Block Tutorial - Pick Up Sticks

Block Tutorial - Pick Up Sticks (Improv Block Making)

I am not normally a improv quilter. I like plans and maps and the orderly process of quilt making. Improvisation scares me, yep it does!

I know there are other quilters like me and I know that there are quilters who are thrilled to cut and sew with wild abandon. But sadly thats not me...

So to get over my fear and learn to love the freedom this type of piecing can bring, I decided to make a tutorial for all the 'uptight - like their rules - always needing a pattern' quilters like me :)

Start with a 13" square of solid fabric and strips from 1" to 2" wide strips (any size you have, but much longer than 13") of solid fabrics. Use as many strips as you want.

Now lay the 13" square on your cutting board. 

You are going to cut it ....and not use a measurement.

But do use a ruler to make a straight cut.

Make a cut - yea, go ahead and do it! I promise it will be ok!

Next take one of the strips and place it on the cut square.

Take it to the sewing  machine and using a 1/4" seam allowance sew it.

Press the strip and trim even with the original square.

Trim both ends.

Now line up the other side of the square.

Make sure you have at least 1/4" points on the top and bottom.

See here... the little point.

Sew and then press. 

Now you are ready to add another strip.

Cut as before, but make sure to have fun with it!!

Add another strip.

Keep going until you feel happy :)

Now you have an untrimmed block.

Press well 

Optional - I use spray starch, it helps with my uptight 'A' type personality ;)

Trim to 12.5" square.

All done and you did it!!

You just did improv block making!!

How I Create Diagrams for Tutorials in MS Paint

Recently I was asked how I create the diagrams I use in the tutorials I make here and for the ECMQG blog lottery block tutorials. The answer is kind of funny but I use the basic old program that comes with just about every Windows based computer - Paint. This is a very quick tutorial of MS Paint - if you have any questions please let me know I would be glad to answer them.

MS Paint is a very basic drawing program, and while it won't do what other more advanced programs will, you can learn to use it when needed.

With Paint you build from the bottom up as Paint doesn't have 'layers' like more advanced programs. The trick is to save as you go, but save different versions just in case you change your mind, and the last change is not what you wanted. **Also when saving make sure to use .jpg file extension which is easier to use in other programs.

I will walk you through how I created this diagram for cutting squares for a block tutorial.

Open up Paint

Make sure the working area is the size you need it, the bigger the better! You can crop away excess later. To make the work area larger left click and hold the bottom right corner and stretch. 

Next I clicked on the shapes rectangle tool (it makes squares too) and made sure I have selected the color 1 as black (you see it highlighted in orange in the picture below).

To the right of the shape tools there is the size box, if you click on the arrow a drop down box appears and you can change the line thickness. 

To create the square left click and hold then move the cursor until you are happy with the square size and shape. You can always click the return arrow in the upper left hand corner and start over.

Now to make the 'red' cutting line, click on the shape tool that looks like a line. Also select color 1 as red and choose your line thickness.

Just like creating the square, I used left click/hold with the cursor starting in the bottom left of the square at the corner and and dragging to the upper right corner to draw the line from one corner to the other. Again if it is not where you like it you can always click the return arrow to start over.

At this point I save it with a generic name. That way I can work on it and if I happen to make a mistake I can go back to the original and start over.

Now to make the text.

You want to click on the 'Text' tool to select it and click on your choice of text color by selecting color 1.

Again left click hold and drag to create a text window or box. 

Above you can see after you have created a text box the text tools open up - this is where you can change the font and size.

After choosing the font and text size, enter ythe text. **Do not click outside this text box, if you do you will not be able to edit the text anymore. (Paint does not have spell check so carefully check your spelling) 

As long as the box is open you can edit the text, you can move the text box and add to it. Once you have the text where you want it click outside the box and it is now locked into the picture.

Continue to add text or shapes until you have the picture the way you would like. Save again at this point.

Now let's crop it to a manageable size, select 'Select' -- yes my bad, but its funny :)

And place your cursor at the top left of the area you want to keep. If the dotted outline is not where you want it to be just click somewhere out side the selected area and start over. 

When you have the area selected, go back to the tool bar and select 'Crop'.

Save and use.

Now go have fun in Paint, play around and learn what a simple basic free program can do :)

Fun with Tutorials!

I thought after the first of the year that everything would slow down, but no. Just like everyone knows more things end up on the 'to do' list! But I can't complain because I am loving it all!! Doing more of the creative things I love to do.

I volunteered for the Emerald Coast Modern Quilt Guild Block Lottery and became the official Block Lottery Captain in January; and what an honor it is! I get to design and test block patterns for the guild. Check out our block for the March meeting...

I was really fun to sew up and easy too! The block lottery is a great way for our guild to raise funds, but it is also a way to learn new quilting skills or push yourself to use fabrics you might not have ever chosen. It is a free tutorial every month for anyone to use, even if your not a guild member it's avalable. I hope that these tutorials are helpful, educating and fun!!

The past two blocks were...

