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!
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.
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.
Download expired. Visit Material Girlfriends’ Web store to purchase a printed pattern or visit Material Girlfriends’ Etsy store for a digital download.
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.
Download expired. Visit Material Girlfriends’ Web store to purchase a printed pattern or visit Material Girlfriends’ Etsy store for a digital download.
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.
(Download Expired) To purchase your pattern, visit MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com or for an instant digital download, visit our Etsy store.
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.