Progress On My Weekday Quilt Project

I'm working on two quilt projects simultaneously.  It isn't my favorite way to work on quilts but one project is a block of the week, with new blocks dropping on Fridays so I work on them on the weekends usually.  I fill in during the week with the other project, Pirouette, from A Scrapbook of Quilts, by Joanna Figueroa and Carrie Nelson.

In the past month, I've gone from the fabric pull...

...to lots of HSTs...

...to the basic blocks.

I have about fifty of these blocks made; I need 100.  I'm enlarging the quilt from the original design with extra blocks so it will fit a queen size bed.  It was pretty slow going at first because I am a fabric placement obsessive.  Each block uses 10 smaller blocks (the HSTs) and I would hem and haw over which to place where, what colors and prints look best next to each other, and so on.  I finally landed on a system.  Because I used fat quarters and triangles on a roll, I have 28 HSTs in the same print combinations.  I put them in separate piles on my table, lined up in rows so the colors were fairly dispersed.  Then I made a block using HSTs 1 through 10, the next block used HSTs 2 through 11, and the next used HSTs 3 through 12, and so on.  I adjust only to avoid having two triangles of the same color next to each other, but it rarely happens.  It is working well and I spend less time obsessing, more time sewing.

I made this project bag a few years ago; I have a few.  They are handy for keeping all the items for a project together - the pattern, fabric, precuts, etc. - until I get to the project.  This one is holding the finished blocks.  

I'll be back soon with an update on the weekend project.

Slice, Dice, 'n' Sew

About six weeks ago, I showed you the batik strips I planned to use in my next quilt project.  I'm making a pattern from the Moda Bakeshop called Simply Woven.  It is one of those blocks that comes together by sewing fabric pieces together, cutting, sewing again, cutting again, sewing some more...and after a few steps, you have your block.

You sew your background fabric on both sides of one strip....

Cut it in half...

 Sew the halves to either side of another strip...

Repeat until you have used all six strips and you have a finished 12" block.

The directions for this quilt on Moda Bakeshop are very good, with lots of color photos to illustrate each step.  The sewing is easy and fast; you just have to pay attention to where you are cutting.  I recommend cutting fabric for a few extra blocks, just in case you flub up once or twice (or more often!) like I did.

I've already made 22 of the 48 blocks required fir a 72" by 96" quilt.

Supplies for English Paper Piecing

My La Passacaglia quilt project uses English paper piecing.  I tried this technique once before, but for this project I had to invest in some new supplies.

First, there is the book, Millefiori Quilts by Willyne Hammerstein. It is not available on Amazon.com (my go-to source for all books). I bought my copy at Paper Pieces.  You need it to have the plan of the quilt and the directions for putting the pieces together (it goes together like a jigsaw puzzle).

The book doesn't have directions for sewing.  For construction techniques, I watched tutorials on YouTube.  Sue Daley has a series of video tutorials; her "Top 10 Tips for English Paper Piecing" will get you started.

You need the paper shapes that support the fabric pieces.  Now, you can cut them yourself but do you really want to spend your sewing time cutting paper?  Not me, so I bought the complete set of paper pieces for the quilt from Paper Pieces.  They sell a set of all the pieces, so you don't have to figure out how many you need of each shape and size.  

The fabric for my project is all coming from stash (so far).  Good thing, 'cause I spent my budget on the book, paper pieces, and glue pens.  I also bought a set of acrylic templates from Paper Pieces that make it easier to cut the shapes from strips of fabric.  I use my Olfa rotating mat for both cutting and gluing.  The edges of the fabric are lightly glued around the paper pieces and the Sewline glue pen makes that easy and fast.  I can see that I will need quite a few glue refills for the pen before the end of this project.  (Sue Daley advocates the glue process and it is working for me but there is also a basting technique that many others use.)

To sew the pieces together, I use a #11 milliner's needle (long and thin, with a small eye) and Superior Threads' Bottom Line thread.  I bought this thread at the urging of Sue Daley (in her video tutorial). The Super Bobs donut is giving me the color variety I need for my project, though you could probably manage with spools of a few neutral colors, depending on the color of your fabrics. 

You need a few other things, like a rotary cutter and thimble, you probably already have them on hand for your "normal" quilting projects. 

The last thing you need is patience.  This quilt won't be made in a weekend and possibly not in a year.  I'm aiming for Dec. 31, 2016.

More About Rendezvous

Gosh, thank you all for your kind comments about Rendezvous, my pineapple block quilt.  My last post showing this finish resulted in lots of questions about how I constructed this quilt.  I'll try to answer those here but you may also want to go back and read my post on using the pineapple ruler.

