Charming Churn Dash PDF Pattern :: Free for a limited time

 My new free pattern is called Charming Churn Dash. I wrote this pattern a few years ago when I had an active scrap group at my shop. 

The pattern is free for the rest of July. You will need to use the coupon code HAR7N16CKW6R at checkout. Here is the direct link to the Charming Churn Dash PDF Pattern. The coupon code expires at 6pm MDT on Thursday, July 31, 2025. 

For the past few years I have been including a free pattern in my weekly shop newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to my newsletter you can sign up at the bottom of any page of my website, Alamosa Quilt Company.

I also sell this pattern in print form. If you would prefer a paper copy be mailed to you then you'll need to pay for that. I'm sorry that I can't afford to send you a paper copy for free. The direct link to the paper copy is Charming Churn Dash Pattern paper copy.

Moda Love :: A Finish

Another finish this week! This one was pieced several months ago. Click here to read that post. A link to the pattern is posted on my shop website. Click here to go to that page.

We will be teaching this as a class in my shop as one of the options for our Beginning Quilting class.

The back looks really neat too.

Moda Love

I came across the Moda Love pattern a few months ago. My Moda sales rep. gave me a charm pack of the new Flow line which will be arriving in the next few weeks. I decided it was a good opportunity to make a Moda Love quilt.

I used a couple of Crossweave Wovens, also from Moda, for the background and the turquoise second border. I will also use the turquoise as binding.

The pattern is only for the center. It only uses 30 charms and makes a 32" by 32" finished size block. I wanted my quilt to be a bit larger so I added a 2.5" cut size border of the background fabric. Then a 2.5" cut size border of the turquoise. And finished it off with the rest of the squares from the charm pack and more of the background fabric. The finished size of my quilt will be about 48.5" by 48.5".

The pattern includes directions for three sizes. The largest uses a layer cake. The smallest uses a mini charm pack. I made the middle size which uses a charm pack.

Mama Said Sew Charming Handbag

I really loved this line when it came out and I purchased several charm packs, a couple layer cakes as well as yardage of it. I've used up all the yardage except for one print, but I still have the charm packs and one layer cake plus a little left over from another layer cake. I used one of the charm packs and the yardage print for this bag.

I tried out another new-to-me quilting design from my new book, "Step-by-step Free Motion Quilting" by Christina Cameli. Click here to read my review of the book. These bags are a good size for me to practice and try out new quilting designs. Each side is 16.5" square which is large enough to really try out a design, but small enough that it doesn't take very long for me to do the quilting. I think it took about 20 minutes for me to quilt up both sides. This does not include the 10-15 minutes I spent on my practice quilt sandwich first.

The pattern uses just 32 of the 42 squares in a charm pack. I have found that I like using four of the ten left over squares for pockets on the inside.

In the first photo above you can see that there has been some progress on our new fence. Most of the horizontal pieces are up. The vertical slats are in a pile at the back of the house. The progress is slower than I would like but progress is being made. 

A Second Charming Handbag

Over the weekend I finished a second Charming Handbag. 

For the lining of this one I used a cute black and white shoe print. 

It has two interior pockets. I used the same invisible sew-in magnetic snaps for this one as I did for the first one. For this one I add interfacing to the lining. I like it and will interface the lining of any futures ones I make too.

Click here to see my first one. 

Click here to go to the free pattern on the Moda Bake Shop.

My First Charming Handbag

I bookmarked this tutorial back when I first saw it. It is called the Charming Handbag and is on the Moda Bake Shop. Click here to go directly to the tutorial.

I recently saw some of these on another blog I read, Happy Quilting, and decided that I needed to make at least one. So here is the first one. 

This is the project I showed you the quilted back side of yesterday. I'm really pleased with how cute the quilting is on this!

I say the "first" one because I'm sure I will make a few more. These are fun to make, aren't too complicated, a good size when finished and darn cute. This one used a Cuzco charm pack. I had a few fat quarters of Cuzco too and used three of them for the lining and handles - two for the lining and one for the handles and an inside pocket.

I used another pair of my invisible magnetic closures for this one too. They go in between the lining and the bag exterior. If you look closely at the photo above you can see the two small squares when they are sewn to the lining. Below is a close-up with an arrow pointing to it on one side.

