What’s in a Name?

In the case of this 45″x 54″ quilt/wallhanging I designed for Island Batik’s “Looking Back” challenge, the title is sadly ironic.

You see, I began designing this fun little quilt a few months ago. The challenge was to take a vintage quilt pattern and use it as inspiration for a modern style quilt. I chose the traditional “Hourglass” block, also commonly called a quarter-square triangle. This pattern features 3″, 6″ and 9″ Hourglass blocks, and I titled the pattern “Plenty of Time.”

In mid March, my life was turned upside down, when my mother was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. My weekends, usually my quilting time, were suddenly spent sitting by Mom’s hospital bed, and the top for this quilt was sewn during the few evenings I had to myself in a hotel room. The doctors had told us we might have up to six months. As it turned out, we had just six weeks. We said our goodbyes on May 15th.

For the last week of her earthly life, I slept in a recliner next to Mom’s bed at Peace Hospice in Great Falls. One night I dreamt of her passing from this world into the next, and into the welcoming arms of my grandparents and a host of friends and family members who have gone before.

I have tried several times to change the title for this quilt, but it won’t let me. “Plenty of Time” just seems right.

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Thanks to Island Batiks for providing the fabrics. I used a package of 5″ squares, and the “Stash Builder” bundle of 5″ x 21″ strips, cut into 5″ squares, plus a few larger scraps and yardage.

The quilt was sewn with thread provided by Aurifil, and quilted by Kathy Brown at the Creative Needle in Shelby MT.

Batting provided by Hobbs.

Want to see more great quilts inspired by vintage quilts? Check out the blogs of my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors:

Den Syende Himmel

Busy Hands Quilts

PamelaQuilts

Ark Angel Creations

Desert Bloom Quilting

Freemotion by the River

Yellow Cat Quilt Designs

Quilting Affection Designs

Inquiring Quilter

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Clever Chameleon

Sarah Goer Quilts

Mania for Quilts

Steph Jacobson

Inchworm Fabrics

Kauffman Designs

Moosestash Quilting 

BeaQuilter

Gateway Quilts & Stuff

Carole Lyles Shaw

Sally Manke

Mary Mack Made Mine

Kathleen McMusing

heARTs Creations

Sew Karen-ly Created

If These Threads Could Talk

The Quilt Rambler

Devoted Quilter

Slice of Pi Quilts

Creative Blonde

Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Masterpiece Quilting

Patterns by Jen

Powered by Quilting

Quilt in a not-Shell

Dizzy Quilter

Curlicue Creations

Lizard Creek Quilts

Little Bunny Quilts

MMM Quilts

Sew Increadibly Crazy

Adventerous Applique and Quilting

Sweetgrass Designs

Living Water Quilter

Whispers of Yo

 

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Making the Case for “Quilt Bibs”

My second Layer Cake® quilt pattern for Moda Fabrics has posted on the Moda Bake Shop blog. It’s called “Stargazer“, and I made the sample quilt with 10” squares from the new 30’s Playtime 2017 collection, paired with a royal blue Bella Solid, also by Moda Fabrics.

The Stargazer quilt is 64″ x 84″ as shown, which includes a 4″ solid blue border across the top of the quilt to give it the length I prefer for a twin bed quilt. That border also gave me an opportunity to include a practical feature that I have only seen once, on a vintage quilt in an antique shop.

It was a strip of muslin folded over the top edge of the quilt and basted in place. There was a row of daisies embroidered  along the bottom edge. I wish I could have purchased the quilt, or at least taken a photo of it. When I described it to her, my Grandma Wiens explained that the muslin strip was a “bib” or a “whisker guard”.

If your quilts are used as blankets, as mine are meant to be, they are most likely to become soiled along the top edge by body oils and/or worn through by whisker stubble as they get tucked up under chins on chilly nights. Can you imagine trying to launder a quilt by hand, or even in a wringer washing machine? So, Grandma explained, she would baste a strip of muslin over the top edge of the quilt. Instead of washing the whole quilt, she only had to snip the basting thread, pull the “bib” off, launder it, and baste it back into place!

I did a little online research and found another form of quilt bib. This one was a sort of long, narrow casing that slips over the top edge of the quilt.

