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a quick tutorial – the starburst block

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:48:54 +0000

You asked for it!

[And now for a word of warning - this tutorial is more about the process I used when putting together these blocks. It may not be the best way to do it, and you might find something that works better for you, but these are the steps I took. Also, please note ahead of time that this particular method does create some waste, so keep that in mind if you plan on making these blocks with your favorite fabrics!

Oh, and one last thing, I'm sure some of this might be unclear, mainly since I wrote it in a hurry before work this morning -- feel free to ask questions!]

Let’s get started! You’ll need a variety of scraps – for 10″ blocks, you’ll need scraps that are at least 6″ in length and a variety of widths. To start, I pull out about 5 or 6 scraps which would make up half the square and I lay them out and kind of visualize the rectangular shape I’ll be making. I’ve been making 10″ blocks, so each trimmed half square block will measure 5.25″ x 10″.

I start from the left side and grab a piece that’s about 6″ long (since the points line up in the center, you’ll need pieces that extend at least 5.5 – 6″ from where the center point will be.The next piece will need to be slightly longer, since it’s on a diagonal – about 7″ or so, and so on. I lay mine out on my cutting mat so I can check to make sure that the pieces will cover the area I need for the rectangle. When you’re starting out, it might help to cut a piece of paper to the 5.25″ x 10″ size and lay your pieces over the paper so you can be sure they’re large enough to cover that area, keeping your seam allowances in mind (I find that bigger is always better, since you can just trim it down to size later!)

Start with the two pieces on the left, and with right sides together, angle the second piece on top of the first and sew, going from the longest part of the first piece and angling down so you have a wedge shape. I recommend that you sew an angle that doesn’t go directly to the point of the first piece of fabric. You’ll want your points to match up about 1/4″ – 1/2″ or so away from the edge of the fabric so that you’ll be able to trim it to the correct size later. (it may help to read through the rest of the tutorial first so you can see what I mean).

Trim the excess fabric and iron seams open.

Add the next piece of fabric. With right sides together, make sure that this next piece of fabric is about 1/4″ away from the point where the fabrics are coming together. This will ensure that your points meet when you add this next strip, sewing with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Trim excess fabric and press.

As you sew the pieces together, you can check to make sure that your sizes are correct. As you can see in the photo above, you should have about 6″ in length from where the fabrics meet at the point, and you should have about the same distance in height.

Keep in mind that you’ll want to make sure that the point where your fabrics meet isn’t on the very edge of the fabric, but rather about a 1/4″ in from the edge, as you can see above. When you trim it down to size, you’ll need this extra 1/4″ for the seam allowance so you can sew the two halves together. (this might not make sense right now, but it will later when you go to trim it).

Continue sewing the pieces until you’ve pieced enough fabric to cover the necessary area.

Trim the block to size. As you can see from the photo, you’ll position the point in the middle and then will trim 5″ away from the point on each edge. Trim the bottom edge 1/4″ below the point (I position the point where the fabrics meet on an intersecting line on my cutting mat and then using a clear ruler you can easily make sure that you’re trimming 1/4″ below that point). Trim the top edge 5 1/4″ from the bottom edge.

And here you can see two finished blocks – you can see that they’re both trimmed to 5.25″ x 10″, leaving 1/4″ below the point where the fabrics meet at the center).

Sew them together, matching the center points and iron the seam open. Since there’s so much fabric meeting right at the middle, it will be hard to iron and there will be a slight bump right there in the center. I used extra steam and pressed quite hard to make it as flat as possible. Your resulting block will be 10″ square.

Stand back and admire your crazy new starburst block! (and then go make a bunch more for an entire crazy starburst quilt!)

crazy crazy, or crazy fun?

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:16:29 +0000

I still can’t decide. Sometimes I think it’s just crazy crazy, but lately I’m leaning more towards crazy fun.

After realizing that my scrap situation was getting a little out of hand, I needed to make something that would use them up. I wanted to try to make a block where all the points met in the middle, somewhat reminiscent of a spiderweb block, but without the paper piecing (and without the eight-sided web part). I pieced these in an improv-style, grabbing scraps as I went, and not worrying about the sizes of each wedge. I pieced each half individually, then matched them with another half to make each square block.

