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Join me as I guest blog over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict today! I'm sharing my 9-Patch Plaid Tutorial as part of the Nifty Nines Quilt Along and the Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge 2016. You can download the FREE printable PDF file in my Craftsy shop.Pattern #BHQ0416008
I've been told this looks like a Christmas quilt, and that wasn't my plan; I see a manly camo quilt! I've also been told the center red squares look like bleeding from bullet wounds, and this too was not my intention; I view those as scraps of love!
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While piecing the strip sets for the Bargello Quilt Along, I was pondering why some quilters struggle with piecing straight strip sets and I do not. Straight strip sets cause a wonderful sense of inner satisfaction and joy, and I can't help but smile and giggle to myself when I see them. The true satisfaction, though, comes when the quilt blocks are assembled and are so spot-on, so square - all because the strip sets started out straight.
I began to pay attention to exactly what I was doing that could be making the difference between bowed and nearly perfectly straight strip sets, and this is what I came up with, and it doesn't involve sewing from opposite ends of the strip set each time!
Step 1
Of course, the strips themselves must be straight. An Accuquilt Go! makes perfect cuts every time!
Step 2
Place two strips right sides together (RST), lining up the edges. Do not pull on either strip; simply lay them together without tension. Place your index finger on the edge of the strip set a few inches from the presser foot as shown below. Leave this finger in place and begin sewing, allowing the finger to move with the fabric toward the presser foot. Do not pull on the strips at all. The finger is just holding them together so both strips go through the feed dogs at the same pace. When the presser foot bumps into your finger, stop sewing. Do not take your finger off the strips until the sewing machine is completely stopped.
Line up the edges of the strips and once again place your index finger on the edge of the strips a few inches from the presser foot. Sew again as before, making sure to leave your finger there until the presser foot bumps it. Repeat this step until the strip is sewn.
Don't worry - with practice this method becomes super fast!
Step 3
These instructions are for right-handed quilters; reverse for you lefty's.
After a strip is sewn to the strip set and before adding another strip, open the strips and aim the seam allowance in the direction you want it to go. In the picture below, the seam is facing to the left. Begin working at either end of the strip set. Place the left hand on the strip set, holding it open, and run the nail of the right hand index finger down the seam. Be sure the seam is fully opened. If it's not, gently open it fully and run your nail along the seam again. Move down the strip set and repeat this process until the entire strip is nail-pressed open. I learned this tip in Craftsy's Strip Your Stash class. See below for how to get this class at a great price today!
Step 4
Lay the strip set on the ironing board. Do not force the edge of the iron into the seams; rather, set the iron on top of the strips. Iron gently.
Step back and admire your work!
Below are three 21" x 36" strip sets pinned to my design wall. I'm making a bargello quilt as part of the Bargello Quilt Along at Elm Street Quilts.
And since quilters always want to know - the fabric I'm using is Gelato Collection by Elite which is hard to find but is very similar to Gradations by Benartex.
For two days, March 16th and 17th, get any Craftsy class for $19.99! Some classes are as low as $14.99! That's up to 60% off!
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I'm really excited to share this fun modern quilt tutorial with you today! Introducing Love Multiplied! Over the past few months I've been playing around with the idea of an X quilt, and this month during my Sewing For Me time, I finally had the opportunity to develop the idea. The layout wasn't as easy as I thought it should be, so I made a tutorial for the pattern in baby size. You'll find the FREE tutorial in my pattern shop on Craftsy. Pattern #BHQ1215006
And Accuquilt's Holiday sale continues! Buying an Accuquilt Go! this year is the best quilting investment I have ever made! I only wish I had done it sooner! The cutter drastically cuts cutting time, and the perfect pieces result in quicker piecing time since many blocks do not need trimmed.
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I'm super excited about the just-beginning Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along over at Bee In My Bonnet! It's based on Lori Holt's new book, Farm Girl Vintage, a lovely book of super sweet sampler blocks. I love this book! The blocks, instructions, quilt layouts, and ideas are so beautiful and inspiring! The book is even spiral bound and lies nice and flat!
To prepare for the Farm Girl Sew Along, I've been inspired to make design boards to keep quilt block pieces in order. They will come in very handy when I don't have time to sew a block immediately after I've laid out the pieces. Using the design boards will also keep my design wall free for other use, not to mention keeping the pieces straight as I take them to the sewing machine. They tend to have a mind of their own and jump out of order in the transfer from the design wall to the sewing machine!
This is not my original idea; I make no claim to that. I've taken Lori Holt's tutorial, shown below, given a few more specifics regarding board size and changed it from a fabric border to Duck Tape. Yes, Duck Tape - that stuff that comes in fantastic patterns and you always wondered what you'd do with it! Here's an excuse to buy some!
I recommend watching the video first as it will explain a whole lot that I don't repeat.
ETA: I now recommend using fleece or a batting that you are 100% positive won't leave fuzzies on your fabrics.
This tutorial creates 14 design boards in the following sizes. I chose these sizes because it used the board in its entirely with no waste whatsoever, and I don't often make blocks bigger than this.
