1, 2, 3 Quilt: Shape Up Your Skills with 24 Stylish Projects 9781452129440, 1452129444

Table of contents :
Cover
Contents
Introduction
The Parts of a Quilt
Essential Tools
Getting Started
Selecting Fabric
Prewashing
Pressing
Cutting on the Grain
Sewing Seam Allowances
Backstitching
Batting
Top Quilting
Sizing the Quilt
Metric Conversions
Putting the Quilt Together: Quilting Basics
Quilt Backing
Basting
Top Quilting by Machine
Top Quilting by Hand
Binding
CHAPTER 1: SQUARES
Game Mat
How-To: Nesting Seams
How-To: Strip Piecing
Pixel Pouch
How-To: Install a Zipper in a Lined Bag
Lopsided Squares Quilt
How-To: Square Up Blocks
CHAPTER 2: RECTANGLES
Stacked Table Runner
Rail Fence Tote Bag
How-To: Boxed Corners
Random Rectangles Quilt
CHAPTER 3: TRIANGLES
Flying Geese Pillow
How-To: One-Seam Flying Geese
Flag Place Mats
How-To: String Piecing
How-To: Half-Square Triangles
Triangles Quilt
How-To: Flying Geese Traditional Method
How-To: Flying Geese Shortcut Method
How-To: Pinwheels
CHAPTER 4: HEXAGONS
Hexagon Handbag
How-To: English Paper Piecing
Hexie the Turtle
How-To: Freezer-Paper Appliqué
Honeycomb Quilt
CHAPTER 5: CIRCLES
Quarter-Circle Coasters
Clamshell Pillow Sham
How-To: Ease Curves
Cluster Dots Quilt
CHAPTER 6: FLOWERS
Posy Tea Towel
How-To: Mitered Corners
How-To: Needle-Turn Appliqué
Petal Skirt
How-To: Install an Invisible Zipper
Dresden Flower Quilt
CHAPTER 7: STARS
Arrow Tablet Case
Native Star Duffel Bag
Star Quilt
CHAPTER 8: DIAMONDS
Argyle Apron
Diamond Hot Pad
How-To: Foundation Paper Piecing
Cathedral Windows Quilt
Glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
H
I
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
W
Z
Acknowledgments
Resources
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
Z
Templates

Citation preview

1 2 3 Quilt SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS WITH 24 STYLISH PROJECTS

Ellen Luckett Baker Photographs by Laura Malek

Text copyright © 2013 by Ellen Luckett Baker. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Laura Malek. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-4521-2944-0 The Library of Congress has previously cataloged this title under ISBN 978-1-4521-1258-9 Designed by Vivien Sung Photo styling by Ellen Luckett Baker Pellon Wonder-Under is a registered trademark of Freudenberg Nonwovens Limited. Velcro is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries B.V.

Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com

CONTENTS 4

Introduction

6

The Parts of a Quilt

6

Essential Tools

8

Getting Started

8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 13 13

Selecting Fabric Prewashing Pressing Cutting on the Grain Sewing Seam Allowances Backstitching Batting Top Quilting Sizing the Quilt Metric Conversions

13

Putting the Quilt Together: Quilting Basics

13 14 15 16 17

Quilt Backing Basting Top Quilting by Machine Top Quilting by Hand Binding

21

CHAPTER 1: SQUARES

23 26 27 29 31 32 37

Game Mat How-To: Nesting Seams How-To: Strip Piecing Pixel Pouch How-To: Install a Zipper in a Lined Bag Lopsided Squares Quilt

39 41 45 49 50 57

CHAPTER 3: TRIANGLES

59 61

Flying Geese Pillow How-To: One-Seam Flying Geese

62 65 66 67 71 72 75

Flag Place Mats How-To: String Piecing How-To: Half-Square Triangles Triangles Quilt How-To: Flying Geese Traditional Method How-To: Flying Geese Shortcut Method How-To: Pinwheels

77

CHAPTER 4: HEXAGONS

78 83 84 89 91

Hexagon Handbag How-To: English Paper Piecing Hexie the Turtle How-To: Freezer-Paper Appliqué Honeycomb Quilt

97

CHAPTER 5: CIRCLES

99 101 106 107

Quarter-Circle Coasters Clamshell Pillow Sham How-To: Ease Curves Cluster Dots Quilt

113

CHAPTER 6: FLOWERS

115 117 118 119 124 127

Posy Tea Towel How-To: Mitered Corners How-To: Needle-Turn Appliqué Petal Skirt How-To: Install an Invisible Zipper Dresden Flower Quilt

133

CHAPTER 7: STARS

135 138 143

Arrow Tablet Case Native Star Duffel Bag Star Quilt

CHAPTER 2: RECTANGLES

149

CHAPTER 8: DIAMONDS

Stacked Table Runner Rail Fence Tote Bag How-To: Boxed Corners Random Rectangles Quilt

151 154 156 159

Argyle Apron Diamond Hot Pad How-To: Foundation Paper Piecing Cathedral Windows Quilt

163 166 167 167

Glossary Acknowledgments Resources Index



How-To: Square Up Blocks

Living and felt a strong connection to the warmth and modernity of her work. And I was blown away by the quilts of Gee’s Bend, which illustrate how some-

INTRODUCTION

thing wholly unique can emerge from necessity and creativity. Here I am almost twenty years later, combining modern style and folk art with my passion for sewing. With bold, graphic shapes and clean lines, a quilt can tell a story, become a compelling work of art, or simply provide warmth and comfort. There are 24 projects in 1, 2, 3 Quilt, with

C

each project increasing in difficulty as a chapter proolor. Shape. Pattern. If you are interested

gresses. The chapters are arranged by shape—the

in these elements of design, you will love

essential design element of any quilt. By working

quilting. It’s art for your bed or your wall.

with the basic shapes—squares, rectangles, triangles,

But why stop there? In 1, 2, 3 Quilt, you will

circles, hexagons, flowers, stars, and diamonds—you

hone your patchwork and quilting skills as you learn

can create endless quilt designs. I’ve included full-

to make all kinds of projects, from table runners to

size templates so you’ll have all the patterns you need

handbags, clothing, and accessories. This book

to make the projects just as you see them here. After

shows you that you don’t need to take on a daunting

you’ve worked through the different shapes, you will

project like a full-size quilt to get started.

understand the fundamentals of quilting and hope-

In my previous book, 1, 2, 3 Sew, I explored

This book also teaches you a set of basic tech-

a step further by incorporating patchwork and quilted

niques that you’ll need to begin quilting (or to build

designs. Through the years, I’ve followed the modern

on your current skills). There are how-to sections

quilting movement and watched as new quilters

sprinkled throughout to help you shape up your skills

have renewed this art form with fresh designs, bright

as you work through the book. Each chapter culmi-

colors, and a pared-down sensibility. In my blog at

nates in a full-size quilt project, allowing you to apply

the Long Thread (thelongthread.com), I’ve discovered

your new skills with quilting shapes to a larger-scale

a vibrant and welcoming community of quilters, so

project. You’ll learn how to bind a quilt, use paper-

it seemed natural for me to tackle quilting next. The

piecing techniques, sew appliqués, and make patch-

limitless possibilities of quilting will allow you to take

work quickly with some quilter’s shortcuts. You’ll

your sewing to a new level.

also learn basic sewing construction skills like how

Growing up in Alabama, I was frequently

to install a zipper and tips for making a softie toy. As

exposed to the art of quilting. I remember visiting the

you master the different techniques, you’ll make a

curb market, where I saw women selling their calico

skirt, a handbag, pillows, coasters, and much more.

quilts and pillows in traditional styles. I spent most of

Once you’ve made the projects in this book, you’ll be

my childhood with a hand-sewn wedding rings quilt

armed with the skills and confidence to create your

on my bed. But it wasn’t until college that it even

own designs.

occurred to me that a quilt could be modern. I read an article about Denyse Schmidt in Martha Stewart

4

fully feel empowered to design your own quilts.

the basics of sewing. Here, I help you take your skills

1,2,3 QUILT

Let’s shape up your skills!

THE PARTS OF A QUILT

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

I

f you are new to quilting, here’s a diagram illustrating the basic elements of a quilt. The quilt top is your main design element; it’s often sewn together in a patchwork fashion, or it’s made of one large piece (or a few large pieces) of fabric, creating what's known as a whole-cloth quilt. The batting is the center, cushioned layer that provides padding and warmth. The quilt back, or backing, can be made of patchwork, fabric scraps, or wide strips of the same fabric. The quilt binding is made of joined strips of fabric and is sewn to the front of the quilt, then wrapped around the edges of the three layers and machine sewn or hand stitched to the quilt back, enclosing the raw edges and holding together the layers of the quilt.

patchwork quilt top

binding

batting

quilt backing

6

1,2,3 QUILT

ROTARY CUTTER AND MAT The rotary cutter

and self-healing cutting mat are essential tools in quilting because they significantly speed up the cutting process. The rotary cutter is similar to a pizza slicer and cuts cleanly and precisely, but must be used with care because it is very sharp. Always cut away from yourself when using this tool. The self-healing cutting mat has grid lines printed on it for simple measuring, and it is available in many sizes—the bigger, the better. RULERS There are many sizes of clear acrylic

rulers with gridded measurements available to help quilters get just the right size and shape. I recommend a 6-in-/15-cm-wide yardstick/ metric ruler and a quilter’s square ruler, around 6½ in/16.5 cm square. MACHINE TOOLS You can make a quilt of any

size with a regular sewing machine if you have patience and the right tools. For machine piecing, a ¼-in/6-mm presser foot helps achieve accuracy on every seam. For top quilting, a walking foot, also known as an even-feed foot, is essential because it helps evenly feed the top and bottom fabrics simultaneously through the machine without puckering the material. For free-motion quilting, use a free-motion

or darning foot, which allows you to move the quilt in any direction as you sew. SCISSORS There are many different types of

scissors for quilting. Before you start, make sure you have small scissors or thread snips handy by your sewing machine or by your side when you are hand sewing. You’ll also want large dressmaker’s shears for cutting fabric, and inexpensive craft scissors for cutting paper patterns. Once you have more quilting experience, you may want to invest in embroidery scissors and appliqué scissors as well. MARKING TOOLS To mark your fabrics, I recom-

mend white and colored chalk pencils as well as disappearing ink fabric markers. Some of these markers make marks that disappear over time, while others are water soluble. Try several types of marking tools to see which you like best.