I made a few blocks to test it out, and I didn’t think they were too bad, but I wasn’t getting a very good reaction from Morgan. Each time I’d make another, he’d wonder aloud why I was making more of them. It got to the point where he’d just shake his head when he saw me reach for the scrap basket. I thought he’d see my vision when it was all sewn together, but to be honest, I’m still not sure he’s feeling it.

You know what though? The more I look at it, the more I like it, and that’s all that matters right?!

But with that said, what’s your opinion? Crazy crazy? Or crazy fun?

(and speaking of crazy fun, this blurry action shot shows my mom using the quilt top as a cape!)

Update: I’ve just posted a tutorial showing my process for creating these blocks. You can find it here!

far far away 2 quilt (with the registered holsteins)

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:47:07 +0000

I’m really really happy with this quilt.

(really happy)

I started it right after I finished my Flea Market Fancy lattice quilts, and it was that quilt that inspired this design – the reverse of the lattice quilt. I used Heather Ross’s new Far Far Away II line — I wanted to see larger pieces of each design, and this quilt design worked well for that. I cut each square on the bias so that the pattern design would be oriented correctly when I set it on point.

For the backing I used Kona Artichoke paired with the Kona Snow used for the sashing with strips of the remaining Far Far Away II prints (of course!).

I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to quilt this one – it’s on the larger size so I wasn’t really relishing the idea of straight lines, but in the end I really felt that’s what it needed. And then to make it take even longer, I decided it also needed double quilting lines… But now that it’s finished I’m really happy I went for it. You don’t notice the quilting as much on the front side, but it really stands out and makes a great pattern on the backing.

Have I told you about one of my favorite parts of quilting? Taking photos of the finished quilts. (I think that’s partly what pushes me to finish quilts quickly!). I love driving around and looking for fun locations. This weekend we went to a tiny little town in New York to visit my grandmother for her birthday. During the two hour drive I worked on the binding of this quilt and kept looking up periodically looking for a spot to photograph this partially finished quilt.

We passed this barn on the way to NY and I was totally in love with the color, the weathered look, and that sign, but we had already driven by and I didn’t want to annoy anyone in the car. But of course then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Luckily it was still light out on our way back home later that day (and by that time the binding was done) so we were able to stop for a brief little photo shoot. There was a house nearby where I’m sure the owner of this barn lived — I wonder if they were in there watching us and wondering what we were up to, or if perhaps we were so fast that they didn’t even notice us. In any case, thank you to the owner of this barn! If only it was located closer to my home – I’d be using it as a backdrop quite often!

Notes:

Original post about this quilt can be found here.

Looking to buy some Far Far Away II? Hawthorne Threads just received a few more of these prints, with more arriving in August. Fabricworm & Pink Chalk Fabrics also have some of these prints available at this time.

Oh, and for those who asked, I think this line is great for quilting, even though it’s a cotton/linen blend. I like the contrast in textures, and I really like the extra weight that the linen provides, especially in a quilt this size. It gets cold here in VT, so I’m happy to have a heavier weight quilt!

how do you store your fabric scraps?

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:53:09 +0000

I won’t say this is the most organized way of storing scraps, but I think it’s kind of fun, and it allows me to combine my love of old containers, particularly old enamelware, with my love of fabric.

I’m particularly fond of the enamel lidded pots (lids are good so no one can see how many scraps I have! oh, and they keep out dust… also good). I keep wondering if they ever made these pots in other fun colors – turquoise, or pink, maybe? I have a small pink enamel saucepan, but typically I only see the larger stock pots in white. I’ll keep searching!

The old egg basket was a recent gift – thanks again Phiona! – I love the size of it, and even though my scraps try to escape through the sides sometimes, I still think it’s a fabulous spot for storing fabric!

I keep them all under my sewing table so they’re out of the way, but still easily accessible when I need to grab some scraps!

So tell me, how do you store your scraps?

And speaking of scraps, I pulled out some favorites the other day to make up a couple cute potholders. (String block tutorial can be found here)

(love the selvage as cute hanging tags!)

One’s headed to Chris, who gifted me a gorgeous potholder made of Flea Market Fancy hexagons, and one’s going to Cindy, who made me this absolutely fantastic pincushion out of selvages I sent to her (Cindy also sells her selvage pincushions here). Thank you both!

