Let’s Do It!
2024 3YD Quilt Series Sew Along. It is different. Have you ever participated in a Sew Along that the monthly block is actually a full on quilt? I know, right? Quite the Sew Along challenge. I’m ready. Are you? Okay, take a minute. I’ll wait. Ready now? We can do this together!
What to Expect
Each month, on or close to the 15th, receive an email that the 3YD pattern download is ready. That link will bring you to this page.
The free pattern download will be available on this page for 10 Days. Then the 3YD pattern can be downloaded from our Etsy Store for 50% off for a limited time.
- Download a full-color 3YD pattern with step-by-step instructions and colorful diagrams.
- See double-up options (bed size or quilts of valor size) if you want to make it bigger.
- View scrappy versions and various color-ways of the monthly 3YD pattern.
- Enjoy a few Youtube tutorial for techniques and tools (varies per month/pattern).
- Enjoy the Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang Facebook group page. Share your progress and encourage others https://www.facebook.com/groups/552341818942394
- Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group page is a political post free-zone. All posts not quilt related will be deleted. Spam adverts are banned. Report violators to administrators, please.
Community Quilt Opportunity
The community quilt part is totally optional. I intend to make a couple as gifts as well. You can make these 3YD quilts for your grandkids, neighbor kids, aging parents, or a cozy tv throw for yourself!
How many 3YD quilts will you make? All twelve, six out of twelve, every other, three out of twelve? Make a personal goal. I plan on making all twelve with at least six of those donated as community quilts. We’ll see if I can keep up! I want to work through my stash so my 3YD quilts may be scrapier than just using three one yard cuts. If you run out of fabric, (wink wink), we’ll have 3YD kits available at the quilt shows we’re vending or visit MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com (We have over 80 3YD kits! I couldn’t get them all uploaded. Each kit includes an extra 1/2 yard for binding and they are beautiful! I’ll get them online as soon as I can. Check back often!)
Where are you feeling led to give a warm blanketed hug? Babies? Children? Seniors? Victims? Teens? Orphans? Foster care? Veterans? Teen Challenge? The list seems endless. We’d love to know where you will send your quilts. If you don’t know where to send them, just visit the Facebook link above and ask the group. You’ll get plenty of options.
Invite Your Quilting Buddies
Misery loves company. Joke. But really, that’s a lot of sewing! Create a Community Quilting Crew. Make the 3YD quilts together. Invite your quilting buddies because these are awesome pattern downloads and they’ll not want to miss out!
November 15
3YD Tango is the November free pattern download. The 9-Patch block is a quilter’s favorite, quickly, and easily made by strip-piecing. The 3YD Tango quilt finishes at 39″ x 57″. Lora chose the fun fabric combos this time. As an expectant grandmother (yah!), she chose a lovely pink combination and a playful balloon combination. Girl or boy? We won’t know until the end of March! Three yard kits are available here. $35.99, one yard each of Light, Medium, and Dark fabrics plus 1/2 yard for binding. Kits don’t include pattern, backing, or batting.
What Colors will You Choose?
There are so many workable combinations! Just remember, light, medium, and dark when making your choice. Smaller prints worked better than larger prints. It looked great in solids and holiday prints. I found it was quite manly when using the earthier tones. Here are my EQ8 playtime images.
Scrappy Version
Where do you get your color palette ideas? I was tidying up my out-of-control stash. Do bins shrink? I was looking through my holiday fabric bin. It was looking so inviting. A new color palette was forming. What if I coordinated my Christmas scraps for a 3YD Tango? I think I have enough for a king. Are your Christmas scraps calling to you too?
