LONE STAR MINI QUILT: FINISHED!

Dies used: Diamonds, 2 1/2in (2 3/4in x 6 1/2in Unfinished)
                 Half-Square Triangles, 2 1/2in Finished Square
                 Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)


Hello again!

There were only a couple of jobs left to do to finish my Lone Star mini quilt. So that it can be hung on the wall easily and lie flat against it, it needed a couple of pockets on the back to fit a baton in. I cut a couple of 4 1/2in squares on my Big Shot Plus, pressed them in half diagonally and basted them in the top two corners on the reverse of the quilt.

The binding was then sewn on and a baton cut to size and fitted into the back pockets.

And then all that was left was to hang it on the wall. It's finished size is approximately 27 1/2in square.

I love the 'rings' of diamonds that make up the star, it is such a striking shape and it really brightens up the room. I want to make a huge one now and cutting all of the diamonds out with my Big Shot will make it SO much easier!

Happy sewing, see you next time!

Lone Star Mini Quilt: Part 2

Dies used: Diamonds, 2 1/2in (2 3/4in x 6 1/2in Unfinished)
                 Half-Square Triangles, 2 1/2in Finished Square


Hello again!

The Lone Star mini quilt I've been making with diamonds and half-square triangles is progressing nicely. Picking up from last time, the next stage was to make 8 large half-square triangles with each star point and 3 background sections and then to join them in pairs to give 4 squares.

And then the squares were sewn together to give one large square mini quilt top.

Then it was time to start quilting. I drew out a geometric design on the lone star with water erasable pen and once it was completed I looked at the swirl effect created by the fabric in the centre of the star and decided that instead of the pattern I'd marked out, a spiral would be much better! So the pen lines were blotted out and the centre of a spiral drawn out instead.

To help the star stand out from the background only the star was quilted with the spiral and so once it got to the white background I stopped quilting a continual coil and instead did each of the star points one at a time working from side to side. Each of the background sections were quilted with straight lines to contrast with the curves on the star.

Progress has stalled now as I can't decide on a binding fabric but hopefully a decision will be made and it will be finished and hanging on the wall in time for my next post.

Happy sewing, see you next time!

Lone Star Mini Quilt

Dies used: Diamonds, 2 1/2in (2 3/4in x 6 1/2in Unfinished)
                 Half-Square Triangles, 2 1/2in Finished Square


Hello again!

This new Sizzix project ticks off 2 entries on my 'want to make' list. I've never made a mini-quilt before and would really like one to hang on my bedroom wall and I love Lone Star piecing designs and had yet to have a go at making one. So I'm currently making a Lone Star mini-quilt and killing two birds with one stone! I've been wanting to use my long diamonds die and cutting mats for a while and before tackling a full-size quilt this was the perfect tester project to play around with print and pattern.

For the star, I selected 5 different fabrics and decided in which order they were to form the rings of the star. I then cut the following number of diamonds from each fabric on my Big Shot:

1st and 5th (central and outer) ring: 8
2nd and 4th ring: 16
3rd ring: 24

The diamonds were then divided up into 8 sets that would form each section of the star and then sewed together into rows and then the rows were joined to form a large diamond.

Matching the points when joining the rows together took a little getting used to. With right sides together, inserting a pin 1/4in down from the raw edge through the diagonal seam and through in the same position on the opposite side was the most convenient method for me.

Once the 8 star sections were completed I cut out the background pieces on my Big Shot. I chopped 144 solid white half-square triangles and 72 low volume white on white half-square triangles and joined them like this to make 24 larger half-square triangles.

These triangles will fit on either side of the outer points of the star to give a square mini-quilt top.

So the next job is to sew the star and background together and complete the top ready for quilting and binding and eventually hanging on the wall.

See you next time. Happy sewing!

Sailboat Mini Quilt, Part 2

I'm back with part 2 of the Sailboat mini quilt today. A little delayed, sorry about that folks! 

Once you have your 6 sailboat blocks from part 1, cut (6) 4-1/2" blocks from white fabric. 

Arrange your blocks as follows, alternating between each. Measure the sides of your quilt and cut 1-1/2" wide strips. Press seams towards the dark side. Repeat for the top and bottom of the quilt. 

Repeat the same steps above to add the side borders. Measure the sides of the quilt and cut 3" wide strips, repeat for top and bottom. Baste quilt and quilt in a diagonal fashion in the alternate blocks. Straight line quilt 1/2" lines around the outer border.

Bind the quilt using (3) 2" x WOF strips in the matching white fabric. If you need an in-depth binding tutorial, you can find a great one here. Flip the quilt over and hand sew the binding to the backside of the quilt to finish.

