This blog is mainly a place where I can record my current interests. It is also a place where I can showcase my current projects, obtain inspiration, keep track of suppliers, and the many other little things that make-up who I am and what I am presently about.
We are on the last part of the Grand Canal Scrap quilt tutorials - the border. The only thing you need is for your mind to be flexible - you can make those scraps work! These pixs show different fabric but it is exactly how I make these scrap borders. Time to gather your scraps. I like the width of 2.5" since I have a ruler that size. I have done this method with a 1.5" measurement as well. Pick a width that works best with your size scraps. Lay your fabric any which way until you can cut that measurement. If it is too narrow on one side - flip it around. Don't worry about the length - just the width. The scraps are now 2.5" wide. Time to straighten up the other edges. Cut your scraps on both sides nice and straight. Everything is straight and a consistent width of 2.5" Every length is different - that's great. Time for the fun part - laying out all those different colors and patterns into ONE GIANT STRIP. Go for a long piece next to a short piece - a yellow next to a green - it's so random you can't go wrong. Variety of size and color is key. I like to put about 4 or 5 pieces together and then press. Take them all back to the sewing machine and sew those piles together - iron and repeat. Each time the strips get longer until you get that one huge strip! It's always a surprise how long that strip will be. I had enough for a 'double' border. How did I know this? I lay the strip along the quilt top and it wound around the quilt almost 2 times. So I took that single long strip of Grand Canal, folded it in half and CUT it into 2 pieces - voila - enough for a double border. I made a really long piece of 1.5" Kona white and sewed on one strip of Grand Canal. Ironed it and then sewed the other scrappy strip on the opposite side. Staggering the blocks so nothing matched if possible. First - attach the border as you would a single piece of fabric on the top and bottom of the quilt ONLY. Then take the remaining double scrappy strip and cut it into two pieces. These will go on the sides of the quilt. My strips were too short. I was expecting this - no worries at all. Time to add a piece of fabric to the scrappy border and fill in the gaps. (see circles in pix) Measure the border width. Cut some fabric that exact width but a little longer in length than you need. (Above you can see the mosaic blue fabric is as wide as the strip border.) Sew that chunk onto your strip border. Why add a few more inches to the length? See pix above. This chunk of fabric gave me the ability to move the whole strip up or down and position those end squares. That way when everything is sewn together I don't slice into a seam and end up with a tiny strip at the edge of the quilt when I square up. After positioning the border - sew on as usual and trim square. As much as I like random - I also like balance. I put the blue mosaic fabric blocks that gave me the length I needed in the border - on opposite sides. Bottom 'left' - and upper 'right'. Just because your quilt is scrappy - doesn't mean it can't be balanced. Lastly - I didn't use batting but some white muslin to make this lightweight. The backing is a voile I had that matched perfectly. So that's it - a complete scrappy quilt with some great features. A granny square, a log cabin and a cool random border. Iron as you go, use starch and trim if something doesn't fit. Good luck and if you need any help - leave a message or send me an email. This is all very doable and something that can be fun as well. Links to all tutorials: Overview Part 1 (here) Log Cabin Tutorial Part 2 (here) Large Granny Square Tutorial Part 3 (here) Materials: Grand Canal / Kate Spain Kona white White muslin on the inside Backing: Chalk & Paint Dripping Voile by Art Gallery Aurifil 50 wt. #2024 white Size: 58" x 58" October 2019
This Drunkard's Path quilt was really fun to make. I used the Accuquilt large Drunkard's Path die which is like being at craft camp - who doesn't like to turn a handle and see things get cut out. I watched & read every video on how to sew curves, only to find my own way worked fine. Drunkard's Path Notes: 1) Starch and iron fabric before using any Accuquilt die. 2) Since it was my first time sewing curves and I didn't know how many blocks I would mess up - I sewed similar colors together (reds with reds, etc.) and went with 'random' as a design plan. 3) When sewing, I put the 'pie' shape on the bottom - using a pin at the beginning, middle and end to join the two shapes - and tugged with a pair of craft tweezers the bottom 'pie' shape while I sewed ... it worked great with this large block size ... but the quilt police would not give me any kudos for technique! (When I tried this method for a smaller drunkard's path block - 4.5" - the 'pie' shape worked better on top - go figure!) 4) I did not trim or iron any seams until after the layout was finished. Do not iron seams open. One seam is pressed towards the pie shape and the block next to it has the seams pressed towards the 'L' side. The seams will now nest. 5) At first I was trying to make this block perfect right out of the sewing machine - WRONG - you trim and then get the perfect block. Line up your template ruler at the same seam points and everything will meet to make a smooth circle after trimming & sewing. I picked the 6.5" mark on the curved seam (see arrows) and trimmed the block to 7" unfinished. You can pick any point on your template ruler to trim this block smaller - just be consistent that both measurements are the same on the seam line. Lastly, white minky backs this pretty quilt. I used a #14 needle to quilt with Aurifil 50wt. in Veriegated Lemon Ice #3910. Straight line stitching (3.5) on either side of the seams - and then diagonal lines through the circles - perfect every time. Retro Child Smile Spring 2015 by Lecien Hints of Prints by Darlene Zimmerman Red Binding/ A Walk in the Woods by Aneela Hoey Dimple dot minky / white Warm & White Batting Aurifil 50wt. white # 2024 & Veriegated Lemon Ice #3910 Accuquilt Drunkard's Path die 7" finished Size: 57.5" x 70.5" January 2017
Get inspired by ladies sweating in pantaloons.
