Quick Baby Quilt with a Panel--Christmas Idea

Getting Back in the Groove with a Panel

Very briefly, I have been on a hiatus again. Life got crazy busy this year between the garden, greenhouse, family, and first grandchild. Yes, we got the blessing of our lives a few short weeks ago, and it's as good as everyone said it would be. I'm elated, and sewed my little heart out before she arrived! That's all for another day, but today let me show you what I did with a simple panel left languishing in my stash for the nursery at our house. This type of project makes a darling Christmas gift for someone on your list whether young or old as it's a quick and economical make overall. 

Scrappy Heart Crush: How to Use a Paper Template/Pattern

Scrappy Heart Crush: How to Use a Paper Template/Pattern

In the past blog post, Free Pattern: Scrappy Heart Crush, I showed how to make the paper template above. Today I'll show you how to use it, and add a few cutting and trimming details to the template.

Years ago quilters were used to making a lot of their own paper templates, or improvising to recreate a pattern. We aren't as comfortable drawing up our own patterns anymore, and rely on purchased patterns where all measurements are laid out. EQ8 is a big help, but often a pencil and paper is more than adequate. Most people are very capable at creating their own patterns. I encourage you to try it because it's such a confidence builder, and gives you options when you see something you'd rather not spend a lot of cash on. 

Start by folding the pattern on the lines. Just make a crease forward or backward. You will need to fold the segments to check your seam allowances, and trim the block. 

Lay out all your pieces or scraps for a general idea of how they go together. The pattern is marked with information on pieces that need to be cut precisely with a ruler.

Cut 2 pieces of fabric to use for top of heart according to pattern. Use a 2" square of background fabric, draw a diagonal line on background fabric. Position as shown. Sew on line, press to back of block, and trim. Do both pieces and sew together matching at background "V".

Cut a triangle of background fabric according to template. Fold the triangle of background fabric in half to find the midpoint of long edge. Match to center seam and sew together. The triangles on all corners are cut oversized to allow you to trim precisely when the block is complete.

 

Cut 4 strips according to the measurements on the template. (I did not cut mine to length in the photo. Sorry. The measurements given are the minimum lengths needed.) Fold in half to find the centers then eyeball down from center seam and sew.

Lay the paper template on top of the right side of the block matching template lines to seams. If the seams are not quite accurate, it's okay. This is a very forgiving block. Using a square ruler on top of the template, trim the lower portion of the block. You have not yet added the bottom triangle.

Use the same method to the top of the block and trim.

Fold the side corners back on the solid line making sure you add your 1/4" seam allowance. Trim.

Your block should look like this now. 

Cut a bottom triangle according to the pattern measurement or use the template to help you cut one from a piece of scrap fabric. Notice how I cut mine oversized here. Sew.

Add your side triangles, and then trim all corners with the ruler to a precise 10 1/2". Done. What a cute block, and it's great for using up all colors of strings! Reach out to me with any questions you might have.

Next post is how to do the LOVE block. Can't wait to see you back here in a few days.

Come on, Doxie girls. 

Let's go sew. 

Free Pattern: Scrappy Heart Crush

Happy Valentine's Day 2024!

February rolled around sooner than expected yet it's the same time every year. It's funny how that happens. I don't decorate much, if at all, for minor holidays, but it's nice to have a throw to bring out to lay across the couch back. Also, red is especially nice as a pop of color during the drab months of winter!

I added two outer borders this morning to finish this off, and I like how it ties the colors together. 

Scrappy Heart Crush Quilt

Scrappy Heart Crush Quilt

February holds Valentine's Day, is heart health month, and the anniversary of some good, and not-so-good things in my life. For the past 3 weeks I've gotten one bug after the next with the last one knocking me for a real loop. Low energy had me looking for a mini project while I put Lorelei on hold. The scraps were calling out so I dug into my reds coming up with a neat little heart block. The beauty of it was how fast I could sew it. In under 10 minutes I had a 10.5" block to trim! in no time at all, February was looking up, and these blocks were ready for a quilt.

