Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5" Squares: A Beginner's Guide
    Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5" Squares: A Beginner's Guide
    Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5" Squares: A Beginner's Guide
    Ebook244 pages59 minutes

    Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5" Squares: A Beginner's Guide

    By Vanessa Goertzen

    3/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    “These cheery quilts demonstrate the versatility of charm squares and will inspire quilters to make use of these popular precuts.” —Library Journal 

    Mind your Ps and Qs . . . precuts and quilt blocks, that is! Popular designer Vanessa Goertzen puts charm squares to the test with 18 projects using precut 5” x 5” squares. Start with fresh, beginner-friendly patterns and build your skills to sew snowballs, stars, flying geese, and more. Using precuts from your stash or your own charms cut from scraps or yardage, you’ll learn tips to take the guesswork out of piecing. Modern and traditional quilters alike will fall in love with these quick, clever, and clean designs!

    “This book will certainly appeal to any scrap lover! You can use precuts or ‘shop’ your stash to create your own collection of five inch blocks—it is a revelation to see the variety of patterns than can be made from this starting point . . . It truly is a book you would want to give a beginner, but the quilts are so lovely that even more experienced quilters will want to make them.” —Down Under Quilts



    “An excellent way to begin quilting or to use charm packs.” —yarnsandfabrics.co.uk

    “You’ll learn how to transform the simple squares into Snowballs, Stars, Flying Geese, and more. This book, featuring both traditional and modern patterns, is a must-have for precut collectors.” —American Patchwork & Quilting
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateFeb 1, 2017
    ISBN9781617452727
    Charm School: 18 Quilts from 5" Squares: A Beginner's Guide

    Related to Charm School

    Related ebooks

    Crafts & Hobbies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      All Kinds

      Jan 31, 2023

      All Kinds
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Cathedral Window Block

      May 12, 2022

      The Cathedral Window Block
      5 min read

    • Article

      Catty Corner

      Jan 31, 2023

      Confident Beginner Quilt Size: 57” x 57” Block Size: 17” x 17” Number of Blocks: 9 • 9 fat quarters assorted prints* • 2¾yards off-white tonal print* • 3% yards backing fabric* • ½ yard binding fabric* • 67” x 67” batting* • Thread* • Basic sewing to

      1 min read

    • Article

      Neon Wave

      Dec 22, 2021

      Neon Wave
      5 min read

    • Article

      Fat Quarter Slide

      Jan 31, 2023

      Beginner Quilt Size: 71½” x 86½” Block Size: 15” x 15” finished Number of Blocks: 20 • 20 coordinating fat quarters* • ½ yard black tonal* • 1½ yards coordinating cream print* • Backing to size • Batting to size • Thread • Basic sewing tools and supp

      2 min read

    • Article

      Treasured

      Sep 6, 2023

      Treasured
      5 min read

    • Article

      Sleeping Under The Stars

      Sep 22, 2021

      Sleeping Under The Stars
      3 min read

    • Article

      Templates

      Nov 25, 2021

      Templates
      1 min read

    • Article

      Gifting the Best

      Aug 22, 2023

      Gifting the Best
      3 min read

    • Article

      Scrappy Stars

      May 10, 2023

      Scrappy Stars
      7 min read

    • Article

      Sun-Kissed

      Jan 31, 2023

      Sun-Kissed
      2 min read

    • Article

      Festival

      Jun 20, 2023

      Confident Beginner Quilt Size: 60" × 73" Block Size: 10" × 10" Number of Blocks: 20 • 20 assorted print 10" squares* • 2 yards ivory solid* • 1⅓ yards gold solid* • 2 yards blue solid* • 1⅛ yards blue print* • 4⅛ yards backing • 68" × 81" batting* •

      5 min read

    • Article

      Favorite Finds

      Sep 20, 2022

      By Linda K. Johnson, Christi A. Low and Jane K. Wells This perfectly illustrated and easy-to-follow pattern book skillfully guides you through 13 beautifully designed star blocks. Each traditionally pieced block provides an array of vibrant color gat

      3 min read

    • Article

      Primrose Hill

      Sep 29, 2022

      Primrose Hill
      3 min read

    • Article

      Chapel Windows

      Jan 31, 2023

      Chapel Windows
      3 min read

    • Article

      Soaring High

      Nov 25, 2021

      Soaring High
      3 min read

    • Article

      Count Your Chickens

      Apr 10, 2024

      Count Your Chickens
      7 min read

    • Article

      Noughts and Crosses

      Mar 7, 2024

      Noughts and Crosses
      4 min read

    • Article

      Out There

      Oct 27, 2022

      Out There
      6 min read

    • Article

      Formal Feathers

      Nov 8, 2017

      By Deborah Louie In this issue, I continue to explore the possibilities of feather quilting. I have previously discussed the hook and open feather — both are a more modern style of quilting feathers on your quilts. Another option in the feather famil

