Inverted Wonky Diamond Block Tutorial: Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop

I'm honored to be included in the Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop! I made up a fun, easy, and modern block with these summery Fabri-Quilt fabrics. A bunch of these would make a fabulous baby quilt, and you could mix and match two or four colors. Plus, I've included a few other block options, and you can practice sewing an accurate quarter inch seam. Read on:

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 Inverted Wonky Diamond Block
*Update: A lot of people are saying the block looks like a spool of thread. I saw this just now! So cool!

Measures 12.5" x 12.5" unfinished

12"x12" finished

Materials:

• Four fat eighths of different colors (should contrast each other)
• Pencil
• Rotary cutter/ruler
• Sewing machine and general sewing supplies  
• Iron/ironing board

1. Cut fabric: 

• Of each of two background fabrics:
• Cut (2) 6.5" squares
• Of each of two diamond fabrics:
• Cut (1) 2.5" square
• Cut (1) 4" square

You should have (4) 6.5" background pieces, (2) 2.5" squares, and (2) 4" squares.

2. Draw a line on the wrong side of all of your diamond pieces, from corner to corner.

3. Pin 1 diamond fabric to each background fabric (right sides together, though it doesn't always matter for solids). Match 1 diamond color with 1 background color (see picture below). Make sure the lines you drew run diagonal, hitting the sides of the background fabrics (not pointing towards the middle).

 4. Sew on the line corner to corner. Repeat for all 4 pieces. If you were to make a whole quilt out of this block, this would be a great time to chain piece!

 5. Using your rotary cutter and ruler, cut off the excess triangle, leaving a quarter inch seam. All of your pieces should look like this:

6. Press each seam towards the background fabric. If your background fabric is a light color like white, press towards the diamond fabric. Make sure all of your pieces are 6.5" squares.

 7. Find a layout you like. Here are some options. This block is super versatile!

The one I chose:

 8. No matter what, here's how you sew the four pieces together: sew two pieces vertically, and press seams open. See the picture below which shows both sides.

 9. Finally, sew the two columns you have created into a block. Find where the seams match and place a pin there to ensure that they line up. Press your final seam open.

There you have it: your very own Inverted Wonky Diamond Block!

This block will be a part of a charity quilt!

Guess what? There are going to be block tutorials posted all over the quilty interwebs all week. See below for the list of bloggers posting today - I will update it as the week goes on so you can check for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, too! 

Thank you to Fabri-Quilt, who supplied each blogger with fat eighths in these colors: Chartreuse, Turquoise, Coral, Aqua, Lapis Blue, and White. You can follow the blog hop on their blog, Inspired by Fabric, this week. Thank you also to Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl, Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination, Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilter for hosting the blog hop and coordinating everything!

Please enjoy tutorials from my fellow quilty bloggers:

Monday, August 31st
Host – Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
Kelly @Quilting it Out
Martha @Once a Wingnut
Irene @Patchwork and Pastry
Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life
Andrea @The Sewing Fools
Bernie @Needle and Foot
Silvia @A Stranger View
Wanda @Wanda’s Life Sampler
Sandra @Musings of a Menopausal Melon
Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts
Jess @Quilty Habit
Diana @Red Delicious Life
Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe
Margo @Shadow Lane Quilts
Renee @Quilts of a Feather

Tuesday, September 1st

Host – Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Wednesday, September 2nd
Host – Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

Thursday, September 3rd
Host – Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination

 

Selvage Along: Pincushion @ Elven Garden Quilts

Just a heads up that the Selvage Along continues today/Monday with my lovely friend Jess @Elven Garden Quilts! She's made this adorable pincushion using both scraps and selvages (those birds!!!). Click on over to find out more!