To make mine, I purchased 5/8 yard of one of the fabrics in the 30’s Playtime 2017 collection. I cut one 8.5″ x 40.5″ strip and two 8.5″ x 13″ strips, then sewed the shorter strips to the ends of the longer strip.

Hem the two long edges. I used my rolled-hem foot. Going over the seams was a little tricky, but if you go slowly and use a stiletto, it is a nice finish. If you don’t have a rolled hem foot…or aren’t on speaking terms with it…you can cut your strips 9″ wide and turn under a quarter-inch and a quarter-inch again, press and sew with a straight seam.

Next, I sewed the lace along one long edge on the right side of the piece to hide the basting stitches that would fasten it to the quilt, and keep them from snagging little fingers.

Then I folded the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and  sewed the ends. Be sure to backstitch the ends of the seam. I added a second seam for strength, but it really isn’t necessary. Trim the  top corner and turn the piece right-side-out.

Slip the casing over the top edge of the quilt, and baste in place. I used approx 1″ basting stitches, tucked under the edge of the lace. Be sure you baste through both sides of the casing, the entire length of the quilt.

Of course, there are other options for attaching the bib to the quilt. You could sew several buttons at intervals along the border of the quilt, and button holes on the casing. Remember you will need them on both sides of the quilt. A row of snap tape front and back would also work.

I don’t expect quilt bibs to come back into vogue anytime soon, but it was fun to take a step into history for this project.

 

Twinkle, Twinkle, Scrappy Star….

My, how colorful you are!

      Recently I was cutting some fabric leftovers and discovered I was winding up with a lot of 4.5″ and 2.5″ squares. a few months ago, I finished a quilt with Sawtooth Star blocks made with fabrics from each of the projects I’ve made over the past couple of years.

“My Colorful Life” 2016 by Anne Wiens

      After I finish a project, I cut up any leftover strips of fabric less than a quarter-yard into Thrifty Quilter pieces for use later in scrap quilts. I decided to go ahead and make up an 8″ Sawtooth Star or two, and set them aside, adding to the stack until I had enough for a quilt. All the rest of the pieces went into my TQ bins. I was surprised at how quickly I collected the 35 blocks I needed for this 44″ x 60″ quilt!

     I like this little quilt. It’s really a material diary of my projects for 2015 and 2016!

     I decided to do another star quilt “diary” for this year’s projects, which will include class samples, demo samples, a challenge project, and charity quilts.

     Looking at my growing collection of 2.5″ squares and 4.5″ squares, I decided on a variation of the classic “Ohio Star” block. I’m thinking this quilt will become a class for the Tucker Trimmer® rotary cutting tool, because I’ll be making a lot of half-square triangles (HSTs) and quarter-square triangles (QSTs).

For each block you will need:

Two 4.5″ sq for background (White-not shown)

Two 4.5″ sq for star points (Dk Teal)

Three 4.5″ sq for star background (Lt Teal)

One  4.5″ sq for accent diamond (Lt Orange)

One 3.5″ sq for star center (Red)

Four 2.5″ sq for optional corner accent (Dk Orange)

Let’s begin construction by making the HST. For this, you need the two 4.5″ background (white) squares, and two of the 4.5″ star background (light teal) squares. Cut each square diagonally and sew into two HSTs.

Step 1. Lay the Tucker Trimmer® on the HST, aligning the diagonal line with the seam line. Be sure the HST extends beyond the 3.5″ vertical and horizontal dashed lines on the tool.

Step 2. Trim the right and top edges.

Step 3. Rotate the HST, line the diagonal line up on the seam again. This time the cut edges snug right up to the 3.5″ vertical and horizontal dashed lines. Trim the right and top edges.

You now have four perfect 3.5″ HSTs. To be honest, you can do this with any small ruler that has a diagonal line in the corner.

The Tucker Trimmer® earns its keep when we make QSTs, and we’ll do that now. Cut the remaining 4.5″ star background (light teal) square, the 4.5″ accent diamond (light orange) square, and two star point (dark teal) squares diagonally twice, and sew into four QSTs as shown.