Today is a departure from the details of assembly and instead, share how I am convinced that "Baby Quilts aren't just for Babies ... they're for everyone!" Short story is I messed up my neck and back nerves 8 months ago. I am still in the rehab stage and sewing was off limits for months. This has really shown me how traditional sized quilts may not be in everyone's future, or mine for a while. When I could sew for a few minutes a day, I began with the Guinevere Quilt Kit from the Fat Quarter Shop. The fabric is Enchanted by Gingiber. Lovely big pieces and an easy to follow pattern from It's Sew Emma (Guinevere). Next came a scrappy Kaleidoscope with pieces cut using an Accuquilt die. (Go to the sidebar and click on Kaleidoscope for more details). Lastly, a simple 4 patch made with a Lecien jelly roll and some hand cut 2.5" strips of white Kona. What used to takes weeks - now took months of slow and go sewing. I started to see the positive aspects of making smaller quilts, and this will be my trend for the immediate future. Smaller blankets tick all the boxes for that mental kick of creativity. Less space is needed for layout, less to clean up, easier to finish and manipulate in the sewing machine. A perfect way to try out different patterns and techniques even at a slower pace. Good sizes start at 41" to no more than 45" square. A nice size to drape over a chair or couch and not end up on the floor. Big enough to snuggle up with and cover your legs - or chest - obviously they are not going to cover everything unless you are a baby :) And ... if you want to experiment using minky as a backing - this is the perfect time. Minky is sold at 60" wide - so 1.5 yards of the soft stuff will cover your project perfectly! Here are some older smaller quilts that fit into this size category. I must have been making "Baby Quilts for everyone" and didn't realize it! So, if you don't know a baby - pick out a favorite adult fabric, find a simple new block and enjoy making yourself a 'Baby Quilt!" Materials: Enchanted by Gingiber (Geinevere pattern by It's Sew Emma) Lecien Retro 30's Child Smile jelly roll Novelty cottons White Kona Warm & White batting Dimple dot minky: vanilla & midnight blue from Fabric.com Hawthorne Supply Co. minky: Quartz Sizes: 41" to 45" square Date: August 2019
This Arkansas Crossroads quilt is my new go to pattern. It is made up of two simple blocks - a 16 patch and an "X". Combined, they create a truly amazing design that looks complicated ... a beautiful final effect. Tutorial on how to make this quilt: Printable instructions with pictures: England Street Quilts - jelly roll friendly Two videos from The Missouri Star Quilt Company: 1) how to sew & cut charm squares for the 16 patch here under the headline of "Scrappy 4 Patch" 2) how to make the 'x' portion and assemble here I used Kate Spain's Terrain left overs for this quilt and cut my squares with the Accuquilt 2.5" die - but rotary cutting is fine too. I lay out my blocks with 16 individual squares (helps to balance color and I find it fun) - but the tutorials above explain how to sew a 16 patch faster - as well as how to assemble your "X" blocks. This pattern is perfect if you don't have a design wall. A few blocks here and there and then it's back into a plastic box until you are ready to lay it out - very easy to keep track of and tidy up. Keeping true to my minky backed lap blanket size of 60" wide by 72" to 75" long - here are some numbers to help you: 1) Main Blocks: 24 16 patches: * using charm packs - that's 96 charm squares or... * cutting fabric from scraps, that's 384 2.5" squares 24 "X's" * Cut 96 background pieces 4.5" x 4.5" plus ... * 192 2.5" squares for the "X" blocks - or 48 charm squares The edges: * 56 background pieces 4.5" x 4.5" plus... * 56 2.5" colored squares - or 14 charm squares 4 4.5" x 4.5" background squares to fill in the corners So, for a lap quilt this size (60"x74") you can use 4 charm packs or 1 layer cake for your main color - very cool! Can't give specifics for background fabric since I used my stash but assume a few yards (2.5 to 3.5) which would include the 4" border. 2) After sewing together your blocks: Trim the 16 patches to 8" x 8" square Trim the "X"s block to 8" x 8" square Trim the edge blocks to 8" wide so they will 'fit' on top of the patches & "X's" 3) Size before adding a border will be: 52.5" x 67.5". I add a 4" border all the way around - cutting the fabric on the lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvage edge so there is less stretch). 4) For 60" wide minky backing - you only need 2 1/4 yards - but I get 2.5 yards in case it stretches funny when its being cut off the bolt. My bad advice is this: I love steam and starch and that does distort your block - so measure carefully before you go hog wild cutting like I do. Trimming down is always a good thing - and if there are a few mis-matched seams in this quilt with 632 small squares - no big deal! Good advice is this: Use a scant 1/4" and make a practice 16 patch before you start the assembly line no matter what technique you use. This will guide you how much wiggle room you have when you trim. Lastly, quilting is always easy and fun with Aurifil 50wt. A wavy line grid following the squares with white on top and a lovely cobalt blue thread on the bottom. Go medium slow speed with a walking foot and 3.0 to 3.5 stitch length and this is how pretty it washes up. UPDATE 11/2021 - to see other quilts in this pattern - go to the right sidebar and click on "Arkansas Crossroads". In a 2020 blog post I show in more detail why I trim my blocks a certain size, even though they might not line up as perfectly as others who make this same quilt. Materials: Terrain by Kate Spain Kona white Dimple dot midnight blue minky Fabric.com Aurifil 50wt. white & #2470 (dark cobalt) Accuquilt 2.5" square die Warm & White batting Thanks to England Street Quilts & Missouri Star Quilt Co. for their tutorials. Size: 58" x 74" March 2016
I enjoy video tutorials from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. and when I saw the Old Mill Path pattern I couldn't wait to try it. Shortly after the video aired the holiday sales began at Green Fairy Quilts ... and all I needed was one layer cake to make a lap quilt ... SOLD! Yes, there are curves. Yes, Jenny from MSQC gives you lots of good advice to sew a perfect curve ... but my blocks came out a wonky 8.5" x 8.5'. No worries - I love to trim and came up with a way to get a block that's almost perfect (my curves will never be perfect but almost is just fine). Let's start. I used the MSQC drunkards path template that is shown in the video. By folding the fabric I made a mid-point crease in all pieces (left pix), and marked that center spot with a pencil. Sew as the video explains and try to match the pencil marks in the center to keep you on track. Here's a wonky block with a 8.5" square ruler positioned on top. Looks horrible but not to worry. On both the horizontal and vertical measurements on the grid I put pink Post-It paper on the 4" line. Here is a close up of the top and right side. The left side and bottom also align on the 4" mark. Ideally it would be 'perfect' to have all the 'channels' measure the same width, but they didn't. What is important is that when you trim your block 8.5" x 8.5" this way the 'star' feature and the curves will all be centered. Your quilt will look consistent - even if on closer inspection some of the seams don't totally match. The pix above shows how the 'star' seams (or 'channels') don't totally match up - but look how those curves create "almost perfect" arcs! Nothing screams 'mistake' as everything look pretty centered. I will never be able to create perfect curves but being able to trim a block to get that illusion means patterns like this are in my reach! If anyone has a different method or suggestions I would love to hear what you do. I did 2 layouts - the left has similar background colors in columns. The right layout was random and the one I picked. When I made this quilt I paired contrasting colors together, cut everything and sewed them together. Layout was the last phase. Next time I make this quilt pattern I will cut out everything and then do the layout before any sewing. It may make color balancing a little easier. Safari Life by Stacy Iest Hsu had all the colors, images and contrast I needed for this pattern. A beautiful minky called Stone from Hawthorne Supply Co. is the backing. Lastly, Aurifil 50wt. thread #6730 matched perfectly for the front and back. Six blocks across and 7 rows down - one block for every 10" square in this Moda layer cake. Quilting was straight stitching on either side of the seams and through the middle of the 'star'. Materials: Safari Life layer cake / Stacy Iest Hsu for Moda Stone minky / Hawthorne Supply Co. Warm & White batting Aurifil 50wt. #6730 Old Mill Path pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Company Drunkard's Path Circle Template Set - Small from MSQC Size: 47" x 54.5" February 2020
