I’ve just finished a new quilt pattern called Scrap Magnet. I really love the way it’s looking so far and I especially like the way it’s reducing my scrap pile.

Once I had completed 16 blocks (for a 4 x 4 block layout) I then started thinking about how to lay them out.

What order?

Rainbow or Random?

At first I thought rainbow order would be the way to go. Everyone loves a rainbow, right? And the rainbow trend is showing no signs of slowing down in the quilting world (yay!).

So I put the blocks out in a diagonal rainbow configuration, with yellow in one corner and the dark purple/grey in the other.

I liked it, for sure. But was it the best option?

Next I went for a more random order. I roughly put the warm and cool blocks in a checkerboard arrangement. Hey, this is nice too!

But which to choose? Rainbow or random? Tough choice.

But I knew just who to ask – my readers.

In my last newsletter I put the question to my readers – which scrap quilt layout did they prefer? I’m happy to report that there was a clear winner.

Over 1000 people lodged a vote and the winner was……

The random layout!

How did the vote turn out? Well, 79% of the almost 1100 people who voted chose the random layout. I think that’s a pretty strong majority.

Myself, I was sure that I would prefer the rainbow layout. That was actually how I chose the fabrics for the blocks – with the intention of laying them out in rainbow order. But once the two layouts were in front of me, I realised I preferred the random. I think it feels more evenly dispersed for me.

Some other Scrap Quilt Ideas

No matter which version you prefer, you can make a scrappy quilt to suit your own tastes. The Scrap Magnet quilt pattern is now available in my shop here.

As well as instructions to sew the 16 block quilt, the pattern also shows you how to sew just a single block (for a cushion or mini quilt) as well as a jumbo sized block (for a baby mat or for when you just don’t have time to mess around with small scraps).

Here are some other scrap quilt ideas using this block. Perhaps you’d prefer a scrap quilt with lots of warm colours (here’s a smaller version just using the warmer blocks):

Or perhaps you prefer the bluer hues (a fave of mine):

If you do make your own version of Scrap Magnet, be sure to send me a photo!

Cheers, Kirsty

P.S. I have another post showing my completed Scrap Magnet quilt (with details on quilting and binding) over here.

Postage stamp quilts are always a visual feast – and this Postage Stamp Star quilt block is no different.

The Fat Quarter Shop is hosting a round-up on this block and asked me to join in. Of course, I said yes.

You can find out how to download the free PDF pattern for this block over at the Fat Quarter Shop.

If you’d like to make a complete quilt from these blocks (either crib, lap, twin or queen size) then I’d highly recommend you purchase their full pattern*. All the hard work has been done for you for less than $6!

And if you’re a fan of quilt kits, this pattern has also been kitted out by the Fat Quarter Shop. You can find it here.

My Postage Stamp Star Quilt Block.

Here’s the low-down on my block.

I was keen to add an additional colour to my Postage Stamp Star block, so I swapped out the “G” rectangles in the pattern for a different fabric (this AGF squared elements).

I chose another AGF fabric as my light solid – a low volume grid pattern. This exact print is a little old, but there is a very similar one by AGF here. In fact, it would be even more clever at disguising mistakes than the one I used.

Yes, there are always mistakes! My seams wouldn’t match up here without a tuck. But because of the fine pattern on the fabric, the tuck looks a lot smaller than it is.

Here’s a mock-up of the block in a small quilt. I think the additional colour fabric is a bit of fun, creating a slight plus sign in the centre of the block.

Alternate Postage Stamp Quilt Options

The original version of this Postage Stamp Star block is made in just 2 colours. I was keen to see what it might look like inverted, or with 3 or even 4 fabrics.

The original layout has the light colour as the dominant fabric. This could easily be inverted to have the dark fabric as dominant to give a striking quilt:

Here it is with the extra colour in the “G” rectangles. Quite a different look!

Choosing fabric colours wasn’t hard, except for the fact that there are so many fantastic options.

You could go as bright or as monotone as you like. Here’s a bright, happy option:

Rainbow Postage Stamp Quilt Ideas

I couldn’t help myself. I had to mock-up some rainbow Postage Stamp Star block options. They are so much fun and really pack a punch.