For fabric, I started with a fat quarter bundle (Rouenneries Deux by French General for Moda).  Some of the prints were too large or otherwise unsuitable; I used 30 from the bundle and added more from my stash plus a few new purchases. 

 

My quilt is 68" square (49 blocks, arranged 7 by 7).  For this size, I estimate you need:

• 18 fat quarters of red
• 15 fat quarters of lights
• 9-11 fat quarters of taupe for the blocks that make the outer edges
• a half yard of red for the center squares
• 3/4 yard for binding

I say "estimate" because I was not keeping track of fabric usage at the time of construction.  I pulled some fabric from my stash and ordered some online in half yard cuts.  I have about half of each half yard piece left but only small strips from the fat quarters. 

 

You construct the pineapple block in rounds, starting with the center square (similar to making a log cabin block).  The size of the block depends on the width of your strips and how many "rounds" you have.  I cut my strips 1.5 inches wide (1" finished) and my center blocks 2.5 inches square (2" finished).  My blocks are 10" square. 

The distinctive design is formed as you put the blocks together.  The red square is the center of each block while the last pieces are the red triangles in each corner.  (For contruction, the corners are cut as strips than trimmed after sewing.)  I constructed one block as a test, then chain pieced 4 to 6 at a time thereafter. 

 

I got the idea for the taupe border from a photo I saw on Pinterest.  From analyzing the photo, I realized the border was formed by different color placement in the blocks forming the outer edge.  I had the center red blocks on the design wall and pieced the outer blocks two at a time, basically just visualizing where the red needed to go and where to put the taupe strips.  Once you have the first round of color strips on the block, it is easy to follow with the rest of the rounds.

I made 49 blocks and put them together in a square, 7 blocks by 7 blocks.  Just add or subtract blocks for a larger or smaller quilt.  You can make your blocks larger than mine by adding more rounds of strips to each block.  Nicole at Sister's Choice is working on pineapple quilt using 12" blocks, achieved by one additional round of strips.  And you can put the blocks in a rectangular setting if you prefer.

Making the blocks is not difficult but you do have to be careful.  Each time you trim, you get a bias edge and the blocks can become distorted or mis-sized if you pull on the bias edges too much, something that can happen unintentionally when you iron.  (Lift the iron and press, rather than moving it around on the fabric.)

I hope this has been helpful.  I look foward to seeing many more pineapple quilts out in Blogland!

Binding Quilts

My post about my Spools quilt, Keep Calm and Sew On, elicited some comments about the different types of binding. 

I nearly always use double-fold bias binding on my quilts.  The fabric is cut at a 45 degree angle to the selvages.  The strips are sewn together, then folded in half length-wise to create two layers of fabric before sewing along the quilt edge.  Bias binding stretches a little so it is a must on any curved edge.   The downside is that some quilters find bias binding tends to pull out of shape on straight edges and may even stretch the edge of quilt, creating ripples.   In theory, double-fold bias binding is the most durable type of binding because the fibers in the binding are not aligned with the edge of the quilt.  A straight binding cut exactly on grain will have one thread running right along the edge of the quilt and this thread will get a lot of wear and stress, so the binding could eventually split right along this thread.  However, the reality is that straight grain binding is rarely exactly on grain and will be even more "off" after sewing, so it is not likely that one single fiber will run along the edge. 

So double-fold, straight grain binding works well on straight edges.  It was the perfect choice for Keep Calm and Sew On, where I wanted the stripes to be straight, not bias, plus wear along the edge is not a big issue for a wall hanging. 

I have a few books I frequently refer to for bindings and other edge treatments. A Fine Finish, by Cody Mazuran, is an excellent resource for how to do anything above and beyond the most basic binding.  This book is out-of-print but used copies are available on Amazon.com.  It covers putting binding on a curved edge (like a double wedding ring quilt), using piping along the edge with and without binding, and other decorative treatments.  It is a worthwhile addition to your quilting library.

Borders, Bindings, & Edges, by Sally Collins, is another good resource.  While this book covers binding techniques, it includes unusual border treatments, especially pieced borders. 

Darlene Zimmerman's book, The Quilter's Edge, is another good resource for borders, bindings, and finishing techniques.  If you've been wondering how to do prairie points on a quilt, you will find out how in this book. 

 

Well, I have lots of binding to attend to.  Better get cracking!

 

 

Pineapple Quilt Block - Foundation Paper or Ruler?

This is where I was a few days ago...

 

 

And this is where I am now. 

