Haul out that big bin, bag or box of scraps and start cutting your favorite size charms. Whether 2-1/2″, 2″ or 1-1/2″, this quilt will be a beautiful use of your bits and pieces of fabric. If you don’t have scraps, jelly rolls, 5″ charm packs, layer cakes or honey buns are a good starting point, too.
Don’t let the number of small pieces scare you off. If you sew together only 20 squares a day, you will finish the top in less than 2 months. So, gather up scraps. Beg them from friends and neighbors. Put them in a pile, and start sewing. You’ll have a “wow” quilt when you are done.
FADING CHARMS QUILT
72″x72″ (using 2-1/2″ squares)
54″ x 54″ (using 2″ squares)
36″ x 36″ (using 1-1/2″ squares)
NOTE: In the following directions the first dimension given is for 2-1/2″ squares. Those for 2″ and 1-1/2″ will be given in order in the parentheses following.
MATERIALS
At least 846 charms squares cut to the size of your choice. My sample quilt used 2-1/2″ squares, but the pattern will accommodate 2″ or 1-1/2″ squares equally well.
2 yards (1-1/2 yards, 1 yard) Background Fabric
4-1/2 yards ( 3 yards, 1-1/4 yards) Backing Fabric
batting suitable for size of quilt
5/8 yard (1/2 yard, 1/4 yard) for Binding
CONSTRUCTION
1. Create your solid charm blocks. Each block is described in terms of blocks wide x blocks long. You will need the following:
1 block 10×10, 2 blocks 4×12, 2 blocks 4×20, 2 blocks 2×22, 2 blocks 2×26, 2 blocks 1×28, 2 blocks 1×30.
2. Create your alternating charm/background blocks. Cut 4 (4, 3) strips of background fabric Width Of Fabric (WOF) x 2-1/2″ (2″, 1-1/2″). Subcut these strips into 64 squares 2-1/2″ (2″, 1-1/2″). Piece two blocks 1×32 each using 16 background and 16 charms squares. Piece two blocks 1×34 each using 17 background and 17 charm squares.
3. Whew! All the hard part is done. You should have a total of 17 separate various size charm blocks.
4. Now for the background fabric. Cut the fabric into strips 2-1/2″ (2″, 1-1/2″) wide and WOF. Sew them together end to end so you can measure your background pieces off of the strip.
5. Start with your center 10×10 square. To surround this you need two pieces of background fabric 20-1/2″ (15-1/2″, 10-1/2″) long and two pieces 24-1/2″ (18-1/2″, 12-1/2″) long. Attached the shorter pieces to the top and bottom and the longer pieces to the sides.
6. Using your charm blocks that are 4×12 and 4×20, attach the shorter blocks to the top and bottom of your quilt and the larger blocks to the sides.
7. Now, another round of background strips. You will need two strips 40-1/2″ (30-1/2″, 20-1/2″ ) and two strips 44-1/2″ ( 33-1/2″, 22-1/2″). Attach the shorter ones to the top and bottom and the longer ones to the sides.
8. Back to colored blocks. Attach the two that are 2×22 to the top and bottom of the quilt and the two that are 2×26 to the sides.
9. Background again. This time two strips that are 52-1/2″ ( 39-1/2″, 26-1/2″) and two that are 56-1/2″ (42-1/2″, 28-1/2″). You’ve got it–top and bottom, then the sides.
10. Color pieces this time. Attach the two that are 1×28 to the top and bottom of the quilt and the two that are 1×30 to the sides.
11. You are getting there! Background strips again. Two that are 60-1/2″ (45-1/2″, 30-1/2″) and two that are 64-1/2″ (48-1/2″, 32-1/2″). Top and bottom. Sides.
12. OK, the “faded” colored round. You are now working with the strips that alternate background and colored charms. Check your layout and make sure that the corners will meet with a background square on one block matching a colored charm on the other block. It will appear to be continuous wrap. The two 1×32 blocks belong on the top and bottom and the two 1×34 blocks on the sides.
13. LAST ROUND! From background fabric, cut two strips that are 68-1/2″ ( 51-1/2″, 34-1/2″) and two strips that are 72-1/2″ (54-1/2″, 36-1/2″). Attach to top and bottom then the sides.
14. YAY! You have a beautiful, pieced charming scrap quilt. Well done!
15. Finish by creating your back, making your quilt sandwich, and prepping for quilting. I am planning on a simple straight line quilting pattern myself and will update with pictures once they are available. Last steps are binding and label.
Thank you for joining me on this quilting adventure! I welcome comments and suggestions and would love to see pictures of your quilt so they can be added to the Fading Charms gallery.
FADING CHARMS GALLERY
Susan’s finish, modified to American Hero standard size…
Mary’s version
Chrissi made a beautiful variation that she is handquilting
Deborah did a beautiful hand quilted version, too. Don’t you just want to wrap up and sit outside?!