First up, let’s keep it very buttoned down with charcoal and white checkerboards and just a hint of rainbow:

Not bad, right? Just one extra colour per block.

I think this cool fat quarter bundle and this warm fat quarter bundle would give tons of beautiful rainbow fabric options.

So if that’s one colour per block, how about we use 2 instead?

Wahoo, now we’re talking! We’ve invited all the colours over and we’re having a good time.

And just for fun, let’s take it up another notch and get rid of that quiet, unassuming light fabric altogether:

Woah, party time! All the colours! This version comes with a cigarette and some aspirin for the next morning.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my interpretation of the classic Postage Stamp Star block, I certainly had fun exploring options.

Don’t forget, you can get your free copy of the block pattern here. You can also purchase the 4-size quilt pattern for this design at the Fat Quarter Shop here, or the quilt kit here.

And last, but not least, to stay up to date with all my quilt patterns and tutorials such as this one, make sure you sign up for my emails here!

* affiliate links. If you do purchase through one of my links, thank you so much for choosing to support Bonjour Quilts. This helps pay the costs to host this site 🙂

If you caught my last post you’d know that I’ve just released a new quilt pattern called Scrappy Lattice.

The pattern comes in 5 sizes (baby, lap, twin, queen, king) and has two different block sizes to offer more choices for scrap reduction. There are instructions for using scraps and also for fat eighths (baby and lap) and fat quarters (twin, queen, king).

I’ve made a yellow and white version and a navy and white one as well.

I was also lucky enough to have two testers put the pattern through its paces. They sewed two very different versions which both look fantastic.

Pattern Tester Versions

First up, Cynthia sewed a version in teal with black sashing. (You can find Cynthia here on Instagram – she is into everything crafty and has some fantastic projects in her feed.)

Cynthia says it reminds her of stained glass and I have to agree with her. There are a lot of “busy” prints in here but the dominant teal and the strong sashing pull it all together beautifully.

Next is Kalynn lovely version in red/white fabrics also with black sashing.

Again, the black sashing keeps all those wayward scraps in line to make a high impact quilt. Beautiful!

Scant on Scrap?

But what if you haven’t got a lot of scraps in the one colour?

Well, you have a few choices. There are some awesome scrap bags that can be found on Amazon*. And I challenge you to resist these cuties on Etsy!*

If you have a pretty good start of a scrap collection you can supplement it with fat quarters. That’s what I did with my navy quilt – it’s about half scraps with the rest cut from a variety of fat quarters from my stash. And of course, you can just make the quilt completely from FQs – the pattern includes instructions for that, too.

Another good option is to use fewer scraps in ALL the colours! That’s what I did with this super scrappy quilt here:

I arranged my scraps into a colourful quilt with fun diagonal stripes.

The Scrappy Lattice quilt pattern has several colour-in sheets so you can design a layout that works for your own particular scraps.

I provide 3 alternate layouts in the pattern for lap/twin sizes (with cutting requirements) and this rainbow quilt is one of them.

I even pieced some smaller bits of fabric together (see the dark green) to make this one. It’s so good to be able use up every last bit!

The Scrappy Lattice quilt pattern gives you loads of options for reducing your scrap pile and reducing your FQ stash.

If you’d like to sew a scrappy quilt of your own, you can find the pattern here in the Shop. Happy sewing!

*affiliate links

Who doesn’t love a good scrap busting quilt pattern?

Scraps seem to multiply in the dark so it’s good to sew up a scrappy quilt project every now and then just to keep the population under control!

While the Scrappy Lattice pattern was written to be a scrap busting quilt pattern, many readers advised they were looking for fat quarter quilt patterns too.

So with some extra math and use of strip piecing, I’m happy to say that the Scrappy Lattice quilt pattern will also help you put a dent in your fat quarter stash.

I’ve worked hard to make this pattern as useful as possible for the majority of scrap stashes (noting that everyone’s scrap pile is different).

First up, this pattern comes in 5 sizes – baby, lap, twin, queen and king.

