What do you do with all these charm packs?
 

I know they are irresistable. But what do you do with them? Esp when they come from different fabric range and do not necessarily match with one another.

Please share your ideas:)

There's a book out called Nickle Quilts (I think there's a second book now). The whole book is quilts made with charm squares. My local library has it. Maybe yours does too.

I use them to make yoyo's and then from there I can make flowers for little girls quilts and animals for baby quilts, table runners and decorations for my greeting cards. You can do a search and find several free patterns using yoyo's and you can get yoyo makers online or at quilt stores or at JoAnn's. Hope this helps some. I also make clowns with legs and arms and body made from yoyo's.

Check out the tutorials at Missouri Star Quilt Company. Lots of ideas for charm packs there.

I've just finished piecing a tumbler quilt using about 3 and 1/2 charm packs. I used the small tumbler template my DH cut for me. It was easy and fun to do. MSQCo has a good tute using the tumbler.

I had a few and made a Twister quilt out of them. It turned out scrappy and very nice.
Sue

Yes, the Nickle quilt books by Pat Speth are great. I think there are 4 ot 5 of them.

Thanks. Many ideas here.
Many of the projects involves HST.. Hmm, I am not too fond of HSTs (nothing wrong with them, it is me being diffcult!).
Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming:)

I did a snowball like quilt with them sorry at work I don't have a picture.

I love snowball quilts! Why didn't I think of that?!

Both Nickle quilt books are great! There are other books out that also use charm squares. And patterns for charm squares. And if you ever need some 2-1/2" squares, you can cut them up into 4 squares!

I always buy 3 charm packs of a line when on sale. That way you have enough for a lap quilt.
They are so varied but all the fabrics go togather since they are from one line.
HST work well with charms and the patterns for them are endless.
If you get them from Connecting Threads you need more because they dont have the usual 42 squares in a pack.

Disappearing 9-patch

I bought about 13 packs at one go! They are staring at me right now. The problem is that I just bought all the charm packs from almost every line at that time. So not all of them go with one another!

Choose the ones that are a close match and use them together. Mix and match as necessary to get combinations you like. Don't be afraid to break up those packs. Adding neutrals will calm down the scrapiness. For the leftovers, do an ultra scrappy quilt. See Bonnie Hunter's site. She has great ideas. I'm working on two of her free patterns right now.

I love making table toppers out of charm packs. It's a fun way to use a fabric line that you might not want a whole quilt out of. Schnibbles and This & That have lots of great charm patterns. Here is one I made recently from "Charmed and Dangerous" by Anka's Treasures.

That's adorable!

Try modabakeshop.com. I think they put out something new nearly every day.

Thanks! Many many wonderful ideas there!

you may think that they dont go together.... but often when you think outside the pre packaged pack, you may surprise yourself!!!

I dare you to take them ALL out of the package and toss them together and then pull out which ones YOU think GO TOGETHER :D :D :D

Pair them up and make fast & easy pinwheels.

http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/fast-easy-pinwheels/

The tutorial uses layer cakes but I've used charm squares to make an ultra fast table topper.

Hahaha! I might do just that! That would be so fun:)

MSQC has tutorial for x's and o's that uses charms.

I used Missouri Star Quilt Company's tutorial for four patch. Great idea, but still in my to do pile.

Check out www.modabakeshop.com for more ideas

I make guilted purses out of them using fracture 9 patch squares

A totally scrappy charm quilt. They are my favorite

I made a Christmas tree skirt out of charm squares and purses. Love them!!

I've never bought charm packs. I think alot of quilters buy them because they look so good. But after they get them they have the same question you do. What do I do with these?

I totally agree. Love to use them to make pinwheels for baby quilts. Quick and easy.

I not only buy them, but have also started cutting 5" squares from all fabrics I use in other projects. It is amazing how differnet liness enhance each other. I love using them in DP9, DP4, folded (prairie points) blocks, 10 minute blocks and 5 minute blocks. I often just combine them with some solids or semi-solids that bind the whole caboodle together. The are also great for folded hexagons and Rob Paul to pay Peter type blocks. I'd be lost without my charms.

it would teach them not to STARE!!! staring is rude :D

I'm working on a large, king sized D9P using charm packs. It's taking me forever.

This expresses what I was thinking. If you dare to go outside the box (or the package) you get something that is unique! Many quilters mix their charms up and start pulling from the pile. Some are so strict that they don't adjust, others do a bit. Either way you end up with a quilt that is totally yours! Try it, you'll like it. Dare to fly!!!!!

These are really cute. http://equilters.com/library/project...sterspatt.html One of my quilting buddies brought the pattern to our last quilting day. I thought I'd make some for Christmas gifts.

Oh asimplelife...that is so cute!

I have a lot of charm packs, they are so cute and hard to resist!! There are some really cute patterns that use Charm Packs...I have a few of DJ Richards patterns .. she's a Canadian Designer, here's her website. http://www.djrichardsdesign.ca/
I have no affiliation with her, I just really like some of her patterns.

Check out the star quilt at Missouri Quilts....

They make great alternate blocks for 4-patches or snowball blocks. They can be great centers for square in a square and I've used some for Disappearing 9-patch. The options are endless.

Using a contrasting fabric and make HST. Make those HST into pinwheels. That's what I did this summer. It turned out great. Forgot to take a photo of the quilt before I gave it away.