I gathered the Christmas prints that were singing the same song. Then went to work on the EQ8 version. After playing with the layout, I decided the blue was throwing off my Christmas vibe. I went with scrappy blacks, reds, minty greens, and greener greens. My background is all one print, Naughty List by Material Girlfriends. When I designed the fabric, it included all our family members’ names on the Nice List. On the Naughty List was a list of elf names and the last name on the Naughty List was Papa. lol. We sold out of that cute fabric but I found some on Etsy. (I don’t know the seller.) I haven’t had the time to cut and sew the actual Christmas fabrics yet, but soon…
First collections of Christmas fabrics.
Second collections of Christmas fabrics. I eliminated the blues and added some greener greens.
Cute! I’m ready to sew.
Super-size Me
What size do we get if we use 2 yards each of Light, Medium, and Dark? You get a very pretty 53″ x 75″ quilt top. You’ll have plenty of the Medium and Dark but the Light will be a little tight. Four yards of each Light, Medium, and Dark will produce a 93″ square Queen. The below image is the 53″ x 75″ size. Red, White, and Blue fabric kits sold here.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Tango pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will expire, November 30, 2024.
All year the downloads have been a hassle for some quilters. The file doesn’t want to show up in their systems, or only page one will show up. If your system won’t cooperate with the WordPress download either, feel free to contact me at Lisa@materialgirlfriends.com and I’d be happy to email it to you.
https://materialgirlfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/3YDTangoPattern.DigitalDownload.2.pdf
October 15
3YD Uniform is the October free pattern download. This manly quilt pattern is quickly and easily created by making 6″ Half Square Triangles. The 3YD Uniform quilt finishes at 45″ x 57″. I chose deep, rich, Hoffman batiks as my Light, Medium, and Dark fabrics. Three yard kits are available here. $35.99, one yard each of Light, Medium, and Dark batiks plus 1/2 yard for binding. Kits don’t include backing or batting.
Lora’s 3YD Uniform Quilt
Lora chose a different fabric selection for her 3YD Uniform quilt. Check out her Red, White, and Blue quilt – handsome and patriotic! Election Day is just around the corner! Material Girlfriends is a political-free zone, but we encourage you to vote on November 5, 2024. Red, White, and Blue three-yard kits are available here. $35.99, one yard each of Light, Medium, and Dark high-quality cotton fabrics by Riley Blake, plus 1/2 yard for binding. Kits don’t include backing or batting.
What Colors will you Choose?
The options are endless! No matter what colors or size prints I chose with my EQ8 software, I came up with a winner-winner, chicken dinner. In most designs, I kept my Light fabric as my tone-on-tone-reign-in-the-madness-steady-Betty fabric. Then, I threw in fun and fantastic prints for the Medium and Dark fabrics. What do you think? Fun, right?
Scrappy Version
Where do you get your color palette ideas? I’ve been really drawn to this color palette, lately. It looks rich, cool, and deeply relaxing to me. I want to sink into these colors. I’ve pulled these colors from my stash to make a scrappy version of 3YD Uniform. If you do Pinterest, we have a board you might like to check out for Quilt Color Palettes. Pinterest is where we find a lot of our color inspirations. I particularly like the palettes that are selected from photos. There are over 200 pins of yummy colors on our Quilt Color Palettes board. Squirrel. Set a timer or you’ll find you’ve lost hours (or maybe days?) from your life.
Back to the Scrappy Version! I imported images from Hoffman’s Fabrics. I love their batiks and unfortunately, my EQ8 didn’t have any fabrics close to my desired color palette. I know I was going to work out of my stash but I LOVE these batiks. My self-control is weakening.
Super-size Me
What size do we get if we use 2 yards each of Light, Medium, and Dark? You get a very pretty 57″ x 81″ quilt top. You’ll have plenty of the Medium and Dark but the Light will be a little tight. There is enough at the 1 7/8 yard fabric requirements just not enough for big mis-cuts.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Uniform pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until Halloween, October 31, 2024, then the link will spookily disappear. Link expired. Purchase your copy at
All year the downloads have been a hassle for some quilters. The file doesn’t want to show up in their systems, or only page one will show up. If your system won’t cooperate with the WordPress download either, feel free to contact me at Lisa@materialgirlfriends.com and I’d be happy to email it.