The quilts are made in 2 different block sizes:

• a small block for the baby, lap and twin quilts
• a larger block for the twin, queen and king.

(You can choose either block size for the twin quilt.)

As I mentioned, there are instructions for using scrap for all quilt sizes. There’s also instructions for F8s for baby and lap sizes, and fat quarters for the twin, queen and king sizes.

You could also use up jelly roll strips and mini charm packs with the small blocks. And charm packs or layer cakes, you’d just need to cut them up first.

There are 3 different colouring in sheets so you can design your own colour scheme to suit your scrap pile. I’ve also put in cutting instructions for 3 different design alternatives to get you started with dreaming up a layout for your particular scrap colours.

The navy version here is the baby quilt and I made it with a mix of scraps and stash. I just cut as many scraps as I could and then hit my half yard stash to supplement (I rarely buy FQs because I am greedy).

I kept the quilting low key with this one, a simple cross hatch in dove grey thread did the trick. Because of the many squares in the quilt top, quilting was a dream – no need to draw any lines. I was able to eyeball it easily.

My backing was also scrap – some larger pieces of an Elizabeth Hartman wideback that I pieced together. I think the teal looks great with the navy. A bright fuchsia backing would also have been a fun pop of colour with this quilt.

I was intending to go with white binding but changed my mind at the last minute to go scrappy. Gotta use up as much scrap as possible, right?

The Scrappy Lattice quilt pattern also has the continuous scrappy binding required for each quilt, making it easy for you to do the same.

I did a machine binding on this quilt. A scrappy project like this seemed perfect for a zigzag binding. (I have a tutorial on how I like to do this here.) I used a navy thread to match the binding and think it adds a fun design element to the quilt. Not to mention it will be super secure after years of washing (and it was soooo quick to sew).

I also have a multi-coloured quilt that helped clear out a bunch of different coloured scraps for me. I’ll be showing off that version in another post soon. (This is one of the 3 alternate colour schemes that are in the pattern.)

Ready to get your scrap pile or fat quarter collection under control? I’m sure this Scrappy Lattice scrap quilt will help.

You can find the pattern here in the Shop. Happy sewing!

I have a fun Diamond quilt block tutorial for you today!

I’m actively working to reduce my scrap pile this year, which is how this diamond quilt block came to be.

If you’ve ever sent out a quilt to be long-armed, you’ll likely have a collection of scraps just like this:

Because your backing needs to be 3-5″ larger than your quilt top (in each direction), you end up with a lot of long, skinny scraps. These are perfect for the rectangles needed to create the half rectangle triangles in this diamond block.

Block Requirements

This is what you need to make one block. The blocks are 4.5″ x 8.5″ unfinished (4″ x 8″ once sewn into a quilt).

Each diamond quilt block needs:

• two 3″ x 6″ background fabric rectangles (white)
• two 3″ x 6″ pattern fabric rectangles (Amy Butler)
• four 1.5″ solid fabric squares (Kona Medium Pink)

Firstly, you need to cut the four rectangles diagonally – now pay attention here! You need a top-left-to-bottom-right and a top-right-to-bottom-left cut in EACH fabric. You also need to draw a diagonal line on the back of each of the 1.5″ squares.

Sew the Half Rectangle Triangles (HRTs)

Let’s get sewing! You need to match each patterned half rectangle with a background fabric half rectangle:

Take a set of triangles and place them right sides together along their long edges.

You need to offset the triangles slightly. The triangles have two points – one more acute (skinnier) than the other. This skinny point needs to overhang the less skinny point of the other triangle by a quarter inch.

Same for the triangles with diagonals in the other orientation.

When the blocks are sewn, press two blocks with the same orientation toward one fabric and then the two blocks in the other orientation toward the other fabric. This is important as it will enable the seams within the block to nest:

How to Trim Your Half Rectangle Triangle Blocks to 2.5″ x 4.5″

Buy some Bloc_Loc half rectangle triangle rulers! I’m not going to lie, they aren’t cheap but these babies will save you tons of time. I really love HRTs and make them often, so these have been a good investment for me.

I bought the 8.5″ x 4.5″ HRT rulers* in the 2:1 aspect (the long edge is twice the small edge). They’re great because you can use them to trim any 2:1 HRT that size and smaller.