Sizzix Products:
#660020 Big Shot Plus Machine
#659983 Half Square Triangles, 1-1/2in Finished Square
#658327 Strips, 1-1/2in Wide
#655267 Cutting Pads, Extended

Sailboat Mini Quilt, Part 1

Hello Sizzix friends! I'm dropping by today to share with you part 1 (of 2) to make this fun little Sailboat quilt. Last year I came across a boat quilt block like this and immediately set out to make one, (you can see my finished version here) I shared my progress on my blog and Instagram using the hashtag #NaturallyNauticalQuiltAlong and soon people joined in and started making one too! It was quite popular! So this time I decided to shrink the block down and use my Sizzix Plus machine to whiz out a few mini blocks to turn into a wall hanging using a traditional red and white colour theme.

Finished Size:
21" x 18"

Materials:
1m Kona Snow (off-white fabric)
1/2m Kona Rich Red (red fabric)
23" x 20" Cotton Batting

Sizzix Products:
#660020 Big Shot Plus Machine
#659983 Half Square Triangles, 1-1/2in Finished Square
#658327 Strips, 1-1/2in Wide
#655267 Cutting Pads, Extended

1. To make up the 6 blocks, cut the following:
(36) red HST's
(36) white HST's
(1) red 1-1/2" strips. Sub-cut into (6) 2-1/2" rectangles
(3) white 1-1/2" strips. Sub-cut into (12) 2-1/2" rectangles and (6) 4-1/2"rectangles.

2. Sew all the HST's together, (red and white triangles). Chain piece and press seam to dark side.
3. To make up the blocks; sew two HST units side by side. Repeat with two additional HST units and press seams open. Using the image above, sew the two rows together, following the placement of the triangles carefully. Press seams flat.
4. Lay out your pieces as above. Sew the white rectangles to the HST unit. Sew two HST pieces to the red rectangle (follow placement of triangles). Sew the rows together and add the bottom white rectangle to finish the block.

Your block should measure 4-1/2" square.

5. Make 6 blocks total.

Next week we'll make our alternate blocks and add the borders and binding to finish! Enjoy!

Circles Baby Quilt: Finished!

Dies used: Drunkard's Path Quarter Circle
                 Drunkard's Path & Fan Background


Hello again!

The little man that is set to receive this baby quilt has yet to make an appearance but it is now all ready when he is!

I've loved making this quilt. Sewing curves made a nice change, they weren't too tricky to handle and work so well on a small quilt like this one (approximately 32" x 32"). The circles are a really good size for quilting in that they are big enough to contain a specific pattern/design but not too big so that it's awkward to keep track of the design during quilting. I used 4 different quilting patterns and had 4 circles of each design.

The brushed cotton backing is super-soft and is lovely to touch especially with the ridges formed by the quilting.

All that's left now is to wrap it up and wait!

Happy sewing :)

Creating Curves - part two

Hi, Trudi here from Quilting Prolifically. So last month I made a great start on my curves, not curves quilt.

18 of these Shoo Fly blocks done, and I was well on my way to getting the other 18 alternate blocks done too!

This second block is made up of nine patch of 4 1/2" squares.  Plain squares in the corners, and squares made with the Isosceles Triangle die, and 2 1/2" Half Square Triangles to make the center square in square block.

another set of 18 blocks are done.

Alternate the blocks in the lay out and hey presto  ... its starting to take shape!

I barely had enough space on my living room floor to lay this out, So to piece it, I gathered up the rows, stacking the blocks in order and taking them out to my sewing machine in my studio in the garden.  

(one sure way to get your daily step quota up!)

As I pieced the rows, I laid them over the long arm, then pieced the rows together.

I've added a plain border, and this is now ready to quilt.  

The curves are already visible in the pattern, and not one curve has been sewn.  

I'm hoping that a little (ok, maybe a lot) of custom quilting in those areas will really enhance the curved effect.  

Remember, this whole quilt, that is now 82" square, is made from scraps.  I did cut some yardage for the outer border and some of the white areas, but it is all a mish mash of white on whites and very low volume fabrics. 

So if you have a large pile of scraps, and fancy making your own version of this quilt, these are the dies I used along with my Big Shot Plus: 

659838 Bigz Square 4 1/2"
659832 Bigz Half Square Triangle 4 1/2" pieced
659853 Bigz L Isosceles & Right 4 1/2" H 
 657611 Bigz Half Square Triangle 2 1/2" pieced

So, I'll be back next month with the full reveal of how the quilting can really make a difference to enhance those curves.  If your have a go at making thee blocks for your own Curves, Not Curves quilt, please tag me on social media, I'd love to see!

Circles Baby Quilt

Dies used: Drunkard's Path Quarter Circle
                 Drunkard's Path & Fan Background


Last time I posted about the baby quilt I had just begun for my friend's baby that is due in a couple of weeks time. Having made the first four circles as a test run it was time to work out how the rest of the quilt was going to come together. After going through my entire stash of blue fabrics I opted to use some blenders to bring out some of the more detailed prints and not to repeat any as I'd originally intended and instead use 16 different fabrics.

I have to say that I'm not sure I'd have managed a quilt even as small as this if I had to cut all of those curves by hand! Here are all 16 circle blocks ready to be sewn together.