When you look at the tucker trimmer, you’ll notice that in addition to the solid diagonal line from corner to corner, there are dashed diagonal lines running in the opposite direction.

When making QSTs, you line the solid diagonal line with one diagonal seam, and the appropriate (3.5″ in our case) dashed diagonal line with the other seam. Trim two sides, rotate and trim the other two sides, as you did before.

Ohio Star – Variation 1

Lay out your center square, star point units and corner units as shown at right. This would be one variation of this block, and you may decide this is the look you want.

I’m going to set my blocks side-by-side, which will leave large white diamonds in the corners where the blocks come together. If I were going to send this quilt to a certain longarm artist I know, I’d leave that as a canvas for her to show off her mad skills. Instead, I’m going to add accent triangles to those white corners.

We’ll use the stitch-and-flip method for these accent triangles.

Step 1. Draw a diagonal line on the back of the 2.5″ accent (dark orange) squares. Align the square with the white corner on the HST, and sew on the drawn line.

Step 2. Trim 1/4″ outside the seam line.

Step 3. Press the corner into place.

Now you can lay out the center square, corner units and star point units. Sew into rows and sew the rows together to complete your Ohio Star block.

Ohio Star Variation 2 – 2016 by Anne Wiens

My plan is to make and collect these Ohio Star blocks until I have about twenty. I have a pretty interesting border treatment in mind that would be kind of traditional, but kind of modern. In my mind, it’s a great quilt. Time will tell if it translates to fabric!

 

Scrap Quilt Challenge

One of my favorite Facebook groups is Scrap Quilt Challenge, run by Shannon, whose day job is running a quilt shop – Fabrics N Quilts in Jamestown, Tennessee. The 5th annual Scrap Quilt Challenge is underway, and Shannon has asked several of her designer friends to help provide inspiration to the challenged by posting a scrap quilt pattern on our blogs. No problem. After all, scrap quilt patterns are what I do!

If this is your first visit to “Seams Like a Plan”, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to look back over my previous posts. My first post explains the basics of my Thrifty Quilter scrap management system and how I came to write my book, The Thrifty Quilter:Make (Nearly) Free Quilts from Leftover Fabric .  Another post from this January goes into a little more detail. In between, you’ll find a few block and project patterns and tutorials.

Now, on to the Scrap Challenge block you were promised.

“Showcase A”
by Anne Wiens – 2015

Yes, there is a “Showcase B” block, which I posted a few weeks ago. Click HERE to go to that blog. I know…I know…logically, “A” should have been posted before “B”. I don’t even have a logical excuse, if I need an excuse at all. I guess I was just in a contrary mood. 😉

I called these blocks “Showcase” because they’re perfect for showing off print scraps that you don’t really want to chop up into smaller pieces.

Showcase A – Parts & Pieces

For each block you will need:

Main Print – One 8.5″ square

Dark – Eight 2.5″ squares

Medium – Twelve 2.5″ squares

Light – Four 2.5″ squares and Eight 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles

Step 1a: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each of the dark and medium squares.

Step 1b

Step 1b – Lay a medium square on each corner of your 8.5″ main print square. Sew on the drawn lines and trim 1/4″ outside the seam line. Press the corners open. Set this unit aside.

Step 2

Step 2 – Use the rest of your dark and medium squares and the light rectangles to make eight flying geese units. Four geese should have the dark on the right side and four should have the dark on the left side, as shown. Sew the geese into pairs so you have a large dark triangle between two smaller medium triangles (just as they’re laid out above.)

Step 3

Step 3 – Sew one flying geese pair to the left side of your center unit, and another flying geese pair to the right side.

Step 4

Step 4 – Sew 2.5″ light squares to the ends of the two remaining flying geese pairs. Sew one strip to the top of your center unit and the other to the bottom, to complete your Showcase A block.

My plan is to use a “solid” setting with no sashing between the blocks, and alternate Showcase A and Showcase B blocks. Twelve blocks (six of each) with a 4″ border would make a 44″ x 56″ crib-size quilt. For a lap-size quilt, I would need twenty blocks (ten of each). Thirty-five blocks (17 of one, 18 of the other) would make a generous twin-size quilt, and you would need 56 (28 each) for a queen-size quilt.