BASTING SUPPLIES There are several methods

for quilt basting (explained on page 14). I like to baste quilts with safety pins. In this method, you use bent safety pins made for this task, which are easy to slip down into the fabric and pull back up again without moving the quilt layers. I also use blue painter’s tape to secure the quilt layers as I’m working on them. NEEDLES Machine needles come in a variety

of sizes, based on the width of the needle. The sizes are generally shown as two numbers with a slash between them. (See Glossary, page 163, for more information about needle sizes.) Be sure to change your needle regularly and always replace a bent needle. You also need a variety of hand-sewing needles for hand basting, top quilting, and embroidery.

SEAM RIPPER A small forked tool with a han-

dle, the seam ripper is essential for removing stitches in seams when you’ve made a mistake. Simply slip the sharp tip of the seam ripper into a seam and cut through the stitches quickly. THREAD Of the many types of thread on the

market, you’ll need to experiment to find those that work best with your sewing needs and your machine. I prefer 100 percent cotton thread and have found that it’s worth it to buy the more expensive, high-quality thread. In general, use a higher weight (finer) thread for piecing and a lower weight (thicker) thread for top quilting. When top quilting, you may use a simple cotton thread, or embroidery floss for more emphasis, or my favorite, perle cotton, a twisted thread available in many thicknesses and color options.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

7

SELECTING FABRIC These days, quilters face

GETTING STARTED

T

he unlimited possibilities of quilting can be both delightful and confounding. Quilts allow us to play with design and color and to make something completely original. But choices can be overwhelming. I often spend weeks or months sketching or just thinking about a quilt before I cut my fabric. There are as many quilting techniques as there are people making quilts, so experiment with different methods, find what works for you, and stick with it. You will find much debate in the quilting community about the right way to do things, but remember that once you have learned the basics for ensuring that your quilt stays together, there is really no wrong way to make a quilt. As a beginner, you may start off using quilt patterns, then progress to making your own patterns using graph paper and some creativity. Most quilts are based on building blocks—repeated designs that come together to form a whole. A modern approach, as you will see used in some of the quilts in this book, allows for some improvisation along the way. Here are some important things to consider before you begin sewing your quilts.

the happy problem of having too many fabrics from which to choose! It often takes me longer to select fabrics than it does to make a project. A design wall can be helpful for arranging swatches, organizing blocks, and mocking up a layout for your quilt. You can make a design wall by covering a board with flannel fabric or batting, or simply taping the flannel or batting directly to a wall. Your fabric pieces will stick to the flannel or batting without pinning, so you can step back and look at your ideas before you start sewing. I often take photos and replicate the block designs digitally using Photoshop to see how they will look, or I create several block samples, put them on the wall, and look at them at different times of day in varying light. Take time making your fabric decisions, because you don’t want to spend hours working on a quilt and then regret your fabric choices. Types of Fabric For beginners, I recommend starting with quilting cottons because they have very little stretch. Then as you become more comfortable with your skills, you can move on to linen, shot cotton, shirting, lawn, flannel, or voile, depending on the intended use of the quilt. You’ll find that the slightly more expensive quilting cottons at your local quilt shop have a higher thread count, which really makes a difference in the quality of the finished quilt and its durability. Fabric Color and Contrast Color is a personal choice, so consider how you’ll be using the quilt and don’t be afraid to make your own color decisions. A quick study of a color wheel may help you decide whether you want to use monochromatic colors (different shades of the same color, like bright red and dark red),

8

1,2,3 QUILT

complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel, like yellow and purple), or analogous colors (colors that are close to each other on the color wheel, like red and orange). Or you can just make instinctive decisions by placing different color swatches on your design wall to see what appeals to you. Look for inspiration in the everyday world and choose the colors you love. When choosing a background color, think about whether you want your patterns and colors to stand out or blend. A bold, graphic quilt will have strongly contrasting areas, whereas a subtler quilt will have foreground and background fabrics of similar shades. You don’t have to follow the traditional model of a solid background and patterned blocks—try reversing it. In fact, your quilt doesn’t need to have a background at all; you may decide to give it an allover design instead. Fabric Patterns Your choice of fabrics can make an enormous difference in the quilt you make and will reflect your taste and personality. When selecting fabric patterns, it’s a generally accepted rule that you should include a mix of different scales in your prints—small, medium, large, and some solids—to create variety and interest in your design. But, again, this can be a personal decision. If you want to make a quilt with all large-scale prints, go for it. Some people feel more comfortable working with fabrics from a single designer’s collection, while others prefer to mix things up. I try to use fabrics that have a timeless appeal so that I’ll never tire of looking at them. But think about how your quilt will be used: If it’s for a friend or family member, choose fabrics and colors they will love. As I often remind my kids, taste is subjective. There’s no right answer when it comes to style.

PREWASHING Most cotton quilting fabrics will

shrink a bit when washed, so it’s ideal to wash, dry, and press all your fabrics before cutting. If you are mixing different types of fabric, I recommend prewashing the fabrics to avoid different rates of shrinkage. But if you don’t prewash all your fabric, don’t worry. The finished quilt will have a more crinkled texture after a washing, which I feel adds a lovely handmade charm. But if you are using brightly colored fabrics that you are afraid might bleed onto lighter colored fabrics, be sure to prewash them or test a swatch for colorfastness. PRESSING Pressing is key to creating a neat and

accurate quilt. You’ll want to press before you cut the fabric, as you work, and again after you complete each block. Before Cutting If your fabric is wrinkled, you will want to press it before cutting to make sure that you get an accurate cut. I find that clear starch made for quilters works best for achieving a crisp finish. Pressing Seams As you are piecing your patchwork together, you may choose to press the finished seams open or to one side as you work. Sometimes I prefer to press my seams to one side, since it’s faster, and then I can nest the seams together to accurately line up adjacent seams (see How-To: Nesting Seams, page 26). But with thicker fabrics and designs with many overlapping seams, pressing the seams open rather than to the side will make the finished seams less bulky and easier to quilt. In this book, I use both methods, depending on the project.

GET TING STARTED

9

warp threads

selvage

as

straight grain

selvage

weft threads

bi

Finger Pressing Generally I don’t press every piece with an iron as I work, but I use the finger pressing technique instead, which is exactly as it sounds—using your finger to firmly smooth the seam in place. Whether you are finger pressing the seam open or to the side, finger pressing makes it possible to move on to the next piece without having to get up from your sewing machine to press a seam with the iron. If you use finger pressing, I recommend that you then press each finished block with an iron before you piece the blocks together, being sure to iron first on the back side, then on the front to make sure all seams lie flat.

cross grain

CUTTING ON THE GRAIN If you are new to

sewing, take a look at the following diagram and pull your fabric in different directions to understand the grain. If you look closely, you will see that woven fabric is made of threads running in two directions, the warp and weft. Generally, it is best to cut your fabric pieces on either the straight (lengthwise) grain (warp) or on the cross grain (weft), which runs across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage. Look closely at the grain of your fabric to make sure that it is perfectly straight. Fabric cut on the straight grain lies flatter and is less likely to become stretched or distorted as you press your blocks. I recommend using the straight grain for whole-cloth quilts and quilt backings and the cross grain for binding.

10

1,2,3 QUILT

SEWING SEAM ALLOWANCES Almost all quilt

piecing requires ¼ -in/6-mm seams. I recommend buying a ¼ -in/6-mm presser foot designed for your sewing machine, equipped with a guide that will help you achieve perfect accuracy in your seams. When sewing binding and some of the other sewing construction projects in the book, you will use a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance. It’s helpful to mark this ½-in/ 12-mm line on your sewing machine with a piece of tape. BACKSTITCHING When constructing a quilt, I

often save time by skipping the backstitch, or locking stitch, at the beginning and end of the patchwork piecing, since most of the pieces will be joined with other pieces, which will automatically lock the stitches in place. However, stitches may become loosened as the blocks are handled. So you may choose to take the time to sew those backstitches in place.

BATTING I almost exclusively use 100 percent

cotton, needle-punched batting sold in precut packages or by the yard. But there are many different batting thicknesses and materials, including wool, polyester, and bamboo. Highloft batting is thicker and fluffier and ideal for projects where you want a cozy quilt with more texture after the quilting is done, and low-loft batting is thinner. If you are working with white or lighter fabrics, you will most likely want to use a whitened batting, because the darker, natural-colored batting may show through, creating a yellowish tint. Most batting packages are labeled with their best use and how far apart the quilt stitching needs to be. TOP QUILTING Once you have selected your

quilt pattern, fabrics, and batting, and made your quilt top, you will need to decide how you want to quilt it. Most quilt sizes can be quilted by hand or on a home sewing machine. Hand Quilting You can hand quilt any design to give a beautiful handmade look to your quilt. For a noticeable stitch, you may choose to use perle cotton, embroidery thread, or even a thin yarn. A contrasting color will make your stitches become a design element, while a matching

color will allow the stitches to become part of the background. For quick and simple quilts, you can use the hand-tying method or simply tie knots through all the layers every few inches. You can use thick thread, perle cotton, embroidery floss, or even yarn for hand tying. Free-Motion Quilting When you quilt with free motion, you can move your quilt around as you sew, guiding the stitches, or “drawing” on the fabric. You may use templates and transfer the designs to your quilt top to quilt over them, or you may choose to use this technique for echo quilting (outlining the shapes in your fabric or quilt design). You also may use the freemotion technique to create simple repeated designs such as stippling or pebbles. You will need to turn off the feed dogs of your sewing machine and attach a free-motion or darning presser foot so you can have free range of motion. It is helpful to use a pair of rubberbacked gloves to keep your hands from slipping as you move the quilt. See examples of freemotion styles in figure A.

fig. A

stippling

pebbles

echo

zigzags

GET TING STARTED

11

fig. B

in-the-ditch

12

channels

grid

uneven grid

Line Quilting If you are quilting with straight lines, it is best to use a presser foot called a walking foot, which will guide the fabric from above at the same time the feed dogs guide it from below, for an even stitch. This is how you will create “in-the-ditch quilting,” or quilting on top of the seams, which gives you a simple finish without the texture of additional quilting. You may also use a walking foot for straightline echo (or outline) quilting around shapes in your design. “Channel quilting” is made with evenly spaced straight lines. You may start with

Long-Arm Quilting You may consider outsourcing the top quilting to a long-arm quilting professional, who can easily stitch any number of intricate designs onto your quilt using a professional, large-scale sewing machine. Longarm quilters usually charge by the stitch and the intricacy of the design, and cost will vary depending on the experience of the quilter. If you choose this option, your local quilt shop can recommend someone, but be sure to look at their previous work and talk with them about your vision for the quilt. This is yet another

one line marked on your fabric, then use that line of stitching as a guide for your next rows. You can also create straight or uneven grid lines using a walking foot. See examples of line quilting in figure B.

decision that will make the quilt your own. Many of the quilts in this book were quilted professionally (see Acknowledgments, page 166, for more information).

