Introduction: I Love You(r DNA) Quilt

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I created this quilt design to help folks use the new charm packs (5 x 5 inch squares) available from so many great fabric companies. I made this for my daughter, whose birthday is 4 days after Valentine's Day.

My husband named the quilt, he thinks it looks like a DNA test.

Finished size 42 x 60
Supplies:
2-3 charm packs
1 1/2 yards solid brown
Iron
Basic sewing and cutting supplies and a working knowledge of sewing and quilting.

Step 1: Cutting Info

Charm Pack (charm packs are pre cut)
(75) 5 x 5 inch Charms
(10-12) 1 x 3.5 rectangles from charm fabric

Dark Brown
(8) 5 x 5 square
(6) 2.5 x 3.5 rectangles
(9) 3.5 x WOF

Binding (Dark Brown) -- not shown in pictures
(6) 2.5 x WOF

I like charm patterns that allow you to jump in with out doing a lot of cutting. So jump in !

This computer generated copy of the quilt was made in Quilt Pro.

Step 2: Get Started

The first column has (30) 2.5 x 5 inch blocks in it. You will need four (4) of these columns for the quilt.

Pick 52 charms (just count them out).
Put 2 charms RST and sew along one side.
After you sew them all together, rotate them 180 degrees and sew the opposite parallel side.

Cut (4) 5 x 5 square from the dark brown fabric.
Repeat with 4 charms and 4 dark brown squares.

After you finish sewing, cut them down the middle to 2.5 x 5
Cut parallel to the stitching.
Now you have (60) 2 patch blocks

Begin sewing the 2 patches together to create the column, each columns has (30) 2.5 x 5 patches.
You need a dark brown patch on each end.
Press patches in one direction.

Step 3: Long Skinny Column

To make the long skinny columns you need 18 charms and (6) 2.5 x 3.5 rectangles from the dark brown.

Sew the 18 charms together on one side.
Cut them perpendicular to the stitching (thought the stitched line) to create 18 long skinny 2 patches.
Each column needs (12) 2.5 x 5 charms
Make 3 columns

Sew one brown rectangles (2.5 x 3.5) on each end of the three long skinny columns.
Press patches in one direction.

Step 4: Dark Brown Column

From the dark brown fabric cut (9) 3.5 x WOF stripes. Trim off selvage edge.

To make the columns as long as I needed for the quilt (3.5 x 60.5), I joined them using a 1 x 3.5 inch piece of fabric from the charm pack. I added a few more of the 1 x 3.5 inch joiner blocks through out the dark brown columns to add visual interest and movement. Press patches towards the dark fabric.

You need (6) 3.5 x 60.5 columns

I put all the columns up on my design board and looked at them.

Once all the columns were done, I just needed to sew them to each other. Press towards the dark.

Step 5: Finish It Up

This quilt still needs a visit to my best buddy, the long arm quilter but it should be back and bound in time for my daughter's 8th birthday.

I stay stitched the outside edge to keep the sewn pieces from pulling apart.

The charms I used in this quilt are available at my online store.

Step 6: FYI - Prelim Drawing

This is my preliminary drawing for the quilt, you might notice that the math is off and I removed the outside columns. I did not want to piece the backing fabric, so the quilt has to be a bit more narrow than originally intended.