Peace on Earth - A Mystery Quilt - Day 3

It's Day 3 and we're paper piecing!

I love to paper piece!  It's a technique I use a lot, especially when I'm working in miniature, because it produces really accurate, predictable results.  Paper piecing also allows you to experiment with asymmetry or to work with odd sizes and dimensions without worrying about the math.

If you've never tried paper piecing before, there are a lot of tutorials available online to get you started.  Craftsy has a basic photo tutorial that's good and the method that Lindsay Conner is teaching is almost identical to my own.  But if you'd prefer a video tutorial, I'd suggest Jennifer Mathis' tutorial at EllisonLane.com -- she uses a slightly different, but equally effective approach.  And at the end of her video, she provides links to several other tutorials just in case you need a bit more help or you'd like to try a different approach.

And by the way, a few of the tutorials that I checked out suggest using special paper or velum for printing your paper piecing patterns.  The special paper is great because it's a lighter weight and therefore easier to remove from your completed block, but it's absolutely not necessary.  I just use standard printer paper and sew with a very small stitch (say 18 stitches/inch).  The small stitch helps to perforate the paper and I usually have no trouble it pulling away.

Today we'll be paper piecing a fairly simple quilt block -- it's 3" x 6" pine tree.  Below is an EQ sketch of what it will look like:

I've colored the block with lighter shades of blue than we will actually be using because the low contrast between the dark blue and the dark green makes it a bit hard to see on-line.  And FYI, the blue below the tree is supposed to be a bit lighter than the blue around the tree -- we're hoping for a subtle gradation of color.

Here's the link for the paper piecing pattern for my pine tree block.  After you print it, make sure that you measure it before you begin sewing -- from outermost solid line to outermost solid line, it should measure 3½" x 6½" (the pattern includes seam allowance and the block will finish at 3" x 6").

And here's my finished block!

Once you get the hang of it, paper piecing couldn't be easier or more fun!  And just look at that super sharp point at the top of the tree!

Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you back here for Day 4!

Peace on Earth - A Mystery Quilt - Day 2

Welcome back for Day 2!

Today is an easy day because we'll be making some more half-square triangles, otherwise known as "HSTs" by cool quilters the world over.

Here's where we're headed...

We'll be making 10 -- 2" x 2" (unfinished) HSTs.  They'll be dark blue print tone-on-tone HSTs with one half slightly darker than the other.  Trust me, you'll see why later!

In total, you'll need:

Dark blue prints:

10 -- 2½" x 2½" squares

2 -- 2" x 2" squares (these won't be made into HSTs, but you'll need them later on to assemble this component of the quilt)

Here are the combinations I chose for my HSTs -- all dark blue prints, but you can definitely see the contrast in each set of 2½" x 2½" squares.  And take a look at the 2" x 2" squares -- they should be cut from the lightest of your dark blue prints.  So mysterious...

Assemble the HSTs:

1.  If you haven't already, gather 10 sets of two dark blue print  2½" x 2½" squares (each should have one really dark square and one slightly less dark square).

2.  On the wrong side of each of the lighter dark blue print 2½" x 2½" squares, use a pencil or pen to mark a line a scant ¼" from either side of the true diagonal of the square.  

3.  With slightly lighter dark blue print 2½" x 2½" square layered atop darker dark blue print 2½" x 2½" square and right sides together, stitch along drawn lines.

4.  Use a rotary cutter to cut along the true diagonal to make two triangle units.

5.  Press seams towards the darker dark blue print.

6.  Trim HST units to 2" x 2".

7.  Repeat steps above with remaining sets of 2½" x 2½" squares to make 10 -- 2" x 2" (unfinished) HSTs.  And although they are not pictured below, remember to reserve the two slightly lighter 2" x 2" squares.

And that's it!  Told you today would be easy!  We won't be making HSTs on Day 3, but we may be doing some simple paper piecing.  Hmmm.....

Peace on Earth - A Mystery Quilt - Day 1

Happy December!  I'm so excited that December is finally here, because now I can finally unveil my latest project!  It's a little 18" x 21" Christmas quilt and it's called "Peace on Earth."  But there's a catch... it's a mystery quilt!

Every other day in December, beginning today, I'll be posting about a different component of Peace on Earth  We'll be making some of my favorite quilt blocks, trying our hand at paper piecing, and tackling some simple wool appliqué and embroidery.  Sounds like a lot, but don't worry -- this project is a great skill-builder and perfect for a beginner!

Here's an idea of the palette that we'll be working with:

Peace on Earth will be a scrappy quilt that features a variety of medium and dark blue fabrics with accents of cream, green, red, brown and a bit of gold and black thrown in for good measure.  You won't need large cuts of fabric for this project -- in fact all of these fabrics were pulled from my stash and I don't have more than a ¼" yard of any of them.  But since it's a scrappy quilt (and with scrappy quilts, I believe that more is more) you should obviously feel free to supplement your stash with a trip to the quilt shop!  Early Christmas present?!