Some of my favorite fabrics have been the Japanese quilting cotton from Lecien, which sadly closed in 2020. Luckily I had enough of their Retro 30's Child Smile 2016 to make two identical quilts for two sweet sisters. All the information on how to make these quilts: the AccuQuilt die, the sewing, trimming - as well as the diagram I made to assemble the blocks are HERE in February's post: Modern Layout of a Drunkard's Path Quilt. Today's post shows the pretty finished pictures to maybe inspire you to make a smaller Drunkard's Path Quilt using either the AccuQuilt die or any of the other methods available. There are many different sizes of plastic templates and lots of tutorials on how to make your own template out of cardboard and how to sew curves. If you are hesitant to try curves - start with a larger curve and know you can trim down a block smaller to 'erase' edges that come out wonky. (That's what I do.) While I am not buying much fabric and using my saved stash - I do enjoy picking different color minkys and bindings to match my current projects. Hawthorne Supply Co. is my go-to shop as they have a wealth of minky colors and samples that make the whole process a lot of fun! An added bonus is that Hawthorne Supply Co. has oodles of coordinating designs printed in these very colors to match their minky. While these little quilts have just a white minky backing - Hazel likes purple so her binding is Lilac, while Mia likes pink, so her binding is Begonia -- both in the collection called "Candy Stripe." All quilting was done with a walking foot in a wavy line stitch. The joining seams are quilted with either a pink or purple color - and white thread for the lines in between. I learned something making these quilts. Usually a universal #14 needle worked out great for most of my minky quilts - but this time I had lots of skipped stitches. My sewing machine repairman (and many quilt bloggers as well) suggested trying a top stitch needle - it worked out perfectly. So that's it for April - sewing up pretty fabric, learning about a new needle - and sending these little beauties to their new home Materials: Retro 30's Child Smile 2016 / Lecien AccuQuilt large Drunkards Path 7" Finished Die (#55034) Hawthorne Supply Co. - binding in Candy Stripe Begonia & Lilac printed on quilting cotton 56" wide and white minky Aurifil 50wt. thread #2425 (pink) #2526 (lavender) & #2024 (white) Warm & White batting Size: 45.5" x 45.5" April 2021
We are on the last part of the Grand Canal Scrap quilt tutorials - the border. The only thing you need is for your mind to be flexible - you can make those scraps work! These pixs show different fabric but it is exactly how I make these scrap borders. Time to gather your scraps. I like the width of 2.5" since I have a ruler that size. I have done this method with a 1.5" measurement as well. Pick a width that works best with your size scraps. Lay your fabric any which way until you can cut that measurement. If it is too narrow on one side - flip it around. Don't worry about the length - just the width. The scraps are now 2.5" wide. Time to straighten up the other edges. Cut your scraps on both sides nice and straight. Everything is straight and a consistent width of 2.5" Every length is different - that's great. Time for the fun part - laying out all those different colors and patterns into ONE GIANT STRIP. Go for a long piece next to a short piece - a yellow next to a green - it's so random you can't go wrong. Variety of size and color is key. I like to put about 4 or 5 pieces together and then press. Take them all back to the sewing machine and sew those piles together - iron and repeat. Each time the strips get longer until you get that one huge strip! It's always a surprise how long that strip will be. I had enough for a 'double' border. How did I know this? I lay the strip along the quilt top and it wound around the quilt almost 2 times. So I took that single long strip of Grand Canal, folded it in half and CUT it into 2 pieces - voila - enough for a double border. I made a really long piece of 1.5" Kona white and sewed on one strip of Grand Canal. Ironed it and then sewed the other scrappy strip on the opposite side. Staggering the blocks so nothing matched if possible. First - attach the border as you would a single piece of fabric on the top and bottom of the quilt ONLY. Then take the remaining double scrappy strip and cut it into two pieces. These will go on the sides of the quilt. My strips were too short. I was expecting this - no worries at all. Time to add a piece of fabric to the scrappy border and fill in the gaps. (see circles in pix) Measure the border width. Cut some fabric that exact width but a little longer in length than you need. (Above you can see the mosaic blue fabric is as wide as the strip border.) Sew that chunk onto your strip border. Why add a few more inches to the length? See pix above. This chunk of fabric gave me the ability to move the whole strip up or down and position those end squares. That way when everything is sewn together I don't slice into a seam and end up with a tiny strip at the edge of the quilt when I square up. After positioning the border - sew on as usual and trim square. As much as I like random - I also like balance. I put the blue mosaic fabric blocks that gave me the length I needed in the border - on opposite sides. Bottom 'left' - and upper 'right'. Just because your quilt is scrappy - doesn't mean it can't be balanced. Lastly - I didn't use batting but some white muslin to make this lightweight. The backing is a voile I had that matched perfectly. So that's it - a complete scrappy quilt with some great features. A granny square, a log cabin and a cool random border. Iron as you go, use starch and trim if something doesn't fit. Good luck and if you need any help - leave a message or send me an email. This is all very doable and something that can be fun as well. Links to all tutorials: Overview Part 1 (here) Log Cabin Tutorial Part 2 (here) Large Granny Square Tutorial Part 3 (here) Materials: Grand Canal / Kate Spain Kona white White muslin on the inside Backing: Chalk & Paint Dripping Voile by Art Gallery Aurifil 50 wt. #2024 white Size: 58" x 58" October 2019
High School students love yearbooks as a cap to their own school year, so what better way to revisit themes of your class? This fully digital Yearbook Project can be posted and completed on Google Classroom! Great for the end of the year, end of the Semester, or even end of a Unit (with minor modifications) A printable version has been added too! STUDENTS WILL CREATE A YEARBOOK TO REMINISCE ABOUT ALL THE GOOD TIMES (& BAD TIMES) OF WORLD HISTORY: Be creative & have fun, but also show what you have learned by including important factual information. Students can write directly on the Google Slide to save time formatting and focus on the content. There are 4 sections [Letter from the Editor-in-Chief, Superlatives, Student Memories & Clubs/Student Groups] with aesthetically appealing templates and comprehensive instructions. See PREVIEW for full instructions and a look at each page! The project is 9 slides, with additional slides for instructions and a detailed rubric. All documents in my store are editable, so you can make your own additions and modifications as you see fit. Please let me know if you have questions. You can email me at [email protected] and I am happy to help. _______________ DID YOU KNOW? _______________ You can follow my store by clicking HERE. Be the first to know when I release new products or hold a sale! You can also earn TPT credit to use on future purchases by reviewing products? Just go to your My Purchases page. Next to each of your purchases, you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Click that link and you will be taken to a page where you can rate the product and leave a review. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you can use to lower the cost of your future purchases!
