Ask Jo: Past Questions Every now and then blog readers send me a email or leave a comment in the comment section that I need to answer. When I think other readers might be interested too, I answer them here on the blog. Today is one of those days I m trying to get to the bottom of the pending questions. It can be a task at times to answer them all but I really like doing it. Often I can reminisce about a project while I am answering the question. Cheryl asked: What size do you make the triangles? Cheryl asked this about my Fair and Square quilt. This quilt is from Bonnie Hunter s book Scraps and Shirttails II. I LOVE this book and the quilt. The string for this quilt came primarily from gifted fabric scraps from blog readers. You can read about the finished quilt HERE. You can read about how I trimmed the blocks HERE. In the directions Bonnie Hunter suggests that the quilt be
made by making two different blocks the one with the checkerboard and the one with the strings. This means that the quilt then is put together using an on point setting. I hate on point settings. So I decided to put it together differently. I made the triangles then added them to the checkerboard block. Then I trimmed the whole block to 14 1/2. So the question is what size should the triangles be made.the same as the book suggests. Some people don t like to do this as they feel there are more bias edges but that doesn t bother me at all. Anytime I am working with string blocks they are more stretchy than normal fabric and this is no different. Some people sew a small line of stitching around the outside of a block like this help with the shifting. I don t. The next question came from Paula:
Will the posted size be a queen size. If not what is the adjustment to get a queen size? Thanks. Hoping I can do this as a first Her question was about this quilt. This is a free pattern we offer HERE. To make the quilt with one jelly roll or 42 ~ 2 1/2 strips you would sew them strips together giving you 14 strip sets. From each strip set you can get 6 cuts. That means you can get 84 blocks. You could but them into a 9 x 9 setting giving you a 54 x 54 throw quilt or an 8 x 10 setting giving you a 48 x 60 throw. Using two jelly rolls would give you 28 strip sets giving you 168 blocks. Those blocks could be put into an 12 x 12 setting giving you a 72 x 72 quilt or a 12 x 13 setting giving you a 72 x 78 quilt. Ideally I like quilts that are about 84 x 90. For that you would need 210 blocks or 35 strip sets. You could get that from 2 jelly rolls and 21 extra 2 1/2 strips if you re making
it from your scraps you can make this size of quilt with 105 ~ 2 1/2 strips. Now queen sized 96 x 96 You would need a 16 x 16 layout. That would be 256 blocks. That would be 128 strips if you re making it from jelly rolls that would be 3 jelly rolls. It s EXACTLY 3 jelly rolls so I would suggest buying an extra 1/4 yard of fabric to make something stretch in case you had a miss cut. It s a good scrap buster quilt if you make it with scrap. We had another question about this quilt.this one from Sandra: Hi Jo, I am new to quilting and love this pattern! Thank you for sharing it with us! Did you use any batting between the top and backing and if so what type, please? Being I made so many quilts, I buy the batting by the yard. It can easily be bought in a single size. I use two different types of batting Warm and Natural
or Hobbs 80/20 For me these two and the most cost effective and the most versatile. I like working with Warm and Natural better. It doesn t stretch and tear like Hobbs can when I m getting the quilt together and machine quilted. Warm and Natural goes in any quilt we send out for publication. It s a little more sturdy if the quilts are going to be hung for photographing. It s sturdy and can take many washings. Hobbs is instantly cuddly I like it for quilts I know we will keep and be part of our family. It s drapier. Neither are a wrong choice. I have tried other off brands. I ve tried the more expensive bamboo battings. I ve tried lots of battings but these two are the most universal for me. They do the best job for the costs point. That wraps up this edition of Ask Jo.I m getting closer to caught up!!