1,2,3 QUILT

SIZING THE QUILT These days, mattresses and

box springs vary widely in size, so I recommend measuring the bed to determine your final quilt size. I’ve included quilts of many different sizes in the book. To increase or decrease the size of your quilt, simply adjust the number of blocks. Other sizing factors to consider are the side drop, or how far the quilt hangs over the side of the bed, and if you want to tuck the quilt under pillows or lay it flat. A standard side drop is 10 to 12 in/25 to 30.5 cm, but many mattresses are much thicker now, and I prefer quilts to be a bit longer on the sides. If you like to tuck your quilt under the pillows, you’ll need to add at least 10 in/25 cm at the top for that as well. Here are some standard quilt sizes to use as a starting point, based on the commonly found sizes of prepackaged quilt batting. These are generous sizes, so you may want to alter them, based on your own measurements and preferences.

Crib

45 by 60 in/114 by 152 cm

Twin

72 by 90 in/183 by 229 cm

Full

81 by 96 in/206 by 244 cm

Queen

90 by 108 in/229 by 274 cm

King

120 by 120 in/305 by 305 cm

METRIC CONVERSIONS All of the projects here

include metric conversions for international sewers. In order to avoid confusing decimals, the measurements have been rounded to the nearest half centimeter. Be sure to square your blocks as you work (see How-To: Square Up Blocks, page 37) to ensure accuracy.

PUTTING THE QUILT TOGETHER: QUILTING BASICS

Once you have completed your quilt top, it’s time to make the backing, baste the quilt together, quilt it, and finish off the edges with quilt binding. Each step is important, but it’s important to note that good basting will help ease the quilting process by creating a smooth and wrinkle-free surface. So take time and care when putting the quilt together. QUILT BACKING The quilt backing, or the back of

the quilt, can be made from one piece of fabric, or it can make a statement with a patchwork design. The quilts in this book have fabric measurements listed for a backing made from panels of one fabric, but feel free to be creative with your quilt backing. Calculating Yardage When calculating yardage, your quilt backing should be large enough to overlap by a couple of inches on all sides as you are assembling the quilt. If you are outsourcing the top quilting, then consult with your professional quilter to see how large she likes the quilt back to be. As a general rule, an overlap of 4 in/10 cm on all sides is plenty; you can always trim later. If you are making a quilt with a finished width that is 34 in/86 cm or smaller (standard width minus selvages and including overlap), then you will be able to make the backing

PUT TING THE QUILT TOGETHER: QUILTING BASICS

13

out of one solid piece of fabric by simply cutting the fabric to match the quilt top length and adding 4 to 6 in/10 to 15 cm. But if your quilt will be wider, you will need to join several pieces of fabric together. It’s important to remove the selvages so that they don’t show in your seams. Ideally, the fabric should be aligned on the lengthwise, or straight, grain, for added durability and proper drape. If your quilt is 42 to 84 in/107 to 213 cm wide, take two or three lengths of fabric that are 4 to 6 in/10 to 15 cm longer than the length of the quilt. If your quilt is wider than 84 in/213 cm, make a third panel of fabric for the back. See the chart for fabric requirements for backings.

Quilt Width Backing Fabric Requirement Up to 34 in/86 cm

1 × length of the quilt

34 to 84 in/86 to 213 cm

2 × length of the quilt

84 to 126 in/213 to 320 cm

3 × length of the quilt

TO CUT THE BACKING FABRIC PIECES:

STEP 1: With one width of fabric as your center (selvages removed), cut two smaller pieces of fabric to be your side pieces, again remembering to add 4 in/10 cm to all sides for overlap.

STEP 2: Sew each smaller side piece to a side of the center piece, as shown in Figure A.

STEP 3: Press both seams open.

14

1,2,3 QUILT

straight grain of fabric

side panel

center panel (width of fabric)

side panel

fig. A

BASTING When you have made your quilt top

and backing, you will be ready to make the quilt sandwich and baste the three layers together. There are three ways to baste a quilt: spray basting, using temporary spray adhesive; hand basting, which uses long, quick stitches sewn through all three layers; and pin basting, my preferred method. You will need blue painter’s tape and bent safety pins. Basting a quilt requires space on the floor or a large table to spread out the entire quilt. I work on a rug and use a corner of the rug to make sure that the quilt layers are at right angles.

TOP QUILTING BY MACHINE First, review Top

STEP 1: Prepare the batting by cutting it so that it is about 4 in/10 cm larger on all sides than your quilt top. The excess on all sides allows for spreading as you quilt, and allows long-arm quilting machines the excess needed to clamp into the machine.

STEP 2: Press the quilt top, backing, and batting to remove wrinkles. If using synthetic batting, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for removing any wrinkles. Using a damp pressing cloth on top of the batting when you iron may help.

STEP 3: Spread out the quilt backing fabric with the wrong side facing up (right sides facing the floor or table) and smooth it out evenly so that there are no wrinkles, being sure not to pull and stretch the fabric. Using painter’s tape, secure the backing in place on all four edges. If you have created a design on the quilt backing that needs to be aligned with a design on the quilt top, use the painter’s tape as a guide by extending it beyond the bottom layer to indicate where seams need to be matched.

Quilting (page 11), which explains different top quilting approaches. Choose an approach and make sure that you have the necessary sewing machine attachments. To start quilting by machine, you’ll need to roll up one side of the quilt to make it fit into the throat of your machine (the open area of your machine between the needle and the machine controls). The sewing machine should be on a large surface, which will support the weight of the quilt so it does not pull on the stitches as you work. If needed, add an additional small table on the left side of your machine, but don’t let the quilt fall to the floor as you are working. Choose your thread, taking thickness and color into consideration, and be sure to wind a bobbin with matching thread for the back side of the quilt.

STEP 1: Pull up the bobbin thread by turning

backing, aligning the four side edges. It is okay if the batting overlaps, since it can be cut later.

the hand crank on your machine until the needle goes into the fabric and comes back up. Then raise the presser foot and pull on the top thread to bring the bobbin thread to the top of the fabric. Bring both threads under and to the left side of the presser foot.

STEP 5: Spread the quilt top over the batting

STEP 2: Lower the presser foot and start with

layer, right side up, again smoothing out all wrinkles, taking care not to stretch the fabric.

a couple of short stitches on top of each other to secure the stitching.

STEP 6: Using the basting pins, pin every

STEP 3: Begin with short stitches, then increase

6 to 8 in/15 to 20 cm to hold the layers together. If you can avoid pinning the areas to be quilted, that’s helpful but not always possible. Once you have finished pinning, remove the tape.

to your desired stitch length after about ½ in/ 12 mm. Quilt your design, and when you get to the end of a row of stitches, again make small stitches in place to secure the end of the thread.

STEP 4: Spread the batting over the quilt

PUT TING THE QUILT TOGETHER: QUILTING BASICS

15

As you are quilting, you will occasionally stop, reroll the quilt, and change positions. You will also remove the safety pins as you work if they are in your stitch path.

TOP QUILTING BY HAND Quilting by hand can

add a beautiful handmade flavor to any quilt, with the texture and irregularity of the stitches serving as a visual reminder of the quilt’s handmade construction. Practice your stitching on scrap fabric to decide on the spacing and thread choice. Consider the thickness of the thread as well as the type of thread and color. To top quilt, use a simple running stitch, with an in-and-out sewing motion. Longer needles allow you to create multiple stitches at once. To secure your thread and start hand quilting, pull the knot of the thread through the fabric to conceal it. This takes some practice— you need to tug at the threaded needle and the fabric to get the knot between the layers. Next, smooth out the fabric where the knot was inserted. Or, make a stitch into the fabric, then a backstitch, stitch again, and backstitch again to secure the thread. This method is more obvious on the front of your quilt, particularly if you are using thicker thread.

STEP 1: Begin by threading the needle with an arm’s length of thread. Do not double the thread, but simply allow a tail to hang down a few inches below the needle. Tie a small knot at the bottom of the long end of the thread, about ¼ in/6 mm from the end.

16

1,2,3 QUILT

QUICK TIP: To tie a knot quickly at the end of

your thread, simply hold the tail end of the thread and the needle in your hand, pointing toward each other. Wrap the thread around your needle a couple of times (counterclockwise, or away from you), then pull this knot down over the needle to the tail end of your thread, leaving an end at least ¼ in/6 mm beyond the knot.

STEP 2: Insert the needle into the starting place of your quilt stitching and pull the knot through the top layer of fabric, popping the knot through the layers of the quilt sandwich. This will require some force; be careful not to break your thread.

STEP 3: Begin stitching up and down, spacing the stitches evenly. To speed up the process, insert the needle into the fabric, in and out, several times, before pulling through, making several stitches at a time.

STEP 4: When you are finished with an area or if you need to change out thread, tie a knot as you did in the beginning, and pull it through to the middle layer of the quilt. Cut the thread as close to the quilt as possible, pulling just a bit so that the cut end will disappear into the quilt when released.

BINDING Binding is the fabric that encloses

the sides of the quilt, encasing the raw edges of the backing, the batting, and the top. For smaller quilts and quick projects, you may choose to use self-binding (see page 26). But for the majority of your quilting projects, you will want to use a separate, double layer of fabric, or double-fold binding. Although binding is available prepackaged at fabric stores, I strongly recommend making your own for better quality and a perfect fabric match. Binding is typically machine sewn to the front of the quilt and hand stitched to the back. Often binding is cut on the bias, or at a 45-degree angle (see the diagram on page 10). This creates a durable, stretchy binding with the weave of the fabric on an angle to prevent fraying over time, and may be the best option when making heirloom quilts. In my opinion, it works just as well to cut the binding on the cross grain, making more efficient use of your fabric and your time. Since the standard fabric width is 42 in/107 cm (minus selvages), strips of fabric will need to be joined to make a single strip of binding that is long enough to wrap around the entire perimeter of the quilt. The instructions here will help you make your own ½-in-/12-mm-wide cross-grain binding, used throughout the book, and will explain how to sew the binding to the quilt. Remember, before binding your quilt, trim the excess quilt backing and batting. I like to trim the batting with ¼ in/6 mm of excess remaining on all sides, which will be encased in the binding but allow more of your quilt front to show. Now, square up your quilt by laying it out and making sure that the corners are perfect right angles and the sides are straight. (I often place the quilt on an area rug to make sure the quilt is squared, using a corner of the rug to achieve accurate right angles.)

