Bow Tie

July 30, 2015July 27, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Bow ties have been all the rage the past few years, even withstanding the mustache obsession (which I’ve never understood), especially when it comes to babies! This quilt block would be very adorable done in many colors if you know of a little boy on the way.

I put four bow ties together in one block as a part of Old Glory. (Finished project here.)

Here’s the how-to for the Bow Tie Quilt Block:

Note: These measurements are for a 4″ block. Sew using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.

Cut fabric:

1 rectangle 4 1/2″ x 1 7/8″ red
2 squares 2 1/2″ red
2 squares 2 1/2″ white
2 squares 1 7/8″ white

Use the 2 squares of 2 1/2″ red and white to create 4 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) trimmed down to 1 7/8″. Click here for my tutorial on how to make Half Square Triangles.

Lay out the Bow Tie Quilt Block:

Sew the HSTs to the white squares:

Sew the bow tie “flaps” on to the red rectangle:

School Girl’s Puzzle

July 23, 2015July 27, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Just because I revealed the final version of Old Glory that doesn’t mean I’m done with quilt block tutorials! Today’s block is called the School Girl’s Puzzle. This block isn’t in my quilt, but it is (or will be) in my mother-in-law’s version, which she’s named “Older Glory”. Her version of this American Flag sampler quilt is a scrappy sampler – meaning each of her blocks uses a different fabric. I can’t wait to see how hers turns out. I wasn’t brave enough to mix hundreds of fabrics so I used only 3 different reds and 2 different blues.

Here is the how-to for the School Girl’s Puzzle Quilt Block:

Note: These measurements are for an 8″ block. Sew using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.

Cut fabric:

4 squares 2 1/2″ white
3 squares 3 1/8″ red
3 squares 3 1/8″ white
2 squares 2 7/8″ white, then cut on the diagonal
1 square 4 7/8″ red, then cut on the diagonal

Use the 3 squares of 3 1/8″ red and white to create 6 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) trimmed down to 2 1/2″. Click here for my tutorial on how to make Half Square Triangles.

Lay out the School Girl’s Puzzle quilt block:

Looking at the top left quadrant, sew a white triangle to the HST:

Then sew the other white triangle to the HST:

Sew the new triangle to the red triangle. Repeat with the bottom right quadrant.

The remaining two quadrants are four patches, sew accordingly.

You now have a four patch ready to assemble:

Old Glory – completed!

July 4, 2015June 29, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

Last year I shared the plans for the Fourth of July quilt that was already underway.

Over two years later, my goal of completing this quilt by the Fourth did indeed happen.

In February of this year (2015) Old Glory was finally completed and ready to be taken to the quilters! On June 16th I got a call that Old Glory was ready for pick up (three days before I was expecting it) and on the 20th I had finally gotten the binding sewn on.

Getting the binding on the quilt ended up being a challenge as I was one strip short of having enough fabric to go all the way around the quilt. I had to do some finagling but I got it to work. Instead of sewing the binding strips on a bias to reduce bulk I simply sewed straight lines at a 1/4″ seam allowance. The last strip of “just too skiny” fabric was cut in half, sewn together lengthwise, and trimmed to 2 1/4″ before being attached to the long strip of binding. I am relieved to say that even knowing where the “awkward” location on the binding is, I struggle to find it. Phew!

All that’s left to do is create the tag for Old Glory and sew it on. But for this year, it’s as good as ready for our first family of three firework watching. (Here’s to hoping my now one-year-old enjoys the bright flashes of light and loud bangs…)

I wish you all a safe and happy Fourth of July.

And God Bless America.

Box-in-a-Box Variation

July 2, 2015June 25, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

It’s July again and now that I’ve completed Old Glory, my patriotic sampler quilt, I am going to blog a few more quilt block tutorials this month.

This quilt block is a box-in-a-box variation, colored out so that it looks like a mini spool or hourglass.

