If you've been with us a bit, you may remember that in May of 2024 we revisited (Meghan made a couple in 2018) the Film in the Fridge's Checkered Garden tutorial and became slightly obsessed. So obsessed we sewed not one but two quilts IMMEDIATELY.
As hard as it was, we moved on to other projects, but it wasn't long before we knew we had to make yet another Checkered Garden, and it was actually sending our very first one out for quilting and then getting it up on the blog in October 2024 that inspired us to make a third.
As with our previous Checkered Gardens, we worked from a 20-piece FQ bundle, this one called Concord, and picked a consistent black and white Sevenberry stripe to use in our C position (more on that below). We loved this bundle for its cool blues and purples, which felt like a palette we hadn't played in much, so we were stoked to get started. This was carried in our shop as a small batch bundle, and included one FQ of each (not in the order pictured above):
- Starry RS 4109-44;
- Plain & Simple: S:A, pattern: 005, Color B
- Plain & Simple: S:A, pattern: 008, Color B
- Plain & Simple: S:A, pattern: 007, Color T
- Plain & Simple: SA, pattern: 007, Color B
- Plain & Simple: S:A, pattern: 008, Color P
- Sevenberry Lavender, SB8819D8-10; -
- Lewis & Irene Bluebellgray: D BG037, C Stars Rose
- Windham Country Mouse 53473-5
- Favorite Flower Thistle RS 5143-11
- Favorite Flower Thistle RS 5150-18
- Favorite Flower Heliotrope RS 5146-13
- Favorite Flower Flower Kiss RS 5148-13
- Favorite Flower Melon RS 5145-14
- Favorite Flower Creme Brûlée RS 5150-13
- Favorite Flower Meadow Natural
- Ruby & Bee 51583-6
- Ruby & Bee 51583-12
- Bella Petunia 9900 301
- Kona Grapemist
As before, this version of Checkered Garden has 25 blocks, and will finish at 70" x 70".
We figured out how to get all the cuts we needed for one block out of one FQ (minus the C cuts, which were cut separately from the Sevenberry stripe). We made our initial round of cuts following the above guide, which got us the cuts needed for 20 blocks. For the additional five blocks, we made another round of cuts from our FQ remnants (the white space above), working one block at a time, and cutting just one color position from each FQ. Once a FQ had been used for its "bonus" color position, we set it aside to not be used again. This assured that each FQ would only be repeated in the same position one time in the finished quilt.
Note that it is also possible to get all five color cuts (C included) from a single FQ, and we've provided that guide below. However, you will not have enough in the remnants to make a "bonus" round of cuts for five additional blocks like we did, so using a 20-piece FQ bundle will yield 20 blocks, and you will need additional FQs to get to 25.
The best part of a Checkered Garden - in our opinions - is that you are making all the decisions as you go. There is no mixing and matching, building your blocks ahead of time. You are working off of vibes in the moment, pulling fabrics as you work block by block. As much as we love a good old mindless strip piecing sew session, sometimes you need to balance it with the constant creative flow of building a quilt block by block, you know? And because you built your palette ahead of time, and you already know that you love all the colors and patterns and texture that you are working with, each combination is a complete delight. That said, we for sure had our favorites as we were working (shhh...don't tell the others).
Oh, who are we kidding, we love them all. There's not a single Checkered Garden block that turns out to be a dud.
With the blocks done, we got it up on the design wall to get the perfect layout.
At this step we are of course making sure no like fabrics are touching (except for in the C position) but because each fabric should only repeat once in one position, that's not a huge concern. Mostly we are balancing color and intensity, blocks with lots of contrast and blocks that read more tonal. Once we were happy, we sewed her all up!
Now, our sweet Concord sat in quilt purgatory for a while, through no fault of her own. We make a lot of quilts here at TCJ HQ. A LOT of quilts. And while many get turned around sent to the quilt spa for their finishing touches pretty quickly, some are "just for fun" makes for us, and, with no real plan for what we will do with them, they end up just sitting in their half finished state for a little while. So, believe it or not, this one literally just got her last stitches stitched this week, close to 20 months after we finished her! So, if you too have quilt flimsies sitting around waiting for their last steps, don't feel any guilt about it. It's all a part of the process as far as we're concerned.
Emily at So Sunny Quilts quilted the Time Warp pantograph into Concord, and we backed her in a Bella Cyclamen. To riff off of the Sevenberry stripe used throughout each block, we used a small black and white gingham as binding.
And that concludes our bevy of Checkered Garden quilts...at least for now. I think it's safe to say that we will never close the door on making more of these very, very creatively satisfying quilts.