TUTORIAL: Film At Five Quilt

Another example of the fun to be had with scraps!  2-1/2″ squares are one of my standard scrap cuts.  By regularly cutting scrap a little at a time, I always have materials ready when inspiration strikes.  Of course, you can cut a lot all at once, or start with any precut 2-1/2″ strips you might have lying around.  Either way, remember that all those little colored pieces add up to over 3-1/2 yards of fabric.  Aren’t you thrifty?!

FILM AT FIVE

86-1/2″ x 86-1/2″

MATERIALS

A big pile of 2-1/2″ squares!  (841, to be exact). You could also use 54 2-1/2″ strips by WOF or about 1-1/2 standard jelly rolls.  Use up those leftovers. This is only a LITTLE  pile, about enough to make one block.

4 yards background fabric.  I used white, but wouldn’t this look marvelously modern-Amish with black?!

6-8 yards backing fabric, depending on how you like to piece backs.  Or, three yards wide backing fabric.

2/3 yard binding material

NOTE:  Standard 1/4″ quilting seam allowance used throughout.

CONSTRUCTION

1. Piece colored 2-1/2″ squares into patches 5 squares wide by 5 squares high, also known as a 25-patch.  I like to iron each strip of five as I go, then lay them out with the seam allowances nesting into one another.  That creates a nice flat block with I iron and makes the piecing look good.  Make 25 of these.

2. Cut 120 2-1/2″ squares from your background fabric.  Also cut 120 rectangles 2-1/2″ x 10-1/2″ from the background fabric.

3. Create the center of your sashing by piecing strips that alternate three colored squares and two background squares.  The pieced strips should be 10-1/2″ long when finished. Make 60 of these.

PRESSING NOTE:  I pressed all seam allowances towards the colored squares here.  A little extra effort, but worth it.

4. Add the solid background rectangles to each pieced strip of five.  One to each side.  You will have a unit 6-1/2″ wide and 10-1/2″ long with a solid rectangle, a pieced strip and a solid rectangle. Do this 60 times.

PRESSING NOTE:  If you press the seams to the outside, meaning towards the rectangles, it will make final assembly easier.

5. Now it is time to create your setting cornerstones.  Cut 288 2-1/2″ squares from your background fabric.  Create 9-patches using 8 background squares and 1 colored square in the center.  Do this 36 times.

NOTE:  Alternately, you can use 2 rectangles 2-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ for the top and bottom of the “9-patch” and 2 2-1/2″ background squares and one colored squares for the center piece.  Adjust cutting accordingly.

PRESSING NOTE:  Ignore the picture of the block below.  This one is NOT pressed the best way.  The best way is to press all seams towards the middle, in other words, towards the colored block.  This will make the block nest nicely with the sashing rectangles when you start assembly. I took this picture before I thought this through.

6. Lay out the quilt!  (I love this part.)  Use the picture of the finished quilt as a guide.  You will assemble it a row at a time.  There will be 6 “rows” that are all sashing and 5 “rows” that alternate sashing pieces and 25-patch blocks.

7. Press everything.  No this isn’t my favorite step either, but it makes it look great and the quilter (you or someone else) will thank  you.  Create your backing and binding. Sandwich, quilt and bind. Ta-dah!  You have a finished quilt.

I hope you enjoy Film at Five.  Please let me know how it goes for you and share your finished projects.  I will add them to the gallery to inspire others.

Film at Five Gallery

Marcia used a lot of “old, ugly” scraps to build this lovely quilt.  How did that work?

Beatrice created this beauty for a guild project–LOVE the quilting.

Here’s Julie’s version

Jane in Austin made a lovely throw…

And, Coleen sent this picture of her pretty version (the picture is sideways for some reason and I can’t get it to turn right now–drat!)

And, here is Colleen’s second version, with dark sashing

And Lucie

And Melodie…

And Bianca, who made one for her friend.

And Linda, who is also fond of dark sashing.

Debbie in Northern Alberta says, ” I picked up my box of 2″ pre-cut scraps.  I remembered this project as a someday thing and started sewing.  Before I knew it….I had all of the blocks completed.  I have never sewn so fast in my life.  It really helps that all of my pieces were already cut.  lol  I went with the 2″ instead of the 2.5″ as I had more of them in the smaller size.  I also used just navy blue in the sashings and various greens in the corners for some continuity.  I love the results.” Wow! Debbie.  I love it, too.

Jennifer has gone  completely wild and created three–so far!  The first was this lovely variation, followed by two for her daughters.

Sandra in Switzerland made a very scrappy-happy version.

Judy made hers with a light grey background and meander quilting.

Jane’s quilt got to travel to  the beach at Lake Pend, Oreille, Idaho during her camping trip where she finished stitching down the binding. This was a wedding gift. Lucky couple!

Here is Lynn’s beautifully quilted version.

and Jenny’s batik version.

Elaine’s cinematic version

Yvonne was lured in and her Film at Five is still growing!

Martha made hers baby sized.

YOUR great project here!