Ready to accept the Scrap Quilt Challenge?

Click on the icon below for details.

Happy Scrapping!

Question: What Do You Give a Quilter Who Has an Overflowing Scrap Stash?

Answer: More scraps, of course!

A while ago my friend Elaine shared with me a stack of fabric samples a shop down the Hi-Line (that’s U.S. Highway 2 in Montana-speak) had given her. There were some great tone-on-tones and small prints perfect for cutting into Thrifty Quilter pieces. Several of them were fun novelty prints that were just too cute to chop up, so I chose a baker’s dozen of them and decided this would be a perfect chance to try out my newest tool from Studio 180 Designs – The Corner Pop® trim tool.

This tool is designed to help you put triangular corners on right-angle corners, and do so more accurately than with the standard stitch-and-flip method.

The block I had in mind is one I called “Showcase B”. Yes, there is a “Showcase A”, but I think I’m going to save that one for a special block in September.

Parts & Pieces for the Showcase B block.

For each block, you will need:

Novelty Print: one 8.5″ square

Dark: eight 2.5″ squares

Accent Color: six 3.5″ squares

White: two 3.5″ squares, four 2.5″ squares and four 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles

Note: Perhaps you have noticed that the novelty print shown in the photo above does not match the one in the finished block at the top of this post. I can explain.

WARNING: Do NOT lose the chart that comes with your Corner Pop tool!

There is a chart in the instruction sheet that comes with the Corner Pop® tool, and I had marked it for use on another project…with larger corners. Don’t do that.

Okay, back to business:

Step 1a

Step 1a- I pressed diagonal creases in my 8.5″ novelty print square.

Step 1b

Step 1b- Use the chart to determine the size of the triangle you need to trim from the  corners of the novelty print square. For this block, I needed a 2″ cut on all four corners. Double-check the chart. You only get one chance make this cut!

Step 1c

Cut two of the 3.5″ squares diagonally to make four triangles. Center a triangle on the cut edge of the novelty square. I folded the triangle in half, then aligned the crease with the crease on my large square. Sew a 1/4″ seam and press.

Step 1d

Step 1d- Now you can use the Corner Pop® tool to trim the corner to its finished size.

That’s it. By the time you get to the 4th corner on this block, you’ll be an expert!

Click HERE for Deb Tucker’s tutorial on this handy tool.

Back to the block:

Step 2- Cut the four 3.5″ white squares and four 3.5″ accent color squares diagonally. Sew into eight half-square triangles (HSTs) and trim each one to 2.5″ squares.  I illustrated this in the July 5th blog.

Step 3- Use the eight 2.5″ dark squares and the 2.5″ x 4.5″ white rectangles to make four flying geese units. This post from last fall will explain the stitch-and-flip method.

Step 4a

Step 4a- Sew the HSTs to the flying geese units as shown. Make four of these strips.

Step 4b

Step 4b- Sew two of the strips to the sides of the novelty square.

Step 5a

Step 5a- Sew the 2.5″ white squares to the ends of the remaining strips.

Showcase 2 – Anne Wiens 2015

Step 5b- Sew these strips to the top and bottom to complete your Showcase B block.

Here’s to the Kids Next Door

Once again, the folks across the street and a couple doors down put on quite a fireworks show last evening. It was interrupted by a pretty serious thunderstorm, but eventually Mother Nature conceded. Her lightning show, though pretty impressive, couldn’t beat the neighborhood pyrotechnics.

The block pictured at the top of this blog reminds me of fireworks, so I will call it:

“4th of July”

Here’s the recipe:

Fabric for “4th of July”

For each block you will need:

Dark Blue – one 2.5″ square and two 4.5″ squares

Light Blue – two 3.5″ squares and four 3.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles

Red – two 3.5″ squares

White #1 – four 3.5″ squares

White #2 – eight 3.5″ squares and two 4.5″ squares

Step 1a

Step 1a – Cut the 3.5″ light blue and two of the white#1 squares diagonally, and sew into 4 half-square triangles (HSTs).

Use a Tucker Trimmer® or another ruler with a 45° line in the corner to trim the HSTs to 2.5″. Lay the trimmer on the HST with the diagonal line on the seam, and the piece extending beyond the 2.5″ dotted lines. Trim the right and top edges.

