Oh The Gardens! - Pillowcase

To get back in the swing of things sewing wise, I cleaned my sewing machine, which had accumulated quite a bit of dust and looked at a block design that had somehow taken my fancy. Pat Sloan is currently hosting a free weekly mystery sew along called: ‘In the Summer Time’. On her webpage she publishes the tutorials for the individual blocks and the second of the series called ‘Oh The Gardens!’ caught my eye. Pat’s rendition looked so tasty that I felt moved to try my hand at it, like immediately. I decided to use some of the fabrics I had adopted at the recent Berlin Quilter's Get Together as a way to legitimise my impulse fabric hoarding. =)

I decided to make a quick pillowcase and made four of Pat’s blocks omitting the borders, as I did not need them for my project. I just love jewelled colours and the saturated yellow with the Anna Maria Horner fabric snippets just makes me very happy. The block consists mostly of squares and HSTs and comes together very quickly.

The four blocks by themselves looked a bit wanting and I added a white solid to add some contrast. As always I quite like my little pillowcase - it looks quite happy - and as always, I will be giving it away as a present. I had kept last year's fun improv pillowcase for myself but it got abducted to Greifswald by a friend, whom I had lent it to while he was in hospital locally. I am still waiting to get it back.

I prepared some 'Franken-batting' and quilted a few lines as my actual quilting skills are woefully lacking. At some stage we need to discuss the inside of our pretty sewing projects. If I showed you mine, you would see plenty of unloved fabrics securing the seams and a lot of unsightly 'Franken-batting' that still does the trick quilting wise. =)

I did not only pull the fabrics out to make these fun blocks but really to ease my way back into a sewing frame of mind. In parallel I have also ironed the front and back of the Thicket baby quilt and started to prepare the quilt sandwich, as this is what I really ought and want to work on. 

Thicket Fabric Baby Quilt ... continued

Time is flying isn’t it? Currently, my little tiny flat is all about Christmas. I have fairy lights and twinkling decoration in gold and silver, a decorated Christmas wreath that I have bound myself and a tree too is up and fully decked out in gorgeous baubles. Just before Christmas took my apartment over I managed to complete the ‘Thicket’ fabric baby quilt top. I am in love with it. It is very easy to love though - fun pop colours, cute animal prints and striking contrasts achieved through colour blocking. This is a quilt everyone gets at first sight. 

When I look at the ‘Static Interference’ baby quilt I made before this one, the matter looks differently. ‘Static Interference’ with its low contrasts in wintry cool subtle colours and an abstract pattern is an acquired taste. It has I spy with my little eye elements but you have to spent some time with it before you find the fun. This is the great thing about sewing – that every project looks different.

OK, enough of these musings. When I last wrote about this quilt, I had just about completed all the low volume parts and stitched them together to form the centre. Subsequently, I pieced all the wonky stars for the outer border for which I used up all of my yellow triangle scraps (Yeah!) and had to cut even more. I wanted to but could not for my life think of a way to smuggle in the very last strips of that dark blue ‘Joel Dewberry’ print that I used in the centre ‘Stellar Flare’ block. Therefore, I left it at the paler blue triangles (scraps again, Yeah!), which I also used in the centre, even though you cannot see that on the pictures as the amount used therein really is miniscule. I have used the dark blue strips instead in a few scrappy strip blocks that I made to make a pillow cover.

In the quilt top, I framed all the geometric elements in white because similar to the animals in the centre everything else should appear to be floating too. The ‘Flying Geese’ blocks used to finish the blue triangle strips at either end really add interest and help breaking up the border a bit.

It might be a tenuous association but to me the quilt top looks a little Native Northern Americans inspired - like a little totem quilt in pink and white. That might just be me though. I can hear you think by the way – yes, this is an awfully big amount of white in a quilt that will be drooled, leaked and dribbled all over by a baby. I declare that a problem for the parents. It shall be handed over in pristine condition and everything after that is out of my hands – ha ha.

But seriously, I like how nicely the pink frames the centre and how engaging the quilt top looks. It currently measures 47 x 47 inches. To me it was important that the animals have breathing space and did not get smothered or boxed in. Once it is done this will be the biggest baby quilt I have made to-date. 

