The Easiest Quilt Top EVER

This is a patchwork quilt top using two 5" charm packs, and adding a few other bits and bobs I already had for a border.  This is a quick and easy way to make a quilt, especially if you have never done one before but have been seduced into buying some of these deliciously tempting little bundles of coordinating fabric!

  If you have bought a 10" layer cake bundle, then you will end up with a lot more diamonds, tripling  the size of your quilt!  Just cut the 10" fabric into 5" squares first and keep going til it's all gone.

1.  Split your bundles into large prints and small prints and pair the small prints up with their twin - you will have two of each fabric if you have bought two charm packs.
2.  Cut the two smaller print squares into triangles and pair them up with a contrasting large print square.

3.  Sew a pair of triangles using a quarter inch seam allowance to either side of your square and then press it open.  See the left hand side patchwork blocks in the next two photos.
4.  Sew the other pair of triangles to the other two sides of your square and press this open.  See the right hand side patchwork blocks in the next two photos.

5.  Trim off all the little dog-ear triangles that are hanging out along the outside edges, then arrange all your blocks into rows of any combination you desire!  I took a few photos of my layout so that I could check each square wasn't next to any similar squares and that all my dark colours were relatively spread out.

Yield

If you use two 5" charm packs you will probably end up with 28 blocks.  I added in some fabric squares of my own to make 7 more blocks.  If you use one 10" layer cake, and cut it up into 5" squares, this will probably give you 56 blocks.

Border

As I had a few other bits of fabric already I used these to create a border of 2" strips cut on a 45 degree angle, but you could do anything or nothing for a border and it would still look impressive!

Now to purchase some backing fabric and get it quilted!  This is going to be a gift for a very dear lady.