From Blocks to Tote - Tutorial is Ready

If you're interested to learn how I went from these pieced blocks and fabric squares . . .




. . . to my Summer Tote,




The tutorial is ready. You can find it here:

Summer Tote from Orphan Blocks

If you make one, I'd LOVE to see it.

Summer Tote from Orphan Blocks

William Morris said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." I think this quilted tote bag qualifies as a nice-to-have on both counts.

Do you have orphan blocks–blocks you made and loved but for which you have no project in mind? Then you might consider making a useful, beautiful tote bag of your own.

This bag is approximately 12 inches high and 16 inches wide (at the top edge). The bottom is 8 inches square. It is constructed from 6 1/2-inch pieced quilt blocks  and squares of fabric. (In the assembled bag, they will finish at 6 inches.)  It is based on Gay's So Sew Easy Schlep Bag pattern, which you can download from the linked page on her Sentimental Stitches site. My  Summer Tote differs in the following ways:

• It's based on smaller squares and uses pieced quilt blocks in place of squares.
• It is layered with batting and quilted
• It does not have a separate lining, the quilted sections are self lined by the backing fabric and the seams are covered with bias fabric.
• The straps are shorter and are constructed of two fabrics.  They are attached to more than the edge of the bag. 

Here are the notes and photos of my process.

CONSTRUCTING THE BAG

1. Start with 4 blocks you want to feature.  Your blocks will appear as if they are set on-point in the finished bag. If you want to make 6-inch (finished size) stamp basket blocks like mine, you can find the pattern on the About Quilting site, here.
   
   
   
2. Add 4 more same-sized blocks that will appear at the bottom of the bag.  I made 16-patch blocks in coordinating colors.  Directions here.
   
   
   
3. Since the blocks you add at the bottom will, for the most part,  become the bottom of the bag, I chose to use plain fabric squares, cut at 6.5 inches of a darker coordinating fabric.
   
   
   
4. At the top, add the half-blocks which, along with your featured blocks, will appear at the top of the bag.  You could cut two pieced blocks diagonally in half.  I constructed "half" 16-patch blocks and used whole squares (knowing they would be later trimmed to triangles) to prevent stretching until I was ready to finish the top edge of the bag.
   
   
   
5. Sew each column of blocks together, creating 4 vertical strips.
   
   
   
6. Layer the individual strips with batting and backing (cut larger all the way around) and quilt as desired.  These small strips are easy to maneuver and a great opportunity to play with free motion quilting.
   
   
   There is an (unfortunately over-exposed) detail photo of the quilting here.
   
   
7. Trim the quilted pieces.
   
   
   
8. Lay out the pieces to form a windmill like mine and stitch the 4-patch in the middle together.
   
   
   
9. Fold the bag so the long edge of the strip is aligned with the adjacent edge, right sides together. (there is an illustration of this in the So Sew Easy Schlep Bag instructions linked above.) Repeat for each strip.  The bag, inside out, will look like this.
   
   
   
10. I bound the edges on the inside of my bag for a clean finish, since the quilted bag does not require a separate lining. I had a package of double fold bias tape in a coordinating green, so I decided to use it.  It was a struggle and I don't recommend it.  NEXT time, I'll cut my own binding strips and they will be wider.  You might decide to add a lining (so you can add interior pockets); if so, you also might decide that it's not necessary to bind the interior seams.
11. Trim the top edge, if necessary, and bind.  I used a 2" strip for a 1/2 inch bond edge.
    
    
    I sewed the binding to the inside first, stitching it from the outside to make sure I didn't lose any of the pieced squares' corners. Then I folded it to the front, turning under 1/2 inch and used a decorative stitch to sew it in place.
    
    
12. Make and attach the straps. Weather you use the directions for the Schlep bag or follow mine below, before you cut anything, decide for yourself how long the straps should be.  We all have different preferences–do you want "handles" or a shoulder strap?  Measure a tote bag you have and love or use your bag and a measuring tape to come up with your personalized measurement.

TWO-FABRIC STRAPS

I liked the white background of my bag, but worried that white straps would be impractical and, like the William Morris quote at the top of this post, I wanted a tote that I thought to be beautiful and knew to be USEFUL.  I decided to combine the white background fabric with the print.

CUTTING

• The white fabric was cut 1-1/2 inch wide and as long as my desired strap length plus 3 inches, doubled (for two straps).  In my case, this translated to almost a width of fabric for both straps. The finished straps will be this width (1-1/2 inches).
• The print fabric was cut 2 inches wide and the same length.  You'll need two strips for each strap. (In my case, 2 widths of fabric).
• Batting was cut at 1-1/2 inch wide and slightly shorter for each strap

SEWING

1. Sew a print (2 inch) strip to each long edge of the white (1-1/2 inch) strip. Press seams toward the print fabric on each side.
   