But if you aren’t ready (or don’t want) to spring for the rulers, no worries. You can trim these half rectangle triangles to 2.5″ x 4.5″ with a regular ruler. To do this, you first need to trim the blocks to 2.5″ wide:

Next, take a quilting ruler and start at one of the corners with a diagonal. Line up one edge of the ruler with the long edge of the HRT. Then slowly slide the ruler down the unit (keeping the ruler/block edges lined up) until you find the spot where the diagonal is exactly a quarter inch from the long edge.

Once that spot is located, the part of the HRT extending past the top of the ruler can be trimmed off. Because the diagonal is now a quarter inch from both edges, when it is sewn together with another unit the diagonal will form a lovely point

Turn the HRT around and repeat the process with the other bisected corner. Before you trim the top off the opposite side, make sure your block is 4.5″ long when you have the diagonal matched up.

Now you’ll have an HRT block that measures 2.5″ x 4.5″. Perfect.

Create the Centre Diamond

Next step is to place the solid square and HRT unit right sides together, lining the square up on the corner of the patterned triangle. The diagonal should be oriented as shown below:

Sew along the pencil line and then trim a quarter inch from the seam line:

Press the seam in the same direction as the HRT seam (again, to facilitate nesting later). And when you’re standing at the ironing board and thinking, “what way did I need to press this again?”, it’s easy – just copy what’s already there!

Sew the Diamond Quilt Blocks

Here’s where it all comes together.

Sew the unit pairs together (I like to sew the long edges first). I press these seams open to reduce bulk.

Then sew the two pairs to form a block. It will measure 4.5″ x 8.5″ unfinished.

Shazam! That’s one good looking block! 🙂

I like having the print as the main fabric with an accenting solid in the middle. But you could reverse it and put the patterned fabric in the centre. Or use two patterned fabrics – but be sure there’s enough contrast between the two so that the piecing is noticeable.

Diamond Quilt Layout

These blocks will make a great scrappy quilt. I think I’m going to use thin white sashing between my blocks (1.5″ strips for 1″ finished sashing). I also think offset rows of these blocks, without sashing, would look really good:

Because these blocks have a 2:1 ratio, two of the blocks together on their shorter edges will equal the long edge. That way you can alternate the block directions to create a fun design:

Phew, that was a long post! Thanks for reading to the end and I hope you’re inspired to attack your scrap pile and make some diamond blocks.

If you’re a fan of half rectangle triangles and want to experiment with other sizes, I have another post on sewing and trimming HRTs over here.

Be sure to let me know if you sew some of your own (either email or tag me on Instagram or Facebook).

Happy sewing and scrap busting.

Cheers,

Kirsty

*affiliate link.

I recently sewed up another version of my Heartfelt Quilt – this time the crib size.

This heart quilt pattern is a lot of fun to plan and choose colours for. In an effort to make this part even easier, I updated the pattern to include colouring in sheets.

These sheets can be printed out and coloured in to your heart’s content, auditioning all your colour ideas.

I knew this quilt was for a little girl and that pink was a feature colour for the nursery. I rifled through my stash and found I had quite a good selection of pinks. After playing with some gold and pink options, I settled on the pink and teal/aqua combo instead.

To my eye it looks quite a modern colour combination. It was also very satisfying making the quilt entirely from stash (something I need to do more often, or so my cupboard tells me).

I was able to use the scraps left over from my half yards to form a scrappy binding for this one.

The backing was a run of yardage by Joel Dewberry that I’ve had for a while. I was very happy to find just the perfect project for it. The pattern is larger scale and very decorative – I’d love to see it with some embroidered embellishments. (Although it’s an older collection there is still some of the gold and turquoise versions of this fabric available on Etsy.*)

It was fun to sew up this heart quilt pattern with such bright, cheery colours. I do hope it’s new owner will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

If you’d like to make your own Heartfelt quilt, you can find the pattern (now with colouring sheets) in my shop.

You can also read about the other Heartfelt quilt I sewed a few months ago in this blog post here.

*affiliate link