Here are three quilt block tutorials that I put together for the Boston Modern Quilt Guild BOM.
These tutorials all have improvisational techniques, but they also let you be a little precise if you want to be.
This tutorial lets you practice curved piecing: Curves Ahead
Curvy
With this one you can try paper piecing without worrying about things being too perfect: Playing with Paper
And this tutorial lets you improvise with strips of fabric: Fenced In
The Boston Modern Quilt Guild will occasionally have a swap. In November we were asked to bring a zippered pouch to the monthly meeting. I started checking out Pinterest and Google images for ideas.
I found this lovely Lavender Pouch at Pretty by Hand, but alas no pattern! But then I found this neet Tutorial at Sew Like my Mom. I combined the two and came up with my own version that includes a pocket on the back.
Too bad I didn’t get a picture of the bag after I added the turquoise ribbon!
The Boston Modern Quilt Guild is making charity quilts this year and members have been asked to donate blocks made with fabrics that are from the same color family. The quilts will then be made with a rainbow of the different color grouped blocks.
I came up with a strategy for my blocks which involved sorting all of my fabric scraps by color and then selecting strips from each pile and sewing them together.
After sorting the strips I trimmed them so they were all about the same length and so that each strip was a uniform width, but the strips are various widths!
Then I sewed them together.
For the blocks that I decided to make I made sure that the pieced strips panel was 38″ long and about 15″ wide. This is enough to make several blocks. You do need a 38″ long strip for the log cabin block featured in this article.
Trim the uneven edge and don’t forget to save your scraps that are too small to sew with. These will be the stuffing for a pillow!
I cut my pieced strips 3 1/2″ wide and some are 2″ wide.
One of the block designs is a log cabin block. This block uses one of the 3 1/2″ wide strips with other fabric scraps. The center is a 3 1/2″ square bordered with 2″ strips.
Sew the strips and then trim them to the correct size. Use a square ruler to make sure your cuts are correct. The center block will be 6 1/2″ square.
Then continue adding the 3 1/2″ wide pieced strips. Sew then trim to the correct size as you go. Once the block was larger than 6 1/2″ I got out my 12 1/2″ ruler to trim the block.
The block will be 12 1/2″ square when completed. These are two of the blocks:
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Here are some made with purple and green strips.
Of course I got carried away and will be making a lot of these blocks, so I will make my own quilt with these blocks. Usually I would use all different colors, but I really love the idea of using strips that are in the same color group. The finished blocks are sublimely wonderful.
Here is a quick pattern for a Holiday Gift Bag. This little pouch is a good size for a bottle of wine or perhaps a bottle of Pear Vodka for your Hairdresser! Debi was VERY happy with her Pear Vodka. Start with two coordinating pieces of fabric each 15″ x 18″ and one 20″ piece of ribbon. Place the two pieces of fabric right sides together and sew a seam across the short edge on one side.
Open up the two pieces with the seam in the middle and fold in half lengthwise, right sides together.
Now sew seams as follows:
Start on the fabric you want on the outside edge about 4″ or so from the first seam sewn. The starting point can be adjusted depending on the length of the neck of your gift bottle. Sew from this point towards the inside (lining) fabric and continue along until you get around the first corner. Then STOP! Leave a gap of a few inches, so you can turn everything right side out, and start sewing again until you get to the folded edge, and then stop. Start again at the fold by the bottom of the outside fabric and continue towards where you first started, but STOP before you reach that point to leave an opening that is large enough for your ribbon. Don’t forget to secure your stitches when starting and stopping.
My stitching is a bit messy because my first ribbon gap was too high!
Now, reach inside the opening and scrunch the tube up until you reach the other end and pull it through so your tube is now right side out. Adjust the corners and press the opening closed. Sew along the bottom edge to close the opening.
Fold the lining inside of the bag (it is now a bag!). Find the ribbon opening on the side seam. Pin a safety pin to one end of your ribbon and run it through the hole, around the bag and out again.
Put your bottle in the bag, tie the ribbon and clip the ends. Debi said she liked the gift bag, too!
This pattern can be adjusted as needed to accommodate any gift!
Happy Holidays and Cheers!
I have finished my vintage butterfly quilt. I love the colors in this quilt! This is the quilt I made with my vintage 30’s butterfly applique blocks that were a gift from my Mother-in-Law’s friend. As I mentioned in my last post her friend Pat gave me some “quilted fabric” that turned out to be wonderful quilt tops and blocks that her mother made in the 30s.
I saw Pat yesterday and she was very pleased with both quilts, but I could tell the Bow Tie quilt was calling to her, so I gave the finished quilt to her. She is going to give it to her mother for Christmas. He mother is in assisted living with short term memory loss. But, her long term memory is fine so I imagine it will be quite exciting for her to see her old quilt top again. At least I hope so! Maybe she will be wondering when and how it turned from a quilt top to a finished quilt!
The Butterfly Treasure Quilt took all of my quilting attention for the last few weeks. Both it and the wall hanging version are finished. The wall hanging is made with some wonderful Kaffe Fassett prints, so it gives the 30s pattern a new look! The pattern for both is also finished now and for sale at Craftsy.
