Block Holder

I’m a member of a quilt group that meets every second Wednesday night.  I don’t get to go every time – sometimes it’s just too hard to get everyone organised in time.  But I do make an effort to get there at least once a month.

We always have a Christmas dinner towards the end of the year, where we give away a gift to an unknown recipient.  This year we had to make a block roll that measured approximately 15” square.

I didn’t have a clue where to get the pattern from, as there seems to be very few online.  So I thought I might share how I made my version.

Right.  First of all, no real measurements here.  Just a rough guide.  I don’t have the energy to do a proper fancy schmancy tutorial tonight.  It’s been 40 degrees or more all week and I’m drained.  That’s 100 degrees for you non metric readers.  Very. Bloody. Hot.

Stitch, piece, applique or quilt a design on an approximately 13” square of fabric. I’ll be cutting mine back to 12.5” so make sure your design stitcks inside this measurement.

This is mine.  The original design was from a group on Flickr called ‘Hoop Love’, which houses a staggering collection of out of copyright embroidery designs.  This was one of them.  If you like fancywork, as my nanna calls it, then you will LOOOOOVE this flickr site.  Email me if you can’t find the address.

Once I had stitched my design, I placed it on a layer of wadding and cross hatched the centre with quilting.  It’s a bit hard to see, so I apologise for that.

Trim design to a square measuring roughly 12.5”.  Stitch a border on either side.  Mine were about 2.5” x 12.5”.

Stitch a border on the end.  Mine was 2.5” wide again by about 16.5”.

Stitch a piece to the opposite end of the design, so that it measures about 16.5” x 32” when complete (seriously, just an approximate is fine).

Cut the same sized piece from backing fabric and wadding, pin the three layers together and quilt as desired.  Mine was in the ditch around the main square and then in big straight lines for a while (till I got bored)

Trim the three layers to measure the same size.  Mine finished off about 16” x 32”.  Again – it doesn’t really matter how big your design is, as long as when it’s folded, the main applique design sits nicely in the centre.

Cut two rectangles of wadding about 2” smaller in size than your design (in my case, about 15” x 30”.  Find the middle of your block holder and mark with a pin.  Find the middle of the wadding and centre the middle over the middle of the block holder.  Stitch in place (if you look really carefully you should see a stitching line in the middle of my wadding.

Make some ties by cutting 1” x 12” strips, folding them over and topstitching all the rough ends down and stitching them in place.

Bind your design.  I used 2.5” strips folded in half.  Just the way you would do your quilts.

Handstitch binding in place, give it all a good press, fold it in half and do up your ties, and there you go!  A lovely block holder.

When the weather cools down, I think I’ll make a better tutorial and show it off – but for now, I hope this one will do.  I don’t think I missed any steps, but if you do find some, please let me know!

Till tomorrow,

Happy quilting!

Suzie

Triangle In A Square Tutorial

There are lots of these units out there in quilting land, and if you’re like me, you’ve avoided them because of the dreaded template. 

But they are easy, and you shouldn’t avoid them because they make the most spectacular quilt blocks.

So here’s a quick tutorial to show you just how easy they are.

First – download the templates from here.  When printing, it’s important that the finished size of your templates is correct – I need to check the Fit Picture To Frame button to make it fit.  You may need to check the Actual Size button – it all depends on your printer.  The straight edge of your templates B & C (not the picture in the top left corner) should measure 3 1/2” when printed correctly.   Adjust if necessary.

If you like, you can stabilise your template by gluing it to some cardboard before cutting out.  It makes life easier, but it’s not totally necessary.  If you’re doing more than one of these units, and let’s face it, you probably will, this will make sure to keep the template strong and in shape for longer.

Cut template out on the 1/4” line.  (i.e. the lighter line)

Lay template onto your chosen fabrics on the wrong side. 

Trace all around, and cut out.

Lay your Unit B right sides together over Unit A as shown.

Stitch 1/4 inch along.

Fold back and press.

Lay your Unit C right sides together over Unit A/B.

Stitch 1/4 inch along.

Fold back and press.

Trim if needed.  Mine are ALWAYS out and always need a little bit of a shave.  Just a smidgen, that’s all mine need to make them a perfect (cough cough) 3 1/2” unit.

Hope this helps you a little bit!

Till tomorrow,

Suzie

Covering An Ugly Book With A Beautiful Cover Tutorial

Is that title explicit enough?

A few weeks ago I discussed how it was already May and I needed to get my backside into gear and cover my 2012 diary.

I did a search on the internet, but I couldn’t find the tutorial that suited me.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do but I couldn’t find it.  I’m sure it’s out there, and I didn’t look too hard, but I figured Oh why not add a tutorial to the masses that are already out there?  I’m nothing if not innovative.

So here is MY version of the tutorial.  At the very least, it’ll save me hours of searching NEXT May when it’s time to cover 2013’s diary.

Step One: 

Collect your supplies.  You’ll need general sewing requirements, plus wadding, backing and a piece of fabric (or a quilted item) that will cover your book.

I have made a piece of quilted fabric from hexagons left over from another project, and quilted it already.  I didn’t put a backing on it, it will be covered with lining so it doesn’t matter if the wadding is showing for now.  I’ve embellished, I’ve used old quilt blocks, I’ve pieced all sorts for my various diary covers.  Go nuts.

Step Two: 

Measure your book.  You will need to record the measurement from side to side and top to bottom.

In my case, my book measures 12.25” from side to side by 8.50” from top to bottom.