I have already pieced the back with more pink and orange. The quilt label is done too so I should really buckle down to build the quilt sandwich, baste it and get quilting. (Confession - my machine is really not up to quilting anything so I am putting doing it off.)

I will do it once Christmas is out of the way. Pinky swear.

Happy Christmas / Holidays everyone

'Stellar Flare' - Cloud 9 Fabrics - 'New Block' Blog Hop

Can there ever be too many patchwork blocks featuring stars? Well, probably yes. Fair enough BUT can there ever be too many triangle scrap buster blocks? No. Never! I set out thinking about pest control ... a way to make use of the ever multiplying triangle scraps we all produce.

Therefore, I am pleased to present the 'Stellar Flare' Patchwork Block for your sewing pleasure. Wonky stars galore and with them a chance to use up plenty of trinangle scraps. Let's get right to it.

'Stellar Flare Quilt Block'

I worked with the 'Berry Harvest' bundle which contains five Cirrus Solids that have especially been curated by our Cloud 9 blog hop hosts for this occasion. The solids in question are Amazon, Sky, Iris, Lilac, and Shadow. And, Oh boy, are those fabrics soft! They are also prone to unravel a little bit at the edges but were great to work with nonetheless.

This block is a nine patch variation with some sew, slash and sew again elements. There are only triangles, rectangles, squares and straight seams to sew BUT precision piecing confidence is required.

Skill level: Intermediate

Cutting instructions: 

A – Sky
B – Amazon
C – Iris
D – Lilac
E – Iris (again)
F - Shadow

Fabric A

4 squares 1.75 x 1.75
4 rectangles 2.5 x 1.75
2 rectangles 2 x 5
2 rectangles 2 x 7.5


Fabric B

4 strips 1 x 10


Fabric C

1 square 2.5 x 2.5
8 triangle scraps (or 8 squares 2 x 2)


Fabric D

8 rectangles 4.25 x 1.5 (4.25 x 2 if you need more room to wiggle)


Fabric E

1 square 2x2
8 triangle scraps (or 8 squares 1.75 x 1.75)


Fabric F

4 squares 1.75 x 1.75
4 rectangles 2 x 1.75
8 rectangles 4.5 x 2.5
2 squares 4 x 4 (or 4 squares 4.5 x 4.5 if you want to play safe)

Assembly:

General notes:

All measurements are in inches. Work with a ¼ inch seam throughout. Read all instructions carefully before commencing to work. Measure and cut with accuracy. Sometimes I will recommend an alternative sewing option which is indicated by the change of font colour to 'Berry'.

Step 1 - Wonky star block using fabrics A and C

If for some unfathomable reason you do not happen to have any triangle scraps but still want to make stars wonky, check out Jenny's 'Tiny Wonky Stars Quilt' tutorial, which works with squares (initially, before producing triangle scraps to continue with   =)

Take the fabric A 2.5 x 1.75 rectangles and the fabric C triangle scraps (or the fabric C 2 x 2 squares) and create the star points of your wonky (or even) star.

If you are using triangle scraps you will place them right side down on one rectangle making sure the points overlap the underlying fabric piece by a ¼ inch minimum. When you flip the piece over it should cover all the intended underlying area. Take care to attach the star points in such a way that the base and the points of the star are aligned along the longer side (2.5) side of the fabric A rectangles. Press the pieces flat and attach the second star point.

If you use the fabric C 2 x 2 squares, attach them as you would any normal HST by aligning them in one corner and sewing diagonally from corner to corner. This way you will achieve an even pointed rather than wonky star.

Repeat for each of the 4 fabric A rectangles, which should each sport two fabric C star points at the end. Trim the fabric that has been replaced by the star points off taking care not to cut into your seams. Press all for units. Flip the units over and trim them back to the size of 2.5 x 1.75.

Take the fabric C 2.5 x 2.5 square, the four 2.5 x 1.75 wonky star point units you created and the remaining fabric A 1.75 x 1.75 squares to assemble the wonky star unit like you would assemble a normal nine patch block.

Iron the seams of the middle row inwards and the seams of the top and bottom rows outwards. This way you can nest the seams when you join the rows.

The completed star should measure 5 x 5 at this stage. Next take the 2 fabric A 1.5 x 5.5 rectangles and attach them on the opposite sides of the star block. Take the last 2 Fabric A 1.5 x 7.5 rectangles and attach them to the remaining two sides of the star block to form a square.