I fell hard for this Eclectic Elements fabric collection by renowned paper crafter, Tim Holtz. Tim is the Creative Director for Ranger Industries and all you have to do is go down an aisle at a Michael's or JoAnn's and see walls of his wonderful product creations. This is his first fabric collection, and it comprises of 3 design categories: Documentation, Labels, & Melange. In order to retain all the good scrapbook/grunge/steampunk vibe - I used my trusty pattern: Easy Bake from Cluck Cluck Sew. It was not easy to find the entire collection (24 fat quarters total) and I wanted to use every bit of it. After making the bulk of the quilt - I measured the remaining fabric and found that 4" square gave me the most pieces. These squares were put on the front sides and back. My first time making a quilt with a cotton top, traditional batting & a cotton back - (used Warm and Natural batting / pre-washed and dried before quilting). The back is Michael Miller's couture cotton in Nite - which comes in 85 colors - and has a wonderful soft drape - (while it looks rather bright in the pictures, it blends well overall - another option could be the Midnight Blue which is darker). Quilted top and bottom with Aurifil 50 wt. ( light sand #2000 & dark cobalt #2740). Spray basted (and ironed to fuse them even more), I had a few hiccups (and 3 rows to rip out) as the bottom tension went all wonky - but a few turns on the bottom bobbin case screw worked fine. Each time I re-loaded the bobbin - I had to make minor adjustments. April 2014 Size: 60 x 72"
This modern half square rectangle quilt is a combination of fabrics, pattern and techniques. The fabric: whites, grays & blues from many different Zen Chic collections by Brigitte Heitland and Kona white. Kona Ash is the binding and a grey dimple dot minky for the backing called Silver from Hawthorne Threads. The pattern: Harlequin by Robin Pickens was my inspiration. I bought the pattern to help me figure out color placement and guide me towards a modern vibe. The Technique: Deb Tucker's Split Rects template and video for assembly. I made a few blocks following the Harlequin pattern - but found I liked the consistent way Deb Tucker allows you to make over sized blocks and then trim down. This quilt block can be called "half rectangle", "split rectangle" or "split rects". The way you cut your fabric makes a big difference. If you cut the fabric with all pieces right side up - the diagonal goes left to right. If you cut the fabric with the wrong side up - the diagonal goes right to left. To achieve the mirror image or diamond look of this quilt - I cut the fabric both ways, right sides up AND wrong sides up. It wasn't possible to follow exactly the Harlequin pattern for fabric placement - but it did give me a starting point. My objective was to balance the darks and lights and scatter the blues so they looked even. I laid out the bulk of the pattern row by row using the unfinished, un-sewn half rectangles. I took a picture as I did each row in case anything fell off the design board. I put numbered pins on the left side of every 'unit' when I was ready to sew them together. After sewing and still keeping the numbered pins on the left side - I trimmed them to their final size of 3.5" x 6.5" using the Split Rects ruler. Then I sewed a row together and put it back on the board. (above left is an unfinished unit - the right one is unfinished but trimmed) You can see how much smaller the finished units all sewn together look next to the original cut pieces - but the accuracy and perfect matching up made it all worth while. Last to do was layout the top, bottom and sides with a variety of whites. It was easier to sew together the 'inside' of this quilt and do the whites last because I ran out of room on my design board. Quilting was done with a walking foot, straight lines 1/4" on either side of the seams. Lots of vertical, horizontal & diagonal lines in Aurifil Thread 50wt. #2311 (muslin) on the top and #2600 Dove for the bottom. Not the fanciest of quilting but I think it makes a nice 'modern' design for those of us who don't know how to free motion. Final tips: I did wash and starch all the fabric. Trimming on a rotating mat was very helpful. I am not a math wiz but: 1 yard of fabric yields around 90 separate half square rectangle pieces. There are 38 separate pieces per row across and there are 12 rows down. Total separate pieces: 456 for a quilt 58"x 73". That means over 5 yards total for this quilt. Why did I over cut and have lots of extra fabric? I needed units that went 'right' and 'left' to create the diamond effect - and figuring out how many of each and in what colors was beyond me. This is someone's wedding quilt and needed to be pretty perfect. Good news is that I have enough left overs to make a more relaxed pattern where the diagonals can go any which way - whew! Materials: Zen Chic variety / Brigitte Heitland Kona White and Ash Warm & White batting Silver (gray) minky / Hawthorne Threads Aurifil Thread 50wt. #2600 & #2311 Deb Tucker's Split Rects Ruler Pattern inspired: Harlequin by Robin Pickens Size: 58" x 73" February 2019
I love a simple large scale pattern for novelty fabrics and Starburst from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. is perfect. While the Starburst tutorial uses layer cakes - I choose to make my half square triangles with fabric yardage and the 6" finished square HST Accuquilt die. My graphic skills are a little rustic so please ignore the color scheme and focus only on the diagram: I made my guide with 10 blocks across by 12 rows down. The MSQC tutorial has larger half square triangles, a border and is configured in a square. This is for a bed so I made the 'pattern' into a rectangle and changed the size of the HST. It's really a great pattern to alter both in HST size and dimensions. Making a graph to follow beforehand is very helpful! I did exactly like Jenny said in the video - working in quadrants which was fun and easy to keep track of. It's nice to use bold colors. Bright turquoise minky on the back (to match Captain America), and Aurifil 50wt. black thread for the top. I really wanted those black elongated starbursts to stand out without distraction. Using a smaller 6" finished half square triangle had some nice benefits. I could use yardage, not distort the pattern too much when keeping it to 60" wide - and the best bonus of all ... a 'bigger starburst!" This two tone quilt needed 240 Accuquilt cut HST pieces - 120 black triangles and 120 comic book triangles. If you are making your own half square triangles - here is a good tutorial from Jacquelynne Steves and a wonderful chart on what size to cut your squares. She gives two sizes - one that allows wiggle room and further trimming - love that. If you are making this quilt in two colors you need 60 squares in each color. Using a generous 7.25" square for your half square triangles so you can trim them after sewing - 2.4 yards of each fabric is the math. I would go a bit more generous and get 3 yards but I always err on more than less. The extra can always go towards the binding. Materials: Marvel Retro Comics Covers fabric Wintergreen Aged Solids / Moda Aurifil 50wt. #2600 (Dove) #2692 (black) #1148 (Turquoise) Warm & White batting Dimple Dot Minky in Peacock / Hawthorne Threads Accuquilt Half Square Triangle 6" finished square Thanks to Missouri Star Quilt Co. for the Starburst tutorial Thanks to Jacquelynne Steves for the HST tutorial Size: 60" x 72" March 2018
So, you’ve got a basic ren wench bodice pattern. Yay! Now it’s time to pick some fabrics and sew it all up. You’re going to
"Take It Easy" Downloadable Printable Art Poster In 3 Sizes (16"x20", 12"x15", 8"x10") Original Ye Olde Printables Shop Design Includes 3 Files: - take-it-easy-8x10.jpg (8"x10" at 300 DPI) - take-it-easy-12x15.jpg (12"x15" at 300 DPI) - take-it-easy-16x20.jpg (16"x20" at 300 DPI) High quality printable digital image graphics in .JPEG Format High resolution instant download, perfect for making great looking prints and for use in crafting projects. INSTANT DOWNLOAD: When you place an order, you will instantly receive a link to download your digital images. The download link will be sent to your email address once the payment has been processed. Note: - The digital watermark to protect the image from re-use. The digital watermark will not be present on your digital downloads. ----------- Uses: - You can use the artwork for any personal projects and physical prints/reproductions for your own personal use or as gifts. -You cannot sell any physical prints/reproductions. -You cannot resell the digital files in part or in whole on any marketplace. You may not share, transfer, or redistribute the digital images in digital form. -Additional use licenses are available. Please contact me for details. ----------- Please contact me through Etsy for any questions or special requests you may have. Thank you.