Circle of Friends

Modified Churn Dash

I am looking forward to future months!! I already have some great ideas ready.

Also I plan on making each one of these blocks to keep and then at the end of the year create a sampler quilt from them. I have a bundle of Denise Schmidt Chicopee and a nice bundle of low volumes I plan on using, the Chicopee just makes me smile so I think that will be my happy sampler quilt - finally some selfish sewing :)

So please if you see a block tutorial on the Emerald Coast Modern Quilt Guild Blog you like, by all means make some!! And please send me a pic I would love to see it!

Grazie Mille!! Bel Fiore Star Tutorial

The quilting community has helped me grow in so any ways and I wanted to give back. How could I say thank you to so many? Well....

Remember this mini quilt  for the Schnitzel and Boo Swap?

I had quite the response on flickr and instagram, all good actually. So much that I decided to do a tutorial on this design, but instead of a mini I want to do it in throw size. As a big thank you!!

I made this one in Christmas fabrics but the quilt can be made in many different color ways. It's such a fast design that it can be sewn up in a weekend (I made the top in one afternoon). In this version I used kona white as the background. For the prints - Ann Kelle's line 'Jingle' in tossed snowmen, tossed penguins, boys in hats, birds in hats and retro snowflakes in lime, also Makower Christmas 2013 trees, flowers and snowflakes from fabricdepot.com, and a ornament print I grabbed from JoAnn's.

Bel Fiore Star

Quilt finishes at 60 x 60”

Fabric Requirements

Print fabric for Unit A (corners) & C (center)
o Fabric 1 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 2 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 3 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 4 - 3/8 yard

Print fabric for Units B
o Fabric 5 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 6 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 7 - 3/8 yard
o Fabric 8 - 3/8 yard

Background 2 3/4" yards

Backing fabric 4 yards

Cutting Directions

From each fabric 1 thru 4, cut 1 - 10 ½” square and cut 2 – 11” squares.

From each fabric 5 thru 8, cut 2 – 11” squares.

From background fabric cut 4 – 10 ½” squares and 16 – 11” squares

Assembling the Units

Units A

Using the 8 – 11” squares from fabrics 1 thru 4 place a background fabric 11” square on top of each with right sides together.

Draw a diagonal line on the back of the background fabric from corner to corner.

This line will be used as a reference when sewing.

Sew ¼” on each side of the drawn line for all 8 sets. 

Cut on the drawn line, this creates the 16 Half Square Triangles (HST) needed for units A and C. 

Press towards the dark fabric and trim to 10 ½”.

Put 2 each of fabrics 1 thru 4 HSTs aside for a total of 8 HSTs

(some of these will be used to create unit C).

Next sew 4 - HSTs to 4 - 10 ½” background squares, press towards the background square.

Sew 4- HSTs to the fabric matching 10 ½” square prints and press towards print fabric. 

Assemble the units by sewing together to create 4 unit A blocks.

Units B

With the 8 – 11” squares of fabrics 5 thru 8 place a background fabric 11” square on top of each with right sides together.

Draw a diagonal line as before on the back of the background fabric from corner to corner.

Again sew ¼’ on each side of the drawn line for all 8 sets and cut on the drawn line.

Press and trim to 10 ½”.

Sew the HSTs together in rows, press seam allowances open (this helps reduce bulk when sewing the next step). Then sew the rows together to create the unit B blocks and press seam allowances open.

Unit C

Take one of each HST print fabrics you set aside from unit A and arrange so that the background fabric is in the center and sew these HST together. (this is where I like to lay it all out on the floor and match up the fabrics)

Press seam allowances open. (You will have 4 HSTs left over, you could use them on the back or make a throw pillow with them)

Sewing the Quilt Top Together

First layout your units and arrange the blocks so that units A point to the same color in unit C.

Sew the units in rows and then sew the rows together,

press seam allowances open.

Create Backing and Finishing the Quilt

For the backing cut the 4 yards into 2 – 2 yard pieces and trim away the selvage edges. Pin with right sides together along the selvage trimmed edge and sew.

Press the seam allowance open.

Layer the quilt with batting and backing and baste.

Quilt as desired and bind to finish.

Bits and Pieces {A Basket Tutorial}

*warning photo heavy

Everyone has batting scraps lying around, stuck under the bed or shoved in a closet. I have needed to trim down my scrap batting collection for quite some time. Can you call it a collection? I once heard that if you have more than 5 of something then it's called a 'collection', what you think?

I can't seem to throw any away, and it's growing!

The Batting Blob

I started making fabric baskets with the 'Blob', and there are tons of tutorials on the web for fabric baskets but I thought I'd share how I make them. I love how useful these baskets are around the house and are great gifts to make (you know Christmas is just around the corner, check out the count down clock). This is also a quilt as you go style basket, which sews up quickly so you could whip one up in an afternoon.

The finished sizes are approximate: small - 8" wide x 6" tall x 5" deep, medium - 10" wide x 6" tall x 6" deep, and large - 12" wide x 6" tall x 7" deep. You can make one, two or all three baskets - that's up to you.