Picture by Jess Frost

Selvage Along Schedule

July 20 - Intro post
July 24 - Selvage storage/collection linkup
July 27 - Selvage Strip Pillow Tutorial by Jess @ Quilty Habit
August 3 - Anna Maria Horner Selvage Feathers Tutorial by Renee @ Quilts of a Feather
August 10 -  Selvage Zippy Pouch Tutorial by Chris @ Made by ChrissieD + mid-way/check-in linky on both blogs 
August 17 - Selvage Binding Tutorial by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl
August 24 - Project by Vera @ Negligent Style
August 31 - Project by Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts<<<You are here!
Sept. 7 - Selvage Churn Dash Project Share by Helga @ Cluckin' Pineapple 
Sept. 14 - Tutorial round up on both blogs
Sept. 21 - Last linky party- link up all your selvage projects!

New Class - Gentle Improv Curves Pillow

I'm teaching a new class this fall at my LQS, Pennington Quilt Works (Pennington, NJ)! It's the Gentle Improvisational Curves Pillow that I made last year for the Cascade Fabrics Blog Hop. This kind of pillow would be a perfect accent piece in your home, and yes, you - YOU - can make it!

 

When: Thursday, Oct. 22, 6-9 pm

Fee: $27 + materials

Register here! Space is limited.

I realize I've written a tutorial to make the pillow, but if you want some one-on-one attention while practicing sewing curves, this is your chance! I'll also teach you how to sew pinless curves and how to pair up your fabrics to make them flow.

I'll also be teaching this class at Byrne Sewing Connection in Doylestown, PA next year (February 3th for Byrne's Creative Bees). Join me if you want to try a new technique!

A couple more pillows commissioned by my mom - she made me use the same fabric :) Each pillow is unique! Because improv is amazing.

From my Classes and Lectures page:

In this class, you'll learn how to sew gentle curves and let yourself experiment with "non-precise" piecing - that is, your curves will be improvised. You will practice the technique of sewing curves pinless with your machine. Finally, we'll make an 18.25" square pillow (fits an 18" pillow form) to create something that will be truly versatile, striking, and comfortable in your home!
  

*Shameless advertising over.* :) But really, I love teaching and I'd love if you could make it!

Wonky Cross Table Runner

One of my favorite things about my quilt guild is our Quilt Makers program, which we started last year. Members from the guild create a gift for other members who have an important life event (babies, moving, retirement, etc.). The guild reimburses some of the cost. We collectively made this tablerunner for Kathy, our former secretary, who recently retired. She loves the beach and wonky crosses, so I knew this was the way to go!

With group projects, you have to have a bit of faith. I was prepared to make more blocks if we didn't have enough, but it came out perfect! Members who volunteered had the option of making a 12.5" block or a 6.5" block. The color balance came out just perfectly, too. I asked for near-solid or solid blue backgrounds (I chose the below Botanics print because it is just so beautiful).

It was a pleasure to sew together and quilt up. Quilting pebbles is always fun (I may be a minority here!), and I made the boxes with my free motion foot. It's much faster than a walking foot because you don't have to keep wrestling around your quilt. I practiced the same technique on Pixie Sticks.

Jessica Levitt bound the runner, and we surprised Kathy at the August meeting!

Photos by our photog, Laura

And now it fits perfectly in Kathy's place. CJMQG, I love you!

Photo by Kathy

 Linking up to Fabric Tuesday, Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts.

Selvage Along: Vera @ Negligent Style

Today the Selvage Along continues over at my friend Vera's blog - check out her cute and roomy selvage bag! Wait until you see the fabric she used on the inside, too (one of my favorites). Thank you for sharing, Vera!

 Picture by Vera

Selvage Along Schedule

July 20 - Intro post
July 24 - Selvage storage/collection linkup
July 27 - Selvage Strip Pillow Tutorial by Jess @ Quilty Habit
August 3 - Anna Maria Horner Selvage Feathers Tutorial by Renee @ Quilts of a Feather
August 10 -  Selvage Zippy Pouch Tutorial by Chris @ Made by ChrissieD + mid-way/check-in linky on both blogs 

 August 17 - Selvage Binding Tutorial by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl
August 24 - Project by Vera @ Negligent Style<<<You are here!
August 31 - Project by Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts
Sept. 7 - Selvage Churn Dash Project Share by Helga @ Cluckin' Pineapple 
Sept. 14 - Tutorial round up on both blogs
Sept. 21 - Last linky party- link up all your selvage projects!

