Birthday Quilt Top

With the days a bit quieter now that the holidays are over, I finally got a chance to sew the blocks for the birthday quilt together. The pattern is “Windows” from the book, Just One Charm Pack Quilts by Cheryl Brickey.

While it looks like it was set on the diagonal, the strips of blocks in this quilt actually run straight across, making it really easy to assemble!

I have a yellow green and aqua fabric with a diamond pattern for the backing, so it echoes with front in a slightly different colorway.

I was thinking about quilting it in the ditch in a square grid, but maybe I’ll quilt the diagonal…

"Breezy Day" Star & Half-Square Triangle Quilt

Here it is—my “Breezy Day” lap quilt. The name was inspired by the fabric in the quilt, rather than the quilt’s design. IF I’d gone with the quilt design, it might have been “Stars on the Stairs”. At least, that what it looks like to me!

There is straight line quilting along the long white diagonals—just under the “stairs” as it were! The quilting starts at 1/2 inch between the lines of stitching, decreases to 1/4 inch and then 1/8 inch “match stick” over 6 rows of stitching. It will create great texture to the quilt once it has been washed.

I had a hard time deciding what to do with the large half square triangle blocks. The diagonal stitches run through the light side of the half square triangle block, but there was still a large section of the block without any quilting. The floral fabric design is so organic, that I didn’t want all the quilting be be straight line.

If finally decided to go with a free-motion quilted large spiral in the dark green block and echo that with a 1 inch spiral in the light half of the block. I love it!

Spiral Free-motion quilting and match stick straight line quilting

I did a stitch-in-the-ditch with my walking foot around each of the stars. I started in one corner of the central square, stitched around the square and then around the star points. This made it possible to quilt the entire star without stopping until it was completed quilted. This works on a small quilt with my domestic sewing machine but would be a struggle with a large quilt. On a large quilt, it would be better done free-motion or on a long-arm machine.

The fabric on the back of the quilt is an irregular linear grid design which I think is a perfect complement to the organic floral design fabric on the front of the quilt.

So that’s it—a lap quilt from design to completion.

Batik Christmas Ornament Quilt

Every other Thursday evening at 6:00PM EST, Bits ‘n Pieces Quilt Shop in Pelham, NH has a live on-line sale on Facebook. The blue and white ornament batik, the dark blue and the white on white snowflake fabrics were a set of fabrics I purchased up on one of these sales. (I added the green accent on the front and used the same green for the back).

I had so much fun with the “Four Patch for the Fourth” quilt pattern I designed, that used it again for this lap Christmas lap quilt. It works up really quickly and I like the design.

I had quite a bit of fabric leftover after I finished piecing this quilt, so I went back to my EQ8 quilt program and tweaked the design for the next time! That’s one of the great thing about designing quilts on a computer!

Instead of the diagonal quilting I did in the Fourth of July quilt, I echoed the squares in the design. I like it both ways!

Lilliebelle, a newborn size Waldorf type Doll I made earlier this year, is enjoying this quilt in the rocking chair.

If you celebrate, Merry Christmas! Hope you have a lovely time with friends and family this year!

Four Patch Quilt: "Four Patch for the Fourth"

The quilt which I started cutting out in my post last week is done in time for the Fourth of July! This is my design, a simple four patch block quilt that I call “Four Patch for the Fourth.” It’s a small quilt…just big enough for two little children to sit on together.

It’s a easy quilt and sews up quickly.

I love blocks that have 4 sections such as this four patch block or pinwheel blocks. In order to have the seams on the back of the block lie as flat as possible, the seams and be “spun”. The top seam can be gently opened up so that one side of the seam can be pressed upward and the other side pressed downward. The result is a tiny four patch on the back of the block. I think of these tiny central blocks as a hidden quilt in a quilt!

The back of a 4 patch block with the seams “spun”. Note how each of the four seams is pressed toward a different patch, so the seams look like the vanes in a windmill.

All the quilting in this quilt was done with a walking foot. Each of the square blocks as been quilted and there is diagonal quilting across the large blocks to anchor them.