My mother-in-law and I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out if it were possible to paper piece this block. At least the way I’ve colored it, the answer was no. Instead we broke it down into squares, rectangles, and half square triangles (HSTs).

(I apologize for the photo below, evidently I didn’t take a photo of the finished block. This photo will be updated with a better photo as soon as I can!)

Here is the how-to for a Box-in-a-Box Variation quilt block:

Note: These measurements are for an 8″ block. Sew using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.

Cut fabric:

1 square 3 1/8″ red
2 rectangles 3 1/8″ x 1 7/8″ red
2 rectangles 3 1/8″ x 1 7/8″ white
2 squares 3″ red
2 squares 3″ white
2 rectangles 5 7/8″ x 1 7/8″ red
2 rectangles 5 7/8″ x 1 7/8″ white

Use the 4 squares of 3″ red and white to create 4 HSTs trimmed down to 1 7/8″. Click here for my tutorial on how to make Half Square Triangles.

Lay out the HSTs and other pieces of fabric into the box-in-a-box variation quilt block:

The center spool (or hourglass) is a 9-patch. Sew that 9-patch together:

The remaining patches form another 9-patch. Sew the 9-patch together. You now have a box-in-a-box variation.

DIY Design Board

December 12, 2014December 14, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Today I am going to show you how you can make your very own design board. This simple DIY only takes minutes to do and is very cost effective. Sure, you could use a cork board, but finding one large enough for quilting can cost as much as $20 per square foot!

In Florida my mother-in-law created a temporary design board for me by simply hanging some flannel on the wall. She sewed some lightweight plastic rings at the top of the fabric and hung them on the wall. This design board worked great! But the version I have now is more multi-purpose-friendly and still temporary. I can now stick pins into it, allowing me to pin up papers or even piles of fabric squares. (The blocks below are part of Old Glory, or will be if I ever finish it!)

Here’s what you need:

Foam board insulation, cut to desired wall size
Flannel fabric, cut to foam board size plus 3″ overhang on all four sides (remember, you’ll want a neutral color so it won’t clash with your projects)
Stapler*
Duct tape*
Command strips (optional)

*If you have a staple gun you won’t need the duct tape

Here’s what you do:

Lay your flannel on a flat surface and place your foam board insulation in the center of it, words up.
Tightly fold the flannel around the board and staple in place. Reinforce with duct tape.
To hang on the wall use command strips for a temporary design board, or nail in place.

8-Grid Chain Variation

July 30, 2014July 13, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

There are many variations of the 8-Grid Chain Quilt Block. Simply google it! There are endless possibilities with using different fabrics too. This is the variation I used in my Fourth of July quilt Old Glory.

Here’s the how-to for this 8-Grid Chain Variation Quilt Block

Cut fabric:

12 squares 1 1/2″ red
8 squares 1 1/2″ white
4 rectangles 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ white
4 rectangles 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ white
1 square 2 1/2″ red

Lay out fabric squares into the 8-Grid Chain Variation:

Sew together the four 4-patch blocks in the corner. Also, sew together the 9-patch block in the center:

The 8-Grid Chain Variation is now a simple 9-patch. Complete the three rows before sewing the rows together:

Grecian Square

July 28, 2014July 27, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I used the Grecian Square quilt block before. It is also known as the Monkey Wrench. I used it in the quilt I made in honor of my grandmother. But this tutorial will look a little different. Simply reversing the neutral and color creates a very different look.

Here is the how-to for the Grecian Square Quilt Block:

Note: These measurements are for an 8″ block. Sew using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Cut fabric:

2 squares 3 7/8″ red
2 squares 3 7/8″ white
4 rectangles 1 7/8″ x 3 1/8″ red
4 rectangles 1 7/8″ x 3 1/8″ white
1 square 3 1/8″ red

Use the 2 squares of 3 7/8″ red and white to create 4 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) trimmed down to 3 1/8″. Click here for my tutorial on how to make Half Square Triangles.