Lorelei Quilt: Lesson 1 Center Pinwheel

Lorelei: Lesson 1 Center Pinwheel

Tools: I used the Creative Grids Flying Geese & 45/90 Degree Triangle Ruler to make this quilt. I believe this to be an indispensable ruler for any quilter, but there are many similar rulers you may already own. This ruler trims the upper point off the triangle. You may use any similar ruler or the corner of any square ruler by allowing it to hang over the fabric strip. 

*An accurate 1/4" seam allowance is important with all piecing. Test your machine so you know the sweet spot. As you add seams to a block you may need to compensate with a slightly smaller seam allowance as you go. That may only be a thread's width. Don't be afraid to rip and re-do. 

**Pressing: Press each set of units as you finishing chain stitching them. I use a dry iron for pieces with bias as steam distorts.

Lorelei may appear more complicated than it is. Let's break the block down into a 9 sub-blocks. The entire block is 15" finished, and each of the 9 sub-blocks are 5" finished. There are only 3 different sub-blocks within the block. If you master 3 sub-blocks, you've got the whole quilt! 

Lorelei Quilt: Free Pattern Coming

Lorelei Quilt

Many evenings we sit in front of the tv to wind down before bed, and often there is nothing worth watching. I prefer to have my laptop open, and fiddle around with EQ8. I bought the 10" Accuquilt system a few years ago, and haven't felt I've been able to use it as much as I'd liked. So my goal here was to create some patterns using shapes available in the core group of dies, and that's where I started. I went on to design this block using 3 of the dies, and those shapes can also be easily cut with my favorite Creative Grids ruler, the 6" Flying Geese and 45/90 Degree Triangle Ruler. This ruler should be in everyone's repertoire. Therefore, the Accuquilt system will lend a hand in cutting several shapes, but it is not essential.

Glitter Top Done

Glitter Top Done

What a relief to finish this top last week! Okay, I may have been a little sad to see it end, but only for a moment. I've never done any quilt with so many of the same block, and likely won't again for a long while.

Glitter Blocks Week 6: All Done

Glitter Blocks Week 6: All Done

Did you ever think I'd get this done ahead of schedule? I did not, and I'm surprised. It leads me to two possible conclusions: the vacation with bad weather or having a schedule laid out ahead of time--or maybe both. Either way they are done, and I've laid out all 162 to make sure they work.

The shocker when they were laid out was I wound up with close to the same number of light and dark backgrounds without planning. It wasn't a juggle to lay them out, and even if it wasn't a definite light or dark it was fine using value as a guide.

I'm hoping to get these together this morning, and just maybe while the snow starts falling this afternoon I will load it on the longarm. We are due 2" in the next 24 hours, and while it's not a lot life will slow down here. My goal is to have it bound by Tuesday for a show and tell Wednesday. It's good to have a plan, right?

Hope your home is warm and tight as we all buckle down for winter here in the U.S. I think it's finally coming.

Come on, Doxie girls.

Let's go sew.

Glitter Blocks Week 5: Christmas Vacation

Glitter Blocks Week 5: Christmas Vacation

I checked the weather forecast days before leaving for a break before Christmas. I had cut just under 50 blocks thinking I would have a back up in case there was bad weather, and thankful I was! It didn’t just rain—it poured! It looked like a movie set when you looked up at the streetlights. More like tropical storm strength than just a shower! There were spots of sunshine a few days, but still cool so much of my time was spent at the machine listening to podcasts. Here I had finished 25 blocks the first 3 days.

Glitter Progress Week 4: 91 Blocks & Counting

Glitter Progress Week 4: 91 Blocks & Counting

Fun stuff, right? I told you in another post what fun I'd been having pairing up fabrics I might not have used in another quilt, and these couple are good examples. It's just a fun quilt, and I'm trying out lots of combinations. I love the fabrics whether old or new, and am getting a kick out of some of them. 

This week's progress report is slower than other weeks. I'd say it's Christmas preparations, but it's actually been extra time spent cutting blocks to have ready over the Christmas to New Year's week. Hours. I will reiterate, I'm glad I have templates, though I'm only using those for the background and cones.