Need a little help? If you’re not familiar with sewing Half Square Triangles two-at-a-time method, visit our YouTube Channel, Material Girlfriends Patterns. The video is for a different pattern and a different size so ignore the measurements (don’t trim to 2 1/2″!) You’ll be trimming your Half Square Triangles to 6 1/2″. However, for us visual learners, it can be helpful to watch how Half Square Triangles (HST) are sewn and trimmed.
September 15
Oh, cool weather how sweet and refreshing you are! I think we’ve seen the last triple-digit day and we’re finally dipping into the low 90s and mid 80s. I’ve been too hot to handle! Autumn is my favorite time of year. I want to stand, face into the cool autumn breeze, clap, and yell, “Bravo! Bravo, Autumn!” We’re so happy you’re here.
3YD Bravo is the September pattern download. Look how cute it is in the Riley Blake Designs Mad Masquerade Halloween fabrics! 3YD Bravo, 42″ x 52″, is a fantastic three-yard pattern for holiday fabrics or fabrics with a larger print. The center square of each block is 5″ and shows off the larger prints quite nicely.
3YD Bravo in the Naughty Elves Christmas print by Material Girlfriends. Lora sets up her featherweight and sews while camping!
3YD Bravo made in Hoffman batiks by our friend, Pernille. Gorgeous, right?
Lora and Lisa Clash on Contrast
Let’s talk about contrast. So the pattern is written using Red and Black for the diagrams. Black is the Dark, Red is the Medium, and White is obviously the Light.
Lora sewed up this Halloween version and sent me the fabulous pictures (above) from her photoshoot. I sent her a text…
Lora saw the Orange as the Dark. I saw the Gray as the Dark. It wasn’t until Lora changed her photos into grayscale that we saw the value was super close. The two colors visually had plenty of contrast to make a beautiful 3YD combination. Gray, Grey, Potato, Potato. My twin sister is half-Canadian. She also calls a shopping cart a buggy, the bathroom is a washroom… Weirdo. (She lived in Canada for 10 years.)
Yes, we have kits! Our 3-yard kits include a 1/2 yard of binding. Orange/Gray/White kit is $35.99. Check out our other holiday 3YD fabric kits too.
Scrappy Version
3YD Bravo is created using a Sawtooth block and a modified Single Irish Chain block. Together they make a charming design. I wanted to make a scrappy version to show you but there is never enough time in the day. (I’m self-employed and my boss is a slave driver!) Fortunately, EQ8 is a wonderful tool to share my vision. This is where I was headed. It’s a bit crazy but I loved the color combo so much I was thinking of adding blocks to make a longer throw size – just enough for the leg extension on the recliner. How are you doing on your donation quilt goal? I’m slipping!! If it weren’t for Lora, I’d really be behind.
Super-size Me
Double the fabric for 61″ x 71″, 2 yards each of Light, Medium, and Dark. You’ll have plenty of the Medium and Dark but the Light will be tight. If I were buying the 2 yards of Light, I’d add 1/6 yard for possible mis-cuts.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Bravo pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until September 31, 2024, then it expires. Link Expired.
Need a little help? Review Flying Geese construction in the August post below. The Flying Geese for 3YD India and 3YD Bravo are the same size.
August 15
3YD India is the August pattern download. I love how this one turned out. Don’t worry! It isn’t tiny piecing. I used a cheater fabric. Finished quilt size is 41″ x 51″. The block is 10 1/2″ unfinished size.
It is a multi-color print from Hoffman Fabrics called hf-T4887-181-Rainbow. I had bought a bolt a while back just because we loved it. We had no plan for it until this cute pattern came to be. Yes, we have 3YD kits available, $35.99, 1 yard each of Light, Medium, and Dark, including 1/2 yard of binding.
