Jelly rolls, layer cakes, honey buns, turnovers..don’t they sound yummy and make you want to rush right out to the nearest pastry shop! Actually, you’ll want to rush right out to your favorite fabric shop because jelly rolls, layer cakes, honey buns and turnovers are bundles of different sized pre-cut fabrics, and you’re going to love them! So, let’s learn a bit more about them.

Jelly rolls are bundles of 40 strips, 2-1/2″ wide by 44″ inches long, from all the fabrics in a collection. This means that they already are color coordinated and ready to sew.
Honey buns are a narrower version of jelly rolls. They’re 1-1/2″ wide.
Layer cakes are 10″ squares from all the fabrics in a line. They come 40 to a pack. Once again, the guess work is taken out of fabric selection, as they already harmonize and are ready to go. (Layer cakes make super easy quilt tops when just sewn

together to the size you want!)

Turnovers are half square triangles, 2 of each fabric in a collection. There are usually 80 in a bundle.
Charm packs are 5″ squares, again from all the fabrics in a line. Usually there are 25 to 40 squares in a pack (it’ll tell you on the back of the label). I love sweet charm squares for baby quilts!
Fat quarter bundles contain 22″ by 18″ fabric pieces, usually from the same fabric suite. The number of pieces per bundle can vary.
So, that’s a quick overview of pre-cut fabrics. A couple of additional things to note, the edges of the fabric in these bundles is pinked so they won’t fray, and there is no need to pre-wash. Happy stitching, and pardon me while I sneak down to the kitchen for a cookie-all this talk of yumminess has awakened my sweet tooth!

So, can you name 7 reasons why quilting at home using the Abracadabra Quilting instructional videos has more advantages than quilting in a group setting?? I can, and so can a few other ladies whose quotes I’ll include.
1. You can work at your own schedule and call your own shots. If you need to leave the project for a day or week or even a month, you can pick up easily right where you left off.
2. If it’s a lovely day, you can take a break and go for a walk or work awhile in the garden. There’s no deadline set by anyone but yourself.
3. If you don’t understand a concept, you’re not rushed along, but rather can go back and review as many times as it takes, til you really get it!
Following are comments from an earlier edition of the magazine “Creative Needle”
4. “I do my best stitching when I’m alone. I concentrate more on the details, design and the finished project.”
5. “I get more done when I stitch alone.”
6. “Stitching on my own is the best. I find myself remembering and daydreaming, usually about who (the project is) for. Even yoga doesn’t bring the relaxation I feel.
7. “I do my best stitching in the solitude of my sewing room. My best work is always done alone.”

I’m sure you’ll be able to think of even more reasons why quilting at home is such a happy option, whether you’re a novice OR a seasoned quilter.

Yesterday some lovely flowers arrived on my doorstep-what a glorious splash of color on a cold, drizzly and rather gloomy day! I immediately thought of what a wonderful sense of color the florist had with those pinks, magentas, lavenders and dark greens, and how lovely those colors would look together in a quilt. What in nature inspires you? A spectacular sunset? A cascading waterfall? Autumn leaves? Mother Nature has already put together such a luscious palette of colors for us-we just have to look closely and be inspired. With the innumerable color choices available to us at our local fabric stores and online, we don’t have to look too long to find just the right color combinations. Then we choose a pattern, create our heirloom quilt, and welcome Mother Nature’s colors into our homes!

So, just what is a charm square, you might be asking. A charm square is a pre-cut square, usually 5″by5″. Fabric companies like Moda will sell a bundle of charm squares, usually 25 to 40 in a pack (they’ll tell you how many on the label), that feature every fabric from one of their collections. So you’ll find that all the squares harmonize beautifully with each other-it takes out the guess work of trying to choose compatible fabrics! Charm squares can be used in a variety of ways in your quilting projects, but one of my favorite ways to use the sweet pastels is in a baby quilt.
Little Charlotte Moriah just recently joined our extended family, and the baby quilt to the left was made for her. How easy to just sew the charm squares together in rows, and then sew the rows together. Add a 1″ contrast border and 5″ borders. Voila! A charming baby quilt top! I used a cozy flannel for the backing and had it finish quilted with a daisy and bees pattern. And you must remember the label. For a baby quilt like this I use two labels, one with the baby’s name and date of birth, and the other with the name of the quilt and the quilter’s name. Sew them on a back corner, and your quilt is ready to present to the proud parents and the little newcomer. There couldn’t be a more lovely or special gift!