Phases: A Wall-hanging

I'm not much into studying science but I've always been enamored with the moon. Every time Doctor Who airs a moon episode I get a bit too excited. This shirt amuses me to no end (and no, I haven't bought it yet!). I was pleased to find another moon-loving soul in Renee. We always tag each other and send each other moon quilt pictures/posts.

Since Renee came to visit me and it's her birthday month, I thought it was only fitting to make something moon related as a gift. And since apparently my inner motto is "go big or go home," I made her a very long tablerunner/wall-hanging of the moon phases. I was totally inspired by this picture by Emily Blincoe. She is a photography genius - if you are a quilter, you will LOVE her layouts and her color combinations! Seriously, check her out!

I started by piecing together my dark gray and black scraps (to look like the night) into a long piece (I didn't measure it in the end, sorry!). It was so satisfying to use SO many scraps! I only cut a few special pieces of Lizzy House's black Constellation fabric (below) because it just had to be in this quilt. Because night sky.

I created a full moon template for the center out of cardboard, and I cut it down for each moon (gibbous, quarter, and crescent). Then, I raw edge appliqued them onto the black. I wish I had used Heat n Bond Lite (now I know the power of this amazing substance) but instead I used fusible interfacing to give each moon a little stabilization. The Heat n Bond would have made for less fraying but it's not the end of the world.

The quilting included stars (below) and swirls. I also quilted around each moon several times with Aurifil Dove (#2600) to show how big each moon was supposed to be. That was the most fun part (I used the template again - very slowly with free motion stitching). Finally, each moon was quilted a bit differently; some have lines, some have swirls. Renee loves to free motion on her home machine too (we have the same machine, as a matter of fact!) so I knew the quilting had to be advanced!

I backed it in a teal Lotta Jansdotter print that I knew Renee would appreciate because a) it's teal and b) it looks like moons. I had just bought a yard of it for my stash, and it was gone within a week! That should also give you an idea of how big this wall-hanging is. :P

 Renee received her gift today (along with a bunch of other little goodies) and she loves it! I'm so glad and I hope it brings her happiness every time she looks at it. :) Moon phases rock!

P.S. Check out this cute mug rug Renee just mailed me as a surprise (I was already done with the moon quilt and was getting it ready to send out - I SWEAR we read each others' minds)! It's from the song "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran (who we also love). I'm so happy to be her friend :). And just to think that we met through our blogs!

Linking up to: Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts

Selvage Along: Selvage Binding Tutorial @ Quilting Jet Girl

 

Make sure you hop over to Yvonne's blog, Quilting Jet Girl, today to read and save her selvage binding tutorial! I'm always looking for creative binding and selvage ideas, so the two of them together is bound to be an A+, right? Here's a photo from Yvonne's blog:

Many of us love text fabrics so this is just one more way to incorporate text into your projects!

My co-host Renee also tried her hand at selvage binding this week - check it out! And you still have three days to link up to the midway check-in of the Selvage Along. You all are working on some fabulous projects! There are also some great projects on the hashtag #selvagealong on Instagram. Get inspired and get sewing!

Selvage Along Schedule

July 20 - Intro post
July 24 - Selvage storage/collection linkup
July 27 - Selvage Strip Pillow Tutorial by Jess @ Quilty Habit
August 3 - Anna Maria Horner Selvage Feathers Tutorial by Renee @ Quilts of a Feather
August 10 -  Selvage Zippy Pouch Tutorial by Chris @ Made by ChrissieD + mid-way/check-in linky on both blogs 

 August 17 - Selvage Binding Tutorial by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl<<<You are here!
August 24 - Project by Vera @ Negligent Style
August 31 - Project by Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts
Sept. 7 - Selvage Churn Dash Project Share by Helga @ Cluckin' Pineapple 
Sept. 14 - Tutorial round up on both blogs
Sept. 21 - Last linky party- link up all your selvage projects!