Alright, enough talk!  Let's get started...

Day 1!

In the spirit of the season we're starting with the Friendship Star.

We'll be making three 3" Friendship Star blocks -- one gold and two blue.  For each block, you'll need:

Darkest of your dark blue prints for the background:

2 -- 2" x 2" squares

4 -- 1½" x 1½" squares

Gold print (or medium blue prints for blue stars):

2 -- 2" x 2" squares

1 -- 1½" x 1½" square

Assemble the half-square triangles:

1.  Gather two sets of one dark blue print 2" x 2" square and one gold print 2" x 2".

2.  On the wrong side of the gold print 2" x 2" squares, use a ¼" seam marker (my new favorite tool) and a pencil to mark a line ¼" from the true diagonal.  Don't have a ¼" seam marker -- no worries -- just draw the true diagonal and then use a ruler to draw a line a scant ¼" on either side of it.

3.  Layer the gold print 2" x 2" squares atop the dark blue print 2" x 2" squares with right sides together and stitch along drawn lines.

4.  Use a rotary cutter to cut along the true diagonal to make two triangle units.

5.  Press seams towards the dark blue print.

6.  Trim half square triangle units to 1½" x 1½".

Assemble Friendship Star blocks:
1.  Lay out four half square triangle units, four dark blue print 1½" x 1½" squares and one gold print 1½" x 1½" square as follows:

 2.  Stitch half square triangles and squares together into three rows.  For the outer two rows, press towards the dark blue squares.  For the center row, press towards the gold square.

3.  Stitch rows together.  The star block should measure 3½" x 3½" unfinished.

4.  Repeat above steps to make three Friendship Star blocks.

 

That's it for Day 1!  Let the mystery begin...

Holly Bright - Free Pattern

41 days until Christmas!  It's frightening to write that and hard to believe, but it's true!  Somehow time seems to go by faster every year, but I've discovered that one of the best ways for me to slow down and actually enjoy the holidays is by sewing a holiday project.

And I've got a great one to share with you today...

Holly Bright is a "Web Extra" for the December/January 2016 issue of Quilters Newsletter -- currently available wherever quilt magazines are sold.  But if you want to get started right away, the free pattern for Holly and Bright is available on QN's website.

Holly Bright is a 36½" x 36½" quilt -- the perfect size to decorate a wall or table.  The design is pretty traditional, but it's amped-up and made new with gorgeous batik fabrics.  I love the tone-on-tone "poinsettia" blocks in the center of the quilt, but my favorite part of Holly Bright is the holly leaf border, complete with hand-appliquéd holly berries.

I also love the richness and contrast of the black background batik that I used, but just in case black isn't for you, here's a look at what Holly Bright might look like with a white or cream background:

or with a gold/tan background:

Hmmm, kind of love that one!

Whatever your style, I hope you choose to make Holly Bright!

41 days until Christmas!?  Plenty of time!!

Call Me Miss October

That's right, "Miss October!"  I'm a calendar girl again!  Don't worry, I'm not that kind of calendar girl -- can't quite pull that off -- but I am the kind of girl with a quilt in a calendar.

It's American Patchwork & Quilting's 2016 Calendar, to be specific, and it is gorgeous!  The calendar features 12 beautifully photographed projects that range in size from a sweet little Easter table mat, to full-size bed quilts.  

And here's my quilt, "Glow in the Dark."

"Glow in the Dark" is a scrappy Halloween quilt that looks great hanging on a wall or displayed on a table.

This quilt is one of my all time favorites.  I especially love how the variety of orange and purple fabrics seem to sparkle in contrast with the black.

And while the quilt is 30" x 30", the small pinwheel, star, and shoofly blocks give it a charming, miniaturesque feel.  By the way, if "miniaturesque" is not a word, it should be!

If you'd like to make your own version of "Glow in the Dark," American Patchwork & Quilting's 2016 Calendar is now available online through the Meredith Store.  Detailed instructions and patterns for all of the quilts are included in a full-size and full-color supplement.

Happy quilting and Happy Halloween!

Apron Strings - Free Charm Pack Pattern

Don't you just love charm packs?!  A tidy little package of perfectly trimmed 5" squares and a guilt-free way to own an entire fabric collection -- what could be better?  If you're like me, though, eventually your charm pack collection will start to pile up and you'll realize it's time to cut one from the herd.  When that time comes, you're going to need a charm pack pattern!

Today my quilt, Apron Strings, is a featured recipe at the Moda Bake Shop.

Apron Strings is a sweet little 12" x 32" table runner made with, you guessed it, a charm pack and ⅔ yard of a coordinating fabric -- perfect for when your charm pack collection becomes a bit unwieldy. 

And Apron Strings couldn't be easier!  It features simple piecing and machine quilting -- great for a beginner or a weekend project.

I made Apron Strings with the beautiful "Hyde Park" collection by Blackbird Designs for Moda and I love the fabrics!  Somehow they manage to be both colorful and muted at the same time.  They give my quilt the soft, nostalgic feel that I was going for.

