly scrappy with no color scheme. Now I need to try out some backgrounds. This is going to be fun!
I’m in and ready Pat!! Let’s hit this one outta the park!! Fast n easy! Happy happy New Years!! It’s going to be a fabulous year! Was there a question!? For a giveaway I cannot remember I’m going to have to rewatch the videos to see if I missed it!! Hmmmm I usually catch every one of your chats n videos I love them all you keep me motivated and I love that!
This looks so fun and relaxed. I downloaded the pattern today. How do we share our photos here and not showing up on our main feed? Sorry, I’m not sure how to do these things.
I was gifted 2.5 mini stacks for Christmas… more than enough… So excited to start… I know I could use them for watercolor but this looks faster.
Thanks Pat for sharing your pattern. I’m going to get in my sewing room and start sewing them together. Can’t wait to get it done and I will post pictures.
I really dislike your new format for your blog. to me it is very confusing and caotic.
Thank you so much Pat for sharing this pattern. Looks like a great one for my 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 cut squares. Hope you have a wonderful coming year. Happy quilting, Carol M.
I don’t usually do envy, but boy would I love to have that many scraps. I am new to sewing so my scrap box is pretty meagre.
Happy New Year.
I’m ready to go, after being with my grandchildren at a game I realized they needed a sports quilt. I know I’ve made them but they need a new one. So I’m using all of sports scraps that I have saved and make a new sports quilt. Many of my scraps are 2 1/2″ strips rolled on a toilet paper roll, ready to go.
I came down with a cold so I’m in for the holiday so I’m off and sewing.
I made a block yesterday with my Halloweeen fabrics but still need to find a sashing. I don’t understand how to post a picture here though. I don’t see any blue button by the photos. But I’ll keep working on it.
Started over yesterday when I found 2 large scraps of Elvis fabric. New plan, new colors, so many scraps… love this! Thanks Pat!
Hey there Sloan, First of all, I hope you have a wonderful, prosperous New Year!
But, after watching all your videos here, I want to ask a question: looking at your orange version of the Traffic Jam quilt and I know you said you can’t find it and may have given it away, do you always finish your quilt tops or do you make them and simply lay them aside until another time? I love your orange and green version of the Traffic Jam Quilt. It’s magnificent!
Oh, and you don’t know stashes until you’ve seen mine. My husband has had to built me several cabinets for my stashes and still I’m overflowing with boxes and boxes on the floor of fabric. I love it and now I’m bewildered on how what to do with all of it! I wish I didn’t love fabric so much and that I could stop ordering it or else wish I could sew faster!!!
Keep on sewing.
With Love,
Rosebud
Dear Pat, Do are so wonderful to follow and sew along with. I have my broads ready with scraps and going to get some needed sewing done thanks to you. Happy Year and I can’t wait to see what you have coming in 2020!
I enjoyed the videos above, as well as the two on organizing fabrics and scraps. Many of my quilting friends give me scraps to work with. I haven’t organized any of them yet. This is going to be my year to get my sewing space under control and my fabrics organized. Traffic Jam is the first quilt I’m going to make with all those scraps! Thank you, Pat, for the great pattern.
You have made my day 😊 Pj party’s are the best 😜 and.im super excited to be a part of you Quilting family 😊 My design boards are on Order and Ordering a scrappy journal and You do know I’m going to have Lots of PINK 😝😝
I will have my block ready for morning 😊 I’m all tucked up with my Baby’s for the night 😊
I came home from hospital to lovely room and sewing space from my Teenagers 😊 so I’m ready 💕
You are A Gem and I’m really looking forward to learning and getting to know you and your quilting family better 💕💕