Funky Wrench - Nuts & Bolts
February 23rd, 2012
My friend Jane recently asked me to participate in her Desperate Housewife’s Quilt project. 50 of Jane’s blocks, 50 from guest bloggers, and all over a period of 50 weeks - holy S-balls, that’s a 100 blocks! I did not even hesitate to give her a big, fat yes. Plus it got me off my bum and working on my modified Wrench block I did last summer in the Farmer’s Wife Quilt-a-long.
I’ve asked around, I’ve google’d… and I still have no clear idea what the difference is between a Churn Dash block and Wrench/Monkey Wrench block. Oh well, it’s a good excuse to give my version it’s own name, Funky Wrench.
A very dear friend of mine sent me the most amazing gift - a bundle of Moda’s Half Moon Modern by MoMo. I love my friend and this fabric so much I weep little hearts from my eyes.
All my favorite colors in whole world. So crisp, so clean and so happy.
I had shaky hands when I untied the twill tape and released the loveliness from it’s bundled pillar of happiness.
I don’t know that I’ll ever tire of red and aqua. Both red & aqua and orange & aqua are so vintage + so modern. My favorite thing now is to have these combos have a ménage à trois with grey. [fanning myself feverishly]
Composing myself. Ok. I love charms. Love, love, LOVE them. And Funky Wrench uses four (5″) charms plus some white from a 3″ strip to make one Nut and one Bolt block. Two blocks, I love that! It’s like getting a free box of cereal inside a box of cereal.
Layout is key, and working in a 9-patch is a must. All seams are a ¼”. Starting with the Nut block:
Join units into rows, then join rows:
Next, the Bolt block:
Join units into rows, then join rows:
Sometimes you feel like a Nut
Sometimes you Bolt
Turns out all the blocks in Jane’s series are 8″ finished. Mine are 6″ finished. Whoops. But hey, if you put Nut and Bolt together I think I may have over-achieved a little on the square inch-age. Maybe I can redeem myself and give bonus measurements. If I wasn’t so lazy I’d give yardage measurements too. But I’m too lazy.
Bam! Bonus Half Moon Modern shot.
Posted in Make Something |
Farting around with needle & thread and then blogging about it.
I LOVE the colors of this collection! and thank you for the nuts and bolt lesson! I think I’ll be cutting up a few of my charm packs today!!!
February 23rd, 2012Wow! A whole rainbow in a pretty fabric stack! What a lovely collection of colors and patterns!
Only Monica could imagine a Funky Wrench from all that pretty - yeah Monica!
February 23rd, 2012I love how you freshened this up. I love seeing people breathing new life into the old blocks…makes me feel like you are helping keep the history of quilting alive.
February 23rd, 2012You’re a frickin’ genius! Absolutely brilliant. And now I’m kicking myself for not getting that bundle when I could.
February 23rd, 2012Love it.
I don’t think there is a very formal definition of various quilt blocks and their names. Some blocks change their names depending on where you put the colors.
February 23rd, 2012Beautiful. I love it!
The difference is the churn dash uses 2 colors (the corner triangles differ from the rods) and the wrench is all the same. I had the same problem when I was first seeing them both around. It was like playing the ‘these pictures are the same but with 5 differences, can you spot them’ game.
February 23rd, 2012Have a happy day!
very fun blocks! i love your cheery take on this layout!
and half moon is a great collection. so bright, happy and fun!
February 23rd, 2012I LOVE this block, especially with this fabric! Gorgeous! I pinned it already and can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks for the tutorial.
February 23rd, 2012I might have to jump on board for this quilt a long!
February 23rd, 2012Oh my gosh! I love these, they are SO stinkin cute! Thanks for sharing!
February 23rd, 2012Love them! So fun to have a nice generous friend! ??? you
February 23rd, 2012SO pretty :)
February 23rd, 2012A inveja é um dos pecadas capitais,certo? Eu estou agora com todos juntos.Lindos tecidos,ótimo post,obrigada.
February 23rd, 2012Oh, Monica…you have done it once again! what colorfulness, cleverness, and organizednness…..lovelovelove it! I am always so happy when my blog reader shows a new Happy Zombie post.
February 23rd, 2012These are beautiful!! Love the new colors with the old block. Makes it more interesting to the younger kids. Thanks for sharing.
February 23rd, 2012Love these so much! What a fabulous quilt they will make all together!
February 23rd, 2012I thought the difference was that the churn dash had 9 equal sized blocks and the monkey wrench block had smaller cross bars and center. Does that make sense? BUT, I could be wrong. who knows?
February 23rd, 2012i really love this design. i’m an engineer so the geeky mech side of this nut and bolt design sings to me… my SIL got me a geer quilt patten a while back that this reminds me of a little, in fact i think they’d be great together ;-) anyways, i love the colors, but i think some of the patterns got lost in the small piecing, which is a real shame because they’re so very cute!
February 23rd, 2012Great blocks. I just love this fabric. The red and aqua are one of my favorite combinations. Beautiful blocks.
