Lynne contacted a few UK bloggers with an Oakshott colourshott challenge a few weeks back- 1st hurdle was to call dibs on your colour way of choice: imagine a virtual jumble sale of pointy elbow emails as we each frantically emailed back to Lynne with our selection whilst going
to work, dropping off children etc. I chose 'Rio', a blues/orange fat eight pack.
We each needed to devise a pattern to be shared on our blogs and could also be used as part of the pack so that you could buy the bundle and have an item in mind to make. I wanted something with strips and I am a Courthouse Steps fan so this is what I came up with, 'Misplaced Steps' square pillow cover.
This is one of the Courthouse Steps blocks in isolation.
Finished Size= 20 ¼" square
Materials
Required:
Oakshott
Colourshotts Fat Eighth Pack in 'Rio'
Backing
– 1/2 metre Colourshotts COTX53 Baja Blue for pillow envelope back
Batting/wadding
or fusible fleece (I used Vilene Quiltex) – 22” square for pillow front, two rectangles each measuring 16”
x 22” for pillow envelope back
Pillow
pad 20” square, or 22” square for fuller pillow.
Things
to remember:
Use
scant ¼” seam
Seams
are pressed to the side unless stated otherwise
Cut
across width of fabric (WOF). The fabric selvedge will be vertical
TIP:
Prewash, then starch and press the fat eights before cutting using a
gentle, plant based, non aerosol spray starch e.g. Earth Friendly,
Astonish or Flatter. This helps to make more accurate blocks.
1.
Cutting: Follow the table below:
Fabric
A (COTX33 Bergamo) Beige
Cut two WOF 1 ¼” wide strip. From this cut: nine 1 ¼” x 1 ¼”
squares, one 1 ¼” x 4 ¼” rectangle, one 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangle,
Cut
two WOF 2 ¼” wide strips for binding back panels. Trim to 20
¾” in length.
|
Fabric
B (COTX34 Sandstone) Cream
Cut
three WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut: five 1 ¼” x 2 ¾”
rectangles, four 1 ¼” x 4 ¼” rectangles, two 1 ¼” x 5 ¾”
rectangles, four 1 ¼” x 7 ¼” rectangles
|
Fabric
C (COTX37 Sunshine) Gold
Cut
four WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut:
three
1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles, four 1 ¼” x 4 ¼” rectangles,
six 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangles, six 1 ¼” x 7 ¼”
rectangles
|
Fabric
D (03 Nectarine) orange
Cut
four WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut:
five
1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles, five 1 ¼” x 4 ¼” rectangles,
four 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangles,
three 1 ¼” x 7 ¼”
rectangles
|
Fabric
E (COTX05 Campion) Rust
Cut
four WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut:
five
1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles, four 1 ¼” x 4 ¼”rectangles,
five 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangles, five 1 ¼” x 7 ¼”
rectangles
|
Fabric
F (COX53 Baja Blue) Light Blue
Cut
five WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut:
eight
1 ¼” x 1 ¼” squares, eight 1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles,
seven 1 ¼” x 4 ¼” rectangles,
eight 1 ¼” x 5 ¾”
rectangles
From
the extra fabric for the pillow back, cut two rectangles 16” x
22”
|
Fabric
G (COTX17 Timor) Mid Blue
Cut
four WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut: four 1 ¼” x 1 ¼”
squares, four 1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles, five 1 ¼” x 4 ¼”
rectangles, three 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangles
|
Fabric
H (COTX16 Banda) Dark Blue
Cut
four WOF 1 ¼” wide strips. From these cut:
six
1 ¼” x 1 ¼” squares, six 1 ¼” x 2 ¾” rectangles, five 1
¼” x 4 ¼” rectangles, six 1 ¼” x 5 ¾” rectangles
|
Colour
Diagram:
Block
Measurements Diagram:
2.
Assembly
There
are nine Courthouse steps blocks in this pillow cover and it is
constructed in three rows of three. Use the colour and Measurement
diagrams to match the colours and fabric pieces to each block. Start
with block one (top left corner) arrange all the pieces and colours
needed for this block following the layout and colours in the
diagrams before you start sewing.
i.
To make a Courthouse steps block, start with the centre square. With
right sides together, sew one blue colour square to the top edge of
the centre square. Press blue square away from the centre square.
Continue following the Construction diagram and referring to the
Colour and Measurement diagrams for size and colour of
square/rectangle. The block should measure 7 ¼” square
unfinished.
ii.
Repeat following the diagrams until there are 9 blocks. Arrange the
blocks into three rows of three. Join blocks to make three rows.
Join rows.
3.
Quilting and Finishing
i.
Baste or fuse batting/fleece to pillow front and back pieces. Quilt
as desired; diagonal lines are effective on this design. Trim and
square edges. Front should measure 20 ¾” square, back pieces
each measure 15” x 20 ¾”.
ii.
Fold binding strip in half along length, press. Use to bind back
pieces by sewing folded binding strip to right side of back using ¼”
seam: the strip raw edges line up with back piece raw edge. Turn
binding folded edge to wrong side of back piece and stitch in place
by machine or by hand. Place back pieces and pillow front right
sides together; the back pieces will overlap. Stitch around the
pillow edges with 1/4” seam. Press seam and turn through. Press
and insert pad!
I kept the quilting simple with diagonal lines in Aurifil 28wt on the top thread and 50wt on the spool.
'Rio' and colour themed fat eighth packs will be available from Oakshott Fabrics at the Festival of Quilts. Are you going? I am undecided at the moment as I will be working that week but I haven't been before and I do fancy it so maybe a Saturday trip is in order? Please share any experiences below!
Here is the full schedule of all the blogs on the bloghop:
And if you would like the button,
Lynne has prepared one, paste the details below!