I have a few more charm packs laying around my sewing room. I think it is time to dig them out and make a few more of these!

Charm Box Quilt :: A Finish

This may be one of my fastest quilt finishes ever! I picked fabrics and cut on Sunday, pieced the top on Wednesday, quilted it Thursday and finished it on Friday evening.

The pattern is called Charm Box Quilt and is a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop. I added borders to mine to make it a little larger. Mine finished at 43.5" by 52.5". I used scraps from my 5" pre-cut (by me) scrap box.

This quilt will go to my local hospital to the oncology department. I even already have the bag made for it!

Charm Box Quilt Top :: Borders and Backing

I knew I had something fabulous in my stash that would make a perfect border for this!

I added a 1" border using the sashing fabric, then a 3" border of this green, brown and cream hexagon print. I believe I bought it four or five years ago from Ruth's Stitchery in Colorado Springs. I have a dark green Moda marble that I will use for the binding. And below is what I found in my stash for the back.

I got it basted and quilted yesterday. My plan is to do the binding and label this weekend and then I will show you the finished quilt next week. 

I enjoy intricate, time-consuming projects but I also love fast and easy like this one. It is nice to change up the pace a bit.

The pattern details can be found in yesterday's post. Click here to directly there.

A Finish :: Charm Pack Cherry QOV

I finished the quilt of valor I was working on last week over the weekend. In between snow showers I was able to run outside and get a quick picture.

The pattern is called Charm Pack Cherry and it is a free pattern from The Fat Quarter Shop. The link will take you to the pattern. There is even a video you can watch if you don't understand a part of the pattern. But I thought the pattern was very clear and easy to follow.

I used two charm packs of the Moda line Because of the Brave for this quilt. For the solid squares I picked up two charm packs of a light tan Moda Bella Solid. Using charm packs made this quilt super fast and easy to piece. I wanted mine to be a little larger than the pattern so I added some borders, again using fabrics from the Because of the Brave line.

My quilt finishes at about 64" by 66". I'll be sending it to Alycia Quilts here in Colorado. It is washed and ready to go into the mail this week. If you are interested in making a QOV, Alycia is currently hosting a QOV quilt along. Click this link to go to the last post she did about the quilt along. In the link she is posting step #2, but at the bottom there are links to the fabric requirements and step #1. She also has other free patterns/tutorials that would make great QOVs, just look around on here blog!

A Tale of Two Charm Packs, Part 2

To read the beginning of the story, click here.

The good quilting queen finally had time to resume work on the charm pack quilt. Wanting to do something a little different from her usual, she listened to the quilt to see if it had a preference as to how it wanted to be quilted. It did.

The quilt wanted to be quilted with zig zags to accentuate the piecing.

The good quilting queen agreed. It took a little longer than an all over free motion pattern, but was worth the extra time for this quilt.

And the charm squares lived happily ever after.

The End

The details: Finished size is 40" by 48". Quilted with a green Aurifil 40 wt. The backing fabric is the same fabric as the side borders, as is the binding. It will be a charity quilt.

A Tale of Two Charm Packs

Once there were two charm packs who longed to become a quilt.

The good quilting queen decided to grant their wish and sewed them into half square triangle units. She played with the half square triangles. While arranging and rearranging the half square triangle units they requested that the quilting queen try arranging them as flying geese units. The good quilting queen obliged and liked this arrangement, so she sewed them into flying geese units.

The good quilting queen decided to arrange the flying geese units into rows by color. The charm squares were pleased. Then she sewed the rows together, but this made an odd shaped rectangle (28" by 48"). The good quilting queen realized she would need to add some fabric to the sides to make the quilt a better size. She would have liked to use more of the fabrics from the charm packs but there were no more of these fabrics to be found in her kingdom. Alas, she found a suitable fabric hidden in a corner drawer of her castle. She cut side borders and attached them to the flying geese rows.

And they all lived happily ever after until the end of their days!

Retreat Report

Last weekend was my guild's winter retreat. It was a wonderful weekend of fun and sewing. It snowed both Friday and Saturday! I got a lot accomplished.

My main project was to get the blocks sewn for my Abacus quilt.

Done! I'm in the process of squaring them up. Then I'll play with them on my design wall before sewing them together.

I also got two charity tops pieced.

Above is one of the two. The other is the same pattern with different fabrics, boy fabrics.