Choosing quality quilting fabric is a must~after all, you’re creating an heirloom and you want it to continue looking beautiful for generations to come. So, choose the best!
Here are four guidelines to choosing quality quilting fabric:
1. Choose 100% cotton-no poly blends. 100% cotton is much easier to sew, to press and to quilt (and easier to fudge-fit if you need to stretch it a teensy bit to have the units fit well).
2. Look for fabric with a high thread count (between 68-78). No, you don’t have to bring your magnifying glass with you to the fabric store. You’ll find the higher thread count fabric is going to feel smoother to the touch, just as higher thread count sheets feel better. You’re going to want your quilt to feel just as good as it looks! And the better quality fabrics are going to be more durable, fray less and be more shrink resistant. They’re much nicer to work with than a lower thread count fabric.
3. Avoid fabrics that have a strong smell. This means they were probably treated with chemicals, sizing or perhaps bleach. The fabric may feel substantial when first purchased, but with the first wash the chemicals are gone and the fabric becomes limp. Who wants a quilt loaded with chemicals anyway?!
4. Avoid fabrics that leave color on your hands as you’re feeling it. It’s not colorfast and you’ll have problems with fading and bleeding. You don’t want to put all that time, energy and love into a quilt only to have your vibrant reds bleed into the white background when washed. Your whites will look pink and your reds faded and worn. We only want to work with colorfast fabrics.
You usually get what you pay for in the fabric store, so don’t skimp. I know quality fabrics can be awfully expensive (that’s why I wait for the good sales). In the long run, however, you’ll be glad you spent a bit more at the beginning to get the most fabulous quilt top at the end! (Can you tell I’m getting ready to start another Quilt of Valor? see QOV.org)

In the quilting world you’re going to hear the term fat quarter bantered around a lot, and many patterns call for fat quarters. So just what is it? When you go into a fabric store and ask for a standard quarter yard of fabric, the sales clerk will cut a 9 inch length of fabric for you (9 inches being a quarter of a yard). You will then have a piece of fabric which is 9 inches long and 44 inches wide. This size piece might be just what your pattern is calling for. However, if you ask for a fat quarter, the clerk will cut a piece for you that is twice as long (18 inches) and half as wide (22 inches). This piece of fabric though still a quarter of a yard, might be much more useful as it’s twice as long. Always check your quilt pattern and instructions to see what type of quarter yard cut is required. The attached video will help you to further understand what I’m talking about here.
The lovely Jewel Box quilt shown to the left is an example of a quilt that requires fat quarters. This one was made up using soft cottagey colors. To see the same quilt using bright primary colors, go to my pinterest quilting board. Don’t you love how two quilts can be made from the same pattern and yet look so different and unique! By the way. the Jewel Box quilt instructions are available on the store page of this website-it’s a fav!

I thought you might enjoy a peek of my sewing room where Ol’ Bess and I get our work done. It’s not always the neatest, but it’s convenient and efficient. A few things to note: Even though I didn’t catch them in the picture, I have two adjustable, well focused lamps aimed at my sewing area to give plenty of light, one in front of my sewing machine and one from behind my left shoulder. I don’t want any shadows in the area where I’m sewing. I have my ironing board, at it’s lowest setting, within easy reach to press seams as I go. I have a board with the block that I’m working on laid out close by. As units are finished, they go back on the board in their right place until the whole block has been stitched together. (Makes for fewer mistakes.) The machine in the background is my embroidery machine that I use to make labels-it’s handy and fun but not necessary. There are so many other ways to label your finished quilt. Not visible but close to the other side of Ol’ Bess are four bobbins already wound with the thread I’m using-I don’t like to stop when I’m in the groove to fill a bobbin! And, of course, there’s my cup of tea. One of these days I’ll get an electric tea kettle to heat water right there in my sewing room so I don’t have to always be traipsing downstairs for a new, hot cuppa……on second thought, I don’t think that’s such a good idea-it’s feels good to get up and stretch and take a little walk every now and again.

