For those of you who have been following along so far on the You're A Charm Quilt Along, it may seem like things have been quiet... and well, they have been. BUT, I've been cutting more and more triangles, have YOU been getting some fabrics cut?? If so, we'd love to see them! I'm looking forward to the day when the #YACQAL hashtag on IG has more photos by other participants than by me (just sayin')! Thank you Cherie and Anne for working toward that goal so far :)

I have said that we'll be taking a leisurely pace on this QAL. My hope is that this will give participants a chance to take part and share while still acknowledging that we all have other obligations in our days and weeks.

However, that doesn't mean we're at a stand-still. I am hoping to see a collection of fabric patches accumulate in the next couple of weeks, with a push to start some layout pics and maybe even begin piecing by mid May.

I haven't counted these up, but I am sure I have many more to cut before I get anywhere near enough for a decent sized quilt top.

Now, for what's been going on in MY days and weeks... It starts with transitioning my "sewing room" back into a semi-functional guest bedroom. That mattress design wall that seemed to spark such interest — well it's just a mattress again. ;) The not-in-laws were here for just a couple of nights last weekend for a too-quick visit which included a trip to Portland Art Museum to see the Rodin exhibit before it closed.

And in just a few days from now we are expecting my brother and BIL for a couple of nights, so the guest room remains a guest room. And we're glad to be getting guests, so I am NOT complaining! I'll share more on that visit after the fact, but I will just say that their visit is tied in with a new event for horror film fans and industry folks happening at Timberline Lodge at the end of April, The Overlook Film Festival... and a new presentation of 2 live Tales from Beyond the Pale.

Found a card for the festival at a NE Portland neighborhood bar a couple of weeks ago. Happy to help promote!

Oh, and not a week after this visit I will be heading back to my old hometown of St. Louis for my 25th (yikes!!) high school reunion. Psyched and freaked out at the same time. So much time has passed and yet I just don't feel like I've got my adulting down properly. Ever been there??

In my spring cleaning, wardrobe edition I cannot bring myself to get rid of this OLD t-shirt for the boys' HS lacrosse team (I let go of our girls' team shirt many, many years ago, as is appropriate).

So yes, things are happening, and I hope that no one feels like the YACQAL is suffering for it. Would love to see more input and hope to get more photos going from those of you interested in participating! So bring on the questions, comments and suggestions!

Okay, so this will likely be the last of my preliminary posts leading up to the launch of my first ever quilt along: You're a Charm Quilt-Along! If those ideas aren't swimming yet, hopefully this will help kick them into gear so you have a plan for beginning in just a couple of weeks.

And if you haven't already, add this blog to your reading list so you don't miss the launch or any of the installments once we get going! I'll also try to post notices via instagram on @surroundedbyscraps and on my Surrounded by Scraps Facebook page (this will definitely be a social-media learning experience for me!)

So far I've offered a little bit on the background and concept behind charm quilts, and today I'll be presenting a list and examples of some of the most common shapes to be found in one-patch charm quilts. Let's start with defining a one-patch quilt: A patchwork quilt where each piece is a uniform shape and size. Pretty straight forward. Now, for it to work properly, those shapes need to fit together into an overall pattern that maintains a flat plane. There are LOTS of shapes from which to choose.

Squares/Rectangles

We'll start simple. We can all picture quilts made up of the same sized squares or same sized rectangles all over, from postage stamp quilts (traditionally 1"-2" max. squares throughout), to brickwork patterns with larger rectangles to showcase bold prints. And of course, the contemporary use of the term charm quilt fits into this category, using commercially manufactured 5" charm pack squares pieced together.

An Amish wool 1-patch. Click image for source.

Checkerboard quilt by Red Pepper Quilts. Click image to read her blog post on it!

Scrappy Rectangles by KatyQuilts. Click image for her original post.

Side Braid Quilt by Jeni Baker, via Flickr. Click for original image source.

Found on Pinterest, could not locate maker for credits.