Now I just need to get myself some cute pins! Anyone have any favorites?

charmed…

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:33:16 +0000

Now I realize that not everyone enjoys charm square quilts, but I continue to find them fun, if for nothing else than the fact that it gives me something to sew at that very moment and doesn’t require too much thought. Because sometimes I like to sew just for the sake of sewing. I think I tend to make these quilts when I’m working on a larger quilt that’s taking some time — these give me the satisfaction of a quick finish and then I’m better able to get back to working on the larger projects. At any rate, here they are -

A cute little one out of the new Urban Chicks Dream On charm packs I managed to snag on ebay…

a bold & fun one out of MoMo Odyssea -

and an old favorite, out of a couple of MoMo Wonderland charm packs I had set aside -

Oh, and the other good thing about these charm square quilts? They’re small and therefore quite portable. And if you know me, you know that I don’t like to waste a moment sitting around without simultaneously working on a project! Handsewing these bindings kept me quite entertained in the car this past weekend!

All three are for sale in the shop.

___

Timber!

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:58:47 +0000

Remember this quilt? These colors always felt beachy to me, so I figured it was only right to take photos of it at the lake. This one is made from Jessica Levitt’s Timber line in the breeze colorway.

The pattern is my take on the quilt pattern used in Randi’s ‘On the Road to Spring’ quiltalong. I changed it up a bit by altering the size of the rectangles, adding in the thin white strips on either side of the solid green squares, and adjusting the placement of the blocks.

One of my favorite prints from this line is this larger floral, so I used a large section of it on the back along with a strip of rectangles I had left over from the front. (and yes, the green is the same on the front and the back, though the color certainly looks different depending on how the sun hits it!)

I always had it in mind to bind it in the same green solid that’s used throughout the quilt, but as I was quilting it I kept thinking about purple instead. One of my favorite Kona solids is Raisin – I pulled a piece out after I was done quilting it and was pleased to see that the raisin went quite nicely!

This one ended up measuring about 60″ x 66″ or so – a great size for a throw! It’s listed in the shop, (sold, thanks Kaz!) should anyone be interested…

__
Notes:

Some of the Timber fabrics can be still be purchased at fabricworm or at Hawthorne Threads

The solid green fabric is Moda Bella Pistachio and the binding is Kona Raisin.

part 2 of a summer wardrobe

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:32:31 +0000

Thanks for all the great comments on my new summer clothes! I’ve been getting quite a lot of use out of them recently – though each time I wear a new piece to the beach, someone asks if it’s something I’ve made. I suppose that means it looks homemade… though I think I’ll pretend that it must just mean that they saw it here on the blog!

So while I had the Socialite pattern out, I also made a second out of one of my favorite prints from Heather Ross’s new line -

I love those roses on the gray background! And I love making this dress because it fits perfectly, each and every time!

Something that doesn’t fit quite as nicely is this new shirt made out of gorgeous Little Folks voile -

This is based off of Simplicity 2593. I kind of guessed at the size, and then ignored most of the directions, so I’m fairly certain that it’s not put together correctly. I added to the length and added a casing for some 3/8″ elastic at the bottom hem. I like that part a lot, so I might have to make some modifications and try something similar again.

Next up was another Anna Maria Horner pattern… the Evening Empire Dress. I kept it simple and just used the solid voile in river rock and followed the pattern for Option A. I loved making this dress because I followed all the steps (though I made thinner straps) and ended up making something that looks pretty professional. I feel like I also learned some new dressmaking skills in the process.

I forgot that I needed extra fabric for the lining though, so I ended up having to buy another piece so I could finish it up. The solid brown voile wasn’t available, so I went with a patterned voile instead, and I actually think it’s kind of a fun surprise.

If I made it again, I’d need to modify the top portion a bit. It doesn’t fit as closely as I’d like under the arms, and now that it’s all complete, I’m not sure how I can fix it. I guess I’ll just have to keep my arms by my sides so no one can take a peek down my dress!

And lastly, another dress…

I probably shouldn’t be counting this as ‘new’ summer clothes, since this is one I made last summer. I finally finished it this summer though, so now I can actually wear it!

No pattern on this one – I made it up as I went along, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. So happy that I’m thinking about trying to make another… (if only I could remember exactly how I made it!)

Thanks for taking a look at my new summer wardrobe!