Step 1b

Step 1b – Rotate the HST and lay the trimmer on it again, aligning the diagonal line with the seam. This time the piece should line up with the 2.5″ dotted lines. Again, trim the right side and top.

Make 4 light blue and white HSTs.

Step 2a

Step 2a – Cut the 3.5″ red squares and 3.5″ white#1 squares diagonally twice and sew into four quarter-square triangles (QSTs).

Trim the QSTs to 2.5″. Notice that the Tucker Trimmer® gives you a dashed 2.5″ line so you can align the ruler with both seams. This is an incredibly handy tool to have in your collection.

Step 2b

Step 2b – Rotate the QST, re-align the trimmer and trim the right and top edges.

Make 4 red and white#1 QSTs.

Step 3

Step 3 – Now you can lay out the HSTs, QSTs and the 2.5″ dark blue square and sew into a star. This is the center of your block. Set it aside.

Step 4

Step 4 – Cut the 4.5″ dark blue and white#2 squares diagonally once. Make four HSTs and trim each one to 3.5″ square. Set these aside.

Step 5

Step 5 – “Use the Stitch and Flip” method to make four flying geese units from the 3.5″ x 6.5″ light blue rectangles, and the 3.5″ white#2 squares.

a- Draw a diagonal line on the back of each white square. Align the first square with the right edge of the rectangle so the line runs from top center to lower right. Sew on the line, trim 1/4″ to the right and press open.

b (illustrated here) – align the second square with the left edge of the rectangle with the line running from top center to lower left. Sew on the line, trim 1/4″ to the left and press open.

Note: Do not throw those “waste” triangles away. I have a block coming in September that will use them!

Step 6

Step 6 – To finish, lay out the center star, the flying geese units and dark blue HSTs and sew together, completing your “4th of July” block.

Next time – a block to show off those larger novelty print scraps.

My Thrifty Valentine – The Quilt

In my last post, I showed you a couple of ways to make a “Candy Heart” quilt block.

“Candy Heart” blocks by Anne Wiens – 2015

Then I left you with a little cliff-hanger. My plan was to sash them with white-on-white, but would I set them straight or on point? Okay, so that’s not so much a “cliff hanger” as a “standing on the top of the cliff and peering over the edge.”

In the end, I did neither.

Candy Hearts Quilt – by Anne Wiens, 2015

I made 20 Candy Heart blocks, and sewed them into four rows of five blocks each.

The sashing strips (5 of them) are 3″ wide.

The top and bottom border rows are made of fifteen 3″ Squares.

Here’s what you would need to make this 45″ x 57″ quilt:

I made my blocks using Option 2 in the Candy Hearts Blocks post.

I started with twenty 10″ squares of assorted brights, plus ten more 3.5″ print squares.

I needed 1.5 yards of white-on-white.

Cut three 3.5″ x WOF (Width of Fabric) strips and cut into thirty 3.5″ squares. You will need twenty of these squares for the blocks.

Cut five 3.5″ x WOF strips and trim to 39.5″ long. Sew a 3.5″ square to both ends of each strip. These are your sashing strips.

Cut three 2.5″ x WOF strips and cut into forty 2.5″ squares for the blocks.

Cut two 2″ x WOF strips and cut into forty 2″ squares for the blocks.

Sew the blocks into four rows with five blocks in each row. Separate the rows with the sashing strips. Sew two sets of 3.5″ squares with fifteen squares in each row. Add these to the top and bottom of the quilt top.

Cut six 2.25″ x WOF strips for binding. If you prefer a 2.5″ binding strip, you will need 1-5/8 yards of white instead of 1-1/2 yards.

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To make a little larger (54″ x 69″) quilt, you would need:

Thirty 10″ print squares plus six 3.5″ print squares

2-1/4 yards white.

Cut three 3.5″ x WOF squares and cut into thirty 3.5″ squares for blocks.

Cut four 2.5″ x WOF strips and cut into sixty 2.5″ squares for blocks.

Cut three 2″ x WOF strips and cut into sixty 2″ squares for blocks.

Cut six 3.5″ x WOF strips and trim to 39.5″ long.