Take a moment to enjoy what your star looks like because next, we are going to cut it apart again. Yes that’s right! Bring out the rotary cutter!

Step 2 – Slash and Sew using the step 1 units and fabric B

Your star block from step 1 should measure 7.5 x 7.5 at this stage. If it is too big, trim it down to that size taking care to keep the star in the middle.

Place your quilting ruler diagonally onto the square and cut from corner to corner. Carefully lift the ruler without disturbing the underlying pieces. We do not want them to move just yet. (if unsure, keep them in place with a bit of washi or builders tape) Place the ruler diagonally on the other axis to again cut from corner to corner.

Next we want to sew the fabric B strips to the triangle pieces making sure the triangles are in the middle of the fabric B strips.

Take a 1 x 10 fabric B strip, lay it down right side facing up and gently fold in the middle to create a middle crease. Take one of the triangle units we just cut. Hold the piece right side facing down and create a middle crease in its base, which is its longest side, by folding it corner to corner.

Nest the fabric B strip and the triangle piece rights side together using the middle creases as a guide. Hold or pin the fabric pieces in place and sew the triangle to the fabric B strip using a ¼ seam.

Fold open and press flat. Repeat the process for the three remaining 3 fabric B strips and 3 triangle units.

Step 3 – Another wonky star using fabrics E and F

We basically repeat the process of step 1 until we have a nine patch wonky star. (Please note that the measurements differ slightly)

Take the fabric F 2 x 1.75 rectangles and the fabric E triangle scraps (or the fabric E 1.75 x 1.75 squares) and create the star points of your wonky (or even) star. If you are using triangle scraps you will place them right side down on one rectangle making sure the points overlap the underlying fabric piece by a ¼ inch minimum. When you flip the piece over it should cover all the intended underlying area. Take care to attach the star points in such a way that the base and the points of the star are aligned along the longer side (2.0) side of the fabric F rectangles. Press the pieces flat and attach the second star point.

If you use the fabric E 1.75 x 1.75 squares, attach them as you would any normal HST by aligning them in one corner and sewing diagonally from corner to corner. This way you will achieve an even pointed rather than wonky star.


Repeat for each of the 4 fabric F rectangles, which should each sport two fabric E star points at the end. Trim the fabric that has been replaced by the star points off taking care not to cut into your seams. Press all for units. Flip the units over and trim them back to the size of 2.0 x 1.75.

Take the fabric E 2.0 x 2.0 square, the four 2.0 x 1.75 wonky star point units you created and the remaining fabric F 1.75 x 1.75 squares to assemble the wonky star unit like you would assemble a normal nine patch block.

Iron the seams of the middle row inwards and the seams of the top and bottom rows outwards. This way you can nest the seams when you join the rows. This time your wonky star should measure 4.5 x 4.5 inches.

Step 4 – Secondary Star Flare Units using fabrics D and F

Mark the ¼ seam line with a soluble pen or chalk on one of the longer sides of each fabric D rectangle. Fold the fabric piece over at the marked line gently finger press.

Take two of the 8 fabric F 4.5 x 2.5 and place them right side up in front of you like shown in the picture. Now, measuring from the lower right and lower left corner firstly outward and then secondly upward mark the fabric pieces with a soluble pen or chalk at 1 inch from that corner on the shorter side and 3.5 from that corner on the longer side. Connect the two points with a line drawing on the right side of the fabric. We want the pieces to mirror to create secondary star points or flares. =) Repeat for the remaining fabric F pieces until you have four pairs.

Take a fabric D piece and use the finger pressed seam allowance to align the rectangle along the line drawn on the Fabric F piece, making sure to place it in such a way, as to fully cover the underlying fabric F when folded over. My, that sounds complicated. Just look at the pictures, it is very easy =)

Now hold or pin the fabric pieces right sides together and sew fabric D to the fabric F piece. Repeat the process for the mirror piece and then for the remaining six fabric F and fabric D pieces.

Press all the units. Flip them over and trim them down to the size of 4.5 x 2.5. Now pair a left and right mirrored unit and sew them together to create the secondary star flares. Press the seams open to reduce the bulk. Each star flare unit should measure 4.5 x 4.5 at this stage.