I started a third kid quilt. I don't know if this one will go to charity or not. At the moment it is just a pile of flying geese units.

I'm planning to sew these together in six vertical rows of seven, kind of by color. These blocks began life as two charm packs, one of the green solid and the other the prints. I'll post more about this project as I make more progress on it.

We played some fun games and laughed a lot. Have you ever played Apples to Apples? We played this game Saturday night. We also played a game to exchange our "sewing related items." I came home with this charm pack and key cover.

I also won a felt needle book and a tape measure. No picture because Spooky is sleeping on them! I think she missed me.

It is a lot of work to pack up all your stuff, drive some where, unload it all and then do it all again a few days later. However, it is worth the effort to spend quality time with your sewing machine and good friends!

Charming Baby Quilt

No UFO progress this week but I do have a finish that will not become a UFO. I made the top at retreat.

The pattern is Charm Squares Baby Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson!

I quilted it rather simply.

And was brave enough to put a solid on the back.

Quilt details:

Fabric: Charm pack of Origins by Basic Grey for Moda and Kona Stone (I think. It was from stash)

Finished size: 32.25" by 39.5"

Quilted with Omni Thread by Superior Threads, TEX 30 size, polyester, color is Maple (it was a free sample that came with Hattie)

I don't know what I will do with it now that it is finished. I just liked the pattern and wanted to try it. The pattern is great, by the way. She gives instructions for using a charm pack, like I did, and for cutting your 5" squares from yardage. It is clear, correct and easy to follow. I am considering making another one using my stash of 6" squares and adjusting the sashing measurements as necessary.

Hop over to Susan's to see what the other Little Green Quilters have accomplished this week.

A Finish and the Second Giveaway

I finished up the charm pack charity quilt earlier this week. (Click on the images to see them larger.)

The backing doesn't really go with the front but it was in my stash.

I won the charm pack from Sandy over at Quilting for the Rest of Us and the rest of the fabric was all from stash. The quilt will go to charity but I'm not sure which one just yet.

On to the giveaway! Today I have for you a kit with pattern included. It is a very nice kit, just not my style.

I was going to take the kit apart and keep some of the fabric then give the rest away. However, I decided that the pattern was nice and the fabrics really needed to stay together as a kit for someone to make up the pattern. Just not me.

You'll probably need to click on the above image to be able to see the quilt on the label. The pattern included is to make this quilt. Of course, you are under no obligation to make the quilt. If you win this it is yours to do with as you please.

Edit: The pattern says that the finished quilt measures 36" by 47"

To enter you need to leave a comment. Any comment, but if you are struggling for something with some substance to say, please tell me how you would describe your quilting style. For me, I'd say my style is eclectic. I like traditional quilts, modern quilts, and art quilts and I enjoy making them all. I love to look at applique but I don't really enjoy doing applique.

If you'd like to blog about this giveaway, feel free. You can have a second entry if you do so, just leave a separate comment telling me you blogged it. And while we are at it, if you want a third entry become a follower or tell me that you already are in another comment.

I will draw a winner on Monday morning (Sept. 12th). I will notify the winner by email and post the winner on the blog on Monday. Be sure that I have a way to contact you if you win. If you are a "no-reply" commenter and do not leave your email address in the comment then I will just draw another name. International commenters are welcome too.

There is still time to enter my first giveaway for the pin cushion/thread catcher.

Go here to do that. The third and final giveaway for this week is coming up on Friday. It's a really good one so be sure to stop back by.

Pinwheels

I saw this video on another blog I read. It is from Bailey Girl Five's blog. The video shows you how to make four half square triangle blocks that you can turn into a pinwheel block without sewing on the diagonal. It is pretty cool and may be just the ticket for me to turn a charm pack I won into a pinwheel quilt.

Check it out.

A Good Day

Look what arrived in my mailbox today from Sandy at Quilting for the Rest of Us! A charm pack of Gypsy Rose as my prize/gift for participating in her creativity challenge. She has another challenge posted that isn't due until the end of the summer. Here is a link to the second challenge.

It is always a good day when I receive fabric in the mail - especially surprise fabric I didn't order or pay for! Thanks Sandy!!

I opened up the pack and fanned out the fabric a bit.

I'm trying to decide how I will use these. I have a few ideas ... but which one? Decisions, decisions.