(and thanks again to my sister for being the perfect model!)

a summer wardrobe, part I

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:20:12 +0000

What a great long weekend! It’s been super hot here, so having three days to spend by the lake was just perfect. In between the swimming and relaxing, I attempted a little more sewing on the boat. My brother tells me that all quilting all the time makes me boring, so I put it down for a minute to go waterskiing (typically just once a summer, so I guess I’m done for the year?)

And in between all of that, we had a little photoshoot at the beach. My sister was the willing (though pantless!) model – thanks Whit!

Typically once a year I get inspired to make myself new summer clothes. This year it all started with the Anna Maria Horner Socialite dress and kind of snowballed from there. Now I’m just trying to resist the urge to turn all the fabric I own into summer clothes!

I actually made the Socialite dress last year, though I used a solid just so I could test the fit. I never got around to making another in a fun fabric. Then I happened to see one on Flickr made out of Anna Maria Horner’s Volumes fabric and I absolutely had to make the same thing. (I typically don’t like to make something exactly the same as someone else, but this time I just couldn’t resist.)

My favorite part might be the tiny part of the pattern that you can see on either side of the dress. I spent a little longer than necessary making sure they all lined up exactly (and probably no one will notice except me!)

I’ve mentioned my favorite local fabric shop, right? Well, the trouble is I go there and I end up powerless to resist the new fabrics, specifically the new Nani Iro double gauze. Especially when the shop owner is in there wearing a shirt made out of said fabric. Before I knew it, I had a couple yards in my bag and the name of the pattern so I could make one too!

I’m in love with this fabric, and the shirt pattern as well. So easy and quick! The pattern is Simplicity 3835.

And since that one was so easy, I decided to try another version using a men’s button down shirt. (Turquoise gingham might not have been my first choice, but that’s what was available!)

This one was pretty quick too since I left the button placket intact and used the existing hemmed edge.

And the last shirt for the day… this quick little tank top in voile. It was completely inspired by this one I saw over on Craft jr., though I added to the length and added straps.

And there you have it – a few summer pieces, just in time for 90 degree temperatures!

the unfurnished quilt in a queen size

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:58:03 +0000

I love big quilts! And despite being slightly intimidated by their size, every time I actually make one, I love it. This quilt is made entirely of Denyse Schmidt’s Hope Valley which I think pairs so nicely with the Kona Coal used for sashing. (The pattern is my Unfurnished pattern.) I altered the length of the blocks (upping them to 19″ in length, and a variety of widths), and did 5 columns, which results in a nearly perfect queen sized quilt.

Do you remember my fabulous new sewing table? What I didn’t mention at that time was that Erich and I worked out a trade – the sewing table for a new quilt for his bed (and yes, I’m quite sure I got the better end of this deal!) And since the sewing table has already been getting quite a lot of use, I’m really feeling the pressure to get this quilt finished!

I think it’s looking good so far… Now onto the backing!!

(and no, we don’t usually keep rolls of quilts in our bedroom… but since we have a guest coming who will want a bed to sleep in, the quilts had to find a temporary new home…)

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend. I’m looking forward to some swimming, boating, and another fabulous fireworks display!

gifts from friends

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:29:16 +0000

I was so happy to find this absolutely gorgeous potholder in my mailbox recently! I don’t think anything could be better than flea market fancy and hexagons!

It was made for me by the extremely talented Chris, of Izzy Inspired. I had a chance to meet Chris in person while I was in California this Spring. We share a love of quilting, Flea Market Fancy, and also a love of hexagons.

And take a closer look at the handstitching – amazing! Not a single visible stitch between those hexagons! (I’m still trying to figure out her technique!)

Thank you ever so much Chris for such a fabulously thoughtful gift! It makes me smile each time I enter the kitchen.

Now this one isn’t technically a gift, but rather a giveaway win, but I think I’m going to continue thinking it was made just for me! I loved it as soon as I saw this cute little mini quilt over on Krista’s blog, Spotted Stones, and then when I found out she was giving it away, I had my name in the hat in no time! I was thrilled to find that I had won – this little quilt is just fabulous!

I can’t wait to find the perfect spot for it on my sewing room wall. It is the perfect first mini quilt for my mini quilt wall! Thanks Krista!

And here’s a quick shot of what I’ve been working on…

Yay for new summer clothes!