New Quilt Design: Use Fusible Interfacing to get those PERFECT POINTS!

Hello Quilters-

I'm excited to share with you a big quilt block pattern that I designed. The finished product is 32X32.  I hope you enjoy!

Fabric: 

Dark: 4 fat quarters

Lights: 4 fat quarters

White: 2 fat quarters

2 1/4 yds ultralight weight fusible web 

21”X 21” light solid- muslin, flannel, cotton- We are going to 

mark a grid on this

*Because of the scrappy nature of the quilt block, you will have leftover fabric.

Cutting instructions:

From the Dark fat quarters:

Cut 100- 2.5” inch squares- Be sure to cut from a variety of fabrics. 

Cut 3- 6 inch squares- Be sure to cut from a variety of fabrics

From the Light fat quarters:

Cut 23- 6” squares

From the White: 

Cut 52 -white 2.5” squares

Cut 2- 6” squares

From the Fusible Web cut 4- 20X20 inch squares

Half Square Triangle Sewing Instructions:

This method of creating Half Square Triangles yields 8 Half Square Triangles per square combination.

1)Pair up the 6 inch square fabrics right sides together in the following combinations:   

3 sets of dark/light 

2 sets of white/light

9 sets of light/light

2)Mark an X going from corner to corner on one side of each 6” square pair. 

3)Sew 1/4” seam on either side of both diagonal lines.

4)Cut on the horizontal and vertical axis. DO NOT MOVE BETWEEN CUTS. 

  

5)Now cut on the diagonals in both directions. You can use the chalk marks as a guide for cutting.  Again DO NOT MOVE PIECES BETWEEN CUTS

6)Press Half Square Triangles Open and trim down to 2.5” square.

You should have: 

24 Dark/Light Combo

16 White/Light Combo

72 Light/Light Combo 

With your solid light muslin create a grid using a framing square or your long quilting ruler. Measure and draw a 20 X20 inch square. Then mark every 2.5 inches along the vertical and horizontal lines. Connect the marks to create an grid. 

Perfect Piecing with Fusible Interfacing

Step One:

Lay your fusible piece bumpy side up on the grid. Be sure to line up your edges to the outer lines of your grid. 

Step Two:

Arrange your half square triangles and squares on the grid according to the block arrangement diagram. They do not need to be perfectly aligned with the grid lines. Be sure that the fabrics don’t overlap- a little space between the squares is ideal. 

Step Three:

DOUBLE CHECK your fabric arrangement!!! You can’t go back once you’ve ironed them in place. 

Step 4:

Iron your pieces in place. Be sure to press your iron and hold for a few seconds. Then pick it up and move it to the next spot. DO NOT SLIDE the iron around because your pieces will move. Once you’ve set the fabrics then go back and iron once more to make sure that everything is held in place. 

Step 5:

Move over to your sewing machine. Fold the first row over and sew a 1/4 seam along the length.   Repeat with the remaining rows. Repeat for all blocks.

Step 6: 

Cut the fold off of each seam using your rotary cutter or scissors. Then press open the seams. 

Step 7:

Return to your sewing machine and fold over the first row going the opposite direction and sew a 1/4 seam along the length. Repeat with remaining rows. Repeat for all blocks.

Step 8: Again cut off the fold of each seam using your rotary cutter or scissors. Press seams open. 

Step 9: Arrange your blocks. Pin two together checking for seam alignment. Then sew 1/4 along the length. Repeat for the second set. Iron seams in opposite directions. 

Step10: Pin the two rows together. (I like to pin from the middle out to) Check to make sure your seams align. Iron open and ADMIRE your gorgeous block!

Off Set Blocks- 5 full and 2 halves

Finishing your block- There are several ways that you could finish your block off. You could simply sandwich and quilt to create a beautiful wall hanging. Or you could create some more blocks and end up with a gorgeous throw or twin quilt. I am going to go the wall hanging route, but I've put together some images of what the block would look like if you expanded the design. 

Single Block with borders

Four Block Pattern

QAYG 2: Working with Spray Baste

Dear Quilters-

Week 2 of the QAYG is here! If you are like me, then the least favorite part of whole quilting process is the sandwiching quilt together. I hate pinning...the pokes and pricks, the sore callus you get from opening and closing the pins (though my father-in-law made an awesome tool which has helped incredibly) not to mention the pins become a hassle when you are quilting because you constantly have to stop to take them out. I've heard some other quilters talk about using spray basting to speed up the process, so this week I decided to give the 505 Spray Baste a go. 

It went okay. I wouldn't say that it eliminated the hassle, it just changed it. I struggled to get the right amount of spray evenly across the batting. I wouldn't get enough and the backing wouldn't stick to the batting or I would get too much and it was difficult to reposition and smooth out. I also still pinned around the outer edge of the quilt sandwich. 

I would probably use it it again, but am not sure how it would work on larger pieces. 

