Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks - Volume 10

Cover Girl!

My block made the cover of Quiltmaker's

100 Blocks Magazine - Volume 10!  There

she is, second row from the right, second

block from the bottom, named Dutch Treat.

I also submitted a quilt using the block 

and it was chosen to be in the Designer's

Gallery.

Here is my photo of the quilt, I call it

"Going Dutch".

I'm A Cover Girl!

Well, okay, not me... but my design is on the cover

of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Magazine - Volume 10.

I just received my advance copy today and I was 

so thrilled!

I can't show the design yet but you can be sure I 

will once the magazine hits the newsstands.

If you look inside you will also find a quilt I made

using the applique block I designed.

Stay tuned!

Three's A Charm

I was thrilled to have my block included in

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol.9.

It was extra exciting to see my quilt using the block 

had been included in the Designer's Gallery.

But it wasn't until I had a chance to sit down and

savor all of the magazine that I discovered my block

 had been used in a quilt in the Block Tester's Gallery.

What fun!  Look for it on page 90!

A Gift From Quiltmaker

I just got home and found a little box waiting for me 

outside my front door.  It contained a few presents

and a card from Quiltmaker magazine, thanking me

for participating in the 100 Blocks, Vol. 9 issue.

Well, thank you Quiltmaker!

That was lovely of them.

100 Blocks: Twice is Nice!

When I got home today there was a package 

waiting for me ~ I love presents!

Inside the package were issues of the most 

recent edition of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks

Collector's Edition, Vol. 9 magazine.

Even more exciting is my block was chosen 

as one of the 100 blocks, it is called Felicity

and it is on page 30.

To add to the excitement, my wallhanging

using the block was chosen to be included in

the Designer's Gallery, it is on page 14.

I'm thrilled, what a great way to start off

the Easter weekend!

Threads of Memory ~ February

Mercer County Star

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Threads of Memory.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

This is how I made my block, it may

differ from the original.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A: Red print

4 - 4 1/2''squares

Fabric B: Green

1 - 6'' square 

Fabric C: Large Light Print

2 - 6'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on back.

Fabric D: Blue

1 - 6'' square

Fabric E: Small Light Print

4 - 1 1/2'' squares

4 - 1 1/2'' x 2 1/2'' rectangles

Fabric F: Red

8 - 1 1/2'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on back.

Fabric G: Fussy Cut

1 - 2 1/2'' square

Make Small Center Star: 

Make Flying Geese Units:

Place a Fabric F 1 1/2'' square on left

side of a Fabric E rectangles and sew

a thread width below drawn line.  Open

and press to the corner, trim back 2 

layers of fabric to 1/4''.

Repeat process on the right side of 

rectangle.  Make 4 of this unit.

Layout units as shown and sew

together in 3 rows.  Press seams 

in rows 1 and 3 to the outside and

seams in row 2 to the inside.

Sew rows together and square to 4 1/2''.

Make Quarter Square Triangles

(Outer Center Units)

Pair 6'' squares in the following combinations

with right sides together:

1 - B/C    1 - C/D

Sew 1/4'' away from each side of drawn line,

cut on drawn line and press seams to the

Fabrics B and D.  On the Fabric B/C units,

mark a diagonal line on the opposite

diagonal from the seam.

Pair a B/C unit with a C/D unit with

right sides together as shown.  Be 

sure to have seams lock against each 

other.  Sew 1/4'' away from each side 

of drawn line, cut on drawn line and

press seam open to reduce bulk.

Squaring a Quarter Square Triangle is easy 

if you follow the directions!  Place the diagonal

line of the ruler along the seam line as shown.

Since we want a 4 1/2'' square, place the 2 1/4''

intersection at the center of block (as shown

with the arrow), now trim the top and right 

seams.  

Rotate the unit and place the 4 1/2''

lines of the ruler along the left and bottom

edges and trim the remaining untrimmed

edges.  Make 4 of this unit.

Layout units as shown and sew together

in 3 rows.  Press seams in rows 1 and 3

to the outside and seams in row 2 to the 

inside.

Sew rows together and press final seams

open to reduce bulk.  Square to 12 1/2''.

Check out everyone's work on Dustin's Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/threadsofmemory/#

If you like what you see here, please

become a follower of this blog and leave a 

comment, let me know you are out there!

~ Ellen

Dixie Diary ~ First 2014 Finish!

I have been participating in Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.  We

did a block a month throughout 2013.  Some months

I got the blocks done promptly and some months it

just didn't happen.  Prepping for Quilt Market and

working on my first book took a lot of my time this

year,  But by December, I was all caught up and I 

designed and pieced the top.

I was so excited to finish the quilt before the end

of the year and with weeks to spare.  In case you 

don't know, our name is Murphy and in typical

Murphy's Law fashion, just as I was free motion

quilting the final block in the quilt and dreaming 

about what movies I would watch while binding

it and what snacks I would reward myself with

for being such a good Block of the Month

 participant ~ poof ~ Crazy Janie, my sewing

machine said Nooooo, I'm done!  She locked up 

completely, the wheel refused to move.  I took

her to the hospital.  My daughter was coming

home from Purdue about this time and I told

her to bring home her Project Runway machine

from the sorority house, thinking I could free

motion quilt with that.  Ahhh, no.  Also no to

quilting on the featherweights ~ let's just say

I spent alot of time with a seam ripper...