 

 

 

I've finished the first eight blocks and they look like pineapple blocks now.  I've been using the Pinapple Rule from Possibilities but this technique is not without its problems.  In fact, though I plan to finish this project using the ruler, if I make another pineapple quilt, I will probably try foundation paper piecing. 

 

I thought the ruler would be less tedious than the foundation papers.  While I quite enjoy the sewing process with foundation paper piecing, I don't like having to remove the paper at the end.  While an alternative is to use muslin or very thin interfacing in place of the paper, I am afraid that will leave me with a quilt that feels heavy and stiff.  

 

The Pineapple Rule is cleverly designed and quite easy to use.  The biggest drawback is that you are always attaching your next round to bias edges.  It is all too easy for the bias edges to get stretched out of alignment.  None of my blocks looks wonky but I doubt they are all exactly the same size.  I have a feeling that sewing the blocks together at the end will be challenging (the blocks you see above are on my design wall, not sewn together yet), but I will address that challenge when I get to it.  After all, tomorrow is another day! (quoting Scarlett O'Hara).

 

 

 

I will be putting this project aside soon (just temporarily) in order to return my sewing room to its other use, the guest room.  My mother is coming for a visit, to see Miss Main Street in what is probably the last theater performance of her high school career.  Mom will be staying with us for a week and I don't think she wants to share the bed with piles of fabric and partially completed quilting projects.  So it is time to put the fabric away.  But this presents an opportunity to send the Bernina for a tune-up and work on some binding. 

 

 



Using The Pineapple Rule

So, I'm making a pineapple quilt using fabric from the Rouenneries Deux line from Moda (in case you are new here or somehow missed my last two posts).  I'm using the Pineapple Rule, made by Possibilites, a tool that is supposed to make the construction of the pineapple block easier. 

You start with a center square and sew strips on all four sides.  My center squares are 2.5 inches and my strips are 1.5 inches wide.  By the way, I'm using one fabric for all of the center squares and it is from the Etchings line by 3 Sisters for Moda.  The red coordinates well with the French General reds.

 

After adding the strips, you trim.  There is a companion book to the ruler, Positively Pineapple, that has the directions for using the ruler, along with several quilt projects.  (The book seems to be out of print but there are plenty of used copies on Amazon and Ebay.)

 

After trimming the first set of strips, you have this square in a square.

 

Then you add your next set of strips and trim again. 

 

You keep going in this fashion until your block is complete.  I have quite a pile of trimmings!

 

In order to chain piece, I'm working on eight blocks at one time.  So far, I've added two rounds of each color to the center square.  The photo below shows what they look like now.  The finished blocks will have four rounds of each color, with the last round of red strips forming the corner triangles, to square up the blocks. 

I will be working on this project when I feel like piecing and working on my backlog of binding when I feel like hand sewing.  Lots to do around here!

In Which I Cut Out The Back

Back to the Dresden plate project.

So, my sources tell me that after you finish stitching down an applique piece, you should cut out the backing fabric behind it to reduce bulk.  Following the "rules," I dutifully cut out the backing fabric behind my Dresden plate block.

Cutting very carefully!  This is what the back of the block looks like after the back fabric has been cut away:

Ready to add the center circle.  I folded the circle in half, then half again, marking with pins, then lined up the pins with the seams to get the circle centered in the middle of the Dresden plate. 

Here's what it looks like after sewing down the center circle.  Pretty good, I think!

Now, my question:  Do you think it is really necessary to cut away the backing fabric?  I can understand the need to reduce bulk back in the days of hand quilting, and I would definitely do it if I was going to hand quilt this baby.  But it is a queen size quilt and I want to get it finished before 2027, so I will be sending it to a long-armer.  I wonder if keeping the fabric in place might make the block more stable.  What do you think?

Ohio Star Variation Quilt Block Tutorial

I have 12 star blocks finished; 8 more to go!

Here is a tutorial I put together (with lots of photos!) to show you how to make this star block.  It is a variation on the Ohio Star.

First, you need four fabric squares, each cut 5.5" square.  Two green squares for the star points, one square cut from your background fabric, and one square from the light contrast fabric. 

Additionally, you need the center red square, cut 4.5" square, four 2.5" squares cut from the light contrast fabric, twelve 1.5" squares from red fabric, eight 1.5" squares from background fabric, and eight rectangles, 1.5" by 2.5" from the background fabric.   

I found that laying all the pieces out on a block board helps tremendously with organization and keeping track of the steps.  I have six of these boards so can cut and work on several blocks at one time.