      4 min read

    • Article

      Singing Stars

      Aug 22, 2023

      Confident Beginner Quilt Size: 78" × 78" Block Size: 14" × 14" Number of Blocks: 25 • 5 yards ivory solid* • ⅝ yard green print #1* • ¼ yard green print #2* • ¼ yard green print #3* • ½ yard green print #4* • ½ yard green print #5* • ¾ yard red print

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bee's Knees

      Feb 17, 2022

      Bee's Knees
      8 min read

    • Article

      Kaleidoscope Star

      Jul 26, 2022

      Confident Beginner Wall Hanging Size: 36” × 36” Block Size: 18” × 18” Number of Blocks: 1 • ¾ yard assorted bright prints • 1½ yards assorted white prints • ½ yard binding fabric • 2 yards backing • 44” × 44” batting • Thread • Basic sewing tools and

      3 min read

    • Article

      Little Lolly

      Jul 5, 2023

      Little Lolly
      7 min read

    • Article

      Modern Blooms

      Apr 14, 2022

      Modern Blooms
      4 min read

    • Article

      Cascade

      Mar 13, 2019

      Cascade
      5 min read

    • Article

      Midnight And Mustard

      Feb 19, 2020

      Midnight And Mustard
      3 min read

    • Article

      Cabin Stars

      Jun 20, 2023

      Cabin Stars
      2 min read

    • Article

      Festive Pot Holder Set

      Jun 21, 2022

      Beginner 8” in diameter • Small piece each red plaid, white/ black star print, white tonal, pink tonal, green plaid, green print and black/white dot • ¼ yard black small print • 2 (9”) backing squares • 2 (9”) cotton batting squares, plus 6” x 8” pie

      3 min read

    • Article

      My Little Garden Sampler

      Jan 28, 2020

      My Little Garden Sampler
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Charm School

    3/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Charm School - Vanessa Goertzen

      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. Don’t hesitate to make your own charm packs. Choose what you’d 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, you’ll 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 manufacturers—although 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 manufacturer’s 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 won’t have as wide a variety of prints. This works well when you’re 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 don’t find what you need in their precut selection.

      scraps

      Most quilters accumulate a lot of scraps over the years, but they don’t 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.

      cutting

      1. Rotary cutter

      2. Self-healing cutting mat (24˝ × 36˝)

      3. Acrylic rulers, 6˝ × 24˝ and 6˝ × 12˝; 4½˝ Bloc Loc ruler

      piecing

      4. Sewing machine

      5. Steam iron

      6. ¼˝ quilter’s foot

      7. Quality thread

      8. Marking pencils or heat-removable marking pens

      9. Fabric scissors (8˝)

      10. Small scissors for clipping threads

      11. Glass-head pins

      12. Seam ripper

      basting, quilting, and binding

      13. Batting

      14. Safety pins

      15. Rubber fingertips (also known as finger cots) or quilting gloves for free-motion quilting

      16. Darning foot for free-motion quilting

      17. Walking foot

      18. Needles for hand sewing

      note

      Vanessa’s Favorites

      Not all tools and supplies are created equal, and I always try to use the best. Below are some of the specific brands I trust and love.

        OLFA Splash 45 mm rotary cutter

        Omnigrid Mat (24˝ × 36˝) with grid

        Omnigrid acrylic rulers (6˝ × 12˝ and 6˝ × 24˝)

        BERNINA 550 QE (Quilter’s Edition) sewing machine

        Aurifil 50wt thread

        Gingher 8˝ shears

        Fairfield Nature-Fil bamboo/cotton-blend batting

      BEFORE YOU BEGIN

      Before you start cutting and sewing, here are a few basic terms and techniques used in the book.

      width of fabric (WOF)

      Quilting cottons usually measure 42˝–44˝ wide off the bolt, depending on the manufacturer. All fabric calculations in this book assume a 40˝ fabric width, just to ensure that you will have enough. Sometimes width of fabric is abbreviated as WOF.

      right sides together (RST)

      Seams are generally sewn with right sides together, or with the printed sides of the fabric pieces facing each other. If not instructed otherwise, sew all seams with right sides together. Right sides together can be abbreviated as RST.

      pressing

      Pressing is an important step in the piecing process. I like to use a steam iron—a shot of steam can really help seams stay flat. There are a couple of ways to press seams:

      1. Open Fig. A

      2. To one side, usually toward the darker fabric Fig. B

      Both methods have their place, so you will find both used throughout this book. Pay close attention to the pressing directions specified within each project’s instructions.

      mastering the ¼˝ seam

      Piecing a quilt block is a precise art and depends on sewing accurate ¼˝ seams. Be sure to test and measure the exactness of your ¼˝ seam. A quilter’s foot is a marvelous tool, and there are other products aiming to help quilters achieve ¼˝ perfection. Even with a quilter’s foot, I have found that I get the best results using a scant ¼˝ seam allowance, to take into account the tiny bulk added by

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1