Born in the USA....

In honor of the upcoming holiday weekend, here is a patriotic variation on the Plaid Block demonstrated by Alissa a couple of weeks ago. Like Alissa suggested, the look of this block can be dramatically affected by altering the color, size, and placement of the lines within the plaid. Here, we use two narrow bands of contrasting color to create a check pattern. Note how the fabric used at the intersection of the stripes contains the colors of both fabrics.



Materials:
Background Fabric (White):
1- 7" square
2- strips 1.5" by 7"
2- strips 2" by 7"
1- 1.5" square
1- 2" square
2- strips 1.5" by 2"

Red/White Stripes:
2- strips 7" by 2"
2- 2" squares
2- strips 1.5" by 2"

Red Intersection (should read darker than the stripe fabric)
1- 2" square

Blue/White Stripes:
2- strips 7" by 2"
2- 2" squares
2- strips 1.5" by 2"

Blue Intersection (should read darker than the stripe fabric)
1- 2" square

Red/Blue Intersection (should have both colors)
2- 2" squares



Arrange your cut pieces as shown above.

Then sew the rows together, moving across your block and using a scant 1/4" seam. Press each row, ensuring the seams lie flat. Once you have assembled the five rows, sew them together from top to bottom. Try to line up the vertical seams, pinning as needed. Once the block is fully assembled, press.



There are many different ways that you can assemble these blocks, depending on how you orient the individual blocks. Each of the below quilts utilizes the same 16 blocks.

Here, the blocks are grouped into units of four, with the large white square in the center of each grouping. This layout emphasizes the white space in the block.

In this layout, the blocks are all oriented the same way, with the white space on the bottom right of the block. This gives the block more of a windowpane check appearance.

Here, the blocks are also grouped into units of four, but with the white space towards the outside of the four-block unit. To me, this quilt has the most tartan-like appearance.

Happy Fourth of july to everyone! Hope your long weekend involves fireworks, pie, and most of all, lots of sewing!

The Modern Plaid Block

Here it is! For our third tutorial, we’ll be showing you this graphic bold block. Download the PDF of this here.

This block causes you to practice making your corners line up, but don’t worry about perfection. Even with mistakes, the bold plaid grid that develops when you put these blocks together will stand out. Making small changes to the fabric choices or the cutting when you make this block makes big differences in the quilt the blocks will lead to.

Cut List:

Makes one 12.5" block
Fabric A (white – background fabric) Three 2.5” x 6” pieces
Fabric B (yellow): Two 2.5” x 6” pieces
Two 1.5” x 6” pieces
Fabric C (light gray): Three 2.5” x 9.5” pieces
Fabric D (dark gray): Two 2.5” x 9.5” pieces
Two 1.5” x 9.5” pieces
This fabric is the one used where the stripes in your plaid meet, so we recommend it being the darkest fabric in your blocks.

When picking your fabrics consider mixing in one patterned fabric - or using mostly patterns. Why not make blocks in the same colors, but with different mixes? Remember that the plaid blocks, once assembled will create a pattern of their own, so loud large scale patterns might be a bit much for this block. Note that for all of the blocks I’ve kept the white fabric. This will make the blocks all link together, even when using different fabrics otherwise.






Step 1: Sew together grays as follows:

1.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
2.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
2.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
1.5” Light Gray



Step 2: Sew together white and yellow as follows:

1.5” Yellow
2.5” White
2.5” Yellow
2.5” White
2.5” Yellow
2.5” White
1.5” Yellow





Step 3: Trim the yellow and white down to 5.5” wide by trimming either edge.

Step 4: Trim the grays down to 9” wide.

Step 5: Cut the yellow & white into three strips:

Two 1.5” wide
One 2.5” wide

Step 6: Cut the grays into two 4.5” strips

Step 7: Assemble the rows, trim up to 12.5” square and your block is finished!



In this slight variation (below), I cut the grays in a 3” and a 6” piece, rather than into two 4.5” pieces.

If you were to make a quilt top of these blocks, you’d want to make a whole row in the variation so that your plaid grid that you’re creating still lines up.
 
This digital quilt shows you bold pattern of the block when it is repeated. All but one row of blocks are the same. Making small changes in cutting can make strips and columns in the quilt you’re making change drastically and add interest to the quilt. Why not do one stripe with a different color? There are so many ways to make this block your own!

