NQC Block # 7 and 8

These were not 5-minute jobs and I didn't get around to post them but here they are.

I like the coloring sheets and keep those in mind when I don't have time to do the "actual quilt work". Next to my machine lay these little squares. 20 of them which were cut-offs from a previous project. I played a little around with them.

I was quite happy with the result. And then more decisions. What is the next step? 

I found some of the same fabric and like how the motif kept "flowing".

And here is the finished Block # 7

A week later I could make Block # 8

Not so exciting. Oh well.

Block # 9 left to do !!!

Woven Star

Love this block. I first saw it as the NQC Challenge # 2 Merope Star … but since then I have seen it out there in the quilt world written in different techniques. I like things simple and straightforward.  That’s why I wrote how I did it. I would like to make a whole quilt like this.

You need background fabric and 4 different fabrics which contrast against each other nicely.

Directions are for a 16 x 16 inch finished block

(16 1/2 square unfinished)

Background: cut 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch square (1)

4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch square (4)

from each of the 4 fabrics: 5 x 5 (1)

                                                  5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch (1, then sub-cut)

Sub-cut:

Each of the four larger squares cut first in half diagonally.

Then cut one of the triangles into two again. The photo above shows how to line it up on the cutting board.

First make the flying geese using the “4 flying geese at a time” method. There are lots of tutorials and you-tubes available. I have one link on my tutorial page.

It really does not matter in which order you use the 4 different squares.

Trim each of the flying geese to 4 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches. I find the Tucker Wing Clipper incredible useful for this.

With the finished flying geese lay out the block with all cut pieces.

You can chain-sew first each of the four smallest triangle pairs. 

Then add the larger triangles to those resulting into the 4 squares in the middle.  Find the middle on the long side of the larger triangle and finger press. Line this mark up with the seam of the two smaller triangles.

After each step make sure to put the pieces back onto the board so you don’t mix up the colors.

Trim each of the squares to 4 1/2 inches. 

I find the Tucker Trimmer incredible useful for this.

Sew first the 4 middle squares together.

Then add a flying geese to each side.

Sew the corner squares to the top and bottom geese.

Sew the rows together. You might want to iron the last two seams open.

I always use my pattern after I have written it to make sure it works. I had much fun making the second block. Hope you do too.

                         Christa

PS: If you would like this pattern as a PDF click HERE!

And here is the Cutting Chart PDF for blocks finished size 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 and 6 inch squares.

The photo is the largest and the smallest woven star.

Sewing lately?

Not much!

Here is a partially done quilt I was working on at the Thursday Stitchers charity sewing. I had cut out enough flowers and leaves to do flowers all over the whole quilt but when I had two rows put together it just didn't look good. Too much. Plan B - to just have green in-between some flowers. Hope I can see it when it is quilted. I am not always seeing my finished quilts.

I did spent quite some time working on the Cotton Robin. Had received a center and added the first border around. I am so pleased with what I did. I just hope the owner will be when she receives it finished in a couple of months. Bummer that I can't show it to you ... yet. And it is on its way to England for the second border.

The April Block Lotto is "scrappy". Here is my effort. Color guidelines: Background should be yellow. Everything else goes. My star point might should be scrappier but I couldn't help myself.

Today I went to my first hands-on quilt workshop. I have been to several lectures at lace groups before but nothing like this. It was fun. Rachel from Staunton VA talked about "Scrapology", which was funny since I just had made the scrappy Block Lotto block. Towards the end of the time everybody brought their products to a table and Rachel discussed all the possibilities what to do with these pattern. She encouraged to not relay on a pattern but just take the basic and run with it.

I decided what I have to do with my leftovers, get organized and save space. All I need now is some time (big grin over my face and giving a sigh).

One pattern - many names

I can't believe it. When I posted my last blog on the NQC FaceBook site it generated 3563 looks in just one day, less than 24 hours. And ... now I know what that unit/quilt-pattern is called:

Cat's Cradle
Grandmother's Choice
Shaded 4 Patch
Mary's Triangles

Thank you to all who contributed that information. Another reason to like today's gadgets.
I have googled on all of them and was amazed about the diversity. What a find!

And here is the funniest part: The very first quilt I have ever ever EVER made is done with LOTS of these. Actually nothing but these. We lived in Singapore for a short time and I had just met this group of wonderful ladies who were quilters and met every Thursday in each other's houses. To be invited in a foreign country to privat houses is the ultimate treat for me. Living in Paducah, Kentucky, I had said that I would never be a quilter because I am a lacemaker. Well, what can I say? I got infected. One in this group showed us all how to do this pattern. We brought our machines and actually did sew. I still have the pattern. It is not copyrighted and I can not find it anywhere on the internet now. It has the big headline of Scrappy Numbers on top. Underneath: By Ann Herrick. And then: No.1 Goosefoot

And this is it! Number 1 of 9 quilts I pieced in Singapore in 1 year. Quilting came much later. Some I quilted myself like this one, some I quilted by check.

You can see more of my Singapore efforts HERE!

NQC Block # 6 update

I love learning new techniques and how to do things easier and better. 

I don’t know what this is called but when I wanted to make units like that for this challenge blog I had quite a time to figure out how to make it. I think I might have done it the hard way.

My friend Janet has brought to our quilting group a (not copyrighted) handwritten pattern from a person who taught her the beginnings of quilting. It too had this unit in it. The making was described with drawings. She told us that it was a "few" years old.