Crumb Piecing
Are you familiar with the Crumb Piecing blocks? You use fabric scraps and sew to a foundation (usually paper). Trim and use in your quilt. Watch how Jenny Doan does it. It’s fascinating and a very cool way to use up your bits and pieces. Now, if you’re really industrious, make a yard of Crumb Piecing and substitute that for your 1 yard of Medium fabric. Yeah, me either. But the video is cool. The look was what I was going for with the 3YD India quilt but a whole lot easier and a ton less time. 😉
Fool’s Puzzle
This beautiful mosaic design is created from the Fool’s Puzzle block. The block was first printed in the Comfort Periodical, published from 1888 to 1942 in Augusta, Maine, by Gannet and Morse. It is made up of eight Flying Geese units. Two Flying Geese are Dark/Light, and six Flying Geese are Medium/Light. I left out the unit lines so the puzzle is a little harder for you to solve. Did you figure out the eight Flying Geese units? The pattern instructions uses an over-sized, Four-at-a-time method. I recommend using a Flying Geese trimming tool such as 2 1/2″ x 5″ Bloc Loc Flying Geese Ruler or The Wing Clipper Tool. I’m a Bloc Loc fan, but a square with a 45 degree line will work too.
Enjoy some of Lora’s beautiful photography.
A Horse of a Different Colorway
3YD India is very pretty in other colors. Check out these EQ8 renditions.
Scrappy Version
I’ve been working from my stash this year. However, it still seems to be growing. I think it grows when the lights get turned off. If you’d like to do a scrappy version of this pretty mosaic design, check out this version. I used teal, but contrast different values of the same color to create the blocks. The Light/Medium/Dark thing went out the window with this one. Light is the same. The Medium/Dark blurred together a bit. Since the Flying Geese units are made four-at-a-time, I created eight Flying Geese from one fabric. Six of the eight are in one block and the other two are in another. Twelve teal prints from my stash are used for the blocks, 1 yard of Light, plus some teal border prints. Fun!
Super-Size Me
I doubled up for a 51″ x 71″. Instead of 12 blocks, it now has 24 blocks. The 2 yards of Medium fabric is exact. Light and Dark fabrics still have plenty of overage for mis-cuts. If you’re buying yardage, I’d recommend an extra 1/4 for the Medium fabric. This way if you need to straighten an edge or if you have a mis-cut you’ll have the fabric.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD India pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until August 31, 2024, then it expires. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
Need Some Help?
Those Flying Geese can behave more like Flying Squirrels. Let me share a few tips. Here is a video tutorial we made for Four-at-a-time Flying Geese skip to 11:00 in the video. It is for a different pattern, but it’s the same technique. Use the measurements for 3YD India and not the video. For this pattern, I made the Flying Geese over-sized and then trimmed them down to 2 1/2″ x 5″ using a Bloc Loc Flying Geese Ruler. If you’ve not used one before, they are amazing! There are ridges on the back of the ruler that will nestle snuggle against your block. Trim away the excess fabric from all four sides. It should just be slivers.
Alignment
How do you get those points to line up?! Pins, pins, and more pins. Slide a pin through the point of one Flying Geese and into the point of a second Flying Geese. The pin will nestle those two points together. But just leave that pin like a spear. If you rock the pin to go in and out, the pin will then move one point up and the other point down. Just leave it like a spear. Pin on both sides of the speared pin. Pin again at the ends. Sew a 1/4″ seam and pull the pins just before they go under the needle. Aim for a thread or two before the V (where the spear was). Because there are multiple layers at that point, you’ll need just a tiny bit more space to allow the points to meet.
Pressing
No steam. Add sizing or starch before cutting but steam will warp the ‘body’ of the Flying Geese. The arrows in the pattern will show which direction to press the seams. Sometimes, you just need to ignore me and do what makes your block’s points look better. In the last image above, I allowed my seam to go in two directions, AND I pressed open my center seam – not for all my blocks, mind you. But this block, my points looked better when I allowed it some flexibility. Don’t press open your center seam unless your points look better. It weakens your seam. Never press them open if you intend to do stitch-in-the-ditch. It will pop your seam. Lora was going to do an edge-to-edge stitch on this one so I wasn’t too worried.
