Friday, June 19, 2015

Circle Quilt Finish (and Tutorial)


While recently sorting some scraps from a friend, I was inspired to make a small baby quilt by a pretty stack of pink and gray fabrics.




I decided to add a few scraps from my own fabric and came up with this fun fabric pull.  Earlier this month, I made completing this quilt my June goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes with Sew Bittersweet Designs.



Here it is.  The Fastest. Quilt. Ever.

I have turned that little pile of larger scraps into this fun raw edged circle quilt.  
And I thought I would share a tutorial on how I did it.



Because I was cutting up some scrap pieces,  I ended up cutting quarter circles.  I used one of my 10" longarm rulers but a plate or other circle template works fine too.  If you have really big scraps, you can cut full circles and quarter them later.



 You really don't need them to be perfect.
 



Next, simply pin them to a corner of your background fabric.  I cut my background squares to 7". 




I then top stitched the quarter circle 1/4" from the edge to the background square.  I did back stitch at the beginning and the end (which will be hidden in the seam allowance when you sew up the blocks). 
I also shortened my stitch length a bit.




 I prepared and chain pieced all of my blocks at once.  
In minutes I had all of my blocks sewn.




Then it was just a matter of laying out the blocks and sewing up the quilt top.  For my backgrounds, I used up a leftover piece of light gray solid and some white Kona from my stash.  I love these two toned backgrounds and the irregular placement of the color.  I think it adds to the whimsy!

Because the circles are raw edged, the edges of the circles will fray a bit with each washing.



Here are a couple past quilts I have made using this process.  You can play around with the placement and the circle sizes!

Playful Baby Quilt featuring Raw Edge Applique Circles in Blue, Turquoise, White and Acid Yellow







A Lovely Year of Finishes


Hurray, I am back in the saddle and keeping focused on a few finishes thanks to BitterSweet Designs!  I look forward to seeing what others accomplish toward their June goal at the end of the month.  
I hope to see your project there!





Craftsy



And for all you bargain shoppers, Craftsy is having a Summer Steals Sale this weekend on their fabric and kits.  I know I will be picking up some quilt backings, Kona solids and a few precuts at some really great prices.  Quilters do love a bargain!







Linking Up:




27 comments:

Rosa said...

This is fantastic and will be a win.Happy sewing!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Those are great! I've never tried circles, but you make it look so easy! Now, I have to try them!

Anonymous said...

This is brilliant! I have long arm rulers! I can do this. Thanks for posting this.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

Oh wow, I didn't realize the quarter circles were raw edge appliqued until you went through the tutorial - how fun an fast for sure!!

Jayne said...

I don't often do raw edges, but this is a great idea! I really love the quilt, the gray and white in the background is so cool!

Judy H said...

Darn you! How dare you put up a fast and easy tutorial on such a beautiful quilt. Now I must go hit my stash!

Marly said...

What a lovely colour scheme, and such an ingenious pattern.

Ruth said...

Really like the soft greys and pinks - a fun and quick way to make a curved quilt - great idea

Shauna said...

so cute, I love the pink and grey color combo

Anonymous said...

Love the circles baby quilt and the earlier, more colorful versions. A great way to use up slightly larger scraps and a great, easy technique.
Susan in Dublin. Sgrancio at comcast dot net

Turid said...

Lovely colours you've used in your circle quilts. I just love them all. I've made a couple og them some years ago. I appliqued a circle to a background and cut them in four. Fast and easy. Then I played around with the pieces.

em's scrapbag said...

Cute circle quilt. I have one in the works I hope to be able to show soon.

berylthepearl said...

I love your idea! I've never done the raw edge before, and something tells me I would probably zigzag around it. I'm going to try it! Thanks

Anonymous said...

Love your finished quilt. Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gemini Jen NZ said...

Super cool! I am totally going to try this! Thanks for the tutorial!

Heide said...

This is awesome, love the prints and colors. One my list of quilts to do!

Michele T said...

This is perfect for a quick gift!!! I love it!!!

Jasmine said...

I have wanted to try raw edge appliqué for awhile. This quilt is darling. Thanks for sharing.

Val's Quilting Studio said...

I'm doing this one!!! Something fun and easy!! I'll link back to yours when I do. Thanks for the inspiration!

Cheryl said...

Great tutorial and finished quilts! I especially love the one that is very scrappy and the quarter circles are more random.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Great Great idea!!! Thank you for the tutorial!

Lara B. said...

Sew simple and fun Cyndy! This one turned out great and I love your past renditions too!

Linda M @ Pieceful Kingdom said...

Great quilt - and thanks for the tutorial!

Emily said...

Such great inspiration! I usually avoid curves like the plague, but this seems doable. Very nice! Thanks!

Vera said...

Neat color combo and pattern. Well done!

Sandy Panagos said...

That turned out really cute! Congrats on your finish.

JanineMarie said...

Thanks for reposting this. These look like they could be really addictive to make. And they are so versatile depending on the fabrics you choose!

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