Nine-Patch Square Dance Quilt-Along: Week 1

Where's the coloring diagram?

It's right here. Have fun planning your color placement!

This quilt uses precuts. What if I want to use my yardage or scraps?

Great question! The quilt pattern was written to use two Honey Buns (1.5" strips) and one Charm Pack (5" squares). This gives you a variety of fabrics and colors needed for this quilt with little fabric waste. If you're cutting fabrics from your yardage or fat quarters, skip the precut sizes in the Materials list, and cut pieces as listed under Cut Fabrics. If you're using scraps, you'll cut pieces into 1.5" squares or 1.5x3.5" pieces. Instead of piecing strip sets, you'll assemble each A and B segment separately.

I want to make my quilt a different size. Can you help with the math?

For the purpose of this quilt-along, our schedule and all our tips/tricks will be following the pattern exactly as printed (that pattern has been technically edited and gone through a quilt tester, so we know everyone will have success making it). Luckily, this quilt is easy to add more blocks to, so make as many as you want to get the size quilt you'd like! Or add wider borders to increase the size by just a few inches.

Should I prewash my fabrics? Is it safe to prewash my precuts?

Prewashing your fabrics is a personal choice. Prewashing is not required, and you can use a Color Catcher when you wash the finished quilt if you're concerned about colors running. Smaller scraps and precuts can ravel when washed, so it's best not to prewash if that's what you're working with. If you're using colors that are prone to running, such as red, you can test the color fastness by soaking a 2" square of fabric in soapy water for 30 minutes, then checking to see if the water is clear. If it's clear, rub the wet fabric on a paper towel to see if dye comes off. If the water is colored or the paper towel is colored, you'll want to prewash your fabric until it doesn't bleed anymore. Prewash in cold water and dry on low heat.