How to Make a Bonus Quilt

I’ve been posting some photos on IG of my leaders/enders project and had some questions, so here is how I organize things so that I can make a bonus quilt without too much trouble while making other quilts.

None of this is new! You can read all about leaders and enders here on Bonnie Hunter’s website, Quiltville.

I follow Lori Holt’s scrap regime (found here), and you can read all about her leaders and enders procedure here. When I saw Lori’s scrappy crossroads tutorial I knew I wanted to make one just like it!

So I gathered all my 2 1/2″ scrap squares, cut some background fabric to the size required and placed it all in a small plastic tub to the right of my sewing machine.

Every now and then, while I’m watching TV, I’ll grab the tub of squares and start putting two of them together (right sides facing) and layer them, ready for me to grab and sew.

I put 16 pairs together, and then I take 8 of the background squares and place 2 of the smaller squares on top of each background square. I draw the sewing lines (I like to have the offcuts already sewn together so that I can make something with these later on ) on the back of these squares before put them back into the tub, and put it beside my machine ready to go.

Then, as I’m sewing another project, when I run out of that project’s pieces and need to do some pressing and/or trimming, I grab a couple of these 2 1/2″ squares and sew them together. I leave this in the machine with the needle down, and then continue with the main project. Every time I have to remove a project piece from the sewing machine, I sew another couple of squares together, leave them in the machine, and then continue on with my main project.

I use my large design board to sit my squares on once I’ve started sewing. This sits to the left of my machine.

Here is the area to the right of my sewing machine. The squares of fabric for my leaders and enders quilt are within easy reach of my machine. I can also trim right there, and throw the off cut half square triangles into that box in the bottom right corner, where they’ll stay until I get a chance to make something with them.

Here is the finished block – I love how scrappy these blocks are and they’re big so I think I’ll make 16 of them for my quilt.

And here are a few blocks together – don’t they look great! I’m going to love this quilt when it’s done.

Do you have a leaders and enders project? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Till next time,