It’s easy to keep a long diagonal course of quilting straight by marking it using painter’s tape. Lay down the tape, quilt the line just beside the tape, not ON the tape. Then remove the tape. Do not leave the tape on the quilt for a long time. I find I can tape 2 diagonal lines at a time. But if I tape more than 2 diagonals, the tape tends to lift off the quilt as I’m stitching. Once the long diagonal line is quilted, additional lines of quilting can be added following the initial diagonal line with the edge of the walking foot. Remove the tape before addition parallel lines of stitching. The tape could be left in place but it’s easier to quilt additional lines without the tape on the quilt.

Don’t use masking tape which may leave glue residue on the fabric.

This quilt looks great on the back of a rocking chair too. I like summer quilts that are on the small size. It’s just too hot in the summer to have a big lap quilt.

Here’s my Fourth of July quilt with Douglas, a classic Waldorf type doll which I made.

Ready for Staying at Home on July 4th, 2020.

Have a safe, happy, and healthy weekend!

Four Patch Quilt for Fourth of July

“Can she do it???”

I got this collection of fabrics in the mail from Bits ‘n Pieces Quilt Shop in New Hampshire yesterday. The two focus fabrics and a different red fabric were one of their weekly “3 yard picks” that they showcase on their Sunday Facebook Live at 1 PM EDT.

So I have 10 days from today to get a quilt made for the Fourth of July holiday to make this 37 x 45 inch quilt.

The two feature fabrics were designed by Beth Albert for a line called “American Spirit” printed by 3 Wishes Fabric ™. The dark blue tonal is for the back of the quilt is “Shadow Play” by Maywood studio. Then there is a one of the Kona® cotton reds from my stash and a white on white with a cherry design which has been in my stash for years.

Here’s a mock up of the quilt I designed in Electric Quilt 8. First as a line drawing, and then as a mock up with the focus fabrics shown.

If you want to make this four patch quilt, here is the information you need to cut the pieces. This isn’t a pattern but this does give the information needed to make this quilt.

The four patch blocks are cut as 4 1/2 inch squares and the large feature fabric blocks are cut as 8 1/2 inch squares. The completed blocks will finish at 8 inches square. The tiny white outer border is cut at 1 inch and finishes at 1/2 inch. The outer border is 2 inches wide. The red border blocks are cut at 2 1/2 inches square. The top and bottom blue border strips are cut at 7 1/4 x 21/2 inches and the blue side border strips are cut at 9 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches.

“It should go together quickly" she said. We’ll see whether or not that’s really true!

Dalmations in Diamonds

Here's the quilt I'm working on now. This collection of fabrics was very deep down in my stash! 

I do love the doggy feature fabric.  It's called "Firehouse Friends" and was printed by Alexander Henry Fabrics in 2006.  These dogs have such sweet faces! The dogs are Dalmations but the number of dogs and the general chaos in this design remind me of foxhounds before a hunt.

"Firehouse Friends" by Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection, copyright 2006

The quilt pattern is from Fons and Porter's Fun Quilts for Kids, 2012.  I really like how the small diamonds in the borders echo the large diamonds in the blocks.  Note: If you use this quilt pattern, the instructions in the book for the central blocks do not make a closed inner diamond. The points are blunted, as they would be in a snowball block. If you want a true square- in-a-square block, you need to cut your fabric differently.  You can find square-in-a-square calculators with specific cutting instructions for any size block with a simple Google search.

The quilt pattern in the book has two additional borders. I like the way the quilt looks now. I'll bring the deep blue back in the binding when the quilt is done.

Bonus:  Because I used the fold over method of making the diamonds in the central blocks, I have 24 half square triangle blocks from the trimmings. That's a head start on another quilt!  But I think I should finish this one first!

Pink and Aqua with Stars Quilt

The Pink and Aqua with Stars lap quilt is done! 

Stars you ask?  If you look carefully, you will find 2 large hot pink/red 8 pointed stars with 16 patch centers. it also features squares in squares, both large and small,  and 3 chains of grey patches, one long and two short!

The quilt has one border, on the bottom, featuring triangles that look like pennants hanging on a line. 

This really is lap quilt.  The colors and pattern play best together when seen at close.