Bountiful Bouquet Month Four

Happy New Year!  I'll be posting a little more about resolutions and the like later on this week, but for today, here is your next instalment of Bountiful Bouquet.

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Are you ready for the next step?

I'm aware this is the worst possible time to find a spare five minutes to sew, so I've made this month's tasks easy ones.  Just a couple of blocks to make and then you can relax!

I apologise for the picture heavy post, but I think it makes it easier. 

Please note *** and this is important!!*** The picture below is a little different from my actual design.  I've been trying to fix the diagram but it's a little complicated for my tired self right now.  I tried my little pants off to fix the diagram, but somewhere between when I did the diagram and now, I got stupid.  Or I need sleep.   I will in due time amend the diagram but for now, just follow my written instructions and photographs and don't rely too much on the picture below.  Just use it as a basic guide.

First of all, we will make a long border of flying geese.  You can either make them from random colours or you can do as I have done and make them all the same.

Cut five 4.5" x 2.5" rectangles from one fabric.

Cut ten 2.5" squares from another fabric.

Draw a pencil line across the diagonal on the wrong side of the 2.5" squares.

Lay one square right sides together over 4.5" x 2.5" rectangle. 

Stitch on line.

Press back in place.

Lay other 2.5" square over rectangle.

Stitch on line

Press back in place

From another colour, cut four 4.5" x 2.5" rectangles and two 3.5" x 2.5" rectangles.

Stitch into a row.  I have stitched a plain 4.5" rectangle in between the five flying geese, and then stitched a 3.5" rectangle on either end.  Make sure you press nicely, and this row should now measure 42.5" x 2.5".  See photo at the end of the post for details.

Put aside for now.

Now, because that was so easy peasy, we'll just do another quick row.

For this step, we will be making snowballs and hourglasses.   Make as random as you wish, or copy me and make them all the same.

Snowball block - make five

From assorted cream fabrics, cut five 4.5" squares.  From assorted colour fabrics, cut twenty 2.5" squares

On the wrong side of all the 2.5" squares, draw a light pencil line across the diagonals as shown.

 

Lay one of these squares right sides together as shown over a 4.5" square.

Stitch on line as shown.

Press back into place.

Repeat this step with the remaining sides of large square, being sure to press each small square back as you go.

Hourglass blocks - make six

We will be using two separate colours for this step or you can choose to make random hourglasses.

From each fabric, cut three 5.5" squares.

Draw a light pencil line across the diagonal on wrong side of one colour.

Lay this block over other coloured 4.5" square.  Stitch 1/4" from either side of the drawn line.

Cut on pencil line.

Press open, being sure that you press towards the darker side.

Draw a diagonal line across the seam on the wrong side of one half square triangle as shown

Lay half square triangles right sides together, with seams matching.  It's a bit hard to explain this step, but you want the opposite sides touching. 

I found this website very handy in this step - if you're stuck, they do a much better job than me at explaining.

Stitch a 1/4" away from both sides of pencil line.

Cut apart on traced line

Press each square open.

Trim each block to measure 4.5" square.

Stitch the hourglass blocks to the snowball blocks, alternating them.  Your row should start and finish with an snowball block.  When complete, this should measure 36.5" x 4.5".

From another fabric, cut (2) 3.5" x 4.5" rectangles.  Stitch to either end of your row.  I used the purple from the hour glass blocks.

When complete, this row should measure 4.5" x 42.5".  As always, adjust if necessary.  See photo below for details.

And that's it!  We'll see you next month!  Please email me if you have queries.

Suzie

Bountiful Bouquet - the Quilt (kinda)

I've been working all day on my EQ6 programme and this is what I came up with:

I think I may actually be more proud of my picture than of the real quilt! 

Now, so far, this is what we will be making *WITH EXCEPTIONS!*.  The inner section is going to be the same, assuming my maths works.  The five appliqued floral centres in the middle may be different slightly, only to incorporate the original flowers I used rather than the stock standard ones EQ6 let me use.  But only minor changes there.  I've not made this version of the quilt remember, I'll be making it along with you.  It's all in my head so far, so it's open to change if I have to :)

The outer border will be kind of like this, but not like this.  Clear as mud?  I cut and pasted the top and bottom rows to give you the idea of the outer border but I will make a whole new floral border to suit the quilt.  I just wanted you to get the idea of where we'd be going.  Because obviously it's dorky having the same border in the two bottom rows.  So use your imagination a little, that'll be wonderful.

Just think of a large florally border with lots of vines, flowers and birds going all the way around the border.  Delicious.  Good enough to eat.

So that's all for now, I hope you'll tell your friends.  The more the merrier.   We start on October 1st. 

Bye for now!

Bountiful Bouquet Free BOM Fabric Requirements

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Hello!  Nice to see you!  I hope you enjoy this block of the month.  It should be a fairly easy going quilt - I'm not one for over extending myself.

The most important length of fabric you will need is for the outer border, from which we will cut four lengths and put them aside.  The remainder of this fabric will be absorbed into the quilt.  And you will also need three separate lengths of backgrounds for three separate appliqued borders.  Everything else can be used from your scrap bag, or if you want to buy some, just get enough different fat quarters to give you lots of variation in your designs.  You will need lots of lovely greens for the stems, and suitable colours for the floral applique, of which there will be HEAPS.  You will also need a varied amount of creams for the assorted pieced borders. 

So, don't panic about collecting your fabric all in one go.  Our first month is a row of floral applique, so as long as you have a background piece and plenty of colours/greens, we can get started.