Last tip. Don’t stress too much about those points lining up. Once you add batting and quilting, the little difference just aren’t going to show.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing!
July 15
3YD Andapanel is the July pattern download. We’ve been so excited to add this one to our 3YD pattern line up. It is a “Plus One” kind of thing. It shouldn’t be a part of our 3YD series; Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, etc. Yet, we think it fits in kind of like a second cousin twice removed. We found there was a big need for panel patterns. Combine that panel with an easy 3 yard pattern and POW! we have a very fun quilt to sew.
How many of us have a cute panel we bought but no plan for it? Okay, more than one? Me too. 3YD Andapanel requires one panel that can be trimmed to 22 1/2″ x 42 1/2″ and 1 yard cuts each of a light, medium, and dark fabric. If your panel is a little small, you can add coping strips to make it 22 1/2″ x 42 1/2″. The finished quilt size is 46″ x 66″. And yes, we have kits! Click Here. The link shows the Scarecrow’s Song Panels at the top of the item list in the online store. Just scroll through to the bottom for the Christmas 3YD Andapanel kits.
Yes, that is minky buffalo check for the back! Lora found it at Hobby Lobby!
Lucy, brother’s Boston terrier, was checking our work.
We’ve kits for all the above 3YD Andapanel quilts. The various Scarecrow’s Song 3YD Andapanel kits were made with our new fabric line. We’re waiting on more bolts to arrive. Marcus Fabrics is moving their warehouse so there is a shipping delay. Ugh. Hoping we’ll have more stock soon.The 3YD Andapanel quilts below, no kits, but aren’t they beautiful? Like I said, Lora sewed up every panel in her stash. She was having sew much fun.
Scrappy Version
Doesn’t it look great scrappy!? So if you’re working out of your stash (like me!) then you can make up a pretty scrappy version matching fabrics to your panel.
Super-size Me
Super-size didn’t really work out with this one. I couldn’t make two panels and 6 yards look good so I threw in the panel… or towel, rather. 3YD Andapanel still makes a nice size throw-size quilt at 46″ x 66″. Yardage isn’t super tight on this one so if one of your 1 yrd fabrics from your stash has a small chunk cut out of it, you’ll be fine.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Andapanel pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until July 31, 2024, then it expires. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing!
June 15
3YD Victor is the June pattern download. Stripes in Red, White, and Blue plus a cute stripe binding will make this a fun picnic quilt from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The quilt is 42″ x 57″, using three yards; 1 yard of Light (white with a red/blue fleck), 1 yard of Medium (red Americana), and 1 yard of Dark (navy fleck). Yes, we have kits too!
Check out this colorful gallery of 3YD Victor digital versions.
The block that makes up the 3YD Victor quilt is called a Rail Fence. You’ll cut long strips from your yardage, then sew those long strips together. That 1/4″ is important!!! I was sewing all willy-nilly and my 5-strip width was too narrow! I had to suck up my seam allowance a couple threads. I tend to sew fat. I mean… my seam allowance, not just my pant size. Nonetheless, those threads will add up quickly if you’re not watching it. After sewing the long strips together, press the seams in one direction (watch for overlap) and then sub-cut the strip into 8″ squares.
Rotating the Rail Fence unit gives the basket weave look! Easy-peasy and super fast. Now, just a tip. If your 1/4″ seam was too fluffy, but you already sewed all your strips, just cut your blocks to the width of your strip. For example, if your strip width turned out to be 7 3/4″ instead of 8″, sub-cut your blocks to 7 3/4″ instead. You’ll need to adjust your border strip lengths but it will work much easier than trying to ease a 1/4″.
