Welcome to week two of the Plus Quilt Along! I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!
I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the pattern:
Arithmetic Quilt Pattern
Modern Plus Quilt Tutorial
This week we're going to work on cutting out our quilts. The cutting for these quilts is straightforward, lots of squares!
If you're working from the yardage called for in the pattern, you'll be cutting all the yardage into squares. You will have some extra squares to give you more flexibility when laying out your quilt.
If you're planning to cut from scraps, both the pattern and tutorial versions contain totals for each plus shape that appears in the quilt. Most of the quilt will be "full pluses" which are made up of five squares each. There are also partial pluses made up of four or three squares and single squares along the edges of the quilts.
If you're planning to cut your squares from stash yardage or a mix of yardage amounts, this table may be helpful to you! You can see exactly how many squares you can get from a handful of yardage types. These three square sizes are the sizes included in the Arithmetic Quilt Pattern:
| Fat Eighth | 1/8 yard | Fat Quarter | 1/4 yard | 1/2 yard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5" squares | 24 | 16 | 56 | 48 | 112 |
| 4.5" squares | 8 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 72 |
| 8" squares | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
I wanted to share a few quick tips for accurate cutting. If you're a seasoned quilter, these will probably all be familiar to you, but they might be a good reminder!
Press Well
It can be tempting to skip this step, especially if you don't have any harsh fold lines in your fabric. I always regret it when I don't take the time to properly press my fabrics before I start cutting! It just makes everything easier!
Fresh Blade
When was the last time you changed your rotary blade? If you can't remember, it's probably time for a new one! Not only will you get cleaner cuts, you'll need to use less force to make those cuts.
Squaring Up
Don't forget to start cutting from a clean, squared up edge. I feel this is especially important when you're cutting strips from a piece of yardage. If you're working with the 4.5" square size for your quilt, just be careful not to trim away too much! You'll need the full 18" of your fat quarters or half yards.
Stack Strips
If you feel comfortable, stacking strips when cutting out your squares can make things go a lot faster! I try to limit my stack to four strips thick, but I'm probably more accurate when I only stack two or three!
Happy Quilting!
