quilt for 1 more kid...

One of my goals (resolutions) for 2012 was to make a few quilts for charity.

This is my 3rd donation quilt for the 100 Quilts for Kids Project.

It may look pretty simple, but it's actually very special and holds some good memories.

I used a line by Sandy Gervais (can't remember the name ... something Spring) to make a quilt for my first grandchild, Elyse. In addition there were bumper pads, table skirt, etc. In my excitement I may have (did) overbuy in the fabric department. The leftover has been sitting on my shelf, calling me to do something special.

I added a few current fabrics and simply sewed squares together. The backing was pieced using every last bit of leftover fabric.

So thanks to an over-zealous grandmother, a child will get a special quilt.

I'll be donating the quilt to Project Linus with the St Louis Modern Quilt Guild's Fall Charity Project.

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WIP Envelope Block

Do you think they look like envelopes?

I've had the idea to piece blocks that look like envelopes after seeing this quilt on flickr.

Don't you think it would make a cute wallhanging over a desk or a table where you plop your mail?

I splurged on some charm squares from this etsy fabric designer.

I just loved the graphic designs and colors.

I think I'll just sew these six blocks up into a simple wall quilt.

As for other projects - I've got 3 of my Spinning Stars blocks made. Hope to make some more this weekend at our Modern Quilt Guild sew-in! 

Linking up today with Lee at Freshly Pieced! . . . Cindy

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Journal

I love paper, notebooks, pencils, pens and markers. I have lots of sketchpads where I jot quilt design ideas and often chicken-scratch mathematical notes. I keep a gratitude journal and recently have started a journal of movies - seen and to-see.

But I've never been much of a journaler ~ although I strive to be. So when I ran across the Lil Journal Project on one of my favorite blogs, UCreate, I decided this was the perfect project for me. Ashley is providing daily prompts for writing or drawing so you don't sit empty-headed with a blank page staring at you. She's up to Day 16, but you can go at your own pace and skip anything you'd like.

She suggested buying a sketchbook with a plain cover, and of course that is the first rule I had to break. I made a cover for my journal using Rachel's tutorial at Stitched In Color. The typewriter and text print combo was totally her idea and I loved it!

here's the back...

Day 2's entry was to draw a picture of the first classroom that you remember. That was going way back for me, but I so enjoyed thinking about it. Funny how my first recollection was going under our desks for nuclear attack drills! What kid doesn't like to hide under a table?

While I was in the little project mode yesterday, I also made myself the ipad case that's been on the list for a while. I used Faith's tutorial at Fresh Lemons.

It fit perfectly!

My journal entry today was about simple pleasures and I got to use some of my favorite markers!

Hope your week is filled with many simple pleasures! . . . Cindy

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some blocks...

So while we've been talking chevrons this week, I've been doing some piecing.

I've been machine quilting my Modern Alphabet quilt for what seems like for-ev-er...

and I needed some patchwork therapy.

First, I did Linda's block for our St Louis Redbird Bee. It's my first "Disappearing Nine-Patch". We used Kristy's instructions and it was super fun.

My "Field Study" fabric has been calling my name and I changed my mind and decided to do AMH's Spinning Stars pattern. It's a free download and there are so many possibilities with this one.

This is the start of the cover quilt from Denyse Schmidt's new book Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration. I thought it would be a good scrap-buster and I love the fact that it's one gigantic Courthouse Steps block.

And finally, I've cut into my FMF using Camille's pattern Dilly Dally. I wanted to do something simple that would showcase all the prints in the collection. I think this'll do it!

Okay - so back to machine quilting. I'm almost done - hope to show the completed quilt next week.

Hope you have a great weekend! I'm going to see Patty Young at our local shop Fabric Nosherie. Super excited!  

. . . Cindy

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Chevron Wrap-up

I've had a lot of questions about my original chevron quilt. Here it is still unquilted - yes, I've got a problem with that!

This was constructed just like I've described in the 3 previous posts. You'll notice when you cut your strip sets that you can actually get five 4 1/2" segments from each. That's what I did here and with 2 1/2" finished borders (3" cut) it finishes at 49" wide. I used 15 print fabrics and pieced them together in 3 sets (we did 2 sets in the baby size) and the quilt is about 57" long.

To increase the size of the quilt just keep adding rows. If you want to do more than 5 rows across, you will need additional strip sets.

You'll notice on my original, the top (and bottom) chevrons got chopped off. This is why we made the first and last print strips wider in the tutorial. Live and learn - I didn't like the chopped look.

You'll find more information about chevrons - such as varying strip width and colors on my earlier post:

How I Make Chevrons

Hope you make some! And let me know how it goes!

. . . Cindy

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Chevron - Part 3

Part 1 here

Part 2 here

Baby Chevron - Part 3

Assembling the Quilt

Trim the top of each of your chevron strips 1/4" from the point formed by the solid white, squaring it with the sides.

Trim the bottom of your chevron strips even with the lower point of the solid white strip, squaring it with the sides.

Measure along the center seam of one of your strips. Mine was 40 5/8".

