We are on a mission to use up our scraps (or at least make it so we need a slightly smaller bin to hold them in). Our second quilt pattern this year helps with that goal! Checkmate is a scrap friendly foundation paper pieced pattern.
Like most of our quilts, Checkmate started out completely different. When we originally designed the flowers, they were in a much more static placement. We loved the flowers, but the quilt didn’t quilt pop. After playing around and turning the whole thing on it’s side (quite literally), we ended up with our final quilt. Our version features over 100 different fabrics. There are a couple repeats, but for the most part, each print or solid is only used once. We had such a fun time going through our scrap bins and making color stacks that we liked. I love making quilts like this, because the different values and prints really seem to make the top glow.
Checkmate is a foundation paper pieced pattern. It’s only 2 different pieces though (mirrored images), so totally doable for a beginner FPP quilter. Just be willing to take your time, as foundation paper piecing tends to take a little longer than regular piecing.
We used Kona Cottons for our solids:
- White
- Steel
- Sour Apple
- Corn Yellow
This quilt gets it’s name from the checkerboard in the background. The offset squares with the diagonal flowers creates a great contrast and adds movement and interest to the top. We also like to keep things interesting and set it off center. When we were ready to take the photos, we had a weekend planned in St George. It was the perfect backdrop to the quilt.
If you don’t happen to have an abundant scrap pile, or just prefer non scrappy quilts, we have you covered as well. The pattern includes yardage amounts for the flowers. You’ll want 8 different fabrics and will be making 2 flowers from each fabric.
The pattern includes fabric requirements and instructions for 4 different sizes: Baby, Throw, Twin, and Queen (Throw is shown).
You can now purchase the pattern as a PDF download in our Etsy Shop.
