Quilt-A-Long Part Two

Welcome back to my quilt along!  Today's post features the cutting and piecing directions for the center panel.  To purchase the batiks used in this quilt, visit the Connecting Threads website: Light & Bright Batik Fat Quarter Sampler (24 pieces),  http://www.connectingthreads.com/Kits/Light__Bright_Batik_Fat_Quarter_Sampler__D5182.HTML

If you would like to purchase a completed draft of this pattern without the applique shapes, it is available on Craftsy for download on this link: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/flying-to-paradise-quilt-along-draft/65553 .

Note: All seam allowances are ¼ inch unless otherwise indicated.

SORT FABRICS:

·         For the center Twin Sisters blocks, choose 8 of your favorite prints. 

·         Separate the piles into light and dark fabrics.

·         Pair one light fat quarter with one dark fat quarter.  To check for contrast, squint at your fabric choices to ensure fabrics do not bleed into one another.  You will need four pairs.

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:

·         Fat quarter cutting directions are listed in the areas of the blocks they will be cut into.

·         From the 2 1/8 yards fabric for the inner border, cut four 6 ½ inch wide strips along the length of grain.

·         From the 2 ¼ yards fabric for the outer border, cut four 6 ½ inch wide strips along the length of grain.

FOR THE TWIN SISTERS BLOCKS:

·         From the 8 fat quarters previously set aside, divide them into 4 contrasting pairs.  Each pair should yield 4 blocks, totaling 16 blocks.To ensure there is enough contrast between the prints, squint at them to ensure enough difference.   Rotary cut four inch wide strips along the width of the fabric.

·         Pair four-inch strips with the previously sorted coordinating fat quarter and sew these strips into pairs.  Press seams towards the darker fabric.

·  

            Cut these strips into triangles using a 45 degree ruler or 45 degree line on the rotary cutting mat.

·         Sort the triangles into dark sets (darker color is the larger parallelogram) and light sets (lighter color is the parallelogram).  Coordinate four matching colored sets.  (See diagram.)

 

·          Rotate the triangles so the bias cut edge is on the outside of the block with the center points facing in.  Pin match the center of the block.  The seams will go in the opposite direction and allow the block to nest.  Tip!  To ensure all the blocks spin in the same direction, always piece with the same block on top.

·        

 Sew the four matching colored sets into 16 quilt blocks for the center panel.  Use caution when sewing the blocks together as the outer edge may stretch due to the bias edge being there.

Flying To Paradise Quilt A-Long: Part One

OKAY, LETS START THIS OVER!!!  I started this quilt a long and then broke my thumb--and many of you saw the picture of me in a cast.  I'm sorry for the delay....but now I'm back to 100% and can host this QAL project.  Thanks for your patience.  As a result, I am re-posting the first posts in the series to keep them all together.  I hope you enjoy your quilt.
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Welcome to the Flying to Paradise Quilt a-long.  This is the first post in this series.  Please feel free to take this blog icon and set up a link to this quilt a long.  As this is my first time hosting a quilt a-long, I would love to share photos of your progress.  We can do this by flicker or by my email.  If you'd like to share, email me at gsmower{at}netzero[dot]com or leave me a comment below.  Thanks!

This fabrics for this quilt a-long were from my blog sponsor, Connecting Threads.  To purchase the exact batiks shown--their Light & Bright Batik Fat Quarter Sampler (24 pieces), visit this link: http://www.connectingthreads.com/Kits/Light__Bright_Batik_Fat_Quarter_Sampler__D5182.HTML

Fabric Requirements:

•  25 Fat Quarters.
•  3 1/2 Yards white batik for the inner applique border and the outer border.
• 1 Yard fabric for binding.
• 5 Yards for backing.
• 1 Package fusible webbing for the appliques.
• 2 Packages double-fold 1/4 inch wide bias tape for the applique vine.

 Here is the quilt pattern diagram:

If you would like to purchase a completed draft of this pattern without the applique shapes, it is available on Craftsy for download on this link: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/flying-to-paradise-quilt-along-draft/65553 .  So...go get your fabrics ready, as we get this quilt along party started.  A special thanks goes out to Connecting Threads for being my fabric sponsor for this quilt.