STEP 1: Calculate how much binding you will need by measuring the four outer edges of the quilt, and adding about 12 in/30.5 cm to that measurement for seam allowances, plus extra for the tail ends. Divide this number by 42 in/107 cm (width of fabric minus selvages) to determine how many strips you should cut.

STEP 2: Cut a 3½-in-/9-cm-wide strip from the fabric on the cross grain (perpendicular to the selvages). The cut strip will be 44 in/112 cm long. Trim the selvages. Repeat until you have the number of strips you need.

STEP 3: With two strips in hand, place one end of each strip together, right sides facing, perpendicular to each other, and sew along the 45-degree angle, as shown in figure A (page 18). It may be helpful to mark this line with a fabric marker or chalk. Sew another strip to one end of the joined strips. If you are working with a solid fabric or a fabric that does not have a clear right side, take care that your seams are all on the same (wrong) side. Continue sewing strips to each other until you have created a continuous strip of binding that is the desired length. Clip the excess fabric at each seam and press open all seams.

STEP 4: Starting at one end, fold the long fabric strip in half lengthwise, with wrong sides facing. Press in place as you fold until the entire strip is folded neatly in half with right sides facing out. The width of the folded binding will now be 13/4 in/4.5 cm.

PUT TING THE QUILT TOGETHER: QUILTING BASICS

17

join strips together

STEP 5: Attach the binding to your quilt: Start

fig. A

fig. B

6 in/15 cm tail

in an inconspicuous place on the quilt so that the seam will not be noticeable. (I usually start about 12 in/30.5 cm up from the bottom right corner.) Align the raw edges of the binding with the raw edges of the quilt (with right sides facing) and pin it in place, leaving a 6-in/15-cm tail at the end that will be sewn down later (I like to leave a long tail because it is easier to work with in the end). Working all the way around your quilt, pin the binding in place and make sure that no seams end up in the corners, creating a bulky area that is difficult to work with. When you reach a corner, fold the binding strip back on itself and to the side, to form a 45-degree angle in the corner (see figure B). Then fold the binding strip back in the opposite direction, so the raw edges of the binding are aligned with the next side to be sewn (see figure C). The 45-degree angle you just created will stay under the new fold. Pin in place. Pin all the way around, repeating this procedure at each corner. Once you get near the starting point of your binding, leave a 6-in/15-cm tail, which will be sewn to the other tail in the final step.

STEP 6: Starting where you began pinning and

½ in/12 mm

leaving the 6-in/15-cm tail, sew the binding down ½ in/12 mm from the edge, removing the pins as you stitch. (Once you become more familiar with the process, you may want to skip the pinning step and go straight to sewing.)

STEP 7: When you reach a corner, stop ½ in/

fig. C

12 mm from the corner and sew a backstitch. Fold the extra fabric out of the way and turn the corner to begin on the next side, again ½ in/12 mm from the corner, beginning with a backstitch (see figure D). fig. D

18

1,2,3 QUILT

STEP 8: Continue to sew the binding down around the quilt edge, repeating step 7 at all corners. Stop about 6 in/15 cm from where you started. Remove the quilt from the machine. Lay the two binding pieces together and use a marker or chalk to indicate where they need to be joined. I like to bring the quilt to the ironing board and press where the binding should meet, making creases where it should be sewn together. Unfold the binding and sew the two pieces together along the line or crease. Then make sure the joined binding lies flat and has been sewn at just the right spot. Clip the excess fabric, finger press the seam open, fold the binding again, and continue to sew it, backstitching at the end.

it becomes a neatly mitered corner and sew up to the top of the corner and continue. When you need to change thread, repeat the process of tying off or back-tacking into the fabric to secure your thread. I like to pull the tail of the thread through the batting a few inches, then pull it back out to keep it securely tucked away.

STEP 9: Once you have sewn your binding to the front, you will sew it to the back side by hand. Find a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy slow hand sewing, with your new quilt draped over your lap. Fold the binding around to the back side so that it covers the underside of your machine stitching. You can use quilting pins or specially designed quilting clips to hold the binding in place, if you choose. I simply hold it together with my other hand as I work. With an arm’s length of matching thread and a small hand-sewing needle, begin by tying a knot and burying it in the underside, or simply make several short stitches on top of one another in the quilt back and batting. Pull through and begin sewing, taking short dips into the quilt binding and longer dives into the quilt backing and batting (see figure E). Make your stitches at the edge of the fold so they are nearly invisible. As you work, be sure that your stitches are not going through to the front side of the quilt. At the corners, fold the binding so that

1

2

3 fig. E

PUT TING THE QUILT TOGETHER: QUILTING BASICS

19

1

CHAPTER

SQUARES

I

n this chapter, you’ll learn all about quilting with squares, from creating squares using the strip piecing technique, to nesting seams together for perfect

alignment, to embracing imperfection and making wonky squares. The first project is a clever game mat with a tictac-toe board on one side and a checkerboard on the other. Next up is the Pixel Pouch, which will help you hone your skills as you work with small squares. The final project, the Lopsided Squares Quilt, gives you the opportunity to play with color and contrast while creating a quilt with very little measuring.

GAME MAT This game mat lets kids double the fun: They can play checkers on one side and then flip it over for a quick game of tic-tac-toe. The mat rolls up easily so you can take it anywhere. It is easy to make, using just four fat quarters of your favorite fabric, plus some contrasting fabric for the border. As an introductory project, the game mat uses self-binding: The fabric of the back wraps around to the front to enclose the edges so there’s no additional binding to make. For the game pieces, use buttons, bottle caps, rocks, or wooden shapes from the craft store.

MATERIALS

CUT

1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) quilting cotton, canvas, or linen, for checkerboard (fabric A)

Checkerboard fabric A: 4 strips, 2½ by 22 in/ 6 by 56 cm

1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) quilting cotton, canvas, or linen, for checkerboard (fabric B)

Checkerboard fabric B: 4 strips, 2½ by 22 in/ 6 by 56 cm

Matching thread

Tic-tac-toe fabric A: 5 squares, 4½ in/11.5 cm

1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) quilting cotton or linen, for tic-tac-toe squares (fabric A)

Tic-tac-toe fabric B: 4 squares, 4½ in/11.5 cm

1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) quilting cotton or linen, for tic-tac-toe squares (fabric B) ½ yd/0.5 m quilting cotton or linen fabric for tic-tac-toe border and binding

Tic-tac-toe border and binding: 2 long pieces, 3¾ by 19 in/9.5 by 48 cm, and 2 short pieces 3¾ by 12½ in/9.5 by 32 cm Quilt batting: 1 square, 17 in/43 cm

½ yd/0.5 m cotton quilt batting Perle cotton or embroidery floss

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: basic patchwork, strip piecing, nesting seams, self-binding FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 17 by 17 in/43 by 43 cm

SQUARES

23

STEP 1: MAKE THE CHECKERBOARD. See How-To: Strip Piecing (on page 27) for instructions on how to make the checkerboard with a simple shortcut method.

STEP 2: MAKE THE TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD CENTER.

Arrange the nine tic-tac-toe squares with alternating colors, then sew two squares right sides together. Sew another piece to this joined section. Repeat, making three rows of three squares each. Press the seams to the side. Pin and sew these rows together, using the How-To:

fig. A

Nesting Seams technique (see page 26) to align the seams (see figure A).

STEP 3: SEW THE TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD BORDER AND BINDING.

With right sides facing, sew one short border piece (3½ by 12½ in/9 by 32 cm) to one side of the tic-tac-toe board. Sew the other short border piece to the opposite side. Press seams open. Then sew the long border pieces (3½ by 18 in/ 9 by 46 cm) to the remaining sides of this joined piece (see figure B). Press the seams open.

STEP 4: PRESS AND MAKE A QUILT SANDWICH.

With the bordered tic-tac-toe piece, press ½ in/ 12 mm of the raw outer edges toward the wrong side of the fabric. This will create the folded edge of your self-binding for a later step. Arrange the layers in the following order: the tic-tac-toe layer with the wrong sides facing up, the quilt batting (centered), and the checkerboard piece with the right side facing up. The batting should extend ¼ in/6 mm around the checkerboard piece. Using basting pins, pin together the quilt sandwich to hold it in place. continued

24

1,2,3 QUILT

fig. B

fig. C

STEP 5: HAND TIE THE KNOTS IN THE

HOW-TO: NESTING SEAMS

GAME MAT.

Thread a needle with the perle cotton or embroidery floss. (See figure C, page 24, for placement of knots.) To create knots on the tic-tac-toe side, you will begin on this side, inserting the needle into a fabric intersection and coming out on the checkerboard side at another fabric intersection, leaving a 3-in/ 7.5-cm tail. Make a tiny stitch on the checkerboard side, bring the thread back through to the tic-tac-toe side, and tie. Repeat, then tie in a double knot on the tic-tac-toe side. Clip the thread to leave a ¼-in/ 6-mm tail.

As you are making a patchwork piece, you’ll often need to sew together joined pieces of fabric while aligning the seams of each joined piece to make your quilt design work. One way to line up your seams with precision is by nesting the seams.

1 Sew two fabric pieces together and press the seam to the side. Press from the back, then press from the front side to make sure the seam lies flat.

2 Sew the next fabric pieces together, and press the seams in the opposite direction.

3 When you place the two joined pieces together QUICK TIP: Hand tying knots in a quilt is perfect

for quick projects or for those with bulkier fabrics like wool or fleece. You can use embroidery floss, perle cotton, yarn, or cotton twine to tie your knots. The knots should be at regular intervals and evenly spaced to properly secure the batting.

STEP 6: SEW THE SELF-BINDING. Fold and press all four sides of the overlapping fabric onto the front checkerboard side, so that you create a ½-in-/12-mm-wide binding, forming neatly folded corners. Sew the binding in place by hand, following the final step of the binding instructions (see Binding, figure E, page 19).

26

1,2,3 QUILT

to connect them, one seam will butt up against the other, nesting together, as shown below.

4 Pin in place and sew together. You should have joined seams that are perfectly aligned. Press open the center of the joined piece for a flat seam, leaving the original seams pressed to one side.