Science isn't confined to a lab – it is all around us. These fun, cheap and easy experiments make great family projects. Above all, this proves that science is fun – what other school subject helps you make slime and rockets?
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Thanks for all the emails and questions about Kaleidoscope quilts. This post explains how to sew and position your fabric to make this beautiful Kate Spain. We will refer to this design as "The Batik". My quilts have been so far made only using an AccuQuilt Go and their dies. The good news is ... whether you cut your fabric with a die or by hand - the basic geometry and assembly of these quilts remains the same. Let's begin: the fabric is Kate Spain's Latitude Batiks. Here is a link about batiks and needle and thread sizes if you are curious. I had success with just my usual #12 needles and Aurifil 50wt. thread. Kaleidoscope quilts have two shapes - a larger Isosceles triangle and a smaller half square triangle. The Isosceles triangle (the larger piece) is sewn to another isosceles triangle on a long side. Press seams open and trim the dog ears at the tips. With this style of Kaleidoscope quilt, now is a good time to make groups of 4 and balance the colors for each block. Take your group of 4 units and lay them out as shown. Flip the pieces from the right side onto the left - right sides together. The arrows show where to pin and sew. Line up the top and the side of your pieces accurately as shown above. Sew from that top right angle. This is the inside point of the Kaleidoscope block. When everything lines up nicely here - your points will match in the center of your finished product. Press seams open. Take the two 'halves' and put them right sides together, pin and sew. Matching up that middle seam is the priority. Press seams open. Make 42 blocks just like this with 4 focus fabric (batik)- and 4 background fabric (Kona white). These are your basic units. Now it's time to do the layout. This picture really shows you how to place your 8-sided 'wheels'. You can see that a batik triangle is always next to a white triangle. The flat portions of the 'wheel' are at the top and bottom. Those gaps between 'wheels' are where the little half triangles will go. When a 'wheel' has a white center triangle --- it has white half square triangles in the corners. When a 'wheel' has a batik triangle in the center --- it has batik triangles in the corners. This is where taking a few pictures can really help to keep you on track. Using the photos as a guide and only doing two rows at a time - I pinned all the white half square triangles where they needed to go before sewing. It was too easy to lose track, especially if you have interruptions or Netflix on :) Put everything back on the design board and arrange the batik triangles. This is where you have a good deal of "Latitude" to balance color (couldn't resist the pun). The last stage is trimming. I know that AccuQuilt prides itself on making accurate cuts with their dies so there is no need to trim. Even with starch and careful sewing I end up with wonky blocks as you can see from the picture above. I sacrifice perfect points between blocks as I trim off the sides to 10.5" x 10.5". In this finished picture of the quilt, the center points are really good - the ones on the sides not so much. I opt for consistent sized blocks versus design perfection! So that's about it - the two blocks needed for this design of kaleidoscope quilt is shown above. This layout pictures gives a bigger view of this design. I hope this takes the mystery out of what comprises a kaleidoscope quilt. Lastly - my son works at a market and one of his co-workers had her wedding cancelled due to the virus. This quilt is for her. Kudos to the workers who help feed America everyday and those who keep us safe and healthy as well. Latitude Batiks by Kate Spain / Moda Kona white Warm & White batting Dimple dot minky in Azurite from Hawthorne Supply Co. Aurifil Thread 50wt. #2600 (Dove for the front) and #2720 (Light Delft Blue) for the back AccuQuilt dies: Triangle-Isosceles 5"x 6" / HST 3" Finished Size: 60" x 70" Date: May 2020
Ever wonder what to do with a fat eighth? Here is one great simple block - it's a disappearing 9 patch - cut on the diagonal and reassembled. For this quilt I used all Cotton + Steel fat eighths. A fat eighth is 9" x 21" - but not all fabric cuts are totally accurate. Some of my pieces were just shy of 9" deep, so I cut my squares for this 9-patch: 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". Pull out 9 squares that make a variety in both color and dark/light. Sew into a 9 patch, 3 across by 3 down. Now cut this whole unit from corner to corner on the diagonal. You will end up with 4 pieces. Put these into a pile and start the whole process over again. Now comes the fun part. Take two random triangles and position them so that the two large, uncut squares are opposite each other. Don't try and be all matchy matchy or overthink this. There is so much pattern that trying to 'figure out what looks best' is not really possible. Put your pairs all together and have fun sewing them together. Now its TIME TO TRIM! My blocks were a little shy of an 8"x 8" - so I just grabbed my 7.5" square ruler and trimmed everything to 7.5" x 7.5". Yes, a little waste with the trimming but I really didn't want to chase after an extra half inch or so and following the template made perfect blocks and kept this project relaxing and fun. Now the important part - layout is key. There are two whole squares in the middle of your block, and above them are two small triangles (dark pink and stripped in the pix above). The goal is to have the 'little triangles' meet whenever you can during the layout phase. Why do it this way? I think it's easier to find the little triangles as a repeating pattern on an already busy looking block. The pix above shows how easy it is to find the four little triangles to match up. Not every side of your blocks will have little triangles to match. But if you do it this way - lots of secondary diamond shapes appear throughout your quilt ... all created by the various sized triangles lining up. To layout on point - here is a video from the Fat Quarter Shop for visual instruction. There is also a link for a downloadable cutting & measurement chart. I would recommend using Kimberly's suggested cutting sizes and even going a half inch larger for the corner triangles - this will allow lots of wiggle room for squaring up. Notes: one 9-patch made with 4.25" squares yields 4 'triangles' (or 2 blocks). Each block is trimmed to 7.5" x 7.5" This quilt has 25 Cotton + Steel blocks. Following the Fat Quarter downloadable chart, the rest is Kona white with a 3" border on every side. The back is a rainbow of left over minkys and here is my post on how to do that. I press my seams open so quilting was done with a walking foot on either side of the seams - and through the larger squares that didn't have seams. Because of the minky back I did a generous 3.30 straight stitch length and used Aurifil 50wt. #2000. Two links to earlier quilts made with this block, not on point but a little easier Row by Row: here and here. I hope that this variation of the disappearing 9 patch becomes as fun for you as it is for me. Materials: Cotton + Steel - Fat 8's Kona white Warm & White batting Scrap minky Aurifil 50wt. #2000 Size: 45.5" X 45.5" May 2019
Whether you use a charm pack or cut the fabric yourself into 5" squares - this coaster design works every time. These coasters are mac...