Sunday Stash

Lately, I've noticed that my fabric storage cabinet is getting a bit crowded. However, there are just some fabrics that I've grown out of love with and will likely never use. Since we are moving in September, I'll be doing a little destash on Instagram sometime within the next month. I AM trying to use what I have as much as possible, but you know how things happen - other projects appear on the radar and sometimes you have to buy fabric (oh darn). Plus, I do enjoy supporting my local quilt shops (like Pennington Quilt Works, where I teach and work).

One of the reasons my stash has grown so much is because I love buying "helpful" fabrics (coined by Rachel of Stitched in Color). These are simple, one color, two color, or tone-on-tone fabrics. As much as I love multi-colored fabrics, I love combining fabric from all over more - and that doesn't usually work well with lots and lots of multi-colored fabrics.

Right now I'm restricting myself only to those I'm always on the lookout for: helpful, modern red fabric (hard for me to find ones I like) and purples (because PURPLE, guys. PURPLE). I have never bought Tula Pink fabric (really! I'm not a huge fan of animals on fabric) but these ladybugs and owls more than fit my red and purple test (and I LOVE THEM). Also, that knit fabric (Maze Blues from Imprint by Katarina Roccella)? I don't know how it snuck into my bag, but I'm glad it did, because I could use a cute skirt (I have a weakness for buying garment fabric, too...).

I also bought all the fat quarters PQW had of that beautiful Doe print (five, to be exact) because I need them for my rainbow selvage bookcase quilt. Then, since I'm taking the Meadow Quilt class with Lizzy House next weekend (!) I had to buy background fabrics and petal fabric (you'll have to tune in to my upcoming post about the workshop to see how I use them - again, PURPLE!). Below is my color palette for the rest of the quilt (all from the stash, thank you very much!). I told you I like helpful fabrics. :) P.S. If you're anywhere near Central New Jersey you should sign up for our workshop!

 

 Okay, so hopefully I won't have too many more Sunday Stashes this year. Or will I? ;)

Linking up to Sunday Stash @ Molli Sparkles.

241 Totes

 

Last month, I tried my hand at a new bag. I have made several clutches, pouches, and tote bags in the past, but it was time to use a real pattern. I wanted a purse that would be large enough to hold my wallet and a few choice items; I'm typically a large bag carrier and I am tired of hauling things around! Granted, having a small purse usually forces me to bring along another tote bag to most things... but I digress. I'm happy to show off my new 241 tote bag (pattern by Noodlehead, aka Anna Graham).

I made a second one simultaneously for my friend Julie's birthday! She loves Paris and the color red, She hardly ever carries purses, but I figured if she ever needed to, she would have a small one to tote around in style. :) Note: it saves time to make two bags at once (kind of like chain sewing) but it did draw out my bag-making time to a few days! I was itching to get back to quilts when I was done. :)



The pattern was very well written and clear. For someone who doesn't usually follow patterns (and especially bag patterns), I appreciated this. It was also my first time installing hardware into anything and Anna made it so. easy. My CJMQG friends also encouraged me to do it. Also, I really enjoy using the side pockets. I loved carrying this bag with me everywhere this summer!

I couldn't help picking up some of this Rainwalk Canvas (the two fabrics on the left - also by Anna). The curvy motif was perfect for me. Not pictured: blue orange peels in the lining. ;) I can't stop - I won't apologize.

The two bags together. Note #2: it is difficult to find a place in your house with good light to photograph two bags hanging together!

We tried to take a nice selfie with our new bags and kind of failed. But here is is nevertheless. :)

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts

Super Online Sewing Community Match @ Sew Mama Sew