Scrappy Version
If you don’t have a full yard of Light, Medium, and Dark, you can make it scrappy! I didn’t sew up a scrappy version of 3YD Victor. I wanted to but I went on another vacation instead. lol This is what I was planning on making, a Napoleon Ice Cream version. Sweet summer fun! Since I was galavanting across the country instead of staying home to sew, this scrappy version was created with my EQ8 software. I cheated and used four colors too.
Super-Size Me
Let’s make the 3YD Victor quilt bigger. Double the yardage, this pretty quilt uses 1 5/8 yard of the Medium, but a full 2 yards for the Dark and the Light. It is iffy for the Light. It may take a couple of inches more depending on your fabric width. Let me know if you double the size, and how much is left of the Light. I’ll add it here if you think the light will be short using 2 yards. This is a roomy throw/twin size, 64.5″ x 87″.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Victor pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until June 31, 2024, then it expires. Sorry, download expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing!
May 15
3YD Romeo is the May pattern download. Hugs and Kiss, or Tic Tac Toe. You choose! This fun block is very quick to make. The quilt is 46″ x 46″ throw-size. Perfect for a lap, baby quilt, or a romantic picnic. I went with Hugs and Kisses and picked a dark raspberry, a medium pink, and a light cream batik for our sample.
Check out this colorful gallery for a few digital versions I created with my EQ8 software. You just need 3 yards; 1 yard of a Light, of a Medium, and of a Dark fabric.
Scrappy Version
If you don’t have a full yard of Light, Medium, and Dark, you can make it scrappy. I’m working out of my stash this year. I didn’t sew up a scrappy version of 3YD Romeo. I went to Florida instead and gave my granddaughter the 3YD Juliett blue/daisy quilt (pictured below)! Lora and I worked on the Raspberry/Pink 3YD Romeo together and then she quilted it. This scrappy version I created with EQ8. Use four 1/4 yard or a Fat Quarters of Medium and Dark. You can choose four 1/4 yards of Light too, but my sample just used 1 yard of solid white.
Super-Size Me
Let’s make the 3YD Romeo quilt bigger. This pretty quilt uses less than two yards of each Light and Dark, but a full 2 yards for the medium because of the border. This is a roomy throw/twin size.
The blocks are easy to assemble! Start with a 6 1/2″ square and sew the smaller 3″ squares in opposite corners. The arrangement of these partial snowball blocks make the Xs and Os.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Romeo pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until May 31, 2024, then it expires. Sorry, link expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing!
April 15
3YD Lima is the April pattern download. This modern block is a super quick and easy one to piece. It goes together quickly to make a 44″ x 53″ throw-size quilt. We chose aqua and brown for this beauty. Aqua is a relaxing, peaceful color and brown is a stability, grounded color making this a perfect nap-time color combination. Below are cute puppy pictures of Pepper’s pup. Can’t believe those puppies are already 9 weeks and heading to forever homes.
Click through this colorful gallery slideshow for a few digital versions I created with my EQ8 software. You just need 3 yards; 1 yard of a Light, of a Medium, and of a Dark fabric.
Scrappy Version
I am working out of my abundant stash this year and if I don’t have a full yard of Light, Medium, and Dark, I’m making mine scrappy. So this version I created with EQ8. My scrappy version is still on the design wall. But I’m making progress!
Super-Size Me
Let’s make the 3YD Lima quilt bigger. This pretty quilt uses 1 3/4 yards of each Light, Medium, and Dark (according to EQ8 software – always round up). The size is 62″ x 80″. This is a roomy throw/twin size.
Ready for that free download?
Here you go. Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Lima pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads too. This free download will last until April 30, 2024, then it expires. Sorry, link expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing.
March 15
3YD Juliett is the March pattern download. It is a darling 36″ square Dresden Plate quilt. The colors we chose reflect a retro 50s dinner theme; solid black, pink, and white.
