• About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Teaching
    • Member/Student Login
    • Online Programs
  • Shop
  • Member/Student Login
  • Blog
    • Free Quilt Patterns – Scrappy Whirligig Quilt

Bryan House Quilts

Ways to use a Mini Charm Pack {Sizzix Tutorial}

Tutorial

13 Jul

Aren’t these mini-charm packs the absolute cutest? I have a bunch, but I never know what to do with them. Happily, today I’m showing a bunch of ways you can start using these cuties up. My mini charm pack is Rhoda Ruth, Elizabeth Hartman‘s adorable new fabric. (It will ship in September.)

Last week, in preparation for a new tutorial, I started messing around with one of my new Sizzix dies, the 30 Degree Fan Blade Die. I wanted to pause to show you the different shapes I was able to cut from a mini charm pack using this die, none of which turned out to be what you are supposed to get from the die. 
The mini charms, or 2 1/2” squares, aren’t big enough to cover the whole shape on the die. So by manipulating where you place the square you can get a different looking fan blade. 
If you place the mini charm at the widest part of the die shape you will get a wider wedge. (I skipped the curved part of the wedge because it doesn’t go with my design.) This wider wedge will ultimately give you a bigger center circle, which I happen to adore. 

Whatever size wedge you choose, you can cut multiple wedges, by stacking the mini charms 3 high and layering them across the three shapes on the die. Don’t forget to make your Sizzix sandwich, with the plastic cutting pieces on the top and bottom. Then send the whole thing through your Sizzix machine – I’m using my Fabi. 

Here’s more of my wide wedges. 

Now, by putting the mini charm at the more narrow end of the wedge you will get a narrower wedge. And ultimately this will give you a smaller center circle. 

The difference may be subtle with these mini charms, but can you see the difference in shapes in the above picture? The teal wedge on the left is a wider set wedge and the pink wedge on the right is the narrow version. 

Ok, back to the wide wedge because I’m a wide wedge kinda girl, this is what the fabric will look like after being cut but not removed from the die. 

Now, with the wedges, you can make a mini tumbler design as I show above. 
You can arrange them into a circle…. 
Or you can turn the wedges into Dresden blades by folding them in half and stitching. Here’s mine chain pieced together. 

Snip a little bit from the seam allowance to get a pointy corner. 
Press seam open and then press like so. 

Then turn right side out with a blunt sewing tool or in my case a dull pencil. 

And there you go… Dresden blades. 

So, what did you think? Are there any favorite ways that you use up your mini charm packs?

Thanks!

Previous Post: « This and that
Next Post: Jacks Quilt Pattern {Finish} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heidi Staples says

    July 13, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this!! And I definitely need to break out my mini charm pack of that Rhoda Ruth…

  2. Allison CB says

    July 14, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    Very clever! Love them!

Primary Sidebar

New 2026 Block of the Month!

Graphic of Alchemy Quilt

Join the 2026 Block of the Month Program

Get my Modern Triangles Quilt Book

Get my Modern Rainbow Quilts Book

Image shows cover of the book "Modern Rainbow Quilts"

Make the Solstice Quilt!

Solstice Block of the Month by Bryan House Quilts

Get Your Invite!

Make Modern Triangles Logo

Make the Sparkler Quilt!

Image Shows Sparkler Quilt Top by Rebecca Bryan

Make the Echo (Echo!) Quilt

Echo BOM now open to join

Make the Wildflower Quilt!

Wildflower Block of the Month by Bryan House Quilts

Make the Stargazer Quilt!

Anne's Stargazer BOM

Make the Rainbow Triangles Quilt!

Rainbow Triangle BOM, modern triangle quilt, Rebecca Bryan

About

Hey there! I’m Rebecca, an author and teacher and freezer paper piecing evangelist. I’m also the founder of the Make Modern Triangles Quilt Club.

Disclosure

Just so you know, my site includes affiliate links from which I (it’s me! Rebecca!) receive payment or compensation. Something to consider as you peruse my website. Thanks!

Latest on Instagram

Experienced quilters, share what I missed in the c Experienced quilters, share what I missed in the comments! 👇

Comment ‘FREE’ if you’re a beginner quilter and want to take my free class, give quilting a try, learn a new technique, or simply improve your skills! 

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I don’t know about you, but for me, quilting has n I don’t know about you, but for me, quilting has never been about just making quilts.

It’s about slow mornings, quiet time to myself, creating something with my hands, spending time doing something textile, not scrolling on the internet, spending more time creating and less time consuming...

And I think that’s exactly why so many people are being drawn to quilting today.

You want to get offline, learn something new, and have more quiet time that is just for you and your imagination. ✨

I think we could ALL use more of that in our lives, and if you want to give it a try, I’ve got a free class you can sign up for by commenting ‘FREE’ below. 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I’ve taught thousands of quilters over the last de I’ve taught thousands of quilters over the last decade, and I’ve been quilting myself for over 15 years, and this is what I’ve learned. ⬇️

What’s stopping you from quilting isn’t that you don’t want to do it. It’s because you have already convinced yourself of something before even giving it a fair shot. 

You’re probably thinking something like...

👉 “I don’t think I’m creative enough.”
👉 “It looks too complicated.”
👉 “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
👉 “I don’t have enough time.”
👉 “What if I spend all that money and I’m terrible at it?”
👉 “I’ve never been good at sewing.”

If any of those thoughts have crossed your mind, can I let you in on a little secret?

Almost every quilter I know started with one of those ideas in their head, including me. 🤫

The beautiful quilts you see today didn’t begin as beautiful quilts, they began as just an idea and a willingness to try.