Fabric Requirements

*****please note I have amended the cream background requirements*****

2 yards cream fabric for outer border

.5 yard cream fabric for first appliqued row

.5 yard cream fabric for second appliqued row

2 or three fat quarters of assorted creams for applique

.5 yard fabric for first inner border (I have used plummy purple)

.75 yard fabric for binding (I have used a purple)

Assorted colours for piecing and applique

Assorted greens for piecing and applique

Assorted creams for backgrounds

Vliesofix (I'm doing buttonhole applique, but if you want to needleturn it, knock yourself out)

Embroidery threads to match your colours for applique

General quilting supplies (ruler, cutter, board, scissors etc)

And that's it.  I'm sure I've forgotten something but I always think it's an okay thing to purchase as you go along.  Unless you're fortunate enough to buy a whole range like I did, it's difficult to pre-decide how that border fabric will look till you do the rest of your quilt. So don't rush into fabric choices, unless of course you want to.

Please comment if you have any questions for me, and I'd be pleased to answer them.  Again, I'm not brilliant at answering my emails, but I do check the comments section heaps so that is your best bet. 

I'll upload the first month in the first week of October, so hopefully I'll have lots of people keen to give this go.

Till then,

Happy quilting!

Suzie

Bountiful Bouquet Free BOM Fabric Choices

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Bountiful Bouquet Fabric Choices

Thanks for joining in!

I am using this fabric:

which is almost the same as the very delicious Acorn Hollow which is what I made my first version from.  I brought it all from The Fat Quarter Shop, but feel free to use whichever fabric your heart desires, from your favourite quilting shop.

For your reference, I bought the following:

2.5 yards Bittersweet Cream Antique Ivy SKU 2093/7 (this will be our outer border)

.5 yard Bittersweet Cream SKU 2094/7 (one of the background fabrics)

.5 yard Bittersweet Ecru Spearmint SKU 2095/72 (one of the background fabrics)

.5 yard Bittersweet Moss Antique Ivy SKU 2093/48 (a green)

.5 yard Bittersweet Plum Galaxy SKU 2098/60 (a plum for the inner border)

.5 yard Bittersweet Spruce Antique Ivy SKU 2093/40 (a green)

.5 yard Forever Spring Butter Pathways SKU 4260/30 (this is from a different Nancy Halvorsen range for backgrounds)

1 yard Bittersweet Plum Spearmint SKU 2095/60 (another plum, I'm thinking binding)

1 Fat Quarter Bundle Sour Grape Bittersweet (contains 18 fat quarters)

1 Fat Quarter Bundle Berry Burst Bittersweet (contains 18 fat quarters)

This quilt was designed to be semi-scrappy so it's hard to quantify just how much fabric you will need and I really don't know how much of those fat quarters we'll have left over.  But as long as you have enough backgrounds and enough greens, plus the yardage for the outer borders and bindings, you should be able to wing the rest.  We'll cut the full width of the fabric for the outer borders as I don't like to join those.

As some of the appliqued rows use the full width of the fabric, it's important that each background measures 43 inches or more.

(it's not the end of the world if yours is a little short, of course.  Everything can be adjusted as we go along, but it'll be easier if your maths matches mine).

I pinched these graphics from the Benartex website, I hope they don't mind.  But having a copy to print should be easier for you guys.

Potpourri Cream    Item #: 2092-7	Potpourri Berry Item #: 2092-10	Potpourri Russet Item #: 2092-22
Potpourri Spruce Item #: 2092-40	Potpourri Plum Item #: 2092-60	Antique Ivy Cream Item #: 2093-7
Antique Ivy Berry Item #: 2093-10	Antique Ivy Russet Item #: 2093-22	Antique Ivy Amber Item #: 2093-32
Antique Ivy Spruce Item #: 2093-40	Antique Ivy Moss Item #: 2093-48	Antique Ivy Plum Item #: 2093-60
Bittersweet Sunlight  Item #: 2094-3	Bittersweet Cream Item #: 2094-7	Bittersweet Willow Item #: 2094-42
Bittersweet Amethyst Item #: 2094-63	Spearmint Golden Item #: 2095-30	Spearmint Bittersweet Item #: 2095-33
Spearmint Willow Item #: 2095-42	Spearmint Plum Item #: 2095-60	Spearmint Ecru Item #: 2095-72
Ladder Stripe Berry Item #: 2096-10	Ladder Stripe Bittersweet Item #: 2096-33	Ladder Stripe Moss Item #: 2096-48
Cross Roads Russet Item #: 2097-22	Cross Roads Moss Item #: 2097-48	Cross Roads Plum Item #: 2097-60
Galaxy Russet Item #: 2098-22	Galaxy Rhubarb Item #: 2098-26	Galaxy Bittersweet Item #: 2098-33
Galaxy Moss Item #: 2098-48	Galaxy Plum Item #: 2098-60	Winding Trails Berry Item #: 2099-10
Winding Trails Amber Item #: 2099-32	Winding Trails Moss Item #: 2099-48	Winding Trails Plum Item #: 2099-60

If you see that little green printer button below, clicking on it should print this post out for you.  I suggest you print out all the instructions for safe keeping, though I don't plan to take my posts down.  The print goes slightly wonky in places (the word wrap is playing up and I don't know how to fix that but I'll keep trying.  If you change the print font/size to 10 it will look slightly better)

So in the next week, I'll give you the proper requirements list, and we can get going!  I plan to do twelve months of instalments beginning in the first week of October. 

Best of luck, please feel free to leave me a comment if you have a query (I'm a little hopeless checking the email address so the comment way will be the quickest).  And remember I'm a newbie to this, so be gentle!