HOW-TO: STRIP PIECING Strip piecing is an efficient piecing method of sewing long pieces of fabric together, then cutting them to form joined strips. In this book, you’ll use this process for the checkerboard of the Game Mat (page 23), so the dimensions here will refer to that project. But you can use this technique for any simple patchwork of repeating fabrics.

fig. A

All instructions here will use the standard ¼-in/ 6-mm seam allowance.

1

You will start with long strips of fabric (see figure A). For the game mat, use your eight strips of fabric (four of fabric A and four of fabric B) cut into 2½-by-22-in/6-by-56-cm strips. Take one strip of each fabric and sew them together on the side, right sides facing.

fig. B

2 Continue to sew alternating strips to this joined piece until you have all eight strips joined together. Press all seams toward the same direction. Then, using a rotary cutter and ruler, cut the joined piece into 2½-in/6-cm segments (see figure B). Continue until you have eight strips with eight pieces in each.

3 Finally, to create the checkerboard design, flip one of the strips 180 degrees (see figure C), place right sides facing to another strip, then pin in place and sew them together. Continue sewing the eight strips together, alternating fabrics, until you have the completed checkerboard.

fig. C

SQUARES

27

PIXEL POUCH This handy pouch uses little multicolored squares to resemble the look of pixels on a screen. Whether you use patterns, solids, or a mix, this is a great project for using up your fabric scraps. Fully lined, this pouch is the perfect size for cosmetics, jewelry, or other accessories, and the size can be easily modified to suit your needs. You can use the grid provided for your layout, or you can create your own design.

MATERIALS

CUT

20 different fabric scraps, each at least 4 by 4 in/ 10 by 10 cm, of varying shades for pouch front

Note: Before cutting, sort through your fabric scraps to choose the colors you will use.

1 fat quarter of fabric (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm), for the backing and lining fabric

Pouch front: 54 squares, each 1½ in/4 cm, of the 20 different fabric scraps

Matching thread

Outer back: 1 piece, 6½ by 9½ in/16.5 by 24 cm

¼ yd/0.25 m fusible fleece

Lining: 2 pieces, 6½ by 9½ in/16.5 by 24 cm

One 9-in/23-cm zipper

Fusible fleece: 2 pieces, 6½ by 9½ in/16.5 by 24 cm

2

1

1

3

3

2

1

5

5

3

4

18

18

17 19

5

8

6

10

6

6

7

9

7

5

13

8

8

14

13

12

19

16

19

11

12

1

3

18

20

16

16

13

11

2

4

17

17

16

15

14

13

1

3

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: small patchwork, zipper installation FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 6 by 9 in/15 by 23 cm

SQUARES

29

STEP 1: ASSEMBLE PATCHWORK FRONT. Lay the squares out according to the grid (page 29). Begin piecing, starting with the top row. With two pieces, right sides facing, sew together. Continue piecing until you have the nine pieces that form the top row (see figure A). Then begin the next row and continue until you have completed six strips of nine squares each. Lay out the strips to make sure they are in the correct order, and press all the seams in the first row to one side. Press the next row’s seams to the opposite side. Continue until all seams are pressed, alternating directions. Pin together two rows, right sides facing with seams aligned. Sew with a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Continue until you have sewn all rows into one piece (see figure B). Press seams flat.

bottom for turning the pouch right sides out later (see figure C). Repeat with the outer pieces, but this time, do not leave an opening in the bottom. Finish with a zigzag or overcast stitch around all sides to secure the ¼-in/6-mm edges.

STEP 5: TRIM AND FINISH. Clip the corners. Turn the pouch right-side out through the opening. With a chopstick or point turner, gently push out all the corners. Topstitch the opening in the lining to close it. Push the lining into the pouch and press it flat.

fig. A

STEP 2: FUSE THE FLEECE TO THE OUTER PIECES.

With the front patchwork piece pressed and trimmed (if needed), place it on top of the fusible fleece, with the fusible-side up and facing the wrong side of the patchwork piece. Press without steam, until the fabric is securely fused to the fleece. Repeat with the outer back piece.

fig. B

STEP 3: ATTACH THE ZIPPER. See How-To: Install a Zipper in a Lined Bag, (facing page) for instructions.

STEP 4: SEW POUCH AND LINING. Open the zipper halfway. Fold the lining pieces together so the right sides are facing, flattening the zipper ends. Fold the outer pieces out of the way. Pin the lining together and sew around all three sides still using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance, leaving a 3-in/7.5-cm opening in the fig. C

30

1,2,3 QUILT

3-in/7.5-cm opening

HOW-TO: INSTALL A ZIPPER IN A LINED BAG These instructions are for installing a zipper in a lined bag, as used in the Pixel Pouch (page 29) and Native Star Duffel Bag (page 138) projects. You will need a zipper presser foot attachment for your sewing machine.

1 Place one outer piece and one lining piece

fig. A

right sides together. With the zipper closed, slide it between the two layers, with the edge of the zipper tape aligned with the top edges of the fabric pieces. Pin at each end of the zipper ¼ in/ 6 mm from the edge of the fabric, so you will know where to start and end your stitches. (For the duffel bag project, the pins will not be necessary; you will sew all the way to the end of the tabs.)

2 Attach the zipper presser foot on your sewing

fig. B

machine. Stitch about ¼ in/6 mm from the edge, close to the zipper teeth (see figure A). If the zipper pull gets in the way, leave the needle down, raise the presser foot, and unzip the zipper to move the pull.

3 Fold down both the outer fabric and the lining and press. Topstitch along the fold (see figure B).

4 Repeat the process with the other side of the zipper, being sure to align the fabric with the opposite side so the zipper will pull easily.

5 If necessary, trim the ends of the zipper that are longer than the fabric.

SQUARES

31

LOPSIDED SQUARES QUILT Influenced by the housetop quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and the modern designs of Denyse Schmidt, this concentric Log Cabin design is the quintessential modern quilt. With this design you will be able to create freely, playing with color and pattern without too much concern for measuring. Choosing a background in shades of white and gray makes the randomly placed bright colors pop, creating visual interest. Change up the design with your own ideas for color, or add patterned fabric. This quilt is perfect as an oversize throw for the end of a bed or to drape over the couch, and you can simply add more blocks to increase the size. If you’re a perfectionist and want each block perfectly measured and aligned, follow the instructions on page 35.

MATERIALS ½ yd/0.5 m each of 5 different neutral cotton or linen fabrics, for quilt top 8 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of fabric in brightly colored solids, for quilt top Matching thread 4½ yd/4.1 m fabric for backing

CUT Center squares, quilt top: 25 lopsided squares, 3 to 6 in/7.5 to 15 cm wide, from neutral and bright fabrics Strip pieces, quilt top: 250 strips cut from neutral and bright fabrics, 1½ to 3 in/4 to 7.5 cm wide and 18 in/46 cm long (cut at random angles)

80 by 80 in/2 by 2 m quilt batting 1 yd/1 m fabric for binding

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: wonky piecing, squaring up blocks, Log Cabin pattern FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 75 by 75 in/191 by 191 cm

32

1,2,3 QUILT

STEP 1: SEW THE FIRST BLOCK OF THE QUILT TOP.

Beginning with a center square and a strip of fabric, place them right sides together and sew along one side. Trim off the excess from the seam allowance. (See figure A for a sample sewing order, but you will want to sew each block in a different order for a random appearance. Figure A only shows the first three concentric squares, but a block will be made up of five concentric squares.) Continue sewing and trimming strips, occasionally adding colored strips at random. Before you add the final four strips to the block, take the block to the cutting mat and measure the size to determine how much you lack to create a 15½-in/39-cm block. Use wider or narrower strips for the final outer square, as needed.

1

6 4

8 7

fig. A

15½ in/39 cm 15½ in/39 cm

fig. B

STEP 3: SEW BLOCKS TOGETHER. Lay out the blocks on a large surface, whether it’s on the floor or a design wall, to decide the order of your blocks. Begin sewing them together, right sides facing, as shown in figure C. Continue until you have created a row of five blocks. Press the seams to the side. Continue until you have sewn five rows, with five blocks in each. Next, sew the rows together to form the quilt top as shown in figure D, using the nesting seams technique (see How-To: Nesting Seams, page 26) to match seams. Press these seams to the side or open, as you prefer.

34

1,2,3 QUILT

3

5

STEP 2: SQUARE UP THE BLOCK. Once the block is completed, bring it back to the cutting mat and trim as necessary to create a 15½-in/39-cm square block, as shown in figure B. (See How-To: Square Up Blocks, page 37.) Set this block aside. Continue to make blocks until you have made a total of 25, squared to measure 15½ in/39 cm.

2

fig. C

fig. D

QUICK TIP: To keep the blocks in the layout

order as you assemble them, pin small numbered slips of paper to each block.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE AND FINISH THE QUILT.

fig. A

12½ in/32 cm 12½ in/32 cm

OR MAKE IT PERFECT

Are you a perfectionist? Afraid of wonky blocks? Use these alternate measurements for a perfectly neat 15½-in/39-cm block as shown in figure A. In addition to using the exact measurements shown in figure B, you can also put each block together in the same order for a consistent look.

15½ in/39 cm

9½ in/24 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm square

3½ in/9 cm

3½ in/9 cm

9½ in/24 cm

9½ in/24 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

9½ in/24 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

15½ in/39 cm

Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (page 13), make the quilt backing, add the quilt batting, baste the quilt sandwich, and quilt it. If using a solid backing, the center piece should be 40 by 80 in/102 by 203 cm, and the two side pieces should be 20 by 80 in/50 by 203 cm, each. You may choose to quilt it with straight lines, intersecting lines in a grid formation, or with small squares to echo the shapes in the quilt. Or try quilting by hand, as explained on page 16, with stitched emphasis on the concentric square pattern.

6½ in/16.5 cm 6½ in/16.5 cm 12½ in/32 cm 12½ in/32 cm

All strips 2 in/5 cm wide

fig. B

SQUARES

35

36

1,2,3 QUILT

HOW-TO: SQUARE UP BLOCKS

Squaring up your blocks is a simple process, but one that is necessary to achieve accuracy in your quilts. Of course, not all blocks will be square, but your blocks do need to be the size called for in the quilt pattern instructions. Often fabric may pull when pressed or otherwise become skewed as you work. If one quilt block is a different size from the others, it could throw off your entire design. I find that even when I have sewn accurate ¼-in/6-mm seams throughout my piecing, it is still helpful to stop and square up the blocks and trim excess fabric.

block (perhaps replacing an outside piece with a wider piece), make a new block, or trim all of your blocks slightly smaller than planned, taking into account how this will affect the finished size of the quilt. If a block is 1/8 in/3 mm too small or less, you may be able to get away with using it, just by making a narrower seam allowance as you sew the block in place. But be careful using this approach, since it can affect the integrity of the quilt.