2. Turn under 1/4 inch of the long edge of the print fabric on ONE SIDE ONLY.
   
3. With the straps laying wrong side up, lay the batting in place–it should fit on top of the white fabric exactly, with a little "bade" space on each end.
   
   
  
4. Fold the print fabric (without the pressed under edge) over the batting.  If you are using fusible batting, you can fuse it in place now.
   
5. Fold over the remaining side (with the pressed under edge) and pin in place.
   
6. Stitch the second side down.  Depending on your plans for additional stitching (to add  body and strength to the straps), you could simply stitch it down by machine and add more parallel lines of stitching to the straps.  I decided that would add some free-motion quilting to my straps in the middle and stitch in the ditch on each long side, so I slip stitched mine in place.
   
     
7. Fold over and stitch each end.  I wasn't concerned about "neat" and used a zig-zag.
    
8. Position your straps and attach them to the bag.  Unlike the Schlep bag, I did not simply sew the end of the strap to the sewn edge at the top of the bag.  I knew I would be using this bag for books, groceries, and trips to the Dallas Farmer's Market and wanted to be sure the straps were attached.  On my bag, each strap extends inside the bag 1-1/2 inches and is attached to the bag along that inch and a half length. You might decide to attach your straps to the outside and cover the extra stitching with a coordinating appliqué.
   
   I machine stitched mine, basically following the stitching on the bag to make it less obvious from the outside, which meant I restitched along the line where the binding was attached to the top edge of the bag and did a generous amount of stippling beneath that in the white squares where the strap is attached to the bag.  In this case, more stitching gives those handles more structural integrity.
   

Your bag is now ready to put to work. Enjoy it's beauty and function.

Friday Night Sew-in

Late this afternoon, I decided to give myself a break and joined Heidi's Friday Night Sew-in.

Heidi has created a new canvas bag pattern and suggested it as a possible project. I pulled out an unfinished bag project of my own. After a couple of really relaxing and fun hours, I had finished this.



My bag is 12 inches high, 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep. I really like how nicely it sits on its own.  It's constructed from 6 inch quilt blocks and fabric squares.   There's a tutorial in the works–if you'd like to make one like it yourself, stay tuned.

Unless the promised storms (with flood warnings) are in full force, I'll be taking it for a test drive at the Dallas Farmer's Market tomorrow morning  . . . and I'll take a better photo, too ;-)

Quilt-Along Progress Report

When I finished knitting the Brandywine shawl on March 3, I didn't start a new handwork project right away because I expected Bonnie's March block for the quilt-along to arrive any day.  I'd already seen photos of blocks made by Bonnie and others on their blogs and I was already looking forward to piecing the March block.

Except it didn't come and by the end of March, my enthusiasm for the project was considerably dampened.   I was a little irritated with myself for creating yet more orphan blocks, even though it was through no fault of my own . . . this time. 

On March 31, I received an envelope from Bonnie with the patterns from March-through-May.  And over the weekend, I pieced 3 each of the March and April blocks.  I pulled out the January and February blocks and put the first four months of the year up on the design wall.

Four months down, eight more to go.

Obviously, I still haven't yet squared up and trimmed the blocks . . .  maybe I'll do that before I pack them away again. 

There are individual photos of the blocks on Flickr in my Quilt-along 2010 photo set, if you want to take a closer look.

And for links to the design walls of other quilters around blogland, check out Judy Laquidera's Design Wall Monday blog post.

Waste Not Want Not

The story of the scrappy red and turquoise doll quilt I finished piecing this afternoon can be easily expressed by a simple equation.

       

+     

_______________

 

In the past week or so, I've been working on the April Lotto blocks and writing directions for how to create the wonky Shoo Fly blocks we're making in flower prints this month. Here are my lotto blocks, you can find many more examples on the Block Lotto blog–the sneak peekers and I have already made a total of 80 blocks for this month.

My directions for making the 8 inch liberated-style shoo fly blocks are blogged here:

Three Ways to Wonkify a Traditional Quilt Block

After I had everything ready to go for the April Block Lotto today, I switched gears and started making the rose blocks that I shared earlier this week. As I sewed and trimmed those rose blocks, I noticed that I was accumulating a pile of small, irregular red and pink triangles and my mind kept thinking, Wonky Flies. Instead of tossing my trimmings, I put them aside and, last night I pulled out some white scraps and started piecing the small wonky shoo flies.

The scrappy shoo fly blocks are approximately 3" square . . . though none of them are actually square. All the fabrics came from the trimmed roses and my white and blue scrap bags. The top measures 18 x 24 inches. Now, I just have to decide how to quilt it.

Now that I've responded to my persistent imagination, I'm headed back to the rose garden and working on more roses for my border for the love letters word quilt . . . and wondering what my creative mind will cross-polinate next.

