Double Colorado: Summer Stash Busting 2020

Bust out those ten inch squares because we have a gorgeous quilt to make! Rebecca Cottongim’s original pattern will guide you through making a big ol’ double bed quilt, I’m going to show you how I made a gorgeous table runner, AND let’s talk about quilting plan options for both so you can free motion quilt your own project!

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Ten inch squares, sometimes called layer cakes or stack packs, are a truly versatile precut because there’s a pretty substantial amount of fabric in just one (usually 2- 2 1/2 yards worth of fabric). it’s big enough to be subcut into all kinds of interesting shapes, including, as we will be doing to make Rebecca Cottongim’s Double Colorado pattern, half square triangles. Rebecca uses a fast HST method in this week’s pattern from Make Modern’s Pretty Precuts. Grab your pattern booklet below, then keep reading for a pattern review and free motion quilting plan inspiration.

Video

Pattern Review

Double Colorado was written by Rebecca Cottongim for Make Modern Magazine and included in Pretty Precuts. Of all the patterns we are tackling as part of Summer Stash Busting, I was most nervous about this one because it is more intricate than the others. However, Rebecca’s use of a four at a time half square triangle method means the piecing is surprisingly quick. Be careful, though— all your HSTs will have bias edges and thus be prone to stretching. Press them gently and use lots of starch! On the whole, I found the pattern easy to follow and fun to make.

Plot twist: Like with Rainbow Paint Can last week, I was a bit of a rebel in how I made my Double Colorado. A double bed quilt sounded pretty daunting, so I opted to make just 5 blocks and turn them into a pretty stellar (ba-dum-ch) table runner using a junior layer cake of Stellar by Rashida Coleman Hale. It was the perfect amount of fabric, and OH MY GOSH Y’ALL— pictures will never do this gorgeous line justice.

Quilting Plans

I love that Double Colorado looks complicated and traditional without actually being a difficult quilt. Why not play that up with some fancy feathers, ya know?

Okay, okay, we’ll start simpler: begin by stitching in the ditch to secure the central part of your blocks. Then, use a background fill to add texture. On the left you’ll see I’ve used a meander and on the right, I auditioned paisleys as a potential choice for my table runner.

Now, I didn’t draw border designs in my examples because they would not have shown up well, but wishbones or ribbon candy would be great options for the skinny border, and feathers or switchbacks would look great in the wider border.

My next thought was about how to “jazz up” the background area by stitching some shape specific feathers. Two different feather diamond opportunities in one quilt? YES PLEASE. You could even opt for a ginkgo or peacock feather in the narrower diamond if you really wanted to get fancy.

Finally, why not lean hard into the more traditional feeling of Double Colorado with ALL the traditional feathers?! Start by stitching in the ditch between rows with your walking foot and also using your walking foot to create a gentle wavy line down each row to serve as the spine for your feathers. Then, alternating which side of the quilt you begin on, use your FMQ foot to create nice big feathers. If you have trouble filling the space with just feathers, use a filler design like a meander or pebbles to fill in any gaps later.

Conclusion

As I have been with every Pretty Precuts pattern, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the piecing and the process of this quilt. If you have 10” squares lying about, make a few blocks! As I mentioned above, 5 blocks made a great long table runner, but individual blocks would also be perfect placemat size if you want to give this a whirl without committing to a big ol’ quilt. Also, if you’re excited to try your hand at one of the quilting plans above, but you’re not a confident free motion quilter, be sure to check out my free guide, 3 Steps to Confident FMQ, to get you started:

Looking for the rest of the Pretty Precuts Stash Busting? Click here!