1 Place a block on the cutting mat and measure it on all four sides, using the grid on the cutting mat to see the correct size of the block. If the block is perfectly straight on all four sides, set this block aside and move to the next. If it overlaps the boundaries of the correct dimensions, then proceed to the next step. Remember to take seam allowance into account. For instance, if the final finished size of a block within a quilt is 8 in/20 cm square, each block will need to be 8½ in/21.5 cm (including a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance on all sides) before the blocks are pieced together.

2 Look at the block to make sure all the seams are positioned as they should be, using the lines on the grid as a guideline. If a seam should be in a straight line and it’s not, you may need to turn the block slightly to get it straightened out. Pulling on the fabric and pressing all the seams again may help get the block into its correct square shape. Using the rotary cutter and ruler, trim any excess as needed. If you find that a block is too small, you have three options: You can go back and fix the

SQUARES

37

2

CHAPTER

RECTANGLES

A

nother simple, straight-sided shape, the rectangle is a great basic shape for beginners and offers many possibilities for creativity. In this chapter, the Stacked Table Runner features rectangles stacked

in a modern way to create a new shape on a contrasting white background. The Rail Fence Tote Bag introduces the rail fence pattern, a simple design that uses strip-piecing as a shortcut. Finally, the Random Rectangles Quilt may look complicated, but it can be broken down into four simple blocks.

STACKED TABLE RUNNER An eye-catching accent for your table, this runner will improve your basic patchwork skills using rectangles. The tiered pattern achieves a geometric design with simple piecing. In this project, we skip the binding and simply sew the quilted top to a solid back piece using fusible fleece to hold it together securely. The design would work well in solids or a mix of patterns. You could also make this block design into a quilt with a simple horizontal layout, or place the rectangles on a diagonal to create movement, and the pattern can easily be adjusted to any length or width.

MATERIALS 1 yd/1 m quilting cotton, canvas, or linen for rectangle motif (fabric A) ½ yd/0.5 m quilting cotton, canvas, or linen for background (fabric B)

CUT Note: You might find it more efficient to cut long strips of 2½-in-/6-cm-wide fabric, and then cut those strips into the following sizes.

Matching thread

Fabric A:

2 yd/1.8 m fusible fleece

6 strips, 2½ by 7 in/6 by 17 cm

2 yd/1.8 m solid fabric for backing

10 strips, 2½ by 10 in/6 by 25 cm 10 strips, 2½ by 13 in/6 by 33 cm 5 strips, 2½ by 16 in/6 by 40.5 cm Fabric B: 12 strips, 2½ by 5 in/6 by 12 cm 20 strips, 2½ by 3½ in/6 by 9 cm 20 strips, 2½ by 2 in /6 by 5 cm Fusible fleece: 16 by 63 in/40.5 by 160 cm Backing fabric: 16 by 63 in/40.5 by 160 cm

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: basic patchwork piecing, construction without binding, straight quilting FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 15½ by 62 in/39 by 158 cm

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41

STEP 1: SEW STRIPS TOGETHER FOR THE TOP.

Layout Diagram:

5 in/ 12 cm

7 in/ 17 cm

5 in/ 12 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

10 in/ 25 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

13 in/ 33 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

16 in/ 40.5 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

13 in/ 33 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

10 in/ 25 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

5 in/ 12 cm

7 in/ 17 cm

5 in/ 12 cm

Take the 2½-by-7-in/6-by-17-cm pieces of fabric A (six pieces) and the 2½-by-5 in/6-by-12-cm pieces of fabric B (12 pieces) to the sewing machine. With right sides together, sew a 5-in/12-cm piece of fabric B to one end of the larger 7-in/17-cm piece of fabric A as shown in figure A. Sew another 5-in/12-cm piece of fabric B to the opposite end of fabric A. Then repeat the process, creating six joined strips. Set these aside. Using the following order, create 20 more strips with three pieces in each (measurement refers to the length only; all pieces are 2½ in/6 cm wide): 10 in/25 cm fabric A and 3½ in/9 cm fabric B (sew 10 strips) 13 in/33 cm fabric A and 2 in/5 cm fabric B (sew 10 strips) Press all seams to one side.

5 in/ 12 cm

QUICK TIP: When sewing dark and light fabrics

together, it’s best to press the seams toward the darker fabric so that they don’t show through the fabric from the front side.

7 in/ 17 cm

STEP 2: SEW THE JOINED STRIPS ACCORDING TO THE LAYOUT. 5 in/ 12 cm

fig. A

fig. B

On a large table or on the floor, arrange the 26 joined strips together with the five 2½-by-16-in/6by-40.5-cm strips that you cut earlier to create the layout as shown in figure B. Begin sewing the strips in this order, right sides together, until the entire runner top is complete, with a total of 31 strips. Press all the seams open. continued

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1,2,3 QUILT

STEP 3: ATTACH THE RUNNER TOP PIECE TO THE FUSIBLE FLEECE BATTING.

Lay out the fusible fleece batting on a smooth surface, then place the completed runner top over it, smoothing out all the creases. Using an iron with no steam, press to activate the fusible bonding, pressing until the fabric is securely affixed to the fleece with no wrinkles or puckers.

6-in/15-cm opening

fig. C

STEP 4: SEW THE BACKING. With the table runner top right-side up, layer the backing fabric on top, right sides facing. The fusible fleece batting will be on the bottom. Pin in place and sew around all four sides with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, leaving a 6-in/15-cm opening in one end for turning the runner right side out in the next step (see figure C). Clip the corners and turn the runner right-side out. Using a chopstick or other pointed object, gently poke out the corners.

STEP 5: QUILT THE TOP. Press the table runner, making sure to smooth out any wrinkles before quilting. Press the 6-in/15-cm opening so the raw edges of the fabric are neatly folded inward along the seam line. Using the walking foot on your sewing machine, and starting in the center and working outward, quilt every ¼ in/6 mm from the strip seams, as shown on one block in figure D. Close the opening with the quilt stitches at the edge.

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1,2,3 QUILT

fig. D

RAIL FENCE TOTE BAG The rail fence design is simply a series of rectangular fabric strips sewn together in different directions. This design comes together quickly and is very versatile. In this tote bag, in linen, cotton, and canvas, the rail fence design takes a modern turn. If you are new to sewing, this basic bag construction will become a staple of your sewing repertoire, plus the canvas lining makes it sturdy and even reversible. The rail fence design can be repeated as a zigzag in a quilt, randomized for a free-form look, and interpreted differently with patterns or solids.

MATERIALS 4 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of different fabrics for patchwork Matching thread

CUT Patchwork fabric: 8 strips, 2 from each fabric, 1½ by 18 in/ 4 by 46 cm

½ yd/0.5 m linen for outer fabric ½ yd/0.5 m canvas for lining

Linen outer fabric:

1 yd/1 m webbing (1½ in/4 cm wide) for straps

Upper front piece: 3 by 16½ in/7.5 by 42 cm Lower front piece: 9 by 16½ in/23 by 42 cm Back piece: 19½ by 16½ in/49.5 cm by 42 cm Canvas lining: Front and back: 2 pieces, 19½ by 16½ in/ 49.5 by 42 cm Webbing for straps: 2 pieces, 18 in/46 cm long

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: rail fence pattern, building boxed corners FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 15½ by 15 by 4 in/39 by 38 by 10 cm

RECTANGLES

45

STEP 1: MAKE RAIL FENCE PATCHWORK PIECE. Lay out four of the fabric strips (one of each fabric), in the order you want to sew them together. Sew the strips together (see figure A), right sides facing, until you have one piece 18 by 4½ in/46 by 11.5 cm long. Press the seams to one side. Repeat with the four remaining strips. Cut these two joined sections into eight 4½-in/11.5-cm squares. Lay out the squares in the order you wish to sew them, alternating horizontal and vertical. Sew them into two rows of four squares each. Press seams to one side. Sew the two rows of squares together (see figure B), making sure that the seams are aligned. Press the seam open.

fig. A

STEP 2: SEW OUTER BAG PIECES TOGETHER. With right sides facing, sew the upper front outer linen piece (3 by 16½ in/7.5 by 42 cm) to the top of the patchwork piece. Press the seam open. Next, sew the lower front outer linen piece (9 by 16½ in/ 23 by 42 cm) to the bottom of the patchwork piece. Press the seam open. Sew the completed front piece to the back outer linen piece (19½ by 16½ in/49.5 by 42 cm), with right sides facing, using a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance. Sew along three sides (see figure C). Press the seams open.

fig. B

STEP 3: MAKE THE LINING. Using a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, sew the canvas lining pieces together with right sides facing. Sew around three sides, leaving a 6-in/ 15-cm opening in the bottom for turning the bag right-side out in a later step (see figure D, page 48). Press the seams open.

STEP 4: SQUARE OFF THE CORNERS.

fig. C

Following the steps in How-to: Boxed Corners (page 49), square off the corners of both the outer bag and the lining, 2 in/5 cm measuring from the tip of the corners to the sewn line. continued

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47

STEP 5: PLACE STRAPS AND SEW TOGETHER LINING AND OUTER BAG.

With the outer bag wrong-side out and the lining right-side out, push the lining into the bag, so that the right sides will be facing each other. Push down the corners and make sure that the side seams and top raw edges are aligned. Place one strap into the bag, between the outer layer and lining layer, with the raw ends meeting the raw edges of the fabric, and pin each end in place about 4½ in/11.5 cm from a side seam. The strap will be inside the bag, between the layers; make sure the strap is not twisted. Repeat with the second strap on the other side of the bag. Sew around the top of the bag, using a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance. Sew a zigzag stitch along the edge of the straps to secure them in place (see figure E).

6-in/15-cm opening

fig. D

STEP 6: TURN RIGHT SIDE OUT AND FINISH. Pull the lining out of the bag, and then pull the bag through the opening in the lining, so the bag is right-side out. Push the lining into the bag and press flat along the top seam at the bag’s opening. With matching thread, topstitch around the top of the bag ¼ in/6 mm from the edge, starting at a side seam. Sew another row of topstitching 1/8 in/ 3 mm from the edge.

fig. E

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1,2,3 QUILT

HOW-TO: BOXED CORNERS Squaring off your corners is a handy way to create a three-dimensional bag from just two fabric layers, allowing you to create roomy totes, pouches, and duffel bags. You basically flatten the corner, sew a line, and then cut off the excess fabric. Here we use a measurement of 2 in/5 cm from the top of your corner to your new sewn line (as in the Rail Fence Tote Bag, step 4, on page 47), but the longer this measurement, the roomier the bag will become.