Coming up next week, cutting your fat quarters to create the center patchwork.

Tutorial--Mitred Edge Receiving Blanket

We always seem to need a quick and easy gift for new babies, don't we?  My mother showed me how to make these simple receiving blankets when I was having my children.  They're great.  While normally they are sewn using  two pieces of flannel, it is easy and luxurious to substitute a piece of flannel-backed satin or minkee for the center fabric panel.  As I needed one for a baby shower last week, and yet another for this week, I thought I would make a tutorial for you.  After all, the completed blanket took less than 30 minutes to complete.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS:

1 Yard of two coordinating prints.

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the outer fabric square to measure 36 inches square.
Cut the inner fabric to measure 32 inches square.

Fold the outer fabric in half diagonally.

Measure down two inches from the outer corner, and pin perpendicular to the fold.  This creates a mitered corner.  Repeat with the other side.

Sew down both pinned corners, perpendicular to the fold.  Trim seam to measure 1/4 inch.  Repeat with the other side.  Unfold the outer fabric and repeat for the remaining two corners.

Open the outer fabric and place right-side down.  Turn the mitered corners out.  These will naturally turn the outer blanket to the front.  Set in the other fabric.  Turn the outer fabric under 1/4 inch and pin it so it overlaps the inner fabric about 1 1/2 inch (there is some "fudge" room here).  Pin it in place.

Top stitch  adjacent to the ditch and on the outer border, all the way around the border.

Cute blanket, eh?  These are so fun and so fast--multiples can be created at once by chain-piecing the mitered corners.

As an alternate version, I considered bringing the outer border to the front without rolling it under 1/4 inch.  Instead, it would be fun to leave it raw and snip with the scissors every 1/4 inch to make it a rag blanket border.  When I get that done, I'll have to show pictures of it as well.



I also thought the readers over at Crazy Mom Quilts would love this idea, so I'm sharing it with them too!

Until next time,

Happy Quilting!

Announcing the Nana's Pantry Fabric Line from Connecting Threads

I am pleased to announce the arrival of the Nana's Pantry Fabric line from Connecting Threads.  My Cascading Garden quilt pattern was chosen as a featured quilt pattern for this new fabric line last July.  I was so excited that I've had a hard time keeping it a secret until the fabric was released today!  It's really cool to get the fabric fresh from the company before anyone else can purchase it.

 

I love this fabric.  The colors are modern and fresh while the prints are classic and crisp--similar to the classic 1930's fabrics.  It was so much fun to work with.

Photo courtesy of Connecting Threads

Additionally, the pattern update is available starting today from Connecting Threads.  Go get your instant download and have fun sewing this beauty!

Here's the link to my online patterns at their store:  http://www.connectingthreads.com/cfPatterns/IDP/IDP_Pattern_List.cfm?id=C00043

Here are some close-up photos:

Close-up

Another close-up.

I think rick-rack makes great vines, don't you?

I'm also sharing this piece on Tuesday with quiltstory.com Wednesday with Lee at http://freshlypieced.com.

Until next time, happy quilting!

Update On An Old Post

It's an update on an old post!  Mackenzie and Kathy contacted me last week to get permission to enter this quilt into the Utah State Fair.  Pretty exciting!  I hope it gets a ribbon.  I'm glad the customers are entering it as I am not gutsy enough to enter it on my own.  There are some amazing quilters in Utah.
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The original post from November 22, 2011:

Here are photos of my latest custom quilt job completed for Kathy W.  She won the quilt top in a charity auction, and was actually pieced by her friend Mackenzie.  I love how it turned out.   Kathy chose for it to be quilted in a very classic style, desiring it to mimic the look of hand quilting.  We decided to use continuous curves on the heirloom sampler blocks and checkerboard sashing.  Micro-stippling was used to help the hand embroidered applique "pop" out from the back ground.  The heirloom look was completed with echo styled feathers in the outer borders.  Enjoy the photos!