You will need basic sewing skills, basic sewing supplies (you know - a sewing machine, thread, pins, etc) and a glue stick.

I did not list the yardage needed for them, but the size of each piece needed to assemble each basket is listed. Each basket is made from 2 of each piece, one set for each side and a set of handles. All seams are 1/4" unless other wise noted.

Fabric Cutting Measurements

These lovely fabrics I received in a fat quarter swap at ECMGQ 

Small
(I made the small basket using 3 fat quarters)

• 2 - 3" x 14.5" fabric A
• 2 - 8" x 14.5" fabric B
• 2 - 10" x 14" lining fabric
• 2 - 3" x 10" handle fabric

Medium

• 2 - 3" x 17.5" fabric A
• 2 - 8" x 17.5" fabric B
• 2 - 10" x 17" lining fabric
• 2 - 3" x 10" handle fabric

Large

• 2 - 3" x 20.5" fabric A
• 2 - 8" x 20.5" outside B
• 2 - 10" x 20" lining fabric
• 2 - 3" x 10" handle fabric

Depending on which size you choose to make you will need 2 pieces of batting that measure 11.5" x 15" for the small, 11.5" x 18" for the medium and 11.5" x 21" for the large (after quilting they will be trimmed to size). For the handles you need 2 pieces that measure 2" x 10" (a set for each basket).

*Tip I pieced smaller pieces of batting together to make these pieces by using the video by GourmetQuilter.

Instructions are good for all sizes, unless noted.

Creating the Quilted Outside

Repeat these instructions for your 2 outside pieces.

Place fabric B on the batting, close to the bottom edge leaving a 1/4" of batting showing with right side up and pin. (can you tell I had fun drawing examples in MS Paint :)

Quilt fabric B with straight lines going from the bottom up or you could mark quilting lines diagonally and create a cross hatched effect (both examples in drawing above), but this would be a great time to practice free-motion quilting.

After fabric B has been quilted to the batting, place fabric A on top of fabric B with right sides together and line up edges.

Stitch  1/4" seam (the red line in example) and then press open.

Next quilt fabric A, starting close to the seam where you joined A to B using straight lines running the length of fabric A.

Trim using the seam line where A and B are joined to help square up to - 10" x 14" for the small basket, 10" x 17" for the medium or 10" x 20" for the large.

Let's make some handles

Place the handle fabric pieces with the right side down.

Use a glue stick and lightly place a few glue spots down the center of the wrong side of the handle fabric, then position the 3" x 10" batting and center it down the middle. Fold the fabric edges over and onto the batting using the glue stick and iron to hold it in place.

*Tip: It doesn't take much, go lightly with the glue stick.

Next fold the handle in half lengthwise enclosing the edges inside (the side view example above shows the batting in red and fabric is black). Press and pin well.

Top stitch closely down each edge and once in the center. Set these aside for now.

Assembling the Basket

With the outside pieces right sides together match the seam line and pin down each side and across the bottom. Sew down the side seam pivot at the corner, sew across the bottom, pivot again and sew up the side.

Lining

Next with the lining pieces right sides together, pin down the sides and bottom. Mark on the bottom edge for the small 5" (6" for the medium and 7" for the large) away from the side and again from the other edge at bottom. This will be the opening for turning the basket right side out later on. Stitch down each side and across bottom stopping at the mark, repeat for other side.

This is the opening you will use later to turn everything out.

Here comes the tricky part, but it's not as hard as it looks take your time and it will be just fine.
Take the outside and fold matching up the side seam to the bottom seam.

** Important!! Depending on the size basket you are making you will use these centering measurements to create the boxed bottom -  small 2.5", medium 3", and large 3.5 " (you will also do this for the lining as well)

Take your quilting ruler and use the center measurement to line up to the side seam line, slide the ruler until the edge of the basket is lined up.

As in this example the small basket center is 2.5" on the seam line and the ruler is lined up and measures across 5" (medium is 6" across and large is 7" across). Mark your sewing line.

Sew across this marked line making sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end for strength.

Trim away the excess corner and repeat on the other side. Then do these same steps for the corners of the lining.

Now that wasn't so bad after all was it?   :) See how nice and boxy the bottom is, just right!

Handle Placement

On the small I measured 1" from the side seam and pinned the handles. (for medium 1.5" and large 2" from side seam) Pin and baste in place.

With the right sides together and the handles tucked inside, pin all around the top like so.

Sew the outside to the lining by stitching all around the top. Take your time over the thicker parts like the side seams and where the handles are. Next turn the bag right side out, and tuck the lining into the bag.

It doesn't look so good at this point, but no worries the trusty iron is here to save the day.

Iron the top of the bag, this helps a lot, pin if needed and take it back to the sewing machine.

Top stitch around the top about a 1/4" away from the edge.

Grab the iron again and press the sides to make it all pretty.

Now step back and admire your basket.


If you make a basket please show it off on the LaBellaColori flickr group, I would love to see them.

Linked up to Sew it Cute Tuesday, Brag Bag Tuesday