Trim 5 solid white strips to that length. It's important that you trim them all the same size. This will square up the quilt and stabilize the bias edges. 

Rather than measuring the strips, I like to press, place the strips in a pile and lay them down the center seam. I then trim them all at the same time even with the chevron strip.

(If your white strips are not long enough, due to the width of your fabric, you may need to piece them together to get the proper length)

Pin and sew the white strips between each of the chevron strips and on each side. You may need to ease a bit to get them to fit perfectly. This is where your bias edge will come in handy because it will ease or stretch to fit the white strips exactly.

Tip: If one side is longer than the other, place the longer edge on the bottom or touching the feed dogs when sewing. That will help ease in the extra.

When you sew the strips together with the white strip in between them, the chevron seams will not line up. This is because of the 1/2" strip between them. In fact, you'll notice that the seam line will fall right in the middle of the white strip of the other row. (This will make more sense when you do it!)

Trim 2 white strips for the top and bottom borders. Sew and press.

Finally add the print outer borders. Trim 2 borders for the sides; sew and press. Trim 2 borders for the top and bottom; sew and press. If the width of your fabric is not quite long enough for the side borders, you should have enough extra fabric to add to the length.

Layer, quilt and bind! I chose to do simple straight line quilting on each side of the solid white seams.

Tomorrow I'll have some tips on making the quilt bigger and variations for the chevrons.

Comment or email me if you have any questions! . . . Cindy

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Chevron - Part 2

Part 1 here

Part 2 - Now on to the sewing!

Sew strips one through six together with a 1" white strip between each one and after fabric six. (You'll use 6 white strips).

Stack the strips as pictured by sewing a 1" strip in approximately 4" from the short end of strip #1.

Sew strip #2 in approximately 1/2" from the end of the white strip.

Sew a white strip in approximately 2" from the end of strip #2.

Continue in this manner stacking 1/2" from the white strips and 2 " from the print strips.

End with a 1" white strip.

Press seam allowances toward the print strips.

Trim the edge by placing the 45 degree line of your ruler on any one of the seam lines.

Trim off the ends. You may have to move your ruler a bit for the length.

Cut a strip 4 1/2" wide from the clean cut edge. Repeat and cut 3 more for a total of four. Check the angle of each strip with the 45 degree line on your ruler. You may have to trim this up again as the bias edge relaxes and may not be a true 45 anymore.

You will have 4 units that look like this!

Tip: Your rows have bias edges which are very stretchy! Handle them carefully, trying not to stretch the edge.

Repeat the same technique with the second strip of fabrics one through six, stacking them in the opposite direction. Press these seam allowances toward the white strips.

Trim the edge using the 45 degree line.

And cut 4 units at 4 1/2" from the cut edge.

 Repeat the same steps from above with fabrics seven through twelve and five 1" white strips. Sew a white strip between each of the print strips stacking as above (you'll start and end with a print strip this time).

You can see that we created the rows in two units instead of one long strip set. This is because the whole strip set would be too long for your cutting mat. Now we have to sew them together.

Pin and sew the left side units with fabrics 1-6 to the left side units with fabrics 7-12. Because of the angle there will be a small triangle hanging off each end. The "V" formed where the fabrics meet will be right at the 1/4" seam allowance.

Join the right side units in the same way.

Sew the right side units to the left side units. You'll notice that with the seams pressed in opposite directions, they match up nicely. Pin at each intersection. Sew the center seam, being very careful not to stretch the bias!

Make four of these rows.

I think that's enough for today! Next we'll assemble the quilt top!

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Chevron - Part 1

Here's my version of a chevron quilt! You'll find the instructions in 3 parts:

Part 1: Fabric requirements and cutting

Part 2: Making the rows

Part 3: Assembling the quilt

Part 4: Wrap-up and making a larger quilt

If you have any questions leave them in the comments. I'll try to answer them there for all to see!

Baby Chevron Quilt

finished size 39" x 45 1/2"

Choose 12 coordinating prints and a border fabric.

Fabric Requirements:

(I've given you the exact measurement needed in case you want to work from a stash)

Prints

   Fabrics 1 and 12 (first and last fabrics): 9" or 3/8 yard

   Fabrics 2 through 11: 5" or 1/4 yard

White

   30" or 1 yard

Border

   10"-12 1/2" (depending on the width of your fabric) or 1/2 yard

Binding

 1/2 yard

Cutting:

Tip: Before cutting strips, be sure to straighten the edge of your fabric and make sure it is cut perpendicular to the fold. An easy way to do this is to use 2 rulers. Place the horizontal line of one ruler along the fold. Butt the second ruler up to the edge of the first. Remove the first ruler and trim. Now your edge is perfectly perpendicular to the fold!

Cut strips the width of the fabric.

From each of fabrics one and twelve, cut 2 strips 4 1/2".

From each of fabrics two through eleven, cut 2 strips 2 1/2".

From the solid white, cut 29 strips 1".

From the border fabric, cut 4 strips 2 1/2".

From the binding fabric, cut 5 strips 2 1/2".

Next up ~ sewing!

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