2 in/5 cm

fig. A

1 With the bag wrong-side out, take one corner in your hand and pull the corner open to form a 90-degree angle in the opposite direction. The seams should be aligned, one on top of the other. Press this angle flat to form a triangle (see figure A). Pin this corner triangle in place and check the right side of the bag to make sure your outer seams are aligned before you move on to the next step.

fig. B

2 With a quilter’s square, measure 2 in/5 cm from the tip of the corner and draw a line across the bottom of the triangle with a fabric marker or chalk. The line will go from fold to fold (see figure A). Sew along the marked line, being sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the row of stitches.

3 Clip the excess triangle of fabric, leaving a ¼ -in/6-mm seam allowance. Zigzag or use an

overcast stitch along the seam edge to prevent fraying and to add stability (see figure B). Repeat these steps with the other corner.

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49

RANDOM RECTANGLES QUILT Rounding out the chapter of rectangles is the Random Rectangles Quilt. Though this quilt looks random and complicated, it is actually made of just four different 12-by-18-in/30.5-by-46-cm blocks arranged in a particular order. The fabric cutting may take more time than making the quilt, but it’s an excellent way to practice your cutting skills and the nesting seams technique. Here, I’ve used a mix of solids and prints in linen, quilting cotton, and the softer, lightweight shot cotton, but you can use other solids or fabric scraps to make your own version. This quilt is made in a throw size, but the size can easily be made larger by adding more blocks to the design.

MATERIALS 6 fabrics, ½ yd/0.5 m each, for quilt top 10 fabrics, 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) each, for quilt top Matching thread 4½ yd/4 m fabric for backing 64 by 76 in/163 by 193 cm quilt batting 1 yd/1 m fabric for binding

CUT Cut the dimensions for the four blocks as shown in the diagrams on pages 52–53. For the 60-by72-in/152-by-183-cm quilt top shown, you will need twenty blocks, so you will cut five of each of the blocks. Cutting the pieces for each block separately will allow you to make color choices as you work and keep the pieces together for the next step. You may want to label the pieces with pinned pieces of paper as you cut them, sort them into stacks, or come up with your own method for keeping track of which fabric goes with which block as you cut. QUICK TIP: When cutting the same shape out of

different fabrics, it’s helpful to stack several layers of fabric on top of one another and cut them all at once. Just be sure to use a sharp blade on your rotary cutter and double-check the stack for alignment as you cut.

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: fabric cutting, nesting seams FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 60 by 72 in/152 by 183 cm

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1,2,3 QUILT

Block 1

Block 2

Block 1

2½ in/ 6 cm

6½ in/16.5cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

3½ in/9 cm

12½ in/32 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

16½ in/32 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm 4½ in/11.5 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

8½ in/22 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

12½ in/32 cm

8½ in/22 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

4½in/11.5 cm

12½ in/32 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

1½ in/ 4 cm

12½ in/32 cm

3½ in/9 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

3½ in/9 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

12½ in/32 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

8½ in/22 cm

3½ in/9 cm 2½ in/ 6 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

8½ in/22 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

Block 2 1

2

3

9 9

8 4

3

6

2 5

5 7

6

1 4 8 7

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1,2,3 QUILT

4½ in/11 ½ cm 18½ in/47 cm

3½ in/9 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm 6½ in/16.5 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

4 in/10 cm

5½ in/14 cm

5½ in/14 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

14½ in/37 cm

14½ in/11.5 cm 4½ in/11.5 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

12½ in/32 cm

3½ in/9 cm

10½ in/27 cm

3½ in/9 cm

2½ in/ 6 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

5½ in/14 cm

10½ in/27 cm

8½ in/21.5 cm

4 in/10 cm

1½ 2½ in/ in/ 6 cm 4 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

4 in/10 cm

4 in/10 cm

3½ in/ 9 cm

12½ in/32 cm

1½ in/ 4 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

7½ in/19 cm

10½ in/27 cm

2½ in/6 cm 2½ in/6 cm

6½ in/16.5 cm

5½ in/14 cm

4½ in/11.5 cm

Block 4

Block 3

(All seam allowances included)

Block 4

Block 3

8

6

5

5

4

7

4 8

9

9 2 7 2 3 3 6

1

1

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53

STEP 1: ASSEMBLE THE BLOCKS. On your design wall or on the floor, use the diagram for block 1 to lay out all the pieces for block 1, forming a total of five blocks in a color layout that you find appealing. Keep them in place while you work by stacking and numbering the pieces for each block. Assemble the blocks according to the diagram for block 1 (page 52). Be sure to press seams to the side as you work. Repeat for blocks 2, 3, and 4, laying out and assembling the blocks according to the diagrams on pages 52–53, making five of each block.

quilt, and quilt it. You may choose to quilt it with straight or diagonal lines, or with small rectangles to echo the shapes in the quilt (see sample freemotion quilting shapes in photos on page 51 and the facing page). Or if you used all solids for the quilt, you might consider a pattern for the top quilting.

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

STEP 2: ASSEMBLE THE QUILT TOP. Once you have made all 20 of the blocks, press them and square them up (see How-To: Square Up Blocks, page 37). Lay out the blocks according to figure A. Join them together, using the nesting seams technique (see How-To: Nesting Seams, page 26) to align the seams. Note that the blocks in the second and fourth rows will be turned 180 degrees, or placed upside down. This will give the appearance of randomness to your quilt. Don’t worry if the same fabrics are next to each other, because it will create a new shape and blur the seam lines. If you have a layout that you like better, don’t hesitate to deviate from the pattern. Sew the blocks together in columns, and then sew the columns together, pinning and aligning seams.

STEP 3: MAKE THE QUILT BACKING, AND ASSEMBLE AND FINISH THE QUILT.

Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (see page 13), make the quilt backing. If using a solid backing, the center piece should be 40 by 76 in/102 by 193 cm and the two side panels should each be 12 by 76 in/30.5 by 193 cm. Then layer the quilt batting between the backing and the quilt top to form the quilt sandwich, baste the

54

1,2,3 QUILT

these blocks are rotated 180 degrees

fig. A

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55

3

CHAPTER

TRIANGLES

T

ime to get to the point! This chapter on triangles teaches a simple and quick way to make right-angle triangles using squares, a method to make dimensional

“flying geese” with only one seam, and standard techniques for making several types of triangles. The first project is a Flying Geese Pillow, a pattern made with triangles resembling birds in flight. Then we make Flag Place Mats incorporating both the string-piecing technique and the half-square triangle technique. Then you’ll make a Triangles Quilt that brings all your new skills together with different types of triangles.

FLYING GEESE PILLOW This pillow features the one-seam flying geese technique, which is made with triangles of folded fabric. The finished design looks impressive and has added dimension, but the pillow actually comes together quickly using a simple technique. I explain how to line up your triangles perfectly to make neat points for a clean design. For this project, I used patterned fabric for the geese, but added a solid triangle in a different color to give the linear design a slightly haphazard feeling. You’ll find that by changing things up a bit here and there, you can add interest to your design. This pillow cover is made with an opening in the back so that it can be easily removed for washing.

MATERIALS ½ yd/0.5 m patterned fabric for triangles 3½ by 6½ in/9 by 16.5 cm additional solid fabric for random triangle

CUT NOTE: You may choose to cut your fabric into

3½-in/9-cm strips, then into smaller pieces, for efficiency.

Matching thread 1 yd/1 m solid fabric for background, pillow front and back

Patterned fabric for triangles: 17 rectangles, 6½ by 3½ in/16.5 by 9 cm each

18-in/46-cm square pillow form Solid fabric for random triangle: 1 rectangle, 6½ by 3½ in/16.5 by 9 cm Solid fabric background: 36 squares, 3½ by 3½ in/9 by 9 cm each 2 rectangles for back of pillow, 18½ by 12½ in/ 47 by 32 cm each

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: one-seam flying geese technique, nesting seams FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 18 by 18 in/46 by 46 cm

TRIANGLES

59

STEP 1: MAKE THE FLYING GEESE TRIANGLES. Make 18 flying geese: 17 with patterned fabric and one random one with a solid fabric. (For instructions on how to make the triangles, see How-To: One-Seam Flying Geese, facing page.)

STEP 2: SEW THE FLYING GEESE TOGETHER. Sew together two flying geese pieces with right sides facing with the tip of one triangle sewn to the base of the other. As you place the pieces together to sew, make sure the tip of the triangle is just below your seam allowance. Continue until you have made a column of six flying geese (see figure A). Repeat until you have three columns of six flying geese in each, making sure to place the random triangle into position wherever you choose. Press the seams to the side. Then sew these three columns together to form the pillow front, using the nesting seams technique (see page 26) to align the seams.

STEP 5: STACK AND SEW BACK AND FRONT TOGETHER.

Place the pillow front right-side up, then place one of the backing pieces, with raw edges aligned with the top and sides of the front piece, right sides facing. Then place the other backing piece with raw edges aligned at the bottom and sides of the front piece, right sides facing. Pin in place and sew around all four sides, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance (see figure B). Clip the corners, sew around the edges with an overcast stitch, and turn the pillow cover right-side out, poking out the corners. Press front and back.

STEP 6: INSERT THE PILLOW FORM. When you are finished with the pillow cover, insert the pillow form into the back opening and pull the fold down to close the back.

STEP 3: PRESS SEAMS OPEN. Press the joined seams open and press the completed pillow front to remove any creases.

STEP 4: MAKE BACK PIECES. Next, you will make the back of the pillow cover with two overlapping pieces, allowing for an opening to insert the pillow form. Sew a hem along one 18½-in/47-cm side of each back piece to create a finished edge in this manner: With one piece of fabric, fold the 18½-in/47-cm edge of the fabric toward the wrong side by ¼ in/6 mm and press. Fold over another ½ in/12 mm and press again. Stitch along this folded edge 3/8 in/ 1 cm from the edge. Repeat with the other piece of backing fabric.

fig. A

fig. B

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1,2,3 QUILT

HOW-TO: ONE-SEAM FLYING GEESE This technique involves folding a rectangle and sewing it together with two squares to form a flying geese triangle with two folded sides. If you don’t want the folds, you can stitch them down when quilting.