Step 5 – Some more assembly

Take the 2 fabric F 4 x 4 squares, place a quilting ruler from corner to corner and cut once from corner to corner diagonally.

Use the thus created fabric F triangles, the secondary star flares units from step 4 and the wonky star from step 3 and lay them out as you would a normal nine patch block. Using the fabric F 4 x 4 squares cut up in triangles option cuts down on fabric wastage.

 If you feel safer going for the nine patch proper, use 4 fabric F 4.5 x 4.5 squares instead of the 2-fabric-F 4 x 4-squares-cut-up-in-triangles to assemble the nine patch.

OK, lay your pieces out as shown in the picture and assemble the pieces in rows using a ¼ inch seam.

Assemble the rows to create the nine patch block and press everything flat.

Step 6 – The Finale

Looking at your block so far you should notice that the flare units have middle seams that will serve as out guiding lines. Working on the right side of the fabric, measure 0.75 inches to the left and 0.75 inches to the right from the middle seam and mark the spot with a soluble pen or chalk. Repeat the process on all four sides. Then connect the dots to mark sewing lines as shown in the pictures below.

Take the triangle corner units created in step 2 and drawing on the wrong side, mark the ¼ seam line with a soluble pen or chalk along the edge of what was the Fabric B strip. Fold the marked seam allowance over at the marked line gently finger press.

Now for the magic part. =) Place the corner unit along the marked sewing line, taking care to align that corner unit with the sides of the rest of the block. The lines you have drawn are there to guide you. If it does not quite align along this very line, wiggle around a bit to the left or right until it does. Just have a ruler handy to make sure that the block width on either side amounts to 12.5 inches.

Carefully flip the corner unit over, trying to make sure to try to keep the piece in place. Hold or pin the pieces together and sew the corner triangle unit to the rest of the block along the marked sewing line using a ¼ seam. This is the trickiest part of the assembly. Therefore, I recommend to baste before sewing properly, just to make sure the corner unit ends up where it is supposed to.

Use the basting stitch or lengthen your stitch length and baste along the sewing line without locking the beginning and end of the seam. Flip the corner over to see if it aligns properly. If not, gently remove the stitches and repeat until happy. Shorten the stitch length again or chose your normal sewing stitch sew along the basted seam, this time locking the start and end as your normally would.

Repeat for the other three corners. Cut the exess fabric off on the back and fold the corner over. Trim around the edges, give the block a good press and you are done.

The block should now measure 12.5 x 12.5 and isn't it a beauty. Now repeat this process - uhm - say 19 times over and you have a lovely throw quilt - ha ha - or you just task your quilting bee mates next year. 

and now, a little causerie to finish things off

WOW, this was an exciting, exhilerating and frightening experience. The deadline or task to write a tutorial did not daunt me BUT the prospect of pulling out an idea and making it work did. I know our favorite bloggers and designers seem to do it all the time - and it looks effortless too =) but it is no small feat to be able to translate an idea into an actual real life object.

I scribble and draw many design ideas onto my writing pad and Post-it notes but this is the first one that was made from those doodles. The maths around the block construction gave me headaches. I made the first sample block in paper, which brought quite a few measurement calculation errors to light. When I started cutting into fabrics for my test block, I felt I had things about right.

What can I say, I LOVE how my little blocks turned out. By now the 'Berry Harvest' version should almost have reached Cheryl to be incorporated into a charity quilt.

(Pssst - by the way - I made the 'Flares' stand out more prominently in this test version and love it! I marked the fabric pieces with a soluble pen or chalk at 1.25 inches from the corner on the shorter side and 4 inches from the corner on the longer side - compare Step 4)

I hope you will give it a try. If you do, feedback and pictures are always welcome. Just leave a comment beneath this post, send me an e-mail that links to your work or use the hashtag #stellarflarequiltblock on Instagram. I can't wait to see your work.