I love a simple large scale pattern for novelty fabrics and Starburst from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. is perfect. While the Starburst tutorial uses layer cakes - I choose to make my half square triangles with fabric yardage and the 6" finished square HST Accuquilt die. My graphic skills are a little rustic so please ignore the color scheme and focus only on the diagram: I made my guide with 10 blocks across by 12 rows down. The MSQC tutorial has larger half square triangles, a border and is configured in a square. This is for a bed so I made the 'pattern' into a rectangle and changed the size of the HST. It's really a great pattern to alter both in HST size and dimensions. Making a graph to follow beforehand is very helpful! I did exactly like Jenny said in the video - working in quadrants which was fun and easy to keep track of. It's nice to use bold colors. Bright turquoise minky on the back (to match Captain America), and Aurifil 50wt. black thread for the top. I really wanted those black elongated starbursts to stand out without distraction. Using a smaller 6" finished half square triangle had some nice benefits. I could use yardage, not distort the pattern too much when keeping it to 60" wide - and the best bonus of all ... a 'bigger starburst!" This two tone quilt needed 240 Accuquilt cut HST pieces - 120 black triangles and 120 comic book triangles. If you are making your own half square triangles - here is a good tutorial from Jacquelynne Steves and a wonderful chart on what size to cut your squares. She gives two sizes - one that allows wiggle room and further trimming - love that. If you are making this quilt in two colors you need 60 squares in each color. Using a generous 7.25" square for your half square triangles so you can trim them after sewing - 2.4 yards of each fabric is the math. I would go a bit more generous and get 3 yards but I always err on more than less. The extra can always go towards the binding. Materials: Marvel Retro Comics Covers fabric Wintergreen Aged Solids / Moda Aurifil 50wt. #2600 (Dove) #2692 (black) #1148 (Turquoise) Warm & White batting Dimple Dot Minky in Peacock / Hawthorne Threads Accuquilt Half Square Triangle 6" finished square Thanks to Missouri Star Quilt Co. for the Starburst tutorial Thanks to Jacquelynne Steves for the HST tutorial Size: 60" x 72" March 2018
There is nothing I like more than a simple quilt pattern that looks complicated. Behold .... the Jewel Box quilt. Shibori is a Japanese term for a method of dyeing cloth. Traditionally using Indigo, it is a form of tie-dyeing that goes back to the 8th century. This quilt block is called: Jewel Box I did not use a printed pattern - but by reading this post and the links below you will be able to master this :) Quilt Specs: The fabric: A fat quarter bundle of Shibori II from Moda. This collection designed by Debbie Maddy contains 20 different designs and I used all of them in this quilt. The 'background' fabric is Kona white. Note: If you are using pre-cuts like charm squares or a layer cake, do not starch or iron with steam - they will shrink. If you are using yardage for this project, feel free to starch and iron with steam. 1) Cut 5" x 5" squares from both the Shibori fabric and the Kona white: a TOTAL of (126) each. 2) Take (63) of the blue and (63) of the white squares and make (126) half square triangles. Use a scant 1/4" seam. Trim to an unfinished size: 4.5" x 4.5" A good tutorial for making HST's with charm squares is HERE from Scrapish. 3) Take (63) of the blue and (63) of the white squares and make (126) 4-patch units. See pix above. These should be unfinished at 4.5" x 4.5" Note: A good video tutorial on how to make 4-patches from 5" squares is HERE from Me and My Sister Designs. If you are using yardage (cut into 2.5" strips) - a video HERE from Missouri Star Quilt. Co. is helpful. Or, you just cut up 2.5" x 2.5" squares and a post HERE from Fabric406 explains this method. Assemble all your units the way shown above with the 4-patch focus fabric on the top left - and HST focus fabric - top right. That's it! Sew away and stack them up. I figured out my quilt size based on a 4" finished square. 14 squares across & 18 rows down = 56" wide x 72" long. NOTE ABOUT YARDAGE ... The yardage for THIS quilt in two colors would be exactly 2 yards of each. But since I would err on the side of caution with mistakes, pre-washing, squaring up and starch - I would get 2.5 yards of each to be SAFE ! Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville's Quips & Snips has a great chart for yardage if you choose to make this quilt with just two fabrics ... a light & a dark. Just figure out how large YOUR quilt will be - and go to the chart column for 5" squares. See the Jewel Box pattern emerge as you rotate these units and match up the triangles and the four patches. I made this diagram which explains the assembly in detail - the colors are not important. Two good links below are also helpful with instructions & pictures. *Make all your units (#1). *Take two units (#2) and rotate them so the focus fabric HST's are pointing out (#3) *Sew blocks together with 4-patches and triangles next to each other (#4 and #5). The backing is a beautiful midnight blue minky. Wavy line quilting was done with a walking foot in Aurifil 50wt. threads. Following the seams makes it super easy to quilt and creates cute little squares. More Links: 1) Shontelle from England Street Quilts has a great PDF and diagrams for a Jewel Box quilt here. While our assembly techniques are different (Shontelle stripped pieced her 4-patches, I made them from 5" squares) - her pattern guides are the best. 2) For some step by step pictures of Poppy's Jewel Box quilt, visit Cuckooblue. Thanks to everyone for their tutorials and for all those who left comments that corrected my horrible math skills. (2/14/19) Materials: Shibori II by Moda / Debbie Maddy Kona white Dimple dot minky / midnight blue Binding: Cotton Couture Midnight / Michael Miller Aurifil Thread 50wt: #2600 (dove) & #1248 (denim blue) Warm & White batting Jewel Box quilt pattern Size: 56" x 72" December 2018
Some of the prettiest fabric ever is Jennifer Paganelli's Nostalgia collection from Free Spirit. I adapted Carrie Nelson's pattern called "Place C" from her book Schnibbles Times Two: Quilts from 5" or 10" Squares. Since I had various sizes of left over fabric from my first Nostalgia quilt (here), I made half square triangles instead of Carrie's suggested flying geese and trimmed everything to 4.5". Aurifil 50wt. Muslin thread was the perfect choice for wavy line quilting following the seams. A few star points were omitted to keep the quilt width to 60" wide so I could easily add minky backing - but the overall design looks great. Since the pattern is simple but stunning - Nostalgia's large motifs and harmonizing colors shine. What's not to love about this 5th teen quilt for my daughter's friend. Materials: Nostalgia by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit Kona white Dimple Dot minky / vanilla Warm & White Aurifil 50wt. Muslin (#2311) Size: 60" x 75.5" December 2016
