Quilt-a-long Quilt Sandwich and Quilting

Now to make your quilt sandwich.  If you want to add a quilt label to the back before this, go ahead!  I always use basting spray, 505.  I lay the backing fabric (in the background of pic below) out on a Durabac board which is a big foldable fabric cutting board made of cardboard, good for fixing fabric on with pins. You could use a table of a clean floor or carpet.  I put some pins round the edges to make it taut.    I always spray the batting, not the fabric and I do this outside on a washing line as the glue smells and gets everywhere inside.  I lay the batting on to the backing fabric first.

 Then repeat the spraying process with the partial sandwich hanging on the washing line, spraying the batting side and then laying it backing side down on the durabac, the tacky basting surface is on the top.  I then pin out the edges and lay the quilt front on top.  As 505 is temporary you can do as many readjustments as you need and I stuck some safety pins in as well to be extra safe.

My quilting was simple, just a quarter inch echo around the star and stitch around the edge of the central squares. I don't want it to be too dense so I kept it simple. For the quilting thread- I am using Gutermann Sulky col.1071 which matches Kona snow perfectly.  I did try a contrast thread but I didn't like the look of it (you can see below), I'll use this in the binding instead.

The lighter colour is less dominant.

I used my walking foot and you can see how I lined up the foot with the star points to keep a regular quarter inch.

When I quilt I always position my needle start a quarter inch ahead of where I want to start, set the stitch length on the smallest setting, 1mm, and make sure the top thread tail is going right and the bobbin thread tail is going left- stops lumpy knots underneath.  I backstitch to the point where I really want to start, change the stitch length to 3.5mm and stitch away.  These longer stitches make for great quilting and cover up the tiny securing stitches at the beginning.

Before you stitch all the way round and back to the beginning, trim off the thread tails.  This is how it should now look, securing stitched are hidden, all nice and neat.

This is how it looks on the back.

At the end of the stitching I reverse about quarter inch again changing the stitch length from 3.5mm to 1mm.

And this is how it looks on the back.

For general help on making a quilt sandwich without basting spray see: Oh Fransson!

Quilt your Circle of Wonky Stars baby quilt any way you want and I'll see you back for the binding!

Quilt-a-long, Last 2 blocks! And making the Quilt Top

Hurrah, the final blocks!  We are now making the far left and far right blocks for the middle row.  Place your 2 solid squares exactly on top of each other,  grain  running down the fabric.  If your fabric is not a solid and therefore not the same on both sides you will need to put the right sides together, as you cut it you will be looking at the wrong side of the fabric on the top square.  The first cut will be horizontal and 4.25 inches (four and a quarter if you struggle with decimals!) inches down from the top of the square (see pic)

The second cut is also horizontal, this time 4 inches down from the last cut- or if you prefer  4.25 inches from the bottom of the square.  The 3rd cut is vertical, 5 inches from the right edge and the 4th cut, vertical again and 3.5 inches from the left edge.  The square in the centre should measure 4 inches on each side-have a check! 

You should now be able to peel off the top layer of each piece and lay it out in a horizontal mirror image so you have 2 blocks cut, for either side of the centre block that you made way back in the beginning.   Fix your block labels on with a pin.

Take the centre square of the left block and use it as the template to fussy cut the centre triangle fabric.  Repeat for the right block.  Assemble your blocks using the same tutorial as before, courtesy of Victoria. Your end quilt will look better and wonky stars more like a circle if you keep the triangle points of the stars on the smallish side.  Here are my far left and far right middle row blocks to give you an idea of the sizes. 

Now to assemble the whole thing!  We are going to make three horizontal rows and then stitch them together.  Pin your top left corner and top centre block together.  I pin the far ends of the seam first and then pin down all the triangle point seams.

Sew a 1/4 inch seam.  I use a stitch length of 1.8, just in case that helps!  I then press the seam open but if you want to press to one side- its your quilt, go ahead!

Add the right corner block in the same way, pressing the seam open.  repeat for centre row and bottom row.  Now join your rows together carefully matching your seams together.  Quilt top finished!

To make the quilt sandwich stage easier i pressed all the seams again with homemade spray starch.  I used Tara's recipe but without the lavender, thought best to have no scent for a baby.  If you want to go on ahead and are happy making your  sandwich, do so- I'll see you soon for quilting and binding.  By the way, if you are going to be brave like me and do a bias cut binding, you will only need a fat quarter of fabric!

More to share

Lula spent the weekend on a guide activity and came back Sunday pm with a platter of her efforts.  Sugar overload.  In the future she wants to either run a cake shop or go into dentistry-there's synergy in  her plans...

Damian excelled himself, this was inside my Valentine's card.  I am very lucky, we have been together a long, long time and he is the best man and human being I have ever met.

A few weeks ago I was fiddling around on New years eve finishing a coaster for idea of a set of coasters for the Japanese fabric designer Suzuko Koseki.   Everyone made their coasters, they all got to Japan in time and Ayumi did meet SK and have the most incredible time.  Read her account here and take a look at her fantastic photos, I am practically drooling at all the loveliness!  The success of the project was a credit to Ayumi's generous spirit.  Her pic below shows all our efforts.