Cut three 3.5″ x WOF strips. Cut two 15.5″ strips from each, and sew one to each of the 39.5″ strips. These are your sashing strips.

Sew the blocks into five rows with six blocks in each row. Separate the rows with the sashing strips. Sew two sets of 3.5″ squares with eighteen squares in each row. Add these to the top and bottom of the quilt top.

Cut eight 2.25 (or 2.5″) x WOF strips of white for binding.

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Enjoy your Candy Hearts.

I have a very special project coming up for you in April. I’m dying to tell you about it, but sworn to secrecy for a little while longer. Meanwhile, I’m dreaming of spring and working on a little “Crocus” block for you next.

My Thrifty Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day! This post is a day late because the computer ate it last evening. It’s probably my fault for including the photo of the candy hearts. ;0)  I read that they have been around for more than a century!

In lieu of candy cards or flowers, my Valentine to you is a quick and easy Candy Heart block. There are two options for making this 9″ (finished) quilt block.

 

Candy Hearts- Option 1

Option 1 is the Thrifty Quilter scrap block. For each block you will need:

Print- One 6.5″ square and two 3.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles

White: One 3.5″ square and four 2.5″ squares

Candy Hearts – Option 1, Step 1

Step 1 – Use the Stitch & Flip method to put the 2.5″ white squares on opposite corners of the 3.5″ x 6.5″ print rectangles.

Candy Hearts – Option 1, Step 2

Step 2 – Lay out your rectangles, the 6.5″ print and 3.5″ white squares and sew together to complete your Candy Heart block. How simple is that?

Candy Hearts – Option 2

Option 2 is perfect for Layer Cake leftovers. For each block you will need:

Print – One 10″ square

White – One 3.5″ square, two 2.5″ squares and two 2″ squares.

Candy Hearts – Option 2, Step 1

Step 1 is to cut the 10″ square. Trim 3.5″ from the left edge of the square, and 3.5″ from the bottom. This lives you one 6.5″ square, two 3.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles, and a 3.5″ leftover.

Candy Hearts – Option 2 Step 2

Step 2 – Use the Stitch & Flip method to put the 2.5″ squares on the top left corner of one print rectangle, and the top right of the other rectangle.

Candy Hearts – Option 2, Step 3

Step 3 – The 2″ white squares go on the opposite corners of the rectangles.

Candy Hearts – Option 2, Step 4

Step 4 is to lay out the rectangles, the 6.5″ print square and 3.5″ white square and sew the Candy Heart block together.

Candy Hearts – Anne Wiens 2015

I made a mess of these blocks in various candy colors. You could applique, embroider or print a little note on each one, if you want to.

I think I will probably put my blocks together with 3″ (finished) white sashing and use those leftover 3.5″ print squares as the cornerstones. I’m not sure if I’ll set it straight or on-point. Suggestions?

If At First You Don’t Succeed

In my Facebook group, Thrifty Quilters, I like to post photos that have interesting color combinations, and then make quilt blocks using those colors. Last month, I has a winter scene with a little gray and white bird on a branch with red berries. Then I got into my bins of Thrifty Quilter scraps and came up with this block:

Diamond & Pinwheel – Anne Wiens (2014)

I like the pattern, but decided there needs to be more contrast between the gray in the diamond and the gray in the corner triangles. Because you can’t see the print in the grays, you really can’t tell they are two different fabrics.

This month I posted a photo of a colorful little bird with  purple wings, yellow neck and tail feathers, and a bright orange head and then I took another run at this block, which I call “Diamond & Pinwheel”.

Here’s the recipe:

Materials

For each 12″ (finished size) block you will need:

Yellow: Four 3.5″ squares

Orange: Four 4.5″ squares

Purple: Four 3.5″squares and three 4.5″ squares

White: One 4.5″ square and four 3.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles.

Step 1a

Step 1 – Use two 4.5″ orange squares and two 4.5″ purple squares to make four orange/purple half-square triangles (HSTs). Trim to 3.5″. You can do this with any ruler that has a 45° line in a corner. The photo shows a Tucker Trimmer®. Lay the ruler on your HST with the diagonal line on the seam and trim the top and right sides.