Pepper, Lora’s cairn terrier, just had puppies so she’s happy to hide, I mean, take a moment to model with the 3YD Juliett. (You’d hide from six precocious five-week-old puppies too!)
Click through this colorful gallery slideshow for a few digital versions I created with my EQ8 software. You just need 3 yards; 1 yard of a Light, of a Medium, and of a Dark fabric.
Scrappy Version
I am working out of my abundant stash this year and if I don’t have a full yard of Light, Medium, and Dark, I’m making mine scrappy. So this version I created with EQ8 is one I sewed for my granddaughter, Micah.
The top image is the EQ8 and the bottom image is what I sewed up. It isn’t quilted yet. I have leftover cobalt minky that is just wide enough for this baby quilt. I’ll bind it in the same yellow as the daisy centers. Micah has brilliant blue eyes. I call her my little bug so I chose ‘bug’ white prints for my petals.
Super-Size Me
Let’s make the 3YD Juliett quilt bigger. This pretty quilt uses 2 yards of each Light, Medium, and Dark. The size is 51″ x 51″. This is a roomy throw size.
Bigger still, I added borders and a few more blocks. The pink is now 2 3/4 yard and the other two fabrics are 2 1/2″. The larger size is now 56″ x 68″.
How to Make a Dresden Plate
I heard you moaning. If you’ve not made a Dresden Plate block before, it is easier than you might think! Check out our video on YouTube. Try it. Even if it is just one block for a kitchen quilt (aka pot holder) you’ll have tried a new quilting technique this year, expanding that quilting toolbox of yours.
So where is that download, already?
Here you go. Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Juliett pattern. The pattern includes the 22.5-degree petal template. The Dresden Plate has sixteen petals. You can buy an acrylic template (or maybe you already have one?) to use when cutting out your petals. But no specialty ruler is required. You’ll need a small amount of light fusible interfacing for the center circle. Send your friends to collect their free downloads. This download will only last until the end of March, then it expires. Sorry, download expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
Tips and Tricks
If you’re using a translucent white fabric, you can cut away the back side of your block. Then the batting will show white instead of the Dark or the Medium fabric. I didn’t need to do this for the one I made for Micah. You couldn’t see through the white bug prints. However, Lora’s white for her White/Pink/Black version showed the shadow of black or pink through it. See below. If you find that is happening to you too, here is what to do.
Can you see the darker fabric coming through the white? First, finish the block. Add your blanket or zigzag stitch.
Next, flip the block over to the back. Pinch the background block away from the Dresden Plate block. Trim the center portion away. I know, it’s scary at first.
This is how the block will look from the wrong side. Now the white batting will make your white fabric look nice and white. Sew your blocks together as the pattern directs. Quilt, label, bind, and enjoy your 3YD Juliett!
February 15
3YD Charlie is the February pattern download. This pretty quilt is 47″ x 47″, beginner friendly, but a little bit more challenging than the January pattern download. You’ve two blocks to construct. You can do it! The first block on the left is called a Grecian Square. It is made up of four Half Square Triangles (Don’t worry, we have a video for Half Square Triangles) some rectangles and a square in the middle. The second square on the right is called a Single Irish Chain. This block is one of my favorite blocks to design with. If you skim through our pattern store, you can quickly see the multiple times I use this block, or a likeness. I love how this block connects and directs the eye. It creates a great design feature that sets off the first block, Grecian Square. Let’s take a look at the quilt we’re making this month. Click through the gallery.
Since we’re a wee bit of the Irish, we had a fun time making the 3YD Charlie in the Shamrock fabric. This pattern is named after my father-in-law, Charles Norton – O’Naughton before they Americanized it a hundred years or so ago. He definitely kissed the Blarney Stone. 😉 In fact, the entire 3YD series is a nod to this retired Marine. Colonel Norton spelled everything out loud (and loudly) using the radiotelephonic spelling alphabet. As the year progresses, you’ll see the call letter codes as the names of the 3YD pattern series. Are you a wee bit of the Irish too? We have kits available on Material Girlfriends Shop.
