Show & Tell
Here is a show and tell from the talented
quilters of the Redbud Quilt Guild.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Away Down South ~ February
Checkered Allegiances
We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's
2013 Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.
Fabric Requirements:
Fabric A: Light
2 - 4 3/4'' squares
Fabric B: Medium Light
2 - 4 3/4'' squares
Fabric C: Dark
1 - 7 1/4'' square - cut on diagonal twice (x)
Fabric D: Medium Dark
1 - 7 1/4'' square - cut on diagonal twice (x)
Fabric E: Gold
2 - 1 1/2'' x 12 1/2'' strips
2 - 1 1/2'' x 14 1/2'' strips
Fabric F: Red
1 - 6'' square (for applique)
Layout squares as shown and sew together in
2 rows. Press seam in row 1 to the left and
seam in row 2 to the right. Then sew rows together.
On the long final seam of the 4-patch,
use a seam ripper to take out the 2 or 3
stitches inside the seam in the center.
With your fingers open up that center so
it looks like a teeny 4-patch in the center.
The seams will fall open naturally as to where
they should go. Press seams and you will notice
all the seams fall in the same direction ~ like
a pinwheel. This will be important later.
Layout triangles as shown and sew
together, press seam to the right
(when you look at it from the right side).
This is the step where the seam pressing becomes
important. Place the long edge of a triangle unit
on one of the edges of the 4-patch and at the center
seams you want to seams to "lock" or butt up
against each other, pin seam and sew. Press
seam to the outside.
Sew a triangle to the opposite side of
the 4-patch. By using the method of
pressing seams a certain way and locking
them together before sewing, you will have
more precise intersections and less bulk
and waviness to your block.
Trim the dog ears from each side.
Add the triangles to the remaining 2
sides as shown above. Square block
to 12 1/2''. Take care when squaring
block to be sure the distance from the
side of the block to the point in the center
of each side is 1/4'', since the frame is only
1'' there's not much room for fudging...
Pin a Fabric E 12 1/2'' strip to 2 opposite
sides of the block. Sew on the side shown
above so you can see the point, you want to
sew a thread width above the point as you
are sewing your seam. Press seams to the
outside.
And that is how you will end up with
a perfect point like this one.
Add the Fabric E 14 1/2'' strips to the
2 remaining sides, using the "perfect
point" technique shown above. Press
seams to the outside.
Applique a heart or star to the center as desired.
Check out everyone's work on
Dustin's Flickr site:
American Homestead is now on
Facebook ~ please "like" my page.
Away Down South... January
Her Flag Flying
We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's
2013 Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.
Fabric Requirements:
Fabric A: Blue
1 - 10 1/2'' square - cut on
the diagonal twice.
Fabric B: Red
2 - 2 5/8'' x 8 1/2'' strips
1 - 2 5/8'' x 18 1/2'' strip
Fabric C: Gold
2 - 1 1/2'' x 12 1/2'' strip
2 - 1 1/2'' x 14 1/2'' strip
1 - 6'' square - for applique
Layout Fabric A triangles and Fabric B
2 5/8'' x 8 1/2'' strip as shown.
Sew together as shown and press
seams to the outside.
Square up corner.
Make 2.
Take above units and fold in half along long edge,
finger press and mark with a pin. Do the same with
the long edge of 18 1/2'' Fabric B strip, match up the
centers with right sides together and pin along edge.
Sew together and press seams to the triangles.
Repeat to other side of strip.
Square to 12 1/2''.
Sew a Fabric C 12 1/2'' strip to each side of
block, press seams to the outside. Sew a
Fabric C 14 1/2'' strip to the top and bottom
of block, press seams to the outside.
Applique a star or heart to the center as desired.
Check out everyone's work
on
Dustin's Flickr site:
American Homestead is now on
Facebook ~ please "like" my page.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Honoring Women's Rights ~ Week 23
Girl's Joy
We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's
Block of the Week, Grandmother's Choice
Yeeps! I have been away from this project
for 10 weeks. I had professional deadlines
that I HAD to attend to and due to that I had
to put aside the things I do for fun. But, I have
some free time right now and I'm happy to
come back to this project. I just told Mr.