Meanwhile Crazy Janie, was still in the hospital.

She needed a part and with 2 major holidays

and wild weather all over the country, there 

were delays.  Mr. Wonderful & I braved the

ice and snow last Saturday and picked her up.

She now purrs like a kitten.

So today, I put aside making samples and 

spent the day finishing the quilting on the 

last block and adding binding and hand sewing

the binding and I'm done!!!!  

Now I'm looking forward to the next project

due to start later in January.

Dixie Diary ~ November

Just Hominy

 

 

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.

 

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

 

Still playing catch-up on the Dixie Diary

blocks.  No tutorial this time since I made

mine as described in the original.  My best

advice for this block is to go slowly and be

sure to mark 1/4'' from the edge when doing

the y-seams.  Good Luck!



Dixie Diary ~ October

Shooting Stars

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

This is how I made my block, it may differ

from the original.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A: Light

2 - 3 1/2'' x 6 1/2'' rectangles

4 - 4 1/4'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on the back.

Fabric B - Dark

2 - 3 1/2'' x 6 1/2'' rectangles

4 - 4 1/4'' squares

Make Half Square Triangles:

Pair Fabric A and Fabric B squares with 

right sides together,  sew 1/4'' away from 

each side of drawn line, cut on line.  Press

the seams of 2 of the HST's to the light

fabric and the rest of the seams to the

dark fabric.  Square to 3 1/2''.

Make Center Unit:

Layout Half Square Triangle units as shown.

Note the arrows that indicate the direction 

the seams are pressed, this will help in having

precise points.  Sew together in 2 rows.  Press

seams in row 1 to the left and seam in row 2

to the right.

Sew rows together and press this seam

open to reduce bulk.  Square to 6 1/2'' x 6 1/2''.

Sew a dark rectangle to each side 

of the center unit, press the seams

to the outside.

Make Top and Bottom Units:

Layout units as shown and sew together.

press seams to the inside.

Sew units to the top and bottom,

matching seams.  Press final seams 

open to reduce bulk.  Square to 12 1/2''.

I added the sashing and applique as

described in month 1.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2013/01/dixie-diary-1-her-flag-flying.html

Dixie Diary ~ September

The Hands of Strangers

 

 

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

 

Today I realized I somehow missed September,

I chalk that up to too much work and some

travel fun thrown in.  I'll post October's

sometime later in the month.

 

 

Fabric Requirements:

 

Fabric A: Red

1 - 7 1/4'' square

 

Fabric B: White, Red & Green Print

1 - 7 1/4'' square

 

Fabric C: Blue

4 - 3 1/2'' x 6 1/2'' rectangles

 

Fabric D: Green & White Print

4 - 3 1/2'' squares

 

 

Make Half Square Triangles:

Mark a diagonal line on the back of the
Fabric B 7 1/4'' square.

Pair the 7 1/4'' squares with right sides

together.  Sew 1/4'' away from each side of

the drawn line. 

 

 

 

Press seams to the dark fabric.  Square to 6 1/2''.

 

Note: you will need only 1 of the half square

triangles, save the other for another project.

 

 

Sew a Fabric C rectangle to each side

of the Half Square Triangle.

Press seams to the Fabric C.

 

 

Sew Fabric D squares to each side of

the remaining Fabric C rectangles.

Press seams to the Fabric C.

 

 

Layout units as shown and sew together.

 

 

Square to 12 1/2''.

 

 

I added the sashing and applique as

described in month 1.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2013/01/dixie-diary-1-her-flag-flying.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Dixie Diary ~ August

Confederate Silver

 

 

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.

 

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

 

This is how I made my block.  It may differ

from the original.

 

 

Fabric Requirements:

 

Fabric A & B:

1 - 14'' square each - mark a

diagonal line on the back of the

lighter fabric.

 

 

This is a very easy block since it is just

a quarter square triangle.

Pair the blocks with right sides together and

sew 1/4'' away from each side of the drawn

line, cut on drawn line and press seam to

the darker fabric. 

Mark another diagonal line as shown above

on the back of one of the half square triangles.

Place the half square triangles with right sides

together  (you want the lights and darks to be

opposite each other)  and take care to have

the opposing seams "lock" together, this will make

for a precise block.  Sew 1/4'' away from the new

drawn line, cut on drawn line and press final

seam open to reduce bulk.

 

 

You will have 2 blocks made but only need

one for this project, save the other for another

use.  To square this block to 12 1/2'', you need

to place a 12 1/2'' ruler so the diagonal lines of

the ruler rest on the sewn seams and then be sure

to position the 6 1/4'' intersection of the lines on

the ruler in the center as indicated by the arrow.

Then trim all 4 sides.

 

 

This is what your block will look like.

 

 

I have added the sashing and the appliqued

heart to my block as described in the January

Dixie Diary instructions.

 

 

Make multiples of this block for a

quick and easy quilt.

 

Add some sashing to change the look.

 

Rotate the blocks in alternate rows

and introduce some more color.