Step 1b

Rotate the piece, align the diagonal line with the seam and trim the top and right sides. Set these HSTs aside.

Step 2a

Step 2 – Now we need to make four units that I call “triple triangle squares” (TTSs), because they have three triangles in them…two small and one large.

Start by cutting one 4.5″ white square and one 4.5″ purple square diagonally twice. Cut two 4.5″ orange triangles diagonally once. You should now have four small white triangles, four small purple triangles and four large orange triangles.

Step 2b

Sew the triangles into four units that look like the one in the photo above. Be sure your white and purple triangles are in the correct positions. Trim unit to 3.5″. If you’re using the Tucker Trimmer®, notice that the solid diagonal line is on the long seam, and the broken diagonal line marked “3-1/2” is on the short seam. Trim the top and right sides.

Step 2c

Rotate the piece, align the diagonal lines with the seams, and trim the top and right sides again.

Step 3

Step 3: Sew the HSTs to the TTSs as shown, and set these four units aside.

Step 4a

Step 4 – Now we need to make four “blade” units, using the stitch-and-flip method. Draw a diagonal line on the back of each of the 3.5″ purple squares and 3.5″ yellow squares. The dark lines in the photo are for illustration only. To mark my squares for sewing, I use a drafting pencil with a #4 hard lead. Your lines should be just dark enough that you can see them.

Step 4b

Align the yellow squares with the right edge of the white rectangles as shown above. Sew on the drawn line, trim 1/4″ away from the seam*, and press open.

Step 4c

Rotate the units and align the purple squares with the end of the white rectangle, sew on the drawn line, trim 1/4″ from the seam* and press open.

*Note: If you don’t want to waste those cut-away triangles, sew the bias edges and trim them to 2.5″ squares for use in other projects. You’ll find several ideas in previous posts on this blog.

Step 5

We’re nearly finished. Step 5 is to sew the units you’ve made into four quarter-units as shown above.

Step 6

Step 6 – Sew the four quarter-units together as shown, to complete your Diamond & Pinwheel block.

Season’s Greetings

Christmas is coming on like a bobsled, and I still have gifts to finish, but I stopped today to whip up a little something for you.

Surprise…it’s a quilt block! :0)  It’s a 10″ (finished) block, and I called it “A Christmas Wreath”.

Here’s the recipe:

For each block you will need:

One 6-1/2″ square novelty print

Three 3.5″ red squares

Three 3.5″ light green squares

Four 3.5″ dark green squares

Six 3.5″ white squares

Four 2.5″ white squares

I used a Tucker Trimmer® to make the half-square triangles (HSTs) and quarter-square triangles (QSTs). If you’re not familiar with this tool, CLICK HERE for a previous post that goes into more detail on its use.

Step 1a

The first step is to put white corners on the novelty print square.

Draw a diagonal line on the back of each of your 2.5″ white squares. Lay a square on a corner of the 6.5″ novelty print square and sew on the line, then trim 1/4″ outside the line. Repeat with all four corners.

Step 1b

Press the corners open. Set this center section aside.

Step 2a

Step 2b

Step 2 is to make four red and white HSTs. Cut two of the red 3.5″ squares and two 3.5″ white squares in half diagonally, and sew the red and white halves together. I press my seams open, but you can press to the dark side if you prefer. Use the Tucker Trimmer® to trim the HSTs to 2.5″ as illustrated. above.

Step 3a

For Step 3, we need to make QSTs. Cut all of the remaining 3.5″ squares diagonally twice.

Step 3c

Step 3b

Sew eight QSTs, each with two dark green triangles, one light green triangle and one white triangle, then use the Tucker Trimmer® to square them to 2.5″ as illustrated above.

You will also need four QSTs, each with two white triangles, one red triangle and one light green triangle. Square them to 2.5″ as well.

Step 4a

Sew the QSTs into four units as pictured above.

Step 4b

Sew two of the QST strips to the sides of the center unit.

Step 4c

To finish your block, sew the HSTs to the remaining QST strips as shown, and sew to the top and bottom of the center unit.

Of course, just because I called it a wreath and used red and green fabrics, that doesn’t mean you have to.

Merry Christmas!