The tri-fold board comes with two folds already in it. First we'll cut these folded sections off. Turn back the folded flaps several times to create a visible crease on the uncut side of the board. Lay the board flat and score this crease with a scissor. It's quite easy to do, and it doesn't have to be perfect. Fold the flap back and it will easily pop off. Repeat for other flap.
Take the two flaps you've separated from the main board and draw lines 12" from each short end. With scissors score along this line, fold it back to create a crease, and then score this crease on the other side of the board. Fold it back and pop the piece off. Repeat on other end. This results in six 12" x 12" boards.
Take the main board and draw lines as shown in the picture below. Score along the lines with the sharp edge of a scissor or other blade, fold back to create a crease, then score the opposite side and pop off the piece, just as before.
CUT BATTING:
{Please note I now recommend using fleece because it doesn't leave fuzzies. The batting on my boards leaves fuzzies on the back of my pieces.} I have not change the wording from "batting" to "fleece".
Cut a piece of batting the size of each board. Here's my daughter cutting batting for me. We had fun making these together. She thinks she's not crafty; I say she just hasn't discovered that side of herself yet! She hasn't had enough life experience to know that crafts can keep a woman sane, and life's about more than reading books! Many of us are just happier when our hands are busy creating! {That's me - Busy Hands Quilts!}
GLUE BATTING {2 options}:
Option 1: Place the batting on the side of the board that has no writing on it. The writing won't be covered, and then you can easily see which size each board is without measuring each time you want one. Glue the batting to the boards as shown in the video. I glued around all four edges, not just two as Lori shows. I glued on the top of the board, not the 1/4" thick side.
Option 2 {thanks to Ruth!}: Spray the board with spray glue and lay the batting on top of the board, lining up edges. Press down gently to secure.
TAPE THE LAYERS:
In deciding which Duck Tape to buy, I chose a lovely Flower Sugar knock-off and a penguin on blue.
Take your super fun Duck Tape and cut a piece the size of the edge of a board. I found that tearing the Duck Tape created a not-so-fine edge, but cutting it is tricky too since it is super sticky. Accurately cutting the tape creates a nice corner, but give yourself the grace to simply create - your boards don't have to be perfect! I didn't measure any tape; I eyeballed every single time!
Place the bottom edge of the board even with a line on a cutting mat. Carefully place the tape over the batting, approx 1/2" from the edge of the batting, using the lines on the cutting mat as a guide {see pic above}. Press tape down. Turn board over and secure the tape to the side of the board. Then carefully press the tape down onto the back of the board.
Repeat these steps to apply tape to the opposite side of the board. Then apply tape to the remaining two sides, remembering that the more accurate the tape length is cut, the nicer the corner will be. There are no mitered corners as with a quilt binding; that would be far too difficult with Duck Tape.
That's it! I hope you've enjoyed this Design Board Tutorial! Share your boards on social media with #DuckTapeDesignBoard.
Step 1: Line up the diagonal line of the HST with the diagonal line on the cutting mat. Place the bottom left corner near an inch line. Make sure that there will be fabric to cut off of each side, remembering that the left and bottom sides will be cut on an inch line, and the top and right sides will be cut on the half-inch line (because the HSTs are 9.5"). Go back and make sure the diagonal line of the HST matches the diagonal line on the mat.
Step 2: Line up the ruler with the half-inch marks on the cutting mat and cut the right side. Carefully pick up the ruler without moving the block. Do not move the block, unless you don't have a rotating mat, in which case you'll rotate the block clockwise and line it up again. If you do not have a rotating mat and are moving the block, be careful with the half-inch and inch sides if your block is not a multiple of an inch. {I will not repeat these instructions each time.}
Step 3: Rotate the mat clockwise 90 degrees. Line up the ruler with the half-inch marks on the cutting mat and cut the right side.
Step 4: Rotate the mat clockwise 90 degrees. Line up the ruler with the inch marks on the cutting mat and cut the right side.
Step 5: Rotate the mat clockwise 90 degrees. Line up the ruler with the inch marks on the cutting mat and cut the right side.
You now have a perfectly squared half-square triangle!
If I am squaring many smaller HSTs , I use my Bloc Loc ruler.
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My favorite Craftsy quilting class so far is Pre-Cut Piecing Made Simply by Camille Roskelley. She is a very sweet instructor and shares her little tips along the way, including maximizing the use of pre-cuts. One of the four patterns taught is the ever popular SWOON! This is actually why I bought the class; it's a great value with the three other quilt patterns, all of which have written and video instruction! Each pattern individually would cost more than this class and I'd only have a paper pattern. One of these days I will be Swooning it up as so many of you have already done!
Don't miss out on Craftsy Birthday Flash Sale! Get select online classes at up to 50% off for a limited time only. You won't see so many classes with prices this low again soon. Hurry, offer expires May 11th at 11:59pm MT. Shop Craftsy's Birthday Flash Sale.
(This post contains affiliate links which means, I will be compensated if you purchase after clicking these links.)
This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support!
