QM Scrap Squad: Donna’s Chain Reaction

The QM Scrap Squad is a select group of seven QM readers. They take one pattern from each regular issue of Quiltmaker and make their own scrappy versions to inspire you. The 2011 Scrap Squad recently retired. This marks the beginning of the 2012 Scrap Squad posts. I hope you will enjoy them.

The featured quilt from the March/April issue is Chain Reaction, a design by Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced. Here’s the original quilt made in Pear Tree fabrics by Thomas Knauer for Andover.

Chain Reaction designed by Lee Heinrich. Fabric: Pear Tree by Thomas Knauer for Andover Fabrics. Appears in Quiltmaker March/April '12, No. 144.

Today’s featured Scrap Squad member is Donna Hanley from Cincinnatus, New York. You’ll hear from Donna in her own words below.

Donna Hanley

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I was so excited to get our first assignment…couldnʼt wait to get started. I thought I’d try a black/white combo for every other vertical row; the in-between rows would be complementary colors: blue/orange, purple/yellow, red/green.

On the black/white rows, I decided to try one side dark at top flowing to a medium in middle & back to dark on bottom. The other side would be light to medium and back
to light. I was hoping to have the fifth block be the same value mediums for each side, but that didnʼt look right. I redid it into a more subtle change which made a much better transition.

Working on the second vertical row proved to be a challenge. Just making five blue/orange blocks was enough to see that I didnʼt like it so I had to come up with Plan C.

I settled on black/white vertical rows alternating with red/white.

Here are my fabric choices:

All 66 blocks are made and on my design wall.

After sewing blocks together to make vertical rows, I found it helpful to mark the right side of each block at 4″ from the seam.

That let me know where the adjacent seam line was supposed to be placed when sewing on the next row.

I didnʼt want to discard all those leftover 1.5″ strips and the blocks I had made for Plan B. I also had the half blocks and a few mistakes. I decided to piece a backing for the quilt. Hereʼs the result:

On to the quilting. I used 3/4″ masking tape as a guide and quilted diagonal lines.

I planned to quilt in both directions, but after how long it took me to quilt just one way, I decided that diagonal lines in one direction looked just fine.

I learned how to make piped binding in a Ricky Tims seminar, so I added red piping for a little burst of color.

Grand Finale DVD by Ricky Tims

The instructions for this technique are on Ricky’s Grand Finale DVD. (Note from the editor: This is a great DVD full of useful finishing info.)

And here’s my first completed Scrap Squad quilt:

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Beautiful job, Donna! Looks like we’re off to a great start with the 2012 Scrap Squad. Stay tuned for more wonderful versions of Chain Reaction.