Nobody sits down at a sewing machine and automatically knows how to quilt.

You learn by just doing it, sewing stitch by stitch, and every time you enter your sewing room, it gets a little bit easier, and you start to enjoy it more and more. 

If something has been holding you back from quilting, I invite you to take my free class where you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. 

Comment ‘FREE’ to sign up. 💕

#modernquilting #quiltingtechnique #quiltpattern #quiltdesign #quiltersofig
Comment ‘FREEZER’ if you want to take my free clas Comment ‘FREEZER’ if you want to take my free class and learn this amazing technique! 👇

Freezer paper piecing tip number eight is to press every seam right after sewing it. 
 
Don’t wait until later or until all of your blocks are done. Press those seams right away!

It might feel like it slows you down in the moment, but it actually saves you time (and frustration) later.

When you press as you go, your seams stay crisp, and your pieces lay flat, which makes lining everything up so much easier. You’re not fighting bulky seams or trying to “fix” things at the end. 🙌

Plus, pressing helps set the stitches and keeps your fabric from shifting as you build your block.

Think of it as part of the sewing process, not an extra step.

Your blocks will be flatter, sharper, and way more accurate… and your future self will thank you!

Comment ‘FREEZER’ for my free class! 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
MAKE A TEST BLOCK!!! Please, I am begging you. 😅 MAKE A TEST BLOCK!!! Please, I am begging you. 😅

You’d think after 15 years of quilting I’d be able to skip it...

And every once in a while I convince myself that I don’t need a test block because I’ve made this block hundreds of times or my freezer paper piecing skills are good enough to skip it... 

And do you know what happens every time I convince myself that I don’t need a test block? 🙃

I almost always regret it and end up having a nice long date with Jack The Seam Ripper as a consequence. 

Learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to learn from your own and make the test block EVERY TIME!!!

Are you making test blocks? Tell me in the comments! ⤵️

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re nearing I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re nearing the final months of Dutch Summer! 🥹

Finished Dutch Summer Month 6 blocks are showing up in the Make Modern Triangles Club every day. We’re past the halfway point, and we’re really starting to stack up the blocks! Now that we’ve got a bunch of stacks of blocks, it’s such a fun time to play with arranging your blocks and see what your creativity comes up with. ✨

Once you get beyond the halfway point, you start the countdown to the BIG finish! 🎉

We’re feeling excited, motivated, and accomplished. We are covering some ground, folks! Swipe to see each month’s block so far, and drop a ‘DUTCH’ in the comments if you want to make your own! 💕

#quiltteacher #quiltingtutorial #quiltingtips #modernquilting #quiltcommunity
Follow on Instagram

Browse by Category

Archives

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • email
Experienced quilters, share what I missed in the c Experienced quilters, share what I missed in the comments! 👇

Comment ‘FREE’ if you’re a beginner quilter and want to take my free class, give quilting a try, learn a new technique, or simply improve your skills! 

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I don’t know about you, but for me, quilting has n I don’t know about you, but for me, quilting has never been about just making quilts.

It’s about slow mornings, quiet time to myself, creating something with my hands, spending time doing something textile, not scrolling on the internet, spending more time creating and less time consuming...

And I think that’s exactly why so many people are being drawn to quilting today.

You want to get offline, learn something new, and have more quiet time that is just for you and your imagination. ✨

I think we could ALL use more of that in our lives, and if you want to give it a try, I’ve got a free class you can sign up for by commenting ‘FREE’ below. 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I’ve taught thousands of quilters over the last de I’ve taught thousands of quilters over the last decade, and I’ve been quilting myself for over 15 years, and this is what I’ve learned. ⬇️

What’s stopping you from quilting isn’t that you don’t want to do it. It’s because you have already convinced yourself of something before even giving it a fair shot. 

You’re probably thinking something like...

👉 “I don’t think I’m creative enough.”
👉 “It looks too complicated.”
👉 “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
👉 “I don’t have enough time.”
👉 “What if I spend all that money and I’m terrible at it?”
👉 “I’ve never been good at sewing.”

If any of those thoughts have crossed your mind, can I let you in on a little secret?

Almost every quilter I know started with one of those ideas in their head, including me. 🤫

The beautiful quilts you see today didn’t begin as beautiful quilts, they began as just an idea and a willingness to try.

Nobody sits down at a sewing machine and automatically knows how to quilt.

You learn by just doing it, sewing stitch by stitch, and every time you enter your sewing room, it gets a little bit easier, and you start to enjoy it more and more. 

If something has been holding you back from quilting, I invite you to take my free class where you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. 

Comment ‘FREE’ to sign up. 💕

#modernquilting #quiltingtechnique #quiltpattern #quiltdesign #quiltersofig
Comment ‘FREEZER’ if you want to take my free clas Comment ‘FREEZER’ if you want to take my free class and learn this amazing technique! 👇

Freezer paper piecing tip number eight is to press every seam right after sewing it. 
 
Don’t wait until later or until all of your blocks are done. Press those seams right away!

It might feel like it slows you down in the moment, but it actually saves you time (and frustration) later.

When you press as you go, your seams stay crisp, and your pieces lay flat, which makes lining everything up so much easier. You’re not fighting bulky seams or trying to “fix” things at the end. 🙌

Plus, pressing helps set the stitches and keeps your fabric from shifting as you build your block.

Think of it as part of the sewing process, not an extra step.

Your blocks will be flatter, sharper, and way more accurate… and your future self will thank you!

Comment ‘FREEZER’ for my free class! 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Follow on Instagram
© 2026 Bryan House Quilts