February 23rd, 2012this was such a happy and colorful post!!! In my mind (a scary place sometimes! hahaha) the difference between the Churn Dash and Monkey Wrench are the size of the strip/bar block things. Thank you for the measurements! I have to try this because it is my FAVORITE block! I never tire of it!!!
February 23rd, 2012You are indeed a lucky woman to receive such an awesome bundle of joy! Looks to me like you earned it with the awesome tutorial - I love those cheery nuts and bolts!
February 23rd, 2012I totally read the word wrench wrong when I was looking at the title of your post. Forgotting to read the “r”, totally changes it..lol! I love how colorful your wrench block is!
February 23rd, 2012Fav blocks with an update only you could pull off. Love, love. And that is a hanky-worthy stack of fabric for sure!!!
February 23rd, 2012Totally using your tutorial for an upcoming swap, love it + adore half moon modern
February 23rd, 2012Gorgeous Fabrics!
Yum!
Happy Sewing
February 23rd, 2012Bright, happy….END OF WINTER COLORS!
February 23rd, 2012Wow Miss Monica!!!…
February 23rd, 2012I absolutely love nuts & bolts + half moon!!
They are sew happy together…
Just like you and me:)
PS…I am just a little bit disappointed that you did not do the math for a 96″ block…lol
lol, a 48″ block??!! Holy, moly! That would be fun to make to piece into the backing fabric. ;p
Those fabrics are to DIE for…swoon, swoon. I’m in love with Momo! ;p
February 23rd, 2012haha! I love the bonus measurements for the 48″ block! I think I need to make a quilt with those just because it sounds so fun :)
February 23rd, 2012Well, Monica, you have definitely fixed my wagon! A nut and bolt is just what I needed to get her rolling. Thanks!
February 23rd, 2012This my FAVORITE block!!! Love it!
February 23rd, 2012I love how these two blocks are made from four charms squares. I’ve been wanting to do something different with those dad-blame things; this is just the ticket! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely idea!
February 23rd, 2012What a lovely wee tutorial…. Wish I had the time…. BUT defo book marked I have some of this collection in my stash, but I love it so much I’ve never put scissors near it!!! :)
February 24th, 2012Sweetie, I love how you make me laugh! For reals. :) And I love the things you make. That name tag? Crap. Now I gotta make me one too. Monkey wrench see, monkey wrench do … ! LOL!!! Thanks for being/blogging you.
big hugs
February 24th, 2012You are hilarious, as always, and ever so clever, as always, and so generous, as always. Thanks for the Funky Wrench tutorial, I have clicked to save to my favorites. Churn Dash is a classic block I love and I appreciate your unlazy MATH to help us math-challenged folks. Hugs!
February 24th, 2012Super fantastic! Great blocks, great fabric line! Bookmarking now!
February 24th, 2012Thank you so much Monica for joining in the fun of the DHWQ. I love your blocks and would kill to get a FQ pack of Half moon to play with. Jane :)
February 24th, 2012This looks so much brighter than it does on the websites that they are selling it. I like this so much better! Great squares!
February 24th, 2012Red and aqua are the cats pajamas for me!!! J’aime!!!!
February 24th, 2012It’s beautiful! I love that you calculated out those giant blocks. I love things on a giant scale.
I did a block for the Desperate Housewife’s Quilt and the 8 inch thing totally threw me. Need things divisible by 3!! aughhh!!!! Whatever, we can throw a border on it!
February 24th, 2012Oh I wish your friend is my friend :) awesome bundle and love the blocks.
February 26th, 2012Lucky girl, love Half Moon Modern! Thanks for the Nut and Bolt tutorial- they are super cute blocks! As always, you rock. :)
February 27th, 2012I REALLY L O V E that fabric.
February 28th, 2012Love the moda fabrics ~ I think the scissor print is my favorite!
February 29th, 2012I love your sence of humor, you make me laugh everytime I read your blog, just because you say exactly what’s on your mind, there are not to many people that can do that. Your other most impressive quailty is your ability to take a stack of fabric and make and share info with all those who chose to read. And last I just love your blog, your layout and your
graphics no wonder your fabric lines are so amazing. If your are going to Spring Market I am total stalking you until I meet you, don’t call the coppers
Keep up the great work, and I will keep reading and laughing
February 29th, 2012Dare you to say Funky Wrench three times… fast! Watch out!
March 1st, 2012Love the fabric and your easy pattern.
Thank you!
March 6th, 2012Funky Wrench is taking over my life! first I made 2 6″ blocks…charm square and white, then another pair with different colors…okay put the 4 together and they are the size of a 12″ block…hm…put the 4 in the middle with 12″ blocks around…its a baby blanket! now I am working on combining the 6inch, 12 inch and 18 inch in one quilt…..it never ends…. but THANK YOU for the multiple size cutting instructions!
March 9th, 2012Found this on Pinterest - love the idea of a 48″ block - one for the front, one for the back of a baby quilt? Thanks for the tutorial! :)
July 23rd, 2012Wow, thank you for the block and that cool table for different sizes! :)
July 30th, 2012Thank you for a great tutorial and the most beautiful fabric photos!
February 28th, 2013