We can't wait to see all of the different plaids you come up with! Remember to put them in the Block Party Quilt Along flickr group!

We'll be back next week with a look at variations on the block!

We admit it...

We're in over our heads! Writing a book AND working full time jobs has made the poor quilt along suffer.

We are so delayed in another block for all of you so just a quick post to say we are sorry and that there will be a new block up next week!

Meanwhile, a couple of pretty pictures of the amazing blocks you've all been making:



So sophisticated in this color palette!



Lil' chairs!

Thanks for your patience and we'll be back soon!

More Circles!

Hello everyone!

Here in D.C. we are currently buried under almost four feet of snow! This has meant lots of sledding, shoveling, snuggling, and sewing! Lots of snow also means grey skies, so I apologize for the terrible pictures in this post.

Today's post is going to focus on the same pattern as last week, but show you two different variations, as well as some different techniques for creating the circle blocks. I am also going to point you towards some of my other favorite circle tutorials.

First, I am going to show you my method for creating the circle block. In this example, you will see a basic variation -- a solid on pattern.

Materials:
- Freezer Paper
- Compass
- 12.5" square of print fabric for background
- Piece of coordinating solid at least 9.5" square
- Glue stick

1. We're going to create a freezer paper template. Using your compass (or other circle) create a 9.0" circle.



2. Cut out your freezer paper circle and iron the shiny side onto your solid fabric.


3. Cut out the fabric circle and using your glue stick rub a ring of glue around the edge of the circle.


4. Place your circle, glue-side down, in the middle of your background square. Peel off the freezer paper and press with your iron. This sticks your circle to the background and keeps the circle from shifting when you sew it on.



5. Using a small zig-zag stitch and color matching your solid, stitch the circle to the background fabric.



This method also works with a pieced background:





As you have probably realized, there are many different ways to sew these circles to the background fabric. We have used zig-zag applique here to keep these blocks as beginner friendly as possible. Here are some of other favorite techniques:

- Dale Fleming's Easy Pieced Curves: For pieced circles, I think this is hands-down the best technique out there. It is time consuming, but the circles come out perfectly every time. Kim has a great demonstration of this technique here: http://www.dioramarama.com/2009/02/tutorial_easy_pieced.html

- Dryer sheet applique: This method creates neat, turned-under edges without too much heartache. Here is a nice tutorial: http://afewscraps.blogspot.com/2008/04/easy-appliqu-with-dryer-sheet.html

Please share your favorite circle applique method in the comments!

Stripy Circles Block tutorial!

For our second tutorial, we’ll be showing you this fun, modern block. 



Very graphic and contemporary, there are so many creative choices you can make with this block. We’ll be appliquéing – but don’t worry – raw edge appliqué is easy for beginners.

You can download the PDF of this tutorial here.

Cut List:



For one 12.5" block

Cut six 2” x 9.5” stripes
Cut one 12.5” x 12.5” square out of your background fabric.

First, arrange your fabrics as you’d like them to be in the block....



...and piece together using a 1/4” seam allowance.



Press your seams and you will have a 9.5” x 9.5” square of your pieced strips.



Next, using a 9” circle (for me a mixing bowl was perfect!) trace around the circle with a pencil.



Using scissors, cut out the circle you just drew.



Now pin your circle to your background.



Consider that the way you place your circle can completely change the look of the block.



Using a zig zag stitch, stitch all the way around the circle, attaching it to the background fabric. Note that this thread will be visible so use a matching thread.



Sew as slowly as you need to, making sure that you are grabbing both the circle and the background with each zig and zag.



Work your way around and you have a finished block!



We can't wait to see all of the fun modern circles you make!! Remember to put them in the Block Party Quilt Along flickr group. Up next week – different spins you could take on this block!

So many stars!

Hi All!

Hope your new year is getting off to a good start! We'll be posting our next block on Feb. 1st so check back then.

Meanwhile, you have all been so busy making amazing Friendship Stars!

Check out how well it works with some simple and wonderful fabrics:



And how about this use of selvedges?? Amazing!



And check out this wonderful wonk!



And what a great little quilt:



Impressive everyone!!