But if you're wondering how Apron Strings would look in a different color palette, here's another, brighter version made with "California Girl" by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda:

Love this one too!  It's got a summery, kitchen-y, retro vibe that I really like -- also nostalgic, but in a totally different way.

If you'd like to make your own Apron Strings table runner, head over to Moda Bake Shop for my free tutorial.  It's the perfect opportunity to pare down your charm pack stash, or the perfect excuse to invest in a new charm pack.  Your decision -- this is a judgement-free zone!!

Happy Quilting!

Hello Fall!

It's hot outside now, but this morning I went for an early run while it was still cool AND before I could talk myself out of it.  Good decision -- the soft air smelled spicy, the breeze tossed about a few brightly colored leaves, and the elk were bugling in the distance.  Yes, you read that right -- elk.  I'm lucky enough to live near a trail that runs alongside Corbin Park, a 20,000 acre private game preserve (read hunting club -- this is, after all, New Hampshire) that I prefer to think of as a wildlife refuge.

Once upon a time, Corbin Park was stocked with several varieties of deer, moose, antelope, caribou, wild boar, elk, bighorn sheep, and even bison!  Sadly, most of the animals not indigenous to NH did not thrive in the park, but the park is still home to deer, wild boar, and elk.  The deer and wild boar keep mostly to themselves, but in the early mornings and evenings of September, the elk bugle.  It's an amazing, eerie sound, startling to hear in the woods, and for me, a sure sign of fall.

I came back from my run invigorated and inspired and while the official start of fall is still several days away, I decided that today was definitely the day for the latest installment in my framed mini quilt series.

If you're new to my blog, first came spring:

Then came summer:

And here is, you guessed it, fall!

To make your own little fall quilt, you'll need:

Border print:  10" x 10" - cut (2) - 2" x 4½" and (2) - 2" x 9½"

Blue background print:  10" x 10" - cut (1) - 3" x 6½"; (21) - 1¼ " x 1¼ " squares to cover the blue sections of the leaf blocks; and (4) - ⅞" x 2"

Red and orange prints:  1¼" x 9" strip of each of three prints - from each, cut (7) - 1¼ " x 1¼ " squares to cover the colored sections of the leaf blocks

Brown print:  ¾" x 4" - cut (3) - ¾" x 1¼ " to cover the stem sections of the leaf blocks

Batting:  9" x 11"

Also needed:
Washout or disappearing ink marking pen, spray basting adhesive, tan embroidery floss (I used DMC's #869), three little leaf buttons, and a 5" x 7" frame


To make the leaf blocks:

Once again, I chose to paper piece the 1½" x 1½" leaf blocks.  Tiny, I know, but so worth it!  Just make sure you follow the printed numbering on the block units (i.e. start with A1, B1, and C1) and you should be all set.

You'll need to print or copy three sets of foundation patterns (and you can find the pattern here).  Each little unit should measure ½" x 1½" from solid line to solid line -- 1" x 2" from outer dotted line to outer dotted line.  If you're concerned about color placement, it might help to use colored pencils to color the various sections of each block unit before stitching.  For each block, sections A1, A3, A5, B1, C1, C3, and C6 should be covered with blue fabric; sections A2, A4, B2, B3, B4, C4, and C5 should be covered with your leaf fabric; and C2 should be covered with the brown print.

After stitching units A, B, and C together for each block, press the seams open to reduce bulk (note:  remove the paper from behind the leaf blocks after stitching and before pressing).  Make three blocks.

If you're not used to paper piecing, here's a link to a Fons and Porter tutorial that should get you started.


To assemble the quilt top:

Referring to my quilt, lay out your three leaf blocks and the four ⅞" x 2" strips of blue background fabric.  Stitch them together and press the seams towards the blue strips.  Then stitch the blue 3" x 6½" to the top of the row of leaves and press towards the blue 3" x 6½".  Stitch a border print 2" x 4½" to either side of the quilt center, pressing towards the border.  Finally, stitch a border print 2" x 9½" to the top and bottom of the quilt center, pressing towards the border.  Press the finished quilt top well.


To finish the quilt top:

Using a washout or disappearing ink pen, trace the "Hello Fall" lettering (find the template here) onto the quilt top -- the embroidery template should measure 2½" x 6".  Lightly spray basting adhesive to the 9" x 11" piece of batting and smooth the quilt top over it, right side up.  Use two strands of embroidery floss and a back stitch for the lettering.  Stitch the three leaf buttons in place and use one strand of embroidery floss or thread and a running stitch for the leaf trails.

To insert the quilt into the frame:

After you finish stitching, trim the batting even with the edges of your quilt.  Remove the contents of your frame, center the glass behind the quilt top, and wrap the edges of the quilt around it.  Reinsert the glass and quilt into the frame, fold down the quilt's corners, and put the back of the frame in place, taping with masking tape if necessary to keep it closed.  Voila!

Happy quilting and Happy Fall!