Jubilee: Summer Stash Busting 2020

Summer Stash Busting just keeps getting better and better, and making Jubilee by Samantha Green as our Fat Eighth focus project is no exception! What’s wonderful, though, is that Jubilee is also splendid for scrap busting! So break out those fat eighths and/ or leftover 2 1/2 squares, 5 inch shares, 2/12 inch strips, and 10 inch squares— you’re going to love this one!

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Fat Eighths are getting into “real fabric” as far as precuts are concerned, but it’s so fun to have a pattern that uses up this size because it’s also a common “leftover bits” kind of size. Jubilee is written for 9 x 21 inch rectangles (fat eighths) plus yardage, but all the cut sizes used for the pattern are also perfect for other extra precuts or scraps you have about your sewing room. Grab your pattern booklet below, then keep reading for a pattern review and free motion quilting plan inspiration.

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Pattern Review

Jubilee was written by Samantha Green for Make Modern Magazine and included in Pretty Precuts. Y’all. I love a good big block. These blocks are 18” and wonderfully satisfying to make. I love that the firework burst bits (the ones you’d cut out of the fat eighths) are such bright spots against the background— the perfect way to use up precut fat eighths or funky bits of yardage left from another quilt.

In what is becoming a bit of a tradition this summer, I did play with the pattern a bit. I decided to use odd bits of leftover navy solid yardage for the background, so I simplified the cutting and piecing for the background (using strips instead of squares since it was all solid). It made the piecing go a little faster and made my yardage last longer. If you want a scrappy effect (as Samantha wrote the pattern), fat quarters would be a great substitution for the background yardage.

But my VERY favorite thing about the Jubilee quilt, whether you are using yardage or scraps or anything in between, is that this pattern is exceptionally AccuQuilt friendly. You’ll have all the dies you need with this Ready. Set. Go! starter kit. i used it to cut mine and loved getting all the bits chopped up so quickly!

Quilting Plans

I love that Jubilee has so much wide open background space to fill up with quilting! To be honest, I would 100% leave the firework bits unquilted, so I’ve drawn them so in these plans. But if you wanted to quilt them, some quick continuous curves would be a good light touch and switchbacks would add a heavier, geometric texture.

The real shine with these plans is putting allllllll the texture in the background— whether it’s the relatively simple texture of a meander or matchsticks or the much more complex textures of graffiti quilting. The obvious thread choice, of course, would be to match the quilting thread to the background fabric(s). If you’re feeling daring, though, look for a way to incorporate variegated or solid threads that coordinate with your firework “pops.” You know, a matchstick line of a bright color, using variegated for your meander, or, heck, using bright thread for the whole background!

Conclusion

I know I say each week that the pattern we’re making for that precut is my favorite, but it really feels like it every week. I’ve just loved all these patterns so much! I talk throughout this review about this pattern as a whole quilt, but remember that these blocks are 18 inches. That means three makes a lovely table runner, one makes a great table topper, and three as mini quilts would look super cute hanging in a row on the wall (make them from the scraps of a seasonal quilt and hang them up to coordinate and expand the decor??).

This pattern is also an ideal opportunity to practice any number of free motion background fillers: not just the meander and graffiti quilting shown, but also paisleys, swirls, feathers, rainbows, mctavishing, etc. If you’re excited to try your hand at this, 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!