Quartered Star Quilt Block Pattern

Here's another block I had planned for the block lotto that didn't make the list. I still love it, for the friendship star in the center and the ribbon effect when the blocks are put together in a straight set.  I think it has all kinds of scrappy possibilities.

According to Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Blocks, this block was first publishedwith the name Quartered Star, in 1978 in Michael James' The Quiltmakers Handbook, but I've also seen it referred to as the Ribbon Star.

Whatever you call it, I think it offers great possibilities for playing with color and value. For the block lotto, I had originally thought of a constant of dark blue for the star in the center, medium blue in the corners and quilter's choice of lights–I used pink in this sample–for the "ribbon." But don't let my ideas of color hold you back from making this block your own.

The construction of this block is accomplished by using partial seams, a useful technique for any quilter's repertoire. 

To make the 6 inch (finished size) block as shown:

1. Cut four 2.5 x 4.5 inch rectangles of light (ribbon) fabric, four (corner) 2.5 inch squares of medium blue and five 2.5 inch squares of dark blue (star) fabric.
2. Begin by aligning a dark blue square (star fabric) with the right end of a rectangle (ribbon fabric), right sides together.
   
    
   
3. Draw a line from the upper left corner of the square to the lower right.  Sew on the line.
4. Trim 1/4-inch on the outside of the seam
   
    
   
5. Press the seam (toward the blue/star fabric) rotate the rectangle 180 degrees and repeat, adding a medium blue (corner fabric) triangle.  Be sure to always draw the line in the same direction (upper left to lower right, when the rectangle is horizontal like this.)
6. Once again, trim 1/4 inch on the outside of the seam, press open (toward the medium blue/corner fabric.)
   
    
7. Your rectangle should look like the unit below on the left after adding triangles to each end.
8. Make 4 identical rectangles.  Then, you're ready to assemble the quartered star block.
   
    
9. Lay out the rectangles around the last dark blue *star fabric) square as shown below on the left.
10. Sew the center square to the rectangle above it.  Start the seam where the two ends are aligned and sew ONLY 1/2-to-2/3 across the small square.  Press the partially sewn seam.
    
     
11. Add the rectangle on the left to the end of the two blocks partially sewn together.  Press.
12. Add the rectangle on the lower left.
    
     
13. Add the last rectangle, to the lower right.  Then go back to the original (partially sewn) seam and complete it.  See how easy partial seams can be?
    
    
    Your block is done!
    
    

Free-style Tree Block

I confess this idea was a Block Lotto idea reject–I liked it. but the feedback from a  couple of people from whom I solicited an opinion was that they thought it was  too simple.

Personally, I still like it and it may appear in the block lotto rotation one day . . . but in the meantime, I couldn't think of any reason not to share the block tutorial. As you might guess from my sample blocks, my original thought was to create a psychedelic forest using pairs of black and bright fabrics.

The measurements in these directions will produce a pair of 6 inch (finished size) block. The block really IS so simple that you could adapt them to produce any size and proportions you need–just start with something that is a couple inches larger than the finished size you want to produce, whether it's a smaller or larger square or a rectangle, tall and skinny or short and wide.  You can also probably imagine how to add complexity to these trees. Think of this simple block as a jumping off point to create a liberated tree . . . or a whole forest of your own.

To make a pair of 6 inch (finished size) blocks:

1. Begin with two 8-inch squares of fabric
   
2. Stack the two squares on top of each other, right sides up.  Make the first cut at least 1-1/2 inch from the bottom.This will define the bottom of your tree.
   
    
   
3. In the bottom section, make two vertical cuts near the middle, at least 1-1/2 inches apart, to create the tree's trunk.
   
4. In the top section, make two angled cuts to form the tree shape.  Cut the first one, then pull the sky piece you just created out of the way before making the next cut.
   
    
5. Swap the top and bottom fabrics for the tree and trunk
6. Assemble the top and bottom units.  Trim even and join top to bottom.
   
 
7. After you have assembled the block, press and square up to 6.5 inches. Your two blocks will be identical with opposite fabric placement.
   
   
   

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.