Step Three: 

Add some width and depth to your measurements – if you’re making a small cover, add about five inches to the side to side measurements.  If you’re making a medium or large book, add about eight inches to these measurements.  We are allowing for the ‘foldover’ part of your diary cover.

You also need to add 1” to the top and bottom measurement.

So using my cover as a guide – I’ll add about 6 inches to the side to side measurement, plus 1” to the top to bottom measurement.  So my new measurements will be 16.25” x 9.50”.

Step Four:

Cut your quilted fabric to measure the same as the numbers above – e.g. my measurements were 16.25” x 9.25” so I need to cut to the same size.

Step Five:

Hem each short length of your diary cover by folding .25” to wrong side and top stitching down.

Measure this now.  Mine measures 15” x 9.5” after this step.

Step Six:

Mark the centre of your cover with a pin or light pencil mark.  Lay book cover flat right sides up.

Fold the flaps over to the right side.  Do this by laying the book over the right side of the cover, matching pin with centre spine of book.  Fold one flap over, making sure your book doesn’t move from its position.  Pin flap in place.  Repeat with other side.

I can already see here how my flaps are far too small, so make sure that you err to the side of generous when you calculate how much to fold over.  Too small and you run the risk of your book not slipping into its cover but constantly falling out.   You can always cut them smaller if you need to.

Quickly check that your book will fit inside the cover by laying the book over the cover, matching the centre spine of the book with the pin in the centre of the cover.  Make sure you remove the pin!  Slip the book inside the cover – the cover should be slightly bigger than the book.  We can adjust this – if you think your book is too small and the cover will be floppy, make the flaps a little larger.  If the reverse is true, and the book won’t fit inside the cover, you need to make the flaps a little smaller.

Step Seven

Measure your book cover and record this measurement.  Mine now measures 9.5” x 12.25”.  Cut a piece of lining this size.

Lay this lining piece right sides together over your book cover so that the flaps are covered and secure top and bottom with pins.

Stitch along the top and bottom of the cover using a 1/4” seam. 

Step Eight:

Turn through.  This is a two part step.

Firstly, turn the cover so that the right side is showing.  Slip your hand into the cover, grasping the opposite side.

Pull through to right side.  I like to press it flat now so that the lining is neatly under the right side of the book cover.

Now you need to fold the flaps back to the wrong side.

Give your diary a good press and slip the diary in.

 

Hopefully, all fits nicely and snuggly and you’re happy with your diary cover!  Obviously my cover flaps are far too small, so be sure to include more for yours.

This will work for any book, though I only ever really use it for those books with harder covers. 

 

Tutorial - Quilt As You Go Hexagons

Click here for a print friendly PDF

Since I posted my picture a few weeks ago of my Quilt As You Go Hexagons, I've had a couple of people ask me for a tutorial. 

So of course, I obliged.  I'm very good that way. 

Now, this is the way I did it.  It's probably not The. Correct. Way. to do it but it's my way.  And it worked for me.

Go here and download the template.  If you don't want to, you need to draw a hexagon - any size will do but remember the smaller you do it, the more fiddly the end result will be.  Once you've drawn a hexagon, you need to draw another hexagon all the way around it that is ONE inch bigger all the way around.  Seriously, it's just easier to download the template.

Print out two copies.  Glue to a piece of firmer cardboard or paper.  From one piece, cut the larger hexagon.  From the other piece, cut the smaller one.  You want to have two hexagons, both backed with cardboard when you are finished.

Collect from your stash two complementary fabrics, one that will be big enough for the larger hexie, the other that will be big enough for the smaller.  Also collect some wadding scraps.  Or Batting.  Same stuff, different word. 

Using your larger template, cut out a hexie from the larger piece of fabric.

Using the smaller template, cut out a hexie from the smaller piece of fabric.  Also, cut a hexie from the wadding.

Now, this step may help you - or you may leave it out if you've got a good 'quilting eye' - or in other words if you can guess a seam allowance okay.  I can't, which is why every single one of my hexies was a different size and needed to be persuaded to fit together.  Totally up to you what you do.

I have drawn a line one inch in on the wrong side of my largest hexagon.  I've done it in fat biro so that you can see it.  Don't do yours in fat biro.  Do yours in pencil.  Trust me.

Lay the wadding hexie over this one, so that the lines are covered and you've got an inch of fabric all the way around.

Lay the smaller hexie with right side up over the wadding hexie.

 

Turn on your iron.

Fold one side of the outer hexagon half way so that the raw edge lines up with the raw edge of the smaller hexie.  Pin as I have done.  Press if you wish, or you may wait until the other steps are completed.  Doesn't matter.

 

Skip the next straight line, and fold the second one over like in my photo. 

Again, skip the next straight line and do the final one.

Now, starting at the top, fold the edges over again, so that they lay folded over onto the smaller hexagon and your raw edges are all enclosed.  It's a bit hard to understand, so I hope my photos suffice in that regard.

Skip a side, then do the same on the next edge.

Again, skip the next side and do the final one.

Fold all remaining sides over and pin well. 



Now with needle and thread, baste around your shape so that it is nice and secure.

All that remains is for you to stitch the seams down, and I used a blind stitch for my hexies.  I haven't done this on this tutorial because it seems to be long enough for now! 

You can also quilt them and to do that I used a slightly heavier thread (handquilting thread) will do.  You stitch in about 1/4 inch from the inner seam.  Again, I haven't shown you that though I am happy to do a future tutorial to cover that part.

Press well, and any boofy bits should just press out. 

And there you go!  I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and it is clear enough.  Please email me if you have any questions - I'd be more than happy to try and help.

All the best,

Suzie