Five Inspiring Fat Quarter Projects

Want/need to know what to do with Fat Quarters?  Read all about it and feast your eyes on 5 great,easy and inspiring projects here.

Quilters are crazy about fat quarters! That is a fact!!  There should be a National Fat Quarter Day!  Yes, I am getting carried away!

If  you are reading this and don't know what a "FQ" is, they are 18 x 22" cuts of fabric- a wide 1/4 yard. As apposed to buying a 1/4 yard 9 x 45" piece of fabric. Now when you go to a quilt shop, you will shop "informed".
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Essentially, if you are piecing, fat quarters provide the perfect size for a variety of quilting and sewing patterns because you are getting a wider piece of gorgeous fabric!
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Quilters sometimes build their stash on fat quarters so that they can have a small and relatively inexpensive sampling of pretty awesome fabrics. 
If you are a FQ collector, you know they multiply like rabbits!

my personal overflowing stash of Fat Quarters- these are only the ones that are folded there are many more in my hoard!

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This is the time to put them to good use and bust your stash!!
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 So what to do with FQ's?  Hmmmmm .........

1. Make tote bags, 18 x 22" is a great size for one side of a tote bag, use another FQ for the other side and some yardage for handles and lining and you have used up some great fabric! Who doesn't need more bags?

 or ....Check out this "Strip Happy Fat Quarter Tote" from Connecting Threads

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2. Make Aprons, they are useful, great gifts for young and old and you can personalize them with fabric that suits your cook! Craftsy.com has a whole bunch of cute and free pattern links here.

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3. Make large quilts, yes many FQ's make light work of a large quilt! So if you purchased a variety of Fat Quarters from the same designer or similar colour way, they make beautiful quilts.  See the pretty floral quilt below from www.allpeoplequilt.com and get the free pattern for "Flower Show" here

11 coordinating FQ's, 1/4yd of red accent and background fabric make this pretty quilt!

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4. Make place mats, place mats are a great way to dress up your table, make it seasonally beautiful, create a warm atmosphere and use up those FQ's! You can make them reversible like the ones below, The FQ fabric is on the back and featured in the hexies on the front.

The below place mats I  made as  class samples for a free motion quilting class that I taught at Simcoe Sew and Quilt in Barrie, Ontario (2015).  There is a free download for the "Easy Piped Binding" that I sewed on them here or check out my shop page under free PDF patterns :)

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5. Make baby quilts, they require smaller pieces of fabric and can "feature" your fat quarters.  I don't know about you but I love cute baby prints, farm animals, zoo animals, baby elephants, dump trucks, cute girly flowers etc.

Drumroll please....... Introducing my Newest Pattern to feature baby FQ's...... It is called "Featuring Baby"

My "Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern features the use of just one FQ and shows you how to incorporate that one pretty baby FQ you have in your stash  into a cute, modern and easy baby quilt!

The pattern shows you how to make easy 4 patches, pinwheels and square in a square blocks and the measurements to use up all of one FQ!

 I have made the quilt samples up into 2 colour ways to inspire you.  Look at your FQ stash of baby prints, pick out one FQ you love and download my "Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern here 

"Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern in Blue

"Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern in Pink

I'm thinking you know what to do with FQ's, let your imagination do it's work and use up that fabric in 2017.  Make room for more, there are so many great designers of fabric out there, creating and producing more of that luscious fabric.  Almost as good as a box of chocolate covered caramels!  Less calories that's for sure!

FYI, more great news!
​I am now accepting payments through the below payment options for my customers at check out in the shop at the top on the menu above.

​Have a great Wednesday! 😊