Fancy a visit to Kat's blog to read my post on blogging ettiquette?- I am up today!

A sneaky peek for those of you quilting-a-long!  Yay, it works and looks like a ring!  I only had this planned in my head so I am happy to see it is as I envisaged.  I'll give details for the final blocks later this week.  I also plan to round the corners off and have bias binding- haven't done this before but I have already cut it and it was so easy and 1 fat quarter produces enough binding for the whole quilt!  I think it will really work with the design.

I also joined a new flickr quilt bee with a European focus- Bee Europa 2011, should be fun!

One more thing... I won something that I cannot quite believe- I came first in the creative section of the Quilt Story block party with my vintage spools block.  Wow...

 I am so proud and there is a prize too.  Lynne from Lily's Quilts came second in the same category!  I don't know what else to say but that I am very happy :)

Quilt-a-long, Top Row Centre, Bottom Row Centre Blocks

We are now making the centre blocks for the top and bottom rows.  Place your 2 solid squares exactly on top of each other,  grain  running down the fabric.  If your fabric is not a solid and therefore not the same on both sides you will need to put the right sides together, as you cut it you will be looking at the wrong side of the fabric on the top square.  The first cut will be horizontal and 3.5 inches down from the top of the square (see pic)

The second cut is also horizontal, this time 4 inches down from the last cut- or if you prefer  5.5 inches from the bottom of the square.  The 3rd cut is vertical, 4.25 inches from the right edge and the 4th cut, vertical again and 4.25 inches from the left edge.  The square in the centre should measure 4 inches on each side-have a check! 

You should now be able to peel off the top layer of each piece and lay it out in a vertical mirror image so you have 2 blocks cut, one for each of the top corners.   Fix your block labels on with a pin.

Take the centre square of the left block and use it as the template to fussy cut the centre triangle fabric.  Repeat for the right block.  Assemble your blocks using the same tutorial as before, courtesy of Victoria. Your end quilt will look better and wonky stars more like a circle if you keep the triangle points of the stars on the smallish side.  Here are my bottom two corner blocks to give you an idea of the sizes. 

Now you can join the blocks.  First join top left corner to the left side of the top centre block using a quarter inch seam.  I pin at each end of the seam and I also pin all the star point seams down. 

Press along the sewing line and then I press my seam open to reduce bulk in the quilt but you can press to one side if you prefer.  Repeat for top right corner adding it to the right side edge of the centre top row block.  Do the same for the bottom three blocks

Top row finished

Bottom row finished

You can start to see the ring effect now!

Check out my new Flickr group to see what everyone else is making.  Madame Parfait is making two; one girl- sweetie style, one boy- Dr Seuss. Amelie has chosen the cutest selection of fabrics for her blocks and Cassie has made beautiful fussy cut centres!  Only one more pair of blocks to go.

Quilt-a-long Making the corner blocks 2

Ready to make the next corner blocks?  They are a reverse of the other corners.  Place your 2 solid squares exactly on top of each other, you can see my pins at the bottom so I know the fabric grain is running the same way.  If your fabric is not a solid and therefore not the same on both sides you will need to put the right sides together, as you cut it you will be looking at the wrong side of the fabric on the top square.  The first cut will be horizontal and 3.5 inches down from the top of the square (see pic)

The second cut is also horizontal, this time 3.5 inches down from the last cut- or if you prefer  5.5 inches from the bottom of the square.  The 3rd cut is vertical, 5.5 inches from the right edge and the 4th cut, vertical again and 3.5 inches from the left edge.  The square in the centre should measure 3.5 inches on each side-have a check! 

You should now be able to peel off the top layer of each piece and lay it out in a horizontal mirror image so you have 2 blocks cut, one for each of the top corners.   Fix your block labels on with a pin.

Take the centre square of the left block and use it as the template to fussy cut the centre triangle fabric.  Repeat for the right block.  Assemble your blocks using the same tutorial as before, courtesy of Victoria. Your end quilt will look better and wonky stars more like a circle if you keep the triangle points of the stars on the small side.  Here are my bottom two corner blocks to give you an idea of the sizes. 

Check out my new Flickr group to see what everyone else is making.  If you've made a block add it to the group to inspire others. Five blocks done, over half way!

Quilt-a-long: Making the corner blocks

Today we will make 2 corner blocks for your circle of wonky stars baby quilt, but first a quick note on materials.  I originally said that you will need to prepare at least 36 triangles for your star points, well yes 36 to start and then 36 more.  You are going to need 72 in total- 9 stars, 8 points per star.  I had to cut a whole load of extras! I had a question from Amy, would charm squares work for the points and centres?  Good question- yes providing they are 5 inch square charms, nice idea Amy!  Cutting your triangles from  bigger squares just gives you a bit of extra wiggle room but not essential.   Some of the triangle points will be quite small and I have used all sizes of scraps for the triangles.  Before we start, how about some handy labels to pin on your blocks? 