Lay out the Grecian Square Quilt Block:

Sew the red and white rectangles together:

Now the Grecian Square is simply a 9-patch.

Bear’s Paw

July 25, 2014July 13, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

The Bear’s Paw is a classic quilt block. While not the most difficult block in my Fourth of July quilt Old Glory, it requires a lot of baby steps.

Here is the how-to for a Bear’s Paw Quilt Block

Note: These measurements are for an 8″ block. Sew using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.

Cut fabric:

8 squares 2 1/4″ white
8 squares 2 1/4″ red
4 squares 1 5/8″ white
1 square 1 5/8″ red
4 rectangles 1 5/8″ x 3 7/8″ white
4 squares 2 3/4″ red

Use the 8 squares of 2 1/4″ red and white to create 16 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) trimmed down to 1 5/8″. Click here for my tutorial on how to make Half Square Triangles. If you’ve been following my previous tutorials you’ll now know why I went through the time to create bonus HSTs from Flying Geese and Square in a Square!

Lay out your HSTs and remaining pieces of fabric into the Bear’s Paw:

Looking at one paw print at a time, sew the two horizontal HSTs together and sew the vertical HSTs to the white square:

Then sew the horizontal HSTs to the red square before sewing the vertical to the paw print:

Complete the remaining three paw prints and then follow my tutorial for sashing to complete the block:

Square in a Square

July 23, 2014July 13, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

The Square in a Square block is essentially a diamond. Diamonds can be made by 4 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) or you can follow this latest tutorial for a Square in a Square. Using this method will create a cleaner diamond. As it is very similar to my previous tutorial covering Flying Geese bonus small HSTs can come from the Square in a Square! The block I used in Old Glory is comprised of 4 Square in a Squares.

Here is the how-to for a Square in a Square:

Your first step will be to determine what size block you’ll be working with. This diamond simply replaces a square! Take the size of that square and add your 1/4″ seam allowance. That value will be the base. You will also need four squares cut to 1/2 of the base square plus the 1/4″ seam allowance. Example: 4″ x 4″ finished Square in a Square will require one 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ square and four 2 1/2″ squares. Don’t forget to ALWAYS make a practice block with scrap fabric before committing.

Draw on the diagonal of each square and if you want the bonus HST draw a line 1/4″ off center in one direction. Place one small square face down in one corner of the base. If making a HST that bonus 1/4″ line needs to be on the side of the block towards the corner:

Sew on both drawn lines, cut between the seams, and iron open:

Repeat on the opposite corner:

Now do the last two corners. (The white squares will overlap in the center, but that will be taken care of in the seam allowance.):

Flying Geese

July 21, 2014July 13, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Flying Geese, just like Half Square Triangles (HSTs) are very versatile. Some people create entire quilts of Flying Geese, they look great strung together and used as the border of a project, and they can be arranged in an endless amount of combinations to make individual blocks.

An added benefit of making Flying Geese is that each “goose” creates two bonus HSTs! The size of your Flying Geese might influence your decision in if you want to take the extra steps to get that bonus block. Because I made small 4″ finished Flying Geese for my 8″ finished block within Old Glory I knew that very small HSTs would come in handy with other blocks in the sampler quilt!

Here is the how-to for Flying Geese:

Your first step will be to determine what size block you’ll be working with. Think of the Flying Geese as simply replacing a solid rectangle. Take the size of that rectangle and add your 1/4″ seam allowance. That value will be the base. You will also need two squares cut to 1/2 of the rectangle plus the 1/4″ seam allowance. Example: 2″ x 4″ finished Flying Geese will require one 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ rectangle and two 2 1/2″ squares. Don’t forget to ALWAYS make a practice block with scrap fabric before committing.

Cut your fabric:

Draw on the diagonal of each square and if you want the bonus HST draw a line 1/4″ off center in one direction:

Place one square on the rectangle, corner to corner. The diagonal line needs to run from corner to center of the rectangle. If making a HST that bonus 1/4″ line needs to be on the side of the block towards the corner: