Confession: I don't usually read quilt patterns front to back. I skim, I eyeball, I figure it out as I go. It's worked out fine, mostly. But the Frank and Friends Fat Quarter Bundle had other plans for me.
The Fabric: Frank and Friends
If you haven't seen this fat quarter bundle, it is fun. Whimsical colors, playful character prints, just enough spooky to feel seasonal without going full pumpkin-and-black-cat cliché. It's the kind of bundle that makes you want to start cutting before you've even picked a pattern — which, if you know me, is exactly the problem.
The Pattern: Dashing Duo by Kelly Renay
I paired this bundle with the Dashing Duo pattern by Kelly Renay — a design I'd had my eye on for a while. It's a great pattern, genuinely. But here's the thing, Frank and Friends is directional fabric. Characters have a right-side-up. Which means, for once in my quilting life, I actually had to read the pattern. All of it. Before cutting.
So I did (...kinda). I sat down, skimmed the instructions it like a responsible adult, and my quilt displays what happened next.
The Result: Some Squares Are Still Sideways
Reader, I still ended up with a handful of main squares facing the wrong way. Not because the pattern was unclear — it wasn't. Not because I didn't read it — I did (kinda). It's because, as it turns out, I simply cannot cut in a straight, consistent, directionally-aware line to save my life. This FQB didn't create that fact. It just confirmed it, loudly, in fabric form.
Honestly? I've made my peace with it. A few sideways characters give the quilt a little personality — like they're caught mid-stumble at their own Halloween party. Not every quilt has to be a showroom piece. Some of them get to be a little chaotic and still be loved.
Why I'd Still Recommend This Combo
Even with my directional-cutting struggles, I'd make this pairing again:
- The colors are genuinely fun — not the muted, "tasteful" Halloween palette you see everywhere. More whimsy, less haunted house.
- Dashing Duo is a solid pattern — well-written, clear instructions, genuinely good block design. My sideways squares are a me problem, not a pattern problem.
The Actual Lesson Here
If you're working with directional fabric, for the love of all that is holy, read the entire pattern before you cut a single piece — and then double-check every block against the layout diagram as you go, not just once at the start. I did half of that homework. Next time I'm doing all of it.
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