For the first time ever ALL SIX Abracadabra Quilting instructional videos are now available for purchase as online quilting classes! You can now purchase and instantly stream any of the six Abracadabra Quilting instructional videos for the quilt pattern of your choice directly on your computer or portable device (laptop, tablet, smartphone etc). This includes FOUR BRAND NEW PATTERNS that have not been released until now! They include: Stars and Stripes Forever, Jewel Box, Grateful Heart, and Morning Star.

Start your quilting project as soon you’re ready and work your way through at your own pace. This is such a great way to learn how to quilt! Here is what Abracadabra Quilter, Jessica, has to say about her experience:

I had my fabric washed, pressed, and ready to go. Then I sat paralyzed in front of my computer, afraid to proceed. I bravely played the video and went straight to Tips and Tricks. What a great section! I learned a lot and gained confidence to continue. Wendy’s instructions on cutting and piecing the fabrics were great — so clear and easy to follow. I was able to finish this quilt in less than a week, and it is now a beautiful addition to my guest bedroom. Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your patterns and quilting wisdom with me, a former non-quilter! – Jessica

So, you’ve successfully finished your first heirloom quilt top. You’ve now learned the basic quilting techniques and tips and tricks of expert quilting. You’ll probably be anxious to try another pattern! At that point, simply purchase and instantly stream online the abridged “pattern only” version of any of the six patterns!

Not sure which pattern to start with? Learn about all six quilting instructional videos by clicking here!

Warning: Quilting is addictive and you’ll probably want all six patterns! Visit the store now!

(Of course, if you still prefer DVDs, visit Amazon.com to purchase your Abracadabra Quilting Instructional Videos there!)

SIGN UP FOR THE ABRACADABRA E-MAIL NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE THIS FREE STAR BLOCK PATTERN! Stars are one of my favorite motifs as they can be used in so many quilt patterns in so many ways. Even beginning quilters can learn how to make this quilt block using these easy to follow instructions. Using green, red and white fabrics this block would make a cheerful Christmas quilt…there is no end to the possibilities! To obtain your free downloadable star block pattern  instructions,  just sign up using the form to the right. You’ll receive a confirmation e-mail and a link to download the pattern. Thanks for signing up and have fun with your pattern!

To the left are two examples of just how versatile and fun the basic star block can be. The first quilt I’ve called “Sea Star” and it’s really just alternating the star block and a plain block of the background fabric. You really don’t need a pattern for this quilt once you understand the basic techniques of quilting and know how to make the star block. This particular quilt is king size and I use it as a coverlet over a dust ruffle. Of course you can make any size quilt you wish, alternating these two blocks until you come up with the desired length and width. “Sea Star” is at our beach house, so I enjoyed choosing colors for the stars that reflect the sand, the sea, the sky and the inside of sea shells.
The second quilt is the “Morning Star” which is an Aberacadabra pattern, available here on this website. This quilt alternates the star block with a chain block. It utilizes the “fishie” technique and the “stripping” technique, both of which are explained fully in the instructional videos. Aren’t you inspired, now, to download this free star block pattern and learn to become proficient at constructing the lovely and versatile star block?

I hear there’s some talk going around in the quilting world regarding the “fishie” technique. Actually, it was developed by my Aunt Mary as means to save scads of time and energy in creating half square triangle units (or hsts), one of the most commonly used units in quilting patterns (for example, Abracadabra Quilting’s beautiful Morning Star quilt-shown here, or the Oklahoma Twister quilt-shown on my pinterest quilting board).   Using this technique, you mark and do a lot of sewing before you do any cutting, and ABRACADABRA, you end up with 12 half square triangle units. Yes, it’s truly magical, and is fully explained in all six “full version” Abracadabra Quilting patterns:  either DVDs or streaming formats. You’ll have fun with this oh so useful and adaptable technique! (And you’ll find out first hand why I called my company Abracadabra!)