Be There or Be Square: 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along

Another quilt along, you  say? Didn't you just finish the Summer Sampler Series (and your quilt is still waiting for binding?) Why, yes! But this one is different! The quilt construction itself is simple (no itty bitty half square triangles here), it is charm pack friendly, and the quilt along is going to highlight the quilting, not  the construction, of the quilt.  I'm excited to have almost ten quilters, many of them local, scheduled to share their quilting method of choice, along with tips and tricks for how to replicate it at home.  Most importantly, I hope you quilt along with members of DC Modern and donate your quilts to kids in your community as part of 100 Quilts for Kids.

Quilt Along Schedule:

Storytime Squares Tutorial by Rae Hoekstra of Made By Rae (used with permission)

Saturday, August 27: Be There or Be Square: 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along

Sunday August 28: Storytime Squares Tips & Tricks: Charm Pack Friendly Quilts

Monday, August 29: Storytime Squares Tips & Tricks--Dimensions, Chain Piecing & Borders

Wednesday, September 7: Storytime Squares Tips & Tricks--Pieced Quilt Backs

Monday, September 12-Wednesday, September 21--Quilting Techniques

Wednesday, September 14- All About the Quilting 
Tuesday, September 20- Spacing Your Quilting

Friday, September 23 - 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along Link Up 

Wednesday, October 12- Machine Binding Tutorial
Wednesday, October 12-14 - 2nd 100 Quilts for Kids Link Up

The quilt pattern itself may look familiar; the very talented Rae Hoekstra of Made By Rae has given permission for us to use her free pattern, called Storytime Squares, for this quilt along.  The quilt pattern calls for 5.5 inch squares, on Monday I will include dimensions to make this quilt using a charm pack, thinking that many quilters have an extra charm pack or two laying around, or scraps/fqs/yardage that they could easily cut into a charm pack.  For my quilt, I cut five inch squares from fabric made by a single designer (Denyse Schmidt: Picnics, Fairgrounds, Sugar Creek, and Katie Jump Rope).  Last weekend, members of DC Modern got together and cut charm packs from our pooled scraps and extra yardage--we were pretty impressed that we were able to get so many fun charm packs out of our scraps!


My good friend Pam Matthews at Del Ray Fabrics, a big supporter of 100 Quilts for Kids, has agreed to sell "kits."  If you use the code 100quilts, you can get 15% off a charm pack, solids for the borders, and a yard and a half of coordinating fabric (backing)  for the quilt along; the code is 100quilts.[note: As a reminder, Hurricane Irene might affect fabric shipping from the East Coast for a day or two or three].




Charm Pack Quilt Materials List:
[If you are using Rae's dimensions, they are located here]
Charm Pack finished quilt measures 42.5 inches square 
--48 five inch charms [typical charm pack = 42 squares; add 6 from stash or coordinating yardage] 
--2/3 yard solid fabric for borders (2.75 inch strips) 
-- 1/3 yard for binding (2.25 inch strips)
--1.25 yards for backing

Total--2 yards fabric plus 48 charm squares

Grab a button!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/2011/08/be-there-or-be-square-100-quilts-for.html" title="Swim, Bike, Quilt"><img src="http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z420/swimbikequilt/100QuiltsButton2-1-1.jpg" alt="Swim, Bike, Quilt" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

We would love to see your pictures here:
100 Quilts for Kids Flickr Group; 

Rae Made Me Do It Flickr Group

I hope you will quilt along with us!  I've included a few more pictures of my quilt below--I had such a fun time making it! I think charity quilts should be happy,  fun and well made, and I think they are the perfect place to practice your quilting skills! This pattern is easy enough for a beginner, and the quilting can jazz it up quite a bit! Or, like mine, you can try out a new method, realize your mistakes (should have spaced the quilting much closer together for the desired impact), and know what to do better next time!