Triangles/Diamonds/Parallelograms

Another common one-patch category. This is where we have the 1,000 Pyramid quilts, 60° diamonds, and more complex arrangements such as Seven Sisters and Tumbling Blocks (not to be confused with Tumblers, which come up in our next category). As with all of these quilts, the scale you choose for your shape will have a huge effect on how the finished quilt looks and feels. Larger patches are appealing for those with less of a stash to work with (or less time for piecing), but generally will look much more contemporary, not to say you can't get a very contemporary look with smaller pieces, as you'll see below.

Thousand Pyramid, found on Flickr via Pinterest - SurrendrDorothy.

Carnival Quilt by Ashley Newcome. If you click the image, you will find a whole bunch of great triangle quilts and a link to some free patterns!

Pyramid quilt by Hyacinth Quilts. Click image for her post.

Diamonds & Ice, by yours truly. (sorry for terrible photo)

The Little Red Hen, via Pinterest. Here we have what appears to be a true 1-patch tumbling block charm quilt!

Another tumbling block quilt, by ariane's crafts, via Pinterest.

Seven Sisters block by Q is for Quilter. Click for source.

An example of a Seven Sisters design, by Stephen Sollins, via Pinterest.

Trapezoids (a.k.a. Tumblers)

And here we start getting into some of the traditional one-patch shapes that are harder to get without making (or buying) a template. The previous categories I tend to prefer using my rotary ruler and tools, but with the less common angles and sides that are no longer parallel, having a template to work from will save you much time and frustration. Take my word for that ;)

I'll Tumble for You, by Penny, Sew Take a Hike. On Flickr, via Pinterest.

Modern Tumblers by Frances Meredith. Click image for source.

Half-hexagon Trapezoid. A little harder to create proper illusion with charms, but with the right color and value placements...

Scrapapalooza 1-patch. I love her process blog post on Quilting is More Fun than Housework. Click image for post.

Hexagons

We've all seen the hexie craze take over, and sure enough this is a natural fit for a one-patch quilt. And there are many methods for getting those hexes made, whether pieced using Y-seams, English Paper Pieced (EPP), or as a combo of smaller triangles (which is effective, but one has to be careful when combining with a charm quilt). There are also several different scales and "shapes" of hexagons that work as a one-patch.

Vintage Hexagon quilt, maker unknown, via Pinterest.

Stretched Hex, by Victoria Findlay Wolfe. Templates on her website, just click the image.

My Blue and White, by Prosivana Deka. Large, bold, pieced hexagons.

Apple Cores/Clam Shells

Now we enter into curves, curves that nestle together just so. There's no doubt some mathematical formula for getting these just right, but again, I would go with finding a template for one of these guys. Piecing curves is not my strong-suit, but they can be so beautiful and effective all together!

Jumbo Applecore, by Thimbleanna. Click image for source.

Double Hammerhead 3, maker unknown. Via Pinterest.

Large scale Clam Shell using Anna Maria Horner, by Melissa at My Fabric Relish. Click image for original post.

An alternate layout for clam shell. From Accuquilt, via Pinterest.

Neon and Neutral II, by Latifah Saafir. On flickr. One of my favorites!

There are others much less common, and with a good internet search you can find them, but I thought this gave a good selection of shapes from which to get inspired. I found Pinterest to be an invaluable resource for finding all kinds of samples, and have compiled a selection into a board called One-Patch Quilt Ideas. And in case there is any question, you are invited to work with any shape you like... you don't even need to do a one-patch to join the YACQAL, but my demos will focus on one-patch, while I try to show a couple of different techniques for marking, cutting and piecing shapes as we go.

Oh, and have I mentioned that there will be a sweet little giveaway when all is said and done?? More details on that will be revealed at the launch , but let's just say I'm looking forward to connecting with more of you and seeing what we can create in our own styles from the same prompts. Again, follow my blog, instagram and/or FB page to keep up to date on this fun adventure we're about to have!