Hop some Blogs

This blog hop was generously sponsored by Cloud 9 Fabrics and made possible by our inspiring blog hop hosts, Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl, Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilter.  Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Of course I am not the only participant revealing a new block design today. Please also check out the posts of my fellow bloggers:


Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs
Jennifer @The Inquiring Quilter
Sarah @123 Quilt
Leanne @Devoted Quilter
Jen @Patterns By Jen
Jennifer @RV Quilting
Amanda @Quiltologie
Sharon @Yellow Cat Quilt Designs
Jen @A Dream and A Stitch
Jen @Faith and Fabric
Carole @Carole Lyles Shaw
Stephanie @Quilt’n Party
Susan @Sevenoaks Street Quilts
Amista @Hilltop Custom Designs
Nicole @Handwrought Quilts
Marla @Penny Lane Quilts
Silvia @A Stranger View
Sarah @Smiles Too Loudly
Carrie @the zen quilter
Mary @Quilting is in My Blood
Velda @GRANNYcanQUILT

Stash Bee 2016 - August Block - Washi Tape

Queen Lee of Central Connecticut cracked me up. I had a laughing flash when I read her fabric requirement description. So all you need are some grey fabric squares...

"And a pile of strings. You know those "too skinny to use for anything else" scraps you've been hoarding? Well, now you can use them. Don't have any? Okay, weirdo, cut a bunch of bright fabric that contrasts well with your grey about 1 inch wide by about 4 or more inches."

This is funny because it so true. Of course I have quite a few too skinny to be useful scraps that someday-surely-will-come-in-handy-for-a-project. Well this is it! Thanks Lee for having me use them. =)

This block was fun and very easy. Lee was after the look of Washi Tape against a grey background.  I imagine this could have also been easily constructed with leftover pieces of bias tape. There is hardly room to go wrong except for the shade of grey maybe. It was difficult to judge by the sample pictures. I hope works with Lee's other blocks.

Right, on to other challenges.

=)

Stash Bee 2016 - July Block - Quatrefoil

Queen Patti chose the modernized version of the 'Quatrefoil' block in purple, lime, turquoise and white as her July block design. She had asked for the same block in a previous bee and expects us working bees to bring her number of blocks up to 20. I say let's not disappoint her.

Voilà - here my addition, all modern and bright as requested. The construction of the block naturally resulted in even more TRIANGLE scraps, Those multiply at an alarming rate and I am very torn between just shucking them out and coming up with some use or other - decisions, decisions.

It does work for me. If Patti was not waiting for it, I would seriously consider just keeping it for myself.

=)

Patti also asked about our quilting journey but that is almost too mundane to relate. Baby quilt as gateway drug. Hooked ever since. Have to work full time to afford the fabric addiction... 

The best part of my quilting journey are the people I have met along the way since I started to also quilt blog last year. I enjoy the exchange with people who enjoy sewing as much as I do immensely.

I link up with 'Let's Bee Social' @ 'Sew Fresh Quilts'. Why don't you come on over and join the fun?

Stash Bee 2016 - May Block - Circle of Friends

Knowing that the 1st of the month would fall on the weekend, I set some time aside to get started on the new bee blocks. Stash Bee Queen Lisa of Hive 8 asked for this very modern looking block, she called 'Circle of Friends'. 

The block is perfect for using up scraps and the original tutorial can be found at 'Toefeather'. In her rendition Lisa asked for rainbow colours in cool and warm tones against a solid white background.

This came together really fast and was super easy. I will mail the block tomorrow.  =)

Stash Bee 2016 - January Block - as scrappy as your stash will allow

Okay, January has arrived and the 2016 quilting bees kicked off with the January block requests. Our 'Hive Mama' Laura at 'Stash Bee' started the bee year requesting a star block in teal on a low volume background that was to be as scrappy as our stash would allow.

Initially, I had thought about making the centre star scrappy as well, but once I had pulled fabrics from my stash to compare them with the sample picture, it became clear quite quickly that this was not going to happen.

I have lots of aqua prints and a fair bit of mint coloured ones but teal? ... surprisingly to myself, hardly any. I chose eight different low volume prints for the background squares and decided on, as some of you will have already spotted, Denyse Schmidt's 'Honeycomb Lace' for the central star. I love that print. It combines flowers with ornaments and is just all around pretty and versatile. It also added the fun challenge of working with a directional print. 

I grouped the low volume prints in a way that the brightest and darkest prints are placed diagonally of each other across the star pattern. This way Laura could, subject of course to how the other blocks end up looking, create areas across the quilt top that are visually more or less busy.

I sure hope Laura likes the block as much as I do. It will go into the mail sometime next week.