I wondered whether there was a formula because my unit was a different size. I tried it out and YES, THERE IS! I wrote it down so I remember what I did if I ever need it again in another challenge.

The pattern told to cut this:

The one with the yellow square is from Janet’s pattern. 

Size  3 1/2 inches square unfinished

made from (makes 2 - - - double cuts for 4 units)

yellow: cut 2 - - -  2 x 2 inches

B+W: cut 2 - - -  2 x 2 3/4 inches

white: cut 1 - - -  3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches

And this is what you do (but the photos are from my trials):

Sew the 4 pieces as shown in photos (I finger press not to distort), snip the long seam in the middle so you can press to different sides. 

This photo shows making 4 units.

Use the 45’ line of the ruler (marked with red in picture on the left) to line it up on the left side so you can draw on the cutting edge from the upper left corner to the right side.  You will see that the line comes close to the square corner.

The line does not end at the bottom corner but on the side. Turn the piece around and draw another line from the top left corner to that side. Some rulers have 2 lines for 45 degrees angles = left side and right side. You just have to look.

Sew on the lines, cut in the middle and press. Done!

The above two were made trying a different size.

This seems to be the formula to make 2 of these units: (size 5” finished here)

Cut 2 of the corner blocks you need 

(mine cut 3 inches square for 2 1/2 inches finished)

Cut 2 for the small triangles the same size as the corner blocks but one side + 3/4 inches (mine 3 x 3 3/4 inches)

Cut 1 for the large triangles (the size the rectangle will be when the 4 pieces are sewn together as shown in the photos with the yellow squares, mine 5 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches - - - wide: 3 + 3 minus seam in middle = 5 1/2 - - - long: 3 + 3 3/4 minus seam in middle = 6 1/4)

Adding the 3/4 inch seems to work for all sizes!

That seems to be the whole secret!

If you would like to print this for your notes, HERE IS A PDF!   I don't know what this is called so I called it HST with square.

If you found this helpful, please leave me a comment.

6 Heads / 12 Blocks (ROM) - March

Here is the link to this Row of the Month March block!

Just finished my row. I used a different background and NOT red and green as for the first two rows. I find this a bit difficult to decide since we don't know the whole picture. I am taking risks. I used two blues for 5 stars and two different blues for the other 5 stars and alternated them when I sewed them together. You don't really see that in the photo.

There were 40 corner triangles to sew (the light blue smaller star tips). I drew no lines as it was suggested in the pattern but used my method (link)  which you can also find in the QuiltTutorial/Patterns tab on the top of the blog.

I would love to know how you like this tip. You could leave a comment.

Für meine Deutschen Freunde (es ist ja schließlich ein Muster von einer Deutschen Seite) jetzt der Tip in Deutsch:

Ich ziehe keine Linie wie im Muster beschrieben sondern lege das Quadrat für die Ecke auf wie es sein soll. Man kann es gut mit Nadeln feststecken (mache ich aber nur bei größeren Quadraten). Dann lege ich ein Stück steifes Papier drauf wo die Linie sein würde, Fuß hoch und schiebe den Anfang unter den Fuß bis ich mit Papier und Stoff an die Nähnadel stoße. Fuß runter und zwei Stiche. Dann kontrolliere ich ob das Papier noch richtig am Ende liegt und nähe den Rest. Da ich ganz ein wenig neben dem Papier nähe paßt die Ecke haargenau wenn ich es Umbügel denn das Falten nimmt ja etwas von dem Stoff weg. Ich muß ganz selten trimmen und es geht flott. 

Manche bügeln einen Kniff rein anstatt der Linie aber den kann ich meistens nicht sehen. Oben hinter dem Quilt Tutorials/Patterns Tab könnt Ihr diesen Tip mit mehr Bildern sehen (All those corner triangles!).

Ich würde mich freuen von Euch zu hören wie Euch dieser Tip gefällt. Ihr könntet einen Kommentar lassen.

I am not sure about the color choices of my first two months ... but we will see ....

And now I will have a look and enjoy all those link on that German website.

NQC Block # 6

Yes, yes, yes. This is not the only thing I am behind. But last night I finally got around to finish block #6. As always I did my coloring first and this is what I came up with.

8 flying geese 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches made with background rectangles and 2 1/2 inches corner blocks.

4 flying geese 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches made with a blue rectangles and 2 1/2 inch background fabric corner blocks.

4 background 2 1/2 inch squares for the corners and 1 center 4 1/2 inch square .

4 squares 4 1/2 inches assembled a bit more complicated:

The dark blue 5 inches square.

The light blue 2 squares 4 1/4 inches cut diagonal each.

Add the 4 triangles to the square and cut diagonally into 4 new triangles.

Cut from the third fabric 2 squares 5 x 5 and cut diagonally. Attache the 4 triangles to the other 4 triangles. Trim to 4 1/2 inch squares.

Make 4 squares 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches with background 3 1/4 square and corners.

From 2 different blues cut a 3 inch square each and cut diagonally. 

All those triangle corners. First I fumbled with them to get them lined up properly. Good gracious, at one point the lightbulb went on. 

Fold the square on each side to make a crease in the middle of each side.

Fold the triangle and make a crease on the alongside.

When you make sure that the "ditch" is on the top side of the square and the underside of the triangle they nestle really nice into each other (right sides together). It makes the whole thing so much faster.

And here are my 6 blocks (of the 9) so far. 16 inch blocks (finished) are really large. They take a lot of space on my design wall. But I need to look at them when I try to figure out the next one.