YOUR quilt here…
This tutorial is getting bookmarked. I’m really looking forward to making this quilt someday, once I get some more practice with handsewing. I love the look of it. Thanks for writing this up for us all!
i am on my way!!!!! i have most of my 2.5″ squares cut and the center block done..will put my background strips around it and proceed from there..it sounds like your tutorial is right on!!!! thank you…yours is beautiful..
Hi merrie…My name is Pat and I along with many others love this quilt…Is there a pattern for it and where can I find it> I have all the scraps (2 1/2″) but I’m not sure how many white background squares are needed…If you have any info on it please contact me at Patpagels@gmail.com Thanks
For the outer pieced section which alternates print and background squares, you need a total of 66 background squares. There are two sections that will use 16 each (total of 32) and two sections that use 17 each (total 34). I hope this helps.
The end result here is just gorgeous. I really, really am drawn to it!!
You are a dear for sharing your beautiful original designs PLUS directions!
Very fun scrap quilt!
Judy
LOVE IT!!
I really love this quilt. Thanks for taking the time to write a tutorial for all us out here.
I’ve been waiting on this tutorial. I have the center block finished and all the squares cut. Hope I get to work on it this weekend.
Lillian
lillianscupboard.wordpress.com
Deanna,
I’m printing it right now and hope to make it someday. I like the idea of sewing 20 a day. I might be able to accomplish that!
Have a great day.
Nancy
Love it, Deanna! Great use of your charms!
What a great tutorial for a fabulous quilt!!! Yay for you for doing it and sharing it with us!!!
Thank you for writing this up for us! It would be a great leaders and enders project. A super scrap buster, too!
This is absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing the details. So generous
Avis x
I worked on mine today, and on one for American Heroes. The AmHero one has the second border from center, and mine has the first from the center!
Love, love, love this quilt. I have a box full of small squares….I am definitely going to do this as one of my next projects….just as soon as I finish at least 4 of my UFOs!
This is perfect for all of my 1 1/2 ” strips left over from making a log cabin quilt! I will get started today!
I am planning to do this quilt right away. Get started any how. I love the look of the quilt. I have a container of 2 1/2 strips that I can start cutting from.
Thank you for sharing this quilt pattern.
What a lovely design.
I am in a postage stamp swap and have hundreds of the little squares. I’ve started my quilt and have the center done. Now for the next round. I love the look of this quilt and have an overflowing basket of 2″ strips, which will be the size I make my next Fading Charm quilt! Great tutorial and thanks for sharing. ~Shirley
Awesome tutorial – now I finally know what I will do with all my precious scraps! Thanks so much for sharing this, I’m your newest follower.
This is gorgeous – I may just have to make it!
I found my boxes of cut 2 1/2 inch charms and have counted out 800 and there are still more in the box. I am going to turn this into a rectangle by adding 6 rows across the middle. Haven’t calculated the number of additional charms yet, but am printing the instructions so I have a visual to work from. Finally something to do with all those charms I traded for back in 2000.
1002 charms required to lengthen it by a foot (6 rows).
Posted about this on my blog this afternoon.
http://www.heatherpearson.com/2012/03/needlework-tuesday-quilting-is-charming.html
What a great scrap buster.
I like this design a lot, and I do have enough scraps! Not nicely cut up already, though. I have been planning to start the scrap organization project, but it keeps getting set aside. I like your white borders and the darker ones in the next photo. I guess I’ll sew the squares first and then ponder the background. Nice that it can be done that way. I have a couple weekend retreats coming up–seems a good project to do while talking.
I am sewing away on this project every day. Have finished the 4 piece strips and am working on the 2s. Posted a pic on my blog today. It’s not a great photo, but you can see how much larger I have made my centre panel.\
http://www.heatherpearson.com/2012/04/needlework-tuesday-charming-invasion.html
Deanna! As we just discussed, I’m trying really really hard not to start anything new, and then I see this! You’re no help at all! I want to make this quilt so badly — all three versions. I have boxes of pre-cut squares just dying to be used up in them. Shall I start calling you an enabler? Heehee
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Awesome quilt design! I found you when you posted on Prairie Moon Quilts about the 350 block challenge, then I saw your blog header and looked at your tutorial page and BINGO! I found it. I have a whole bunch of 2″ scrap squares sewn as Leader/Enders and now many are 4 patches and 16 patches. With just a little bit of work I can get this top together. Thanks so much for sharing this. I think I may use a solid yellow as my background, but I really like the look of yours with the solid white. I’ll dither a bit over that.
I am doing this! Thank you!
If someone who has enlarged this pattern could send the numbers, I would be appreciative. I can sit down with pad and pen, but why reinvent the wheel. I have the center made but could easily enlarge it but of course that calls for increasing the remainder of the rows. I too would prefer a rectangle. Thanks
Deanna, I finally finished my quilt and you are welcome to visit my blog and see it. I changed the pattern just a little because i was getting low on fabric. Thanks so much for the design!
Deborah
http://squaregrannie.blogspot.com/2013/05/spring-quilt-ta-dah.html