Anyway- down to the quilting. I picked a curvy overall quilting motif for this block. I was searching through different quilting books I got for Christmas and found that I really liked the Fandangle motif in Christina Cameli's book Step-by-step Free Motion Quilting.  It was pretty similar to the orange peel I did on the last one, so the U shape was familiar, but the addition of the swirl within the U shape was new to me. 

I used the clear vinyl to audition the motif and thought it would work. I tried it different sizes and variations and settled on two passes across the row. One was too big and three was too small. (Just like the three bears right?)

I wanted to practice drawing out the pattern, so I found this great tool called Sketch Toy. It is a free online drawing app...check it out! I played with it for a bit practicing the design I'd chosen. (Click on the pictures to view the methods for each)

My quilting is improving with each little bit of practice...hopefully I can get to the point where it isn't SO nerve racking to start. With each little trick I learn, I know I am one step closer to making that a reality!

Hope you find these tools as useful as I do!!

J

Snowman

Howdy-

I love winter and I love the snow and so does my Little. We are outside for a bit each day enjoying the fluffy white winter wonderland that has blanketed our little town.  The Post Independent reported that Glenwood Springs has received nearly 60 inches this winter- our average is only 37. We still have more snow coming this weekend and perhaps a few more spring snows to enjoy. 




This snowy weather brings fun adventures like- sledding, learning to run a snowblower ( I'd never used one prior to this winter's heavy snows), and romping in the snow drifts. However, I also like to be warm and cozy. I look forward to coming back indoors and getting all cozied up underneath a warm quilt and reading some books with my Little. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog post. I have completed one of my goals for the year. My Snuggly Snowman Quilt.

Back in October of 2015 at Glenwood Sewing Center, I came across some adorable soft flannel snowmen that I just couldn't live without. I promised myself that before it winter was over, I'd enjoy a snuggle or two under a cozy flannel quilt. Nancy Zieman has a great pattern that I thought would fun and bring out the best in the large print fabrics I was going to use. This is a pretty versatile and fun pattern that goes together fast and easy. There are so many different ways you can play with the blocks. I chose to do two sizes. 18" square and 9" square with the hopes of making the snowmen seem as if they were falling like snowflakes. I played with the color placements a little before I was satisfied- as is the case with most of us.

I chose to do some simple quilting on because I didn't want the quilting to detract from the soft flannel.

Don't rush the winter, for in a few short months, we'll be wishing for some reprieve from the heat!

New Year...New Projects

Happy New Year Quilters!

As the new year begins... my goal setting and list making starts in earnest. Let me be clear- I AM A TO DO LIST JUNKIE. I thrive on making to do lists. It is such a thrill to cross something off the list that sometimes I will add an extra to the list just so I can cross it off or break down a larger item so I have more to cross off!

This year I have a "To Do List" of quilts. I want to make 12 different quilts this year. Each quilt will fall in a focus group: color, quilting, design, or technique. 

-Color- Color plays a huge role in how a pattern plays out in a quilt. It amazes me how a quilt can change simply based on the different colors chosen. Besides playing with the different colors, you also have to take in to consideration the values of those fabrics. So in the Twister quilt, I'll be playing with colors and in the Neutral Quilt, I'm going to play with values. 

Twister Quilt- Color Play

Neutral Quilt

-Quilting- I have many quilt tops that are in limbo. I get the top pieced, but then can't decide how to quilt the top. It is almost as if I am paralyzed with the fear of ruining a quilt top. I want to be comfortable with quilting designs that this is no longer a huge struggle.

As I peruse Pinterest, I'm drawn to the beautiful quilts quilted by Angela Walters and Judi Madsen. Their designs are not only beautiful, but I'd say make the quilts stand out. I aspire to quilt as beautifully as either of these women. Of course, in order to do that one must practice, practice, practice. But on these quilts I'll pay special attention to the quilting.

I am most excited about the QAYG quilting sampler. For the Saturday Sampler at Glenwood Sew this year, they've been teaching big blocks. I've decided to take each of those blocks and focus on quilting using different designs in a few new books that I got for Christmas. The idea is that each block being 36" square will be the perfect size to focus on quilting and overall design. Then I'll connect them to make one beautiful quilt. 

QAYG- Quilting Sampler

Hexagon Quilt- Halloween

Saturday Sampler- Green and Purple

Quilt Blue Scrappy

-Design- I want to stretch my imagination and design two original quilts. It may not seem like much to only design two quilts, but for me it will be a challenge. I find so many beautiful patterns out there that I think that my originality and creativity are stifled because it is far easier for me to buy a pattern than to sit down and create. 

Original Design Quilt

Monster Quilt 

-Technique- Every quilter has a desire to get better, to broaden their horizons and find new or different ways to create the same block. I'd like to explore some of these different techniques and find one or maybe a few that I like enough to be my go to techniques. 

Flying Geese

Double Disappearing Nine Patch

Drunkard’s Path Baby Quilt

-Seasonal- I want to make quilts for each season, starting with Winter. 

Snowman Quilt

I look forward to sharing with you my progress for the year. I hope you join me in creating a "To Do List" of Quilts to complete this year as well. 

Can't wait to see the creative juices flow!!
Until next time-

Jesslyn