Not feeling Irish? No problem. Click through this colorful gallery for a few digital versions I created with my EQ8 software. You just need 3 yards; 1 yard of a Light, of a Medium, and of a Dark fabric.
Get Scrappy
Let’s not forget a scrappy option. I intend to use my stash this year. The one below uses a feature fabric of giant red flowers with a gray background in the border and fussy cut for the center of the Grecian Square block. Then the other reds, grays, and whites with small gray prints are all scrappy. Love this one.
Super Size Me
Let’s make the 3YD Charlie quilt bigger. This pretty quilt uses 1 1/2 yards of each Light, Medium, and Dark. I like this version because the balance of the blocks is more pleasing to me. The size is 56″ x 65″. I’ve been attracted to the ruby/merlot color lately. It is just so eye-catching. Paired with the two neutral colors, this batik version just sings.
Even bigger please. The 3YD Charlie quilt below uses 2 yards of Light, and just under two yards for the Medium, and just 1 3/4 yards of the Dark. This size is 56″ x 83″.
Here is another super-sized color option.
Let’s Get Sewing!
Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Charlie pattern. Send your friends to collect their free downloads. This download will only last until the end of February, then it expires. Sorry, download expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
A Little Help, Please?
We’ve made a few videos for our Youtube channel – 82 videos to be exact if you need help getting to sleep 😉 One of them is called Three Ways to Make Half Square Triangles Tutorial by Material Girlfriends. It was created for a different pattern but it is the same technique. Follow the cutting instructions for 3YD Charlie, and then trim the Half Square Triangles to 3 1/2″ *not what the video says.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress. Happy sewing!
January 15
3YD Alpha is the January pattern download. It is a nice throw size, 41″ x 57″. Fun, easy 2 1/2″ strip pieced quilt that sews up fast. The block is a framed 4-patch block in three fabrics, light (light minty-green), medium (celery) and dark (teal). That carrot color binding is just the perfect pop. Not only does this block make a dynamic 3YD quilt, but looks super when made scrappy. Click through the gallery.
What if you’re not a solids kind of quilter? Click through this lovely gallery. The lovely batik versions were made by our friend Pernille and a few digital versions I created with my EQ8 software.
Make it Scrappy
Since I made a blood oath to myself to use my stash (okay, not really but I should), I made a digital option for a scrappy version. The strips to create the blocks are 2 1/2″, you could even use a jelly roll! I’d probably keep the lights as one fabric (or use my cream batiks jelly roll that has been marinating in my drawer for over 2 years) and pick medium and dark strips from another jelly roll to make up the other values. But I’m headed down a rabbit hole, back to the 3 yards!
Super Size Me
Wait, what would it look like super-sized? Let’s double up the kit; 2 yards of a Light, 2 yards of a Medium, and 2 yards of a Dark. What size do we get? Two 3 yard kits can make a 61″ x 77″ which is a very nice adult size TV throw quilt and works well for a quilt of valor too. I love it! I’ve not made it this size but my EQ8 says 2 yards for the Celery (that’s the medium border color) and the other two colors are under 2 yards. I have a hard time trusting EQ8. If you make the super-size, let me know how much fabric was left or if you were a little short on the medium color. I’ll make an edit to this post.
Which is your favorite? What fabrics would you use? By now you’re probably wondering where in the world is the download?! I’m sure you want to get sewing! Click below to download your copy of the 3YD Alpha. Send your friends to collect their free downloads. The download will only last until the end of the month, then it expires. Sorry, download expired. You can purchase your copy at the Material Girlfriends Shop or a digital download at Material Girlfriends Etsy Shop.
If you do the Facebook thing, we’d love to see your work! Please join our Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang group and share your pics and progress.