How to bind a quilt 100% by machine using a double-fold binding. This is the method I prefer because it is the fastest method. In addition, it is the most durable binding and will withstand lots of use. Did you know the binding takes the most abuse on a quilt?
Remember, if you have a method that works well, stick with it. There is no one right way to bind a quilt! NOTE: I no longer bind quilts in exactly this manner. I was having too much trouble catching the binding in the seam using the method below. I have made the following changes to how I bind quilts:
2-1/8" strips rather than 2-1/4".
Attach binding to the back of the quilt using just over a 1/4" seam rather than attaching it to the front.
Turn the binding to the front and sew it down there.
1930s reproduction fabric table runner quilted and ready to bind.
Cut 2-1/4" strips the width of fabric, selvage to selvage. Each strip will yield approximately 36" usable fabric. Measure your quilt top to see how much you need, remembering the corners will take up a few inches, and you'll need at least 7" of overlap where the two strip ends will meet.
Place the right sides of the ends of two strips together as shown. The extra tail is so the selvage doesn't show on the right side. Sew diagonally from the two corners where the two strips meet. The blue tape is painter's tape I use as a guide for sewing diagonal lines.
Continue sewing all the strips together without cutting the thread. I reverse to lock the stitch in at the beginning and end of each seam. Then cut them apart between the sewn strips.
At the ironing board, fold strip in half exactly and press. When you come to a strip seam, trim the extra fabric 1/4" from the seam and press open. Continue pressing remaining strips.
One big pile - one long strip.
Begin attaching the binding at the bottom edge of a quilt. Leaving a tail that is at least 6" long, line up the raw edge of the binding with the FRONT of the quilt and stitch in a 1/4"+ seam. Be very consistent in keeping the seam allowance the same all the way around. My presser foot is not 1/4", nor is it quite 3/8", and I use the edge of the foot. Apply a little pressure on the strip by very gently pulling it toward you to keep it smooth. This also prevents a wavy edge on the finished quilt { unless the quilt top was already wavy }. Continue aligning the binding strip with the quilt edge and stitch until you come to a corner, at which point you'll stop with your needle down into the quilt 1/4"+ { your seam allowance measurement } away from the edge.
Turn the quilt. Raise the needle out of the quilt.
Turn the strip toward you in a 90-degree angle. You will see the folded strip sticks up in the picture. Lay this fold down, away from you, aligning it with the previously sewn edge at the top of the quilt, then line the raw edge of the binding up with the right raw edge of the quilt, and line up the left side of the strip with itself so the bottom strip doesn't peek out but is lined up perfectly with the strip lying on top of it. It should look like a perfect 90-degree corner { see picture below }, and don't sew it until it does.
Edges all lined up and ready to sew again. Place the pressure foot at the edge and reverse to lock in the stitch. Continue stitching along the strip.
Continue sewing on the binding, stopping when you are 10" away from where you first began stitching on the binding.
This step is crucial, so pay double attention before you cut! At your cutting table, lay it all flat and overlap the binding edges one atop the other, right along the raw edge of the quilt. Cut the strips so they overlap 2", no more, no less. Cut straight, too, not at any sort of an angle. Do this in the middle of the unstitched area so you have more flex area to join the strips together.
Lay the two strip ends right sides together just as you did to join the strips in the beginning. Do not leave any overhang here, however; join them at the very ends of the strips. Carefully pin the two layers together.
Sew a diagonal seam from the corner of the top strip to the corner of the bottom strip.
Remove pins and make sure the binding lies flat when folded in half and lined up with the edge. If it doesn't lie flat, rework the seam until it does, either taking in more or letting a bit out. This shouldn't happen if you've been careful about seam allowances all along. Once it looks great, cut the extra fabric from the seam and press open. Line the raw edge of the binding up with the raw edge of the quilt and stitch as before.
Press the binding away from the quilt front.
Turn the quilt over and fold the binding to the back side of the quilt. First pin one side and then the other, pinning the corner last. Don't force the binding over to the back side; just fold to where it naturally goes without pressure. This is why a uniform seam allowance was so important earlier. Fold one edge of the corner over the other so they line up to a perfect 90-degree point. Carefully pin through this point toward the corner of the quilt as shown.
With the front of the quilt up, begin at a corner and fold the binding to the back and hold it there as you sew in the ditch between the quilt top and the binding. When you come to a corner, stop sewing with the needle down exactly in the corner where the binding turns. You may need to temporarily shorten your stitch length so the needle ends down in the corner exactly. Remember to lengthen the stitch length again, if shortened.
Finished binding! The back looks just as nice as the front with no bumps and a straight seam, even on the back!
Quilt Stats: Fabric: 1930s Reproduction Fabrics Size: 14" x 72" Batting: Warm and Natural Cotton Quilting: Freehand meandering stipple Binding: Double fold, 100% machine sewn Not for sale!
I Am A Fabricologist. Most anything can be soothed with fabric, especially if it's in the form of a quilt. If I sewed as much as I dream about fabric, my machines would be running nearly 24/7!!