There is nothing I like more than a simple quilt pattern that looks complicated. Behold .... the Jewel Box quilt. Shibori is a Japanese term for a method of dyeing cloth. Traditionally using Indigo, it is a form of tie-dyeing that goes back to the 8th century. This quilt block is called: Jewel Box I did not use a printed pattern - but by reading this post and the links below you will be able to master this :) Quilt Specs: The fabric: A fat quarter bundle of Shibori II from Moda. This collection designed by Debbie Maddy contains 20 different designs and I used all of them in this quilt. The 'background' fabric is Kona white. Note: If you are using pre-cuts like charm squares or a layer cake, do not starch or iron with steam - they will shrink. If you are using yardage for this project, feel free to starch and iron with steam. 1) Cut 5" x 5" squares from both the Shibori fabric and the Kona white: a TOTAL of (126) each. 2) Take (63) of the blue and (63) of the white squares and make (126) half square triangles. Use a scant 1/4" seam. Trim to an unfinished size: 4.5" x 4.5" A good tutorial for making HST's with charm squares is HERE from Scrapish. 3) Take (63) of the blue and (63) of the white squares and make (126) 4-patch units. See pix above. These should be unfinished at 4.5" x 4.5" Note: A good video tutorial on how to make 4-patches from 5" squares is HERE from Me and My Sister Designs. If you are using yardage (cut into 2.5" strips) - a video HERE from Missouri Star Quilt. Co. is helpful. Or, you just cut up 2.5" x 2.5" squares and a post HERE from Fabric406 explains this method. Assemble all your units the way shown above with the 4-patch focus fabric on the top left - and HST focus fabric - top right. That's it! Sew away and stack them up. I figured out my quilt size based on a 4" finished square. 14 squares across & 18 rows down = 56" wide x 72" long. NOTE ABOUT YARDAGE ... The yardage for THIS quilt in two colors would be exactly 2 yards of each. But since I would err on the side of caution with mistakes, pre-washing, squaring up and starch - I would get 2.5 yards of each to be SAFE ! Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville's Quips & Snips has a great chart for yardage if you choose to make this quilt with just two fabrics ... a light & a dark. Just figure out how large YOUR quilt will be - and go to the chart column for 5" squares. See the Jewel Box pattern emerge as you rotate these units and match up the triangles and the four patches. I made this diagram which explains the assembly in detail - the colors are not important. Two good links below are also helpful with instructions & pictures. *Make all your units (#1). *Take two units (#2) and rotate them so the focus fabric HST's are pointing out (#3) *Sew blocks together with 4-patches and triangles next to each other (#4 and #5). The backing is a beautiful midnight blue minky. Wavy line quilting was done with a walking foot in Aurifil 50wt. threads. Following the seams makes it super easy to quilt and creates cute little squares. More Links: 1) Shontelle from England Street Quilts has a great PDF and diagrams for a Jewel Box quilt here. While our assembly techniques are different (Shontelle stripped pieced her 4-patches, I made them from 5" squares) - her pattern guides are the best. 2) For some step by step pictures of Poppy's Jewel Box quilt, visit Cuckooblue. Thanks to everyone for their tutorials and for all those who left comments that corrected my horrible math skills. (2/14/19) Materials: Shibori II by Moda / Debbie Maddy Kona white Dimple dot minky / midnight blue Binding: Cotton Couture Midnight / Michael Miller Aurifil Thread 50wt: #2600 (dove) & #1248 (denim blue) Warm & White batting Jewel Box quilt pattern Size: 56" x 72" December 2018
Some of the prettiest fabric ever is Jennifer Paganelli's Nostalgia collection from Free Spirit. I adapted Carrie Nelson's pattern called "Place C" from her book Schnibbles Times Two: Quilts from 5" or 10" Squares. Since I had various sizes of left over fabric from my first Nostalgia quilt (here), I made half square triangles instead of Carrie's suggested flying geese and trimmed everything to 4.5". Aurifil 50wt. Muslin thread was the perfect choice for wavy line quilting following the seams. A few star points were omitted to keep the quilt width to 60" wide so I could easily add minky backing - but the overall design looks great. Since the pattern is simple but stunning - Nostalgia's large motifs and harmonizing colors shine. What's not to love about this 5th teen quilt for my daughter's friend. Materials: Nostalgia by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit Kona white Dimple Dot minky / vanilla Warm & White Aurifil 50wt. Muslin (#2311) Size: 60" x 75.5" December 2016
With a ton of things to do before the end of the year I got distracted yet again! I saw the "Quilt as you go Hexagon" tutorial from Miss...
We are on the last part of the Grand Canal Scrap quilt tutorials - the border. The only thing you need is for your mind to be flexible - you can make those scraps work! These pixs show different fabric but it is exactly how I make these scrap borders. Time to gather your scraps. I like the width of 2.5" since I have a ruler that size. I have done this method with a 1.5" measurement as well. Pick a width that works best with your size scraps. Lay your fabric any which way until you can cut that measurement. If it is too narrow on one side - flip it around. Don't worry about the length - just the width. The scraps are now 2.5" wide. Time to straighten up the other edges. Cut your scraps on both sides nice and straight. Everything is straight and a consistent width of 2.5" Every length is different - that's great. Time for the fun part - laying out all those different colors and patterns into ONE GIANT STRIP. Go for a long piece next to a short piece - a yellow next to a green - it's so random you can't go wrong. Variety of size and color is key. I like to put about 4 or 5 pieces together and then press. Take them all back to the sewing machine and sew those piles together - iron and repeat. Each time the strips get longer until you get that one huge strip! It's always a surprise how long that strip will be. I had enough for a 'double' border. How did I know this? I lay the strip along the quilt top and it wound around the quilt almost 2 times. So I took that single long strip of Grand Canal, folded it in half and CUT it into 2 pieces - voila - enough for a double border. I made a really long piece of 1.5" Kona white and sewed on one strip of Grand Canal. Ironed it and then sewed the other scrappy strip on the opposite side. Staggering the blocks so nothing matched if possible. First - attach the border as you would a single piece of fabric on the top and bottom of the quilt ONLY. Then take the remaining double scrappy strip and cut it into two pieces. These will go on the sides of the quilt. My strips were too short. I was expecting this - no worries at all. Time to add a piece of fabric to the scrappy border and fill in the gaps. (see circles in pix) Measure the border width. Cut some fabric that exact width but a little longer in length than you need. (Above you can see the mosaic blue fabric is as wide as the strip border.) Sew that chunk onto your strip border. Why add a few more inches to the length? See pix above. This chunk of fabric gave me the ability to move the whole strip up or down and position those end squares. That way when everything is sewn together I don't slice into a seam and end up with a tiny strip at the edge of the quilt when I square up. After positioning the border - sew on as usual and trim square. As much as I like random - I also like balance. I put the blue mosaic fabric blocks that gave me the length I needed in the border - on opposite sides. Bottom 'left' - and upper 'right'. Just because your quilt is scrappy - doesn't mean it can't be balanced. Lastly - I didn't use batting but some white muslin to make this lightweight. The backing is a voile I had that matched perfectly. So that's it - a complete scrappy quilt with some great features. A granny square, a log cabin and a cool random border. Iron as you go, use starch and trim if something doesn't fit. Good luck and if you need any help - leave a message or send me an email. This is all very doable and something that can be fun as well. Links to all tutorials: Overview Part 1 (here) Log Cabin Tutorial Part 2 (here) Large Granny Square Tutorial Part 3 (here) Materials: Grand Canal / Kate Spain Kona white White muslin on the inside Backing: Chalk & Paint Dripping Voile by Art Gallery Aurifil 50 wt. #2024 white Size: 58" x 58" October 2019