I always photograph my final intended layout and use the photo as a guide to work from as once sewing them all together gets under way I always lose track of what goes where! They were sewn together into four 2 x 2 blocks and then joined in pairs and then together to give the final quilt top.

The quilt is now basted and the backing is some super soft organic brushed cotton with a clouds design, perfect for snuggling a newborn under.

Quilting has begun and the plan is to have 4 different quilting designs for the circles, so there will be 4 of each style. One down, 15 to go.

As it's only small it's easy to manoeuvre on the sewing machine and fun to quilt. Next time I post there may be a little baby tucked up in it!

Happy sewing!

Holiday Hexies

Dies used: Hexagons, 1in Sides #2
                 Hexagons, 1 1/4in Sides


We're away on holiday at the moment and the last couple of times we've been away I've taken some English Paper Piecing with me and it's the same again this time - it may qualify as a habit now! When preparing a project to take on a summer holiday thoughts don't automatically go to Christmas but I was sent a couple of bundles of gorgeous Dashwood Christmas fabric last week and I wanted to use it straight away along with a few others from the festive section of my stash.

Also my son's teacher told me that her mum, who is a keen quilter, has recently made 30 mini stockings like the ones I made as teacher gifts using my Big Shot and posted about on here last Christmas. Suddenly making Christmassy things in July seemed thoroughly reasonable!

Using the Hexagons, 1in Sides die and a few sheets of scrap paper otherwise destined for the recycle bin, I cut a pile of papers. Then with the Hexagons 1 1/4in die I set to chopping the fabric.

They are intended to become part of a table runner which will need to be 2m long to fit our dining table and so Christmas 2016 may be a more realistic finish date if sewing is to be as relaxed and enjoyable as planned.

And so along with the clothes packing an EPP sewing bag containing all of the essentials had to be packed too.

Cutting the papers and fabric and getting the travel EPP kit together was so much easier and took a fraction of the time it took to pack one of the boys' bags! My Big Shot Plus really is an invaluable piece of kit.

Hopefully a week of relaxed hexagon sewing in the sunshine lies ahead!

Happy sewing!

STAR QUILT: PART 5

Dies used: Half-Square Triangles, 4 1/2in Finished Square
                Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)
                Star, Nested

One single-size boys quilt, completed!

I'm so happy with the results and more importantly so is its new owner, Aidan. It was really very straightforward to make (especially the cutting, obviously!) using just two shapes (and therefore only two dies) for the pieced quilt top - definitely an example of simple but effective! A third die was used for the small applique stars that pepper the low volume, in-between areas.
There are plenty of colours in it but it meets his specification (thankfully it passed!) of 'mainly blue' with the orange fabric really bringing out the blues and providing some depth.

The backing fabric was picked up in the sale in Ikea and although it wasn't ideal to quilt with being more of a canvas weight it looks really good, the large print contrasting nicely with all of the fine detail on the front.

Hand-sewing the binding took longer than usual as making a stitch through thick backing fabric wasn't as easy as it would have been with quilters weight cotton but it wasn't too much of a hardship.

I really enjoy hand-sewing binding but it's starting to feel a bit indulgent when deadlines are looming and other sewing projects are stacking up, it may be time to investigate machine binding techniques!

Here it is in its new home.

Now to start something new, probably not another full size quilt just yet but I do have another son wanting one for his bed.

Happy sewing!

English Paper Piecing Hexagons: Using the Sizzix

Hi Sizzix friends. If you read my blog or follow my work or even shop with me at Sew and Quilt you know I am crazy about English Paper Piecing! I can't get enough of it. So it will be no surprise to you that my first die-cut I bought for my Sizzix machine many moons ago, was the 1-1/4" Hexagon to use with my 1" Hexagons for my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. At the moment I'm knee-deep in preparations for this years Festival of Quilts so I have been making and organising lots of samples and kits to display and sell at my booth. So my Sizzix machine has been coming in very handy when I've been working on hexagon projects lately!

Products used:
1-1/4" Hexagon #658138
Strips, 2-1/2" wide #658328

Here's how I like to cut my hexagons using the Sizzix Plus machine.

First off I like to use the 2-1/2" strip dies to cut lengths of fabric. I know for each flower block I need two WOF strips of solid (for the outer ring), and one WOF strip in print (for the inner ring).

I then place my fabric strips on the 1-1/4" hexagon die cut and create folds to cut multiple layers.

I then roll it through the Sizzix machine twice, as I like a nice clean cut and with so many layers it's sometimes useful to do this. And voila, you have more than a dozen hexagons ready to be basted for your EPP project. There's absolutely no waste this way too, always a bonus.

If you wanted to know how to make a Grandmother's Flower garden block I have step by step information on how to make one as well as tons of other helpful tips and information on English Paper Piecing, on my blog. As well if you're heading to Festival Of Quilts next month, be sure to stop by and see me at my Sew and Quilt booth on stand F5. Sizzix will be demonstrating at the show too, so you won't want to miss out.