Wonderful yesterday that I feel I really
NEED to go back to my community.
Now I want to make clear this is how I
made this block so it may be a bit different
from the way it is presented on Barbara's
blog. For instance I like to label my fabric
by a fabric swatch as shown above, not by
the cut of the fabric. This just makes it work
better in my brain...
Fabric Requirements:
Fabric A:
4 - 2 3/16'' squares - cut in 1/2
on the diagonal
1 - 3 7/8'' square - cut on diagonal twice
Fabric B:
4 - 1 1/2'' x 3 3/4'' rectangles
4 - 1 1/2'' x 3 1/2'' rectangles
Fabric C:
4 - 1 1/2'' x 4 1/2'' rectangles
Fabric D:
4 - 1 1/2'' x 4 1/2'' rectangles
Fabric E:
1 - 1 7/16'' square
Make Corner Units:
Center one of the smaller Fabric A triangles
on a long edge of a Fabric B 1 1/2'' x 3 3/4''
rectangle. Sew together and press seam to
the triangle. Repeat on opposite edge of
rectangle.
Place the ruler as shown and square unit
to 2 1/2''. Make 4.
Make Outer Center Units:
Sew together Fabric C and Fabric D
rectangles as shown, press seams open.
Make 4.
Make Center Unit:
Layout larger Fabric A triangles and
Fabric B 1 1/2'' x 3 1/2'' rectangles as
shown and sew together, press seams
to the triangles.
Square up corner as shown.
Make 2.
Layout Fabric B 1 1/2'' x 3 1/2'' rectangles
and Fabric E square as shown and sew together.
Press seams to the inside.
Layout units and sew together as shown,
press seams out.
Sew an outer center unit to each side of
center unit as shown, press seams to the outside.
Layout a corner unit on each side of
an outer center unit as shown and sew
together, press seams to the inside.
Make 2.
Layout units in as shown, check that the
top and bottom units are positioned correctly
and sew together. Press final seams open to
reduce bulk. Square to 8 1/2''.
It is cold here in the American Midwest. I am
watching the birds on the feeders outside my
studio. They look so pretty against the snow.
Ahh, it is nice to get back to this project.
See you next Sunday!
~ Ellen
Check out the Flickr site where everyone can
post their work:
American Homestead can now
be found on Facebook,
please "like" my page.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Paczki Are Back!
Yes, it is that time of year again when the
Paczki are in the bakery departments of
our local grocery stores. Paczki are a Polish
tradition and are eaten on Fat Tuesday, the
day before Ash Wednesday when you were
supposed to use up all the sugar, butter and
lard and eat it all up before beginning your
Lenten fast.
Now, I am part Polish and I grew up near
Polish communities on the east coast but I
confess I had never heard of these until I
moved to the Midwest. They taste to me
just like a rich jelly donut. I think I have
only had the grocery store variety. I have
been lucky to sample the baking delights
of many a Polish Babcia and I'll bet their
paczki are very fine. But sometime before
Fat Tuesday I'm sure I'll sample one as
a tribute to my Polish ancestors.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Present Perfect!
I was in Istanbul last Spring and wanted
to purchase one of these silk embroideries.
I debated, I compared stores and prices,
and I ended up never buying one...
The following Fall I was doggie sitting for
this little cutie, Millie Dog because other
travelers were off to explore Istanbul.
I thought, now is my perfect chance to get
that textile. I gave the travelers specific
instructions. Get off the tram at the Gulhane
stop, when you find the restaurant where the
woman is making food in the window, cross
the street and head down toward the bend in
the road, find a shop with a loom in the window.
The shop was found, photos were sent back to
the US and finally a decision was reached. They
did not have the embroidery I originally had seen.
It had a pomegranate design, the shop owner
explained they didn't place orders for these items.
Every few months ladies would arrive from
Uzbekistan with suitcases filled with textiles and
that was what they would sell. So I chose this one
because of the tulip design which is so popular in
Turkey.
Read about the Turkish history of the
tulip here:
And when the travelers returned I found out
the textile was a gift from Millie Dog ~ perfect!
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