We are on the last part of the Grand Canal Scrap quilt tutorials - the border. The only thing you need is for your mind to be flexible - you can make those scraps work! These pixs show different fabric but it is exactly how I make these scrap borders. Time to gather your scraps. I like the width of 2.5" since I have a ruler that size. I have done this method with a 1.5" measurement as well. Pick a width that works best with your size scraps. Lay your fabric any which way until you can cut that measurement. If it is too narrow on one side - flip it around. Don't worry about the length - just the width. The scraps are now 2.5" wide. Time to straighten up the other edges. Cut your scraps on both sides nice and straight. Everything is straight and a consistent width of 2.5" Every length is different - that's great. Time for the fun part - laying out all those different colors and patterns into ONE GIANT STRIP. Go for a long piece next to a short piece - a yellow next to a green - it's so random you can't go wrong. Variety of size and color is key. I like to put about 4 or 5 pieces together and then press. Take them all back to the sewing machine and sew those piles together - iron and repeat. Each time the strips get longer until you get that one huge strip! It's always a surprise how long that strip will be. I had enough for a 'double' border. How did I know this? I lay the strip along the quilt top and it wound around the quilt almost 2 times. So I took that single long strip of Grand Canal, folded it in half and CUT it into 2 pieces - voila - enough for a double border. I made a really long piece of 1.5" Kona white and sewed on one strip of Grand Canal. Ironed it and then sewed the other scrappy strip on the opposite side. Staggering the blocks so nothing matched if possible. First - attach the border as you would a single piece of fabric on the top and bottom of the quilt ONLY. Then take the remaining double scrappy strip and cut it into two pieces. These will go on the sides of the quilt. My strips were too short. I was expecting this - no worries at all. Time to add a piece of fabric to the scrappy border and fill in the gaps. (see circles in pix) Measure the border width. Cut some fabric that exact width but a little longer in length than you need. (Above you can see the mosaic blue fabric is as wide as the strip border.) Sew that chunk onto your strip border. Why add a few more inches to the length? See pix above. This chunk of fabric gave me the ability to move the whole strip up or down and position those end squares. That way when everything is sewn together I don't slice into a seam and end up with a tiny strip at the edge of the quilt when I square up. After positioning the border - sew on as usual and trim square. As much as I like random - I also like balance. I put the blue mosaic fabric blocks that gave me the length I needed in the border - on opposite sides. Bottom 'left' - and upper 'right'. Just because your quilt is scrappy - doesn't mean it can't be balanced. Lastly - I didn't use batting but some white muslin to make this lightweight. The backing is a voile I had that matched perfectly. So that's it - a complete scrappy quilt with some great features. A granny square, a log cabin and a cool random border. Iron as you go, use starch and trim if something doesn't fit. Good luck and if you need any help - leave a message or send me an email. This is all very doable and something that can be fun as well. Links to all tutorials: Overview Part 1 (here) Log Cabin Tutorial Part 2 (here) Large Granny Square Tutorial Part 3 (here) Materials: Grand Canal / Kate Spain Kona white White muslin on the inside Backing: Chalk & Paint Dripping Voile by Art Gallery Aurifil 50 wt. #2024 white Size: 58" x 58" October 2019
Some of the prettiest fabric ever is Jennifer Paganelli's Nostalgia collection from Free Spirit. I adapted Carrie Nelson's pattern ca...
Some of the prettiest fabric ever is Jennifer Paganelli's Nostalgia collection from Free Spirit. I adapted Carrie Nelson's pattern called "Place C" from her book Schnibbles Times Two: Quilts from 5" or 10" Squares. Since I had various sizes of left over fabric from my first Nostalgia quilt (here), I made half square triangles instead of Carrie's suggested flying geese and trimmed everything to 4.5". Aurifil 50wt. Muslin thread was the perfect choice for wavy line quilting following the seams. A few star points were omitted to keep the quilt width to 60" wide so I could easily add minky backing - but the overall design looks great. Since the pattern is simple but stunning - Nostalgia's large motifs and harmonizing colors shine. What's not to love about this 5th teen quilt for my daughter's friend. Materials: Nostalgia by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit Kona white Dimple Dot minky / vanilla Warm & White Aurifil 50wt. Muslin (#2311) Size: 60" x 75.5" December 2016
Kaleidoscope Quilts & More Part 2 ... the Star design The geometry of a kaleidoscope quilt is simple. 8 large isosceles triangles and 4 smaller half square triangles. Every block has this same structure. So, if every block has the same structure - why do kaleidoscope quilts look so different? The first answer is pretty simple ... size. If you cut your triangles smaller - you get a smaller block. If you cut your triangles larger - voila - a larger block. The second answer is COLOR placement, and that's what these next few posts are all about. On the internet you can find kaleidoscope coloring pages that will allow you to create as simple or complicated a design as you like. I can't help you with complicated designs but sign me up to explain the simple ones. Here is the first of three designs that are very doable - and look great. If there is an official name for this please share - I just call it the Star. This is the easiest pattern since it really does not require any layout and is a good one to begin with. Specs: 4 large colored triangles (shown here in blue) 4 large background triangles (shown here in white) 4 smaller colored corner triangles (shown here in orange) The only word of advice I have for this particular style of kaleidoscope quilt is this: pick either the background fabric or the color fabric and sew with that facing you every time. Why is this important? See below. All units have a background on one side - and a colored fabric on the other. This way everything alternates correctly when you are joining your units - color then background, color then background ... etc. Time to sew the corners. Ignore the background fabric triangles - in this case the white, and sew color to color. That's it - every block will look this way. Here are examples of quilts made in this style. This was made with all novelty fabrics and white. Many colors and designs that all work together no matter how different the fabric is. Here is a quilt made with Little Ruby by Bonnie and Camille - with a close up of a block below. Even a smaller baby size quilt is effective with this 'star' motif. How to assemble and sew the kaleidoscope pieces together is in Post No. One HERE with lots of pictures. May 2020
'Close To A World Below' www.scion.com/space/
Walking alongside Coventry Cathedral with some buildings dating back to the 15th century.
YOS Monogram designed by Joe White. Connect with them on Dribbble; the global community for designers and creative professionals.
Get inspired by ladies sweating in pantaloons.