We'll make the center square-in-a-square first.  If you have another construction method for this that you like, by all means use it.  Just be sure the final piece comes out 4.5" square (4" finished size).

You need a marking pencil and ruler.  I like the Sewline mechanical pencils; they seem pricey but the lead lasts a long time and doesn't break.

Use the pencil and ruler to draw a line diagonally across each 2.5" square of contrast.  This will be your sewing line.  This construction technique is sometimes called "corner flip."

Place a small light contrast square in the corner of your red center square.  Sew across the corner on the line you drew.

Repeat with another contrast square on the opposite corner.

Using a ruler and rotary cutter, or pair of scissors if easier for you, trim off the corner a quarter inch from the stitched line.  I know some quilters think this method is wasteful but I think it is justfied by the accuracy.  However, I have been stitching the cut-off triangles into triangle squares and tossing them into this basket for some as yet undetermined future use.

Press your seams to one side or open (I like to press them open to reduce bulk); the result will look like this.  

Repeat with the two remaining light contrast squares on the other corners.  Your final square-in-a-square will look like this. It should measure 4.5" on each side.

Next, we'll make the star points, using the 5.5" squares.  We are using the four squares to make four quarter triangle squares, also known as hourglass blocks.  Again, if you are used to another technique, use it, as long as the final pieces are the correct size (4.5" uncut).

Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of both the background square and the light contrast square. 

Pair up the background square and a green square, right sides together, and sew a quarter inch from the center line you drew on the background square.  This is key; instead of sewing on the line, this time it is a guide and you sew a quarter inch to the right of the line.  Then turn the square and sew again a quarter inch from the other side of the drawn line.

Pair up the light contrast and the other green square and repeat, sewing on each side of the diagonal line you drew on the wrong side of the contrast square. 

Using scissors or a ruler and rotary cutter, cut along the drawn line; each square will be cut into two right triangles, like this:

Press them open, pressing seams toward the green fabric.  You will have four half-triangle squares like this.  Two have a triangle of background fabric and two have a triangle of light contrast fabric. 

On the squares that have the background fabric, draw a line on the back, from corner to corner, perpendicular to the seam.  Pair a background/green square with a contrast/green square, right sides together as shown.  Because you pressed the seams toward the green fabric, your seams will butt up against each other at this stage. 

You want to be sure the seams butt up tightly, without overlapping or leaving a gap.  This will ensure the four points meet in the center of the block.  Pin to hold in place. 

Sew a quarter inch from the drawn line, on each side of the line, the same as the step above.  Cut the squares apart on the drawn line.  You will have four pieces again. 

Press the seams to one side (does not matter which direction you press).  Your four squares should look like this:

Two opposing sides in the green star point fabric, one in the light contrast fabric, and one in the background fabric.   

Next, we trim the blocks to size.  I use the 4.5" fussy cut ruler from my Quilt In A Day Fussy Cut Rulers, but there are lots of other rulers out there specially for cutting quarter triangle square blocks.  You need a ruler that has 90 degree diagonal lines marked on it.  Line up the lines on the diagonal seams and cut to 4.5" square. 

Here is the trimmed square.  So far, it looks just like an hourglass block. 

Now for the radical part, the cut that creates the look of the star block.  Using a ruler (I am using a 6" square Olfa ruler here), you will trim the block down to 4.5" by 3.5" by trimming from the side with the contrast fabric triangle.  Don't trim the background triangle!

You are cutting an inch from one side.  (I know some of you are shuddering at the "waste" but this method is much easier than cutting out each shape using templates and then piecing individually.  Instead, you get this complicated look using easy techniques.)

You have five pieces of the final block finished; put them on your block board and see how it looks. 

(If you want to keep it simple, you can at this point use 3.5" squares of your background fabric for the corners of the block, instead of the pieced corners.) 

To piece the corners, lay out the small red squares and the remaining background pieces to form the corners.  Sew eight red squares to the ends of the eight background rectangles and four red squares between pairs of background squares.  Press toward the red.

Sew the three resulting strips together to form the corner squares.  I press these seams open to help keep the piece flat. 

Put the block together on your block board.  I sew the block together by working in rows across.

I chain piece without cutting the threads between the rows.  This keeps everything together in the correct sequence.  Press seams toward the star point blocks.  This will allow the seams to butt when you put the rows together. 

Sew the three rows together and press seams away from the center.  You have finished one block!

Now, start again and make another one!

You can change the size of the final block by varying the size of the squares used for the hourglass blocks; a smaller square will yield a smaller final block (you will need to downsize all the other pieces too).