Prefer them as a PDF?  Click here!

Now, cutting your solid background for the top 2 corner blocks.  This is where it helps to have a solid back ground as we are going to save a bit of time.  Place your 2 solid squares exactly on top of each other, you can see my pins which tell me which is the top of each square.  If your fabric is not a solid and therefore not the same on both sides you will need to put the right sides together, as you cut it you will be looking at the wrong side of the fabric on the top square.

The first cut will be horizontal and 3.5 inches up from the bottom of the square (see pic)

The second cut is also horizontal, this time 3.5 inches up from the last cut- or if you prefer 5.5 inches from the top of the square.  The 3rd cut is vertical, 3.5 inches from the right edge and the 4th cut, vertical again and 5.5 inches from the left edge.  The square in the centre should measure 3.5 inches on each side-have a check! 

You should now be able to peel off the top layer of each piece and lay it out in a mirror image so you have 2 blocks cut, one for each of the top corners.   Fix your fancy new block labels on with a pin.

Take the centre square of the left block and use it as the template to fussy cut the centre triangle fabric.  Repeat for the right block.  Assemble your blocks using the same tutorial as before, courtesy of Victoria. Your end quilt will look better and wonky stars more like a circle if you keep the triangle points of the stars on the small side.  Here are my 2 blocks to give you an idea of the sizes. 

And I think it helps to see what the back looks like too. 

 Back soon with the next tutorial for the bottom corner blocks,  it is awfully similar to what we've just done! And maybe I'll organise a Flickr group so we share our efforts?  If you are quilting-a-long and I haven't got you in my blog roll at the side, let me know and I'll update it.

Quilt-a-long with me?

It was my friend Kathy's birthday.  She is a great friend, very supportive and lots of fun plus our dogs were from the same litter, so we have a bond!  Last year I made her a little log cabin coin purse/pouch,  it is wearing out a bit now so time for a new one.

I made the shape up so it was a bit experimental.  At one point it was way too big and like a toiletries purse- not the look I was aiming for. I free pieced the K with purple linen.  I squared off the bottom to give a bit of body to the shape so it can comfortably hold coins, this meant the fabric spelt out Cups Butt on the bottom, noticed of course by her teenage son-it had completely bypassed me.  The fabric is Suzuko Koseki cotton/linen cooking print, and there is a layer of cotton batting between that and the black polka lining.

 It is small enough to fit in your hand, large enough for notes.

Having used much of my solitarty FQ of Cosmo Early Bird Yellow plaid in a quilt block I knew I would need more.  When I bought this I thought I wouldn't use yellow much and now I can't get enough of it.  The teal and the exercise book stripes are a great accompaniment, all bought from Quilted Castle (USA), although I think stocks are going.  The cup is the most beautiful Le Cresuset graduating turquoise colour .

I yielded to that and having read Amber's blog One Shabby Chick this morning, I checked out the link to an etsy shop  and bought a pile of Ruby Star Rising at a price that is cheaper than it will be in the UK.  I already know what I plan to make so I can sort of justify this but no more buying, making instead.  I have been drawing inspiration together for DQS10, this is for shapes and form.

1. Sew New to Me VQB--July, 2. Fragmentation of Big, 3. Seeds in the wind (Taraxacum officinale), 4. Splintered

And I am working on another secret mini quilt for Favourite Little Quilt Swap.  I wish I could show you, I am so pleased with it but the swap works on secrecy even of pics so no sneaky peeks.  So in the mean time, I am starting on a wonky Circle of Stars Baby Quilt- care to join me?  I am going to make it a quilt-a-long.  I am not sure if any one wants to quilt-a-long with me but as I am going to blog it I thought it was worth putting the offer out!  It will be made of 9 wonky star blocks, easy peasy! You will need some scraps and other stuff, list below.  Mine will be pink, your will be...?

 You will need:

1.  At least one yard of solid fabric, or being more generous 1 meter- (equivalent to 1 yard and 3 inches)
2.  Scraps for the starts, I am fussy cutting centre squares so you will need  9 x 5 inch squares (larger to allow for the fussy cutting.
3.  Scraps for the triangle points-great scrap buster.  Scraps need to contrast with the solid.
4.  1 yard/1 meter cotton batting, I use warm and natural.
5.  Fabric for binding.  Could be pieced or all one fabric.  If you do the bias binding option the way I do it, 1 fat quarter will be ample.  If you do straightgrain binding. you would need under 1/2 yard or a 1/4 metre length which is cut selvedge to selvedge.

I will make a button in case you want to put it on your own blog- I am on it now!  In the meantime, the sketch above gives you an idea of the layout.  It will be very flexible and a lot of the choices are up to you but I will give you the instructions to make a circle out of 9 wonky star blocks.   I need to get this made for the end of February at the latest so I will post the first instructions asap. Leave me a comment if you are joining in, nice to know if you are x