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

Honoring Women's Rights ~ Week 47

Heroine's Choice

And A Feltwork Tutorial

 

 

We are following along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Week, Grandmother's Choice.

 

http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com

 

 

I like to use felt for applique.  I design

feltwork patterns ~

 

http://www.americanhomesteaddesign.com/Feltworks.html

 

and thought this would be a good chance to try

a design that was 8 1/2''.

 

 

So here is a little free feltwork tutorial

for this week!

I start by determining the size I would

like the piece to be and marking that

measure along the fold of a folded piece

of construction paper.  I then sketch the

design and cut it out and when you open

the folded paper...

 

 

... you have your designs.  I used a circle

template for the 1 1/4'' circle and for the

flower shape, this pattern was just slightly

larger than a piece from my

 

 

Serendipity pattern so I made it larger.

 

 

It is a good idea to lay it all out prior

to cutting your pieces to be sure it all

fits well.

 

 

Here are my pattern pieces, just enlarge

the white area until it measures 8 1/2''

across.  At this point I transfer the designs

to poster board and cut them out since this

makes tracing more stable but if you are

only making one, you could trace the

construction paper shapes if you are careful.

 

 

Trace onto the dull side of freezer paper.

( If I have scraps left over from bigger

projects I save them and use them for

small pieces like this project.)

 

 

Press the shapes onto good quality felt.

I use a 20% wool/80% rayon felt from

National Nonwovens that is excellent

quality and the colors are fabulous.

This is nothing like the 5/$1 craft felt.

 

 

Cut out the pieces and pin to your 8 1/2''

background piece. 

 

 

I whip stitched all the pieces in place using

a matching embroidery floss.  I then added

some additional stitching to the center using

very simple embroidery stitches such as, the

French Knot and the Lazy Daisy stitch.

 

 

I'll be hanging this piece somewhere in

my house.  I hope you will give felt applique

a chance, it is fast, easy & fun.

 

Checkout everyone's work on Dustin's Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/grandmotherschoice/

 

American Homestead

is now on Facebook.

Please "like" my page!

 

http://www.facebook.com/americanhomesteaddesign/

Dixie Diary ~ May

Tokens of Dried Roses

 

 

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Dixie Diary.

 

 

In early May when this block came out,

I was hiking up to mountaintop castles

in Germany,  Now I'm back home and

thought, better late than never...

 

 

Fabric Requirements:

 

Fabric A: Blue

1 - 6 1/8'' square

 

Fabric B: White print

4 - 4 1/2'' squares

1 - 5 1/4'' square, cut on the diagonal twice

 

Fabric C: Red

2 - 5 1/4'' squares, cut on the diagonal twice

 

 

Step 1:

Sew the long side of a Fabric C Triangle to one

side of a Fabric B square.  Press seam to the

Fabric C and trim the dog ears.

 

Then repeat this step to a side right next to this

on the Fabric B square as shown.  Press seam to

the Fabric C and trim.

 

Make 4 of these units.

 

 

Step 2:

Sew a Fabric B triangle to each side of

the above unit.  Press seams to the Fabric B.

Make 2 of these triangle units.

 

 

Step 3:

Sew a unit from step 1 to opposite sides

of  the Fabric A square. Press seams to

the center.

 

 

Assemble Block:

 

Sew a triangle unit from Step 2 to each side

of the unit from Step 3, matching seams.

Press seams to the outside.

Square to 12 1/2''.

 

 

I added the border and applique star to mine.

 

 

American Homestead can

now be found on Facebook.

Please "like" my page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/americanhomesteaddesign?ref=hl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Coffee, Tea or Me?

 

On Sunday mornings I usually post a quilt

tutorial as I follow along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Week, Grandmother's Choice.

 

I'm a bit late to the party, but I finally have the

"crud"  that everyone else has been suffering

with throughout this long winter.  Chills, fever,

body aches, etc.  All I can think about is I am

leaving for the big European vacation in 9 days

and I HAVE to get better...  So, this is as close to

a coffee cup (this week's quilt block) as I will get

today. 

 

Oh well, I have never had a cup of coffee anyway...

 

~ Ellen

 

 

Market Report

 

Here are some more photos from the

Fall 2012 International Quilt Market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a great adventure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honoring Women's Rights ~ Week 2

Amethyst

 

 

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Week, Grandmother's Choice.

http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/

 

 

I must state, I am a quilter that says,

WHY? to Y seams...

I despise them, and generally avoid them like the

plague.  As of last night I had decided to skip this

week's block but woke up at 4:30 this morning and

decided to give it a go. 

 

 

I could not get the provided link to size up

correctly so I used EQ7.  Search in the Block

Library for the Priscilla block (there are at

least 9 of them) and select one.  From your

Quilt worktable, click on your select tool and

click on the block.  Click File>Print>Templates

and choose your block size.  Click Print Seam

Allowance and Print.

Cut your fabric using the templates.

 

If you should not have access to EQ, check the

Flickr site and there may be someone there who

can help with getting the right size from the link.

 

 

Layout pieces as shown.

 

 

Sew together in 3 units, press seams in

center unit to the outside and seams in

outer units to the inside.

 

 

So this is what we are going to do.

I'll show you how in the next steps.

 

 

Line up the center section as shown and

sew from seam line to seam line.

 

 

Pivot the fabric so the seams on the

left side match up and sew from edge

to seam line.  Repeat on other side.

 

 

Now go reward yourself for making

it through the Y seams.

 

It is so much fun seeing people from all over

the world participating in this project, please

become a follower to my blog!  We are all one

in this world of quilting.

 

Check out the Flickr site where everyone can

post their work:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/grandmotherschoice/

Good Luck and see you next Sunday!