Three Ways to Wonkify a Traditional Quilt Block

Liberated-style wonky blocks are carefree and charming. They are fun to make and result in a fresh twist on a traditional favorite.

Here are three approaches for making an 8-inch wonky version of a Shoo Fly block. The same techniques could be applied to your go-to traditional block for a new take on that old favorite.

The first is Gwen Marston's technique, as presented in her book, Liberated Quiltmaking.  (I'll just be sharing an overview and the measurements to start for an 8 inch finish.) Number two is a block created by drawing the wonky block with your rotary cutter and is a similar technique to the Tic-tac-toe block I posted at the end of last year. Last is a stack and slash technique in which you also draw with your rotary cutter to create two matching blocks with the fabric placements reversed.

Technique 1 - Gwen's Liberated Shoo Fly

I think three things characterize the Liberated Quiltmaking approach to this block:

1. You begin with 9 same-sized squares, as if you were making the traditional block. 
2. You introduce wonky-ness into the block by replacing the triangle-squares in the corner with triangles added to the background squares in different sizes and at random angles.
3. You may square up and trim the block at an angle after it's assembled.
   

To make an 8 inch shoo-fly block, begin with nine 3 1/4 inch squares. After you add the wonky triangles to the corners, be sure to trim the background fabric away and square up the units to 3-1/4 inches.  Once the block is assembled, you will need to square up your block, trimming slightly to make them 8-1/2 inches after they are sewn.

If you want to go off the grid for a wonkier block or try a different technique . . .

Technique 2 - Drawing with Your Rotary Cutter This technique will be familiar to anyone who has made the Tic-Tac-Toe blocks posted here at the end of last year. This version of a wonky Shoo Fly block is based on a 9-patch grid that is drawn with proportions and angles chosen by you.

1. To begin, start with a 10 inch square of your BACKGROUND fabric. You will also need a small amount of shoo-fly fabrics (Krista was able to make hers usinga 10" square for the background plus a 5" charm squares of floral fabrics)
2. Using a rotary ruler (as a straight edge, not to measure), cut the square into a 9-Patch.
   
   

3. Remove the center of your 9-patch and use it as a template to cut a new center from the shoo-fly fabric. Be sure that both your "template" and your new fabric are right-side up, because the shapes you create may not be symmetric in any way or reversible.
   
   

4. Add triangles of the shoo-fly fabric to the corner units.  Because these corners may not be square, be sure that the triangles you add will completely cover after they are sewn and pressed. 
   
   
   
   
5. After they are sewn and pressed, first trim them from the back, using the original corner as your guide to re-create the original "drawn"-by-you shape. Then, trim away the background fabric from behind the triangle.
   
   
   
   Because the units of this block are all different shapes, I decided to remove one corner from my layout at a time and replace it after the triangle was added and trimmed, so everything went back where it belonged.
6. Once the triangles have been added and trimmed, the block can be assembled in 9-patch fashion, frist sewing the units into rows and then sewing the rows together.
   
   
   
   Trim the block to 8-1/2 inches square (for an 8 inch finished size block).
   

Technique 3 - Stack-and-Slash a Pair of Wonky Blocks This last approach is a variation of Drawing with Your Rotary Cutter in which you start with two squares of fabric and create a pair of  matching blocks in which the shoo-fly and background fabrics are reversed.

1. For an 8 inch Shoo-Fly block, begin with two 11 inch squares of fabric.  Stack them with edges matching, right sides up.
2. Using a ruler to ensure you cut straight lines, cutting through the stack of 2 fabrics, cut a wonky 9-patch.   Then, cut across each of the corners to create the "outline" of a wonky shoo fly.
   
   
3. Switch the top and bottom fabrics as shown.  Your two blocks are now cut, laid out and ready to sew.
   
   
   
   
4. Sew the "triangles" in the corners together. Don't worry that everything doesn't match after it's sewn.  Press and trim off the excess, maintaining the "lines" you created when you "drew" the block.
   
   
   
   
5. After the corners are sewn, the corner units will be shorter than the "middles."  Don't worry.  Match the edges closest to the center and let the outside become ragged.  You'll be trimming it.  Your block may now look something like this, a crooked 9-patch whose units don't exactly match up.
   
   
   
   
6. Sew the block together, like a 9-patch, first sewing the units to form three rows, then sewing the rows together. The outside edges of your assembled block will likely be VERY uneven. 
   
   
   
   Square up and trim to your blocks to 8-1/2 inch square (for an 8 inch finished block).
   
   
   

Some Wonky Examples

Here are 60 of the blocks already created by Block Lotto sneek peakers, Ginny, June, Kathie, Krista, Louise, Michelle, Pat, Terri and me. (Click any of the small photos for a better look.)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      

     

       

Will you make some wonky fly blocks or wonkify another traditional block?  I'd love to see the results.  For more about these blocks (and more) and to see what the winners will do with them, check out the Block Lotto blog, in April.