These wonderful checkbook covers are super fast and easy to make.

You will need two 7" by 13" rectangles of fabric, one for the lining, and one for the outside. If desired, you can also add a rectangle of interfacing.

For striped checkbook covers, sew enough 13" long strips together to equal 7” in width. This will then be your outside rectangle.

To easily cut one 7" by 13" rectangle, line up the fold of the fabric at the 6.5" mark on a 12" square ruler, and line up the left edge of the fabric at 7". Cutting along the ruler’s right side & top edge will then give a 7" by 13" rectangle. (See photo)

Sew the two rectangles, right sides together, leaving a 4" opening on one long edge for turning.

Snip the corners, turn, and iron smooth. While ironing, take care to fold in the edges of the opening so that when you top stitch later the opening will get sewn closed.

Fold in 2.75" inches on both short ends to form pockets to hold the checks and check register. Pin in place.

Top stitch a scant 1/4" from the edges all the way around the outside being careful as you approach the pocket edges because there will be 4 layers of fabric there.

Insert your checks and check register and enjoy.

 

 

I’ve been playing with Electric Quilt 6 design software all day today. I’ve working on quick and easy quilts to make for kids.  These would also make great quilts for charity.

I have several more designs I'm working on so I won't post these EQ projects on my web site just yet, but they'll all be up there soon. (On the EQ Library page.)

Here is a sneak preview of the ones I've finished:

I found many cute quilt patterns today at www.patbravo.com.  Pat Bravo is a fabric designer and she has several free quilt patterns at her site.

The pattern above is called Organic Obsession. It is fast and easy--my favorite kind of quilt! (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

Below is another really cute pattern from Pat Bravo that she calls St. Tropez. It too would be fast and easy to make. (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

My favorite, though, is the pattern below that she calls Posh Flowers. It is made from 5.5” strips and would be perfect for beginning quilters. Even though it has a little appliqué, it would still be easy and fast to make. (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

Visit my web site for many more free quilt patterns: www.chickenladyquilts.com.

I just finished some checkbook covers I made from the tutorial I found today at Crazy Mom Quilts blog. It is so amazingly simple that I whipped out 2 covers very quickly today.


First I made a simple one with some scraps of the dog fabric I've been collecting for years.

If you look at the bottom left corner of the inside of the red cover you can see the double line of stitching that can happen if you follow the tutorial steps exactly.

So on the second checkbook cover I made a modification to the instructions. I waited until I folded the pockets in (2.75") to do the top stitching. I think it looks better, and it was easier to do anyway.

(I also did not use any interfacing in either of my covers.)

Choosing and sewing together all the strips to make the 13” x 7” rectangle took longer than sewing both covers put together! I sure like how it looks though.


You can find this tutorial at Crazy Mom Quilts blog.

I found another wonderful, quick, and easy Christmas quilt on the Moda Bake Shop blog.

The beauty of this quilt is that it can made be from pre-cut 10" charm squares (Moda calls them Layer Cake Squares). That makes this quilt super fast to cut and piece.

The instructions are available HERE from the Moda Bake Shop blog, or you can view and download a PDF version HERE.

I finished the 4th braid today, and added 4 more strips to each braid to make them a bit longer.

Next I'll trim the edges so I can sew the 4 columns together. Since I've never made this kind of quilt before, I'm not sure of the easiest way to trim them... (And I ALWAYS want to do things the easiest way.)

I don't have many 7.5" strips left so I hope there's enough for the border of square patches I have planned...


(The Electric Quilt 6 project file for this quilt and a link to instructions for assembling the Braid block are posted on my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlpastelbraids.asp)

Almost 10 years ago I saw in a magazine a “braid” quilt made out of pastel strips. I’ve been collecting pastel 2.5” strips ever since. Today I finally began the quilt…

You can see the instructions for making this type of quilt at www.quilterscache.com. It is a fast and easy quilt to make. I'm just zipping along. The most time consuming part is cutting my 2.5" strips down to 7.5" in length.

Here’s the one I drafted in EQ6.

You can download my EQ6 project file for Pastel Braids HERE.

(Many thanks to Patti Anderson at www.patchpieces.com for her tutorial on drafting this in Electric Quilt 5. It was a big help.)

In response to many requests, I’ve made my first ever instructions for making one of my quilts.

The EQ6 project file for the Popping Pooches quilt has been available for download on the Electric Quilt Library page of www.chickenladyquilts.com, but now I've added a link to the instructions for this quilt in PDF format.

Hope they are helpful!

Click on the images to download the PDF instructions.

Click on the images to download the PDF instructions.

Mary Johnson's Quick Strippie Quilt

This super fast and easy quilt would be perfect for charity quilts, or last minute birthday or baby quilts. It looks so good you could make one for any occasion!


From www.MaryQuilts.com. Visit Mary’s web site for many more free patterns.

I really like the look of simple quilts.

This is was made by Dawn at Spring Water Designs using fabric from Stone Cottage from Andover Fabrics. Didn't she do a lovely job?

It is a from the pattern called Great View by Pieces From my Heart.

Cute!!

Found this free pattern at McCall's Quick Quilts online: Ghoulies & Ghosties Quilt

I just love Quick Quilts magazine. Fast and lovely, that's my style!

Good morning! I'm slicing and dicing fabric today. I'm taking my big tub full of unloved fabric (1/2 yard or less pieces) from my stash clean-out and slicing them into 2.5" and 1.5" strips, plus 6" squares, Then the rest of each piece I slice off the largest size strip I can get from it. I'm surrounded by baggies with sizes marked on them, but am finding that it is too slow to have to stop and put the pieces in the appropriate baggies. I need to get some lunch bags set up that I can just toss the pieces in as I cut them.

I will be using the 1.5" strips and 6" squares to make diagonal bar blocks for a scrappy quilt. For the block you cut the 6" square diagonally, then sew a contrasting 1.5" strip between the 2 resulting triangles. I got the idea from the Trading Patches quilt in McCalls Quilting August 2007. For the last 2 years this tub of fabric has sat waiting to be sliced. Well, this week-end I hope to make a good dent in it. :)



Download my Electric Quilt 6 project for this design:

Look at this spectacular quilt I found at e-patternscentral.com. I've seen lots of quilts in a similar style, but the variation of the large solid block in the columns between the florals really takes it over the top for me.

This is my style of quilt: simple, fast, and looks great! I'm thinking this style would be great for some of the conversation prints I have. I collect chicken fabric, and wouldn't it be cute to use various chicken fabrics in place of the florals with maybe a blue or red in place of the ugly green? I also have a tub of children's prints that I really want to use up. This pattern would be smashing for the Pokémon fabrics I have, as well as the collection of sport-themed prints. And what about Christmas prints? It would look fantastic!

No wait! Halloween! I have a collection of Halloween prints that I have been searching and searching for a pattern for. This would be absolutely perfect for them. Drat! Drat! Drat! I didn't want to start another quilt until I finished more of the ones I already have in progress. But I HAVE to make this in my Halloween prints, and I'm not waiting until I finish something else first. 

Oh! It is going to be soooooo cute!!!