Ultimate Scrap Quilt Pattern

Copyright 2008, Penny Squirrell. Made in Ontario, Canada.

Here is the pattern workup for the Ultimate Scrap Quilt. Penny was getting so many requests that she asked me to post it here to share with everyone. Please remember that this pattern is for CHARITY quilts and may NOT be sold nor are the quilts made from it to be sold. It is protected by all copyright laws, yada, yada. You know how it goes. Please respect the work she put into this pattern and make lots of charity quilts and quilts for people you love. You can always send a thanks to her at the email below!

Of course, you will want to print this pattern, so here is what I figured out after trying 17 different things! Hey, I'm slow at 6 in the morning =)

Click on the pattern and your computer will magically open up just the pattern in a new window. Then, hit the print button on the top of the screen and just the pattern will print out. Hope that works for you. If it doesn't, ask a teenage kid to help you. They know way more than I do about computers and I'm not afraid to say that. I work with teenage kids all the time (I teach high school science) and I get them to fix my computer at school so I don't have to learn how. My brain can only hold so much information and I'd rather fill it with quilting skills any day thank you very much.

As for putting the quilt squares together, here's what I did.

If you look at the block, you will see that there are three vertical rows. One row has three 8 1/2 inch squares, one row has the three skinny strips and the middle row has lots of pieces. If you work on one block at a time, which I did because I pre-sorted my fabrics so I wouldn't get too many of the lobster (which I have been told are actually crawdad--crayfish) prints together. I would sew two of the 8 1/2 squares together, then the 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 then something from the 3rd row and back to the 1st row. I like the chain piece so I'm not wasting thread. Back and forth between the three strips until you get to the end and you don't have that choice. Then, I got brave and grabbed into the next group of blocks for the next big square. I kept each big square's pieces on a different leg while sewing so I wouldn't get them mixed up. Hey, the system works for me. Just don't ask me to get up in the middle of making these blocks or I look at you with my mean look. I'll post that picture one day.

Then, when each of the blocks is done, lay them out on a clean spot on the floor. For most of you, this isn't a problem, but for me, I have to find a spot big enough. Luckily, the kids had vacuumed the living room yesterday and we were able to lay it out there =) They actually accused me of planning that. Who me?

Twist and turn all of the blocks so that you don't have two of the same colors touching, unless that is the look you want. Penny said that one lady in her guild did this with only 3 colors. I'd like to try that one and see how it turns out. Should be interesting.

Sew the blocks together and I put a 4 inch border around mine. You can see from the pattern that the original pattern is for 12 blocks. That makes a mighty big quilt. Perfect for homeless shelters or battered women's shelters. I've never made anything that big before and am always afraid to try new things, but one day may give it a shot.

Thanks again Penny for sharing with all of us! Aren't quilters just the best?