1 For each triangle you will make, you’ll need two squares and one rectangle of fabric. For the pillow project on page 59 with a finished flying geese design that is 3 by 6 in/7.5 by 15 cm, you’ll want to cut 3½-in/9-cm squares and a 3½-by-6 ½-in/9-by16.5-cm rectangle (see figure A).

above the triangle, which you will need for seam allowance when you join the flying geese together. Repeat to make as many flying geese as needed for your project.

x2

3½ in/9 cm

3½ in/9 cm

3½ in/9 cm

x1

6½ in/16.5 cm

fig. A

2 Fold the rectangle in half, with the two short sides aligned and wrong sides facing, and rotate so the fold is at the bottom.

3 Align the open sides of the folded rectangle with the edges of one square with right sides facing. There will be a ¼-in/6-mm space just below the fold in the rectangle (see figure B). Place the other square on top of this stack, right sides facing. Your stack should now have two squares, right sides facing each other and the folded rectangle in the center. Pin in place and sew along one of the sides (not at the top where you have just aligned your fabric), with the folded edge of the rectangle at the bottom (see figure C).

¼ in/6 mm

fig. B

4 Open the joined piece, clip the fold in the seam, and press the seam open. On the front of the fabric, press the triangle flat, being sure that the tips touch the corners of the squares on both sides. You will have a ¼-in/6-mm space just fig. C

TRIANGLES

61

FLAG PLACE MATS You’ll learn to make half-square triangles and to use the string-piecing technique to create your own scrappy fabric in this next project. With a simple solid background, these place mats feature happy little triangles that resemble flags, made from feedsack fabrics to give them a warm, handmade look. You can use these basic place mat instructions to make any type of place mats you’d like, incorporating the techniques and shapes from other chapters. Make these reversible by using a favorite print for the reverse side.

MATERIALS (FOR FOUR PLACE MATS)

3 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of fabric for string piecing, or any available scraps at least 18 in/46 cm long Matching thread 1 yd/1 m solid fabric, in linen or cotton, for front

CUT 20 squares of string-pieced fabric, 3½ in/9 cm 20 squares of solid front fabric, 3½ in/9 cm 4 solid fabric pieces for front, 13 by 13 in/ 33 by 33 cm 4 solid fabric pieces for back, 18 by 13 in/ 46 by 33 cm

1 yd/1 m cotton print fabric for back 1 yd/1 m quilt batting ½ yd/0.5 m fabric for binding

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: string piecing, half-square triangles, nesting seams FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 13½ by 18½ in/34 by 47 cm

62

1,2,3 QUILT

STEP 1: MAKE STRING-PIECED FABRIC.

STEP 5: SEW FRONT PIECES.

Following the instructions in How-To: String Piecing (facing page), join strips of fabric to make a piece at least 18 by 15 in/46 by 38 cm or larger. Then cut this piece into twenty 3½-in/9-cm squares.

Sew a solid front piece to each patchwork piece. With one patchwork piece and one square piece 13 by 13 in/33 by 33 cm, sew right sides together. Repeat with the remaining place mat fronts. Press the seams open. (See figure B.)

STEP 2: MAKE HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES.

STEP 6: MAKE QUILT SANDWICH.

Following the instructions in How-To: Half-Square Triangles (page 66), sew together the stringpieced squares and the solid-front squares to make 40 half-square triangles. Make sure they are all squared up (see page 37).

With the back piece wrong-side up, place the quilt batting on top so that it overlaps the fabric on all sides by ¼ in/6 mm. Then lay the place mat front on top of the batting, right-side up. Pin in place. Using a ruler and chalk, mark along the diagonal of each triangle with lines approximately 2 in/5 cm apart, extending these lines across the solid front piece to create a pattern of diagonal lines. Quilt along these lines.

STEP 3: MAKE STRIPS OF TRIANGLES. To form the patchwork side of each place mat, you will need to sew the half-square triangles together. Sew two together, with right sides facing, making sure to sew a patterned piece to a solid piece, with the diagonal lines facing opposite directions (so that the diagonals will be facing the same direction when the seam is pressed open). Continue joining half-square triangles until you have a strip of five. (See figure A.) Repeat until you have made eight strips with five half-square triangles in each.

STEP 7. BIND EDGES. Add binding to enclose the raw edges (see Binding, page 17).

STEP 4: JOIN STRIPS TOGETHER. Press the seams of one strip to the side. Press the seams of another strip to the opposite side so that you can nest the seams (see page 26). Pin these two strips together, right sides facing and seams aligned. Sew along the edge. Repeat with the other strips, joining them until you have four patchwork pieces with two strips in each.

fig. A

fig. B

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1,2,3 QUILT

HOW-TO: STRING PIECING

The string-piecing technique is similar to strip piecing, but strip piecing is a shortcut for making patchwork pieces, whereas string piecing is the process of making a new piece of fabric from scraps. This technique was borne of necessity by quilters who wanted to use every scrap of fabric available. The technique uses thin strips or scraps of fabric to create patchwork fabric that can be cut and used in the quilt design. I like to create sections of string piecing to have on hand for various projects when I want a pop of color or a folk art feel. You can measure your pieces to make them linear, but I prefer the scrappy look of uneven pieces cut without measuring.

fig. A

fig. B

1 Cut long strips of fabric. Depending on the final use of the pieced section, the strips can be any length. For the Flag Place Mats (page 62), I used strips that were 18 in/46 cm long and 1 to 2 in/ 2.5 to 5 cm wide. Cut the strips a bit longer than the final measurement to allow for trimming (see figure A).

fig. C

2 Sew one strip to another, right sides facing, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Continue to sew strips to this joined piece until your pieced fabric is big enough for your needs. If your strips are of varying lengths, make sure you center the fabric as you work (see figure B). On the wrong side, press all seams to one side, and then press from the front of the fabric.

3 Using a rotary cutter and ruler, cut the pieced strip into the shapes needed for the quilt project design (see figure C).

TRIANGLES

65

HOW-TO: HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES Here’s the simple method for making right triangles without the extra cutting time needed to cut each triangle individually. When making a large number of these, it’s efficient to work in an assembly-line manner.

fig. A

1 Align two squares, right sides together. With a pencil or chalk and a ruler, mark a diagonal line from corner to corner (see figure A).

2 Stitch along one side of the diagonal, ¼ in/ 6 mm from the marked line. Turn the fabric and stitch along the other side of the line ¼ in/6 mm from the line (see figure B). You will not need to backstitch your sewn lines because your finished piece will be stitched together with another piece.

fig. B

QUICK TIP: If your fabric tends to pucker for the

first few stitches because of the pull of the feed dogs on the corner, try using a scrap of fabric to get started. Simply start sewing on the scrap, then follow behind immediately with your fabric. Clip the scrap from your fabric and use it for the next piece until it’s full of stitches. Then use a new scrap. You may also need to reduce the tension to prevent puckering.

fig. C

3 Using a ruler as your guide, cut along the marked line, forming two separate pieces (see figure C).

4 Open the pieces and finger press the seam to one side. Clip off the overlapping bits of fabric. You now have two finished half-square triangles (as shown in figure D). Square them up, if needed (see page 37).

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1,2,3 QUILT

fig. D

TRIANGLES QUILT In this dynamic quilt, you’ll combine flying geese, half-square triangles, equilateral triangles, and right triangles cut from rectangles. Whether you make this quilt from solids as shown here or use patterned fabric, the design has a bold graphic impact. Shown here in a twin size, the quilt is easily adjustable to fit any bed. I used shot cotton, which is made with a looser weave, for the colored triangles in this quilt, giving it added texture and softness.

MATERIALS

CUT

Triangles Quilt Template 4½ yd/4 m colored cotton fabric (½ yd/0.5 m of nine different colors) for top

Equilateral triangles (2 rows), using the Triangles Quilt Template (note that the template includes a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance):

Matching thread

28 triangles from colored fabric

6 yd/5.5 m white cotton fabric for background and binding

30 triangles from white fabric

5 yd/4.6 m fabric for backing 72 by 90 in/183 by 229 cm quilt batting, twin-size or larger for overhang

Flying Geese (4 rows): 14 squares, 6¼ in/16 cm, from one colored fabric 14 squares, 6¼ in/16 cm, from another colored fabric 112 squares, 33/8 in/8.5 cm, from white fabric Tall right-angle triangles (2 rows): 20 rectangles, 4½ by 7 in/11.5 by 17 cm, from colored fabric 20 rectangles, 4½ by 7 in/11.5 by 17 cm, from white fabric Half-square triangles (10 rows): 70 squares, 6 in/15 cm, 14 squares each from five different colors of fabric 70 squares, 6 in/15 cm, from white fabric

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: equilateral triangles, flying geese, tall right-angle triangles,

half-square triangles, pinwheels FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 70 by 90 in/178 by 229 cm

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STEP 1: SEW TWO ROWS OF EQUILATERAL TRIANGLES.

Place a colored equilateral triangle and a white equilateral triangle together, right sides facing (see figure A, page 70). Sew along the side as shown. Open and finger press the seam toward the colored fabric. Continue sewing triangles, using a white one next, and alternating colored fabric and white fabric, until you have sewn a row with 15 white triangles and 14 colored triangles. Repeat, sewing another row.

STEP 2: SEW ROWS OF FLYING GEESE. Using either the traditional or shortcut flying geese method (see How-To: Flying Geese Traditional Method, page 71, or How-To: Flying Geese Shortcut Method, page 72), construct the flying geese. Once you have made 56 flying geese in two colors (for a total of 112 flying geese), sew them into rows. There will be 28 flying geese per row and four rows, two of each color. The points of the triangles should all be facing in the same direction.

STEP 3: SEW TALL RIGHT-ANGLE TRIANGLES. Take the colored and white 4½-by-7-in/11.5-by17-cm rectangles, and cut them in half along the diagonal from corner to corner. You should now have 40 colored triangles and 40 white triangles. Begin sewing the pieces together with a white triangle and a colored triangle, right sides facing, aligned as shown in figure B on page 70. Open and finger press the seam toward the colored fabric. Sew the triangles until you have assembled 40 pieces. Sew the pieces into rows with the triangles facing in the same direction. You will have two rows of 20 pieces each.

STEP 4: SEW HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES. Sew the remaining squares into half-square triangles (see page 66). You will have 140 halfsquare triangles, in five different colors (28 of each color paired with white). Decide the color layout for the rows before you begin sewing them together. Place them in piles according to color and begin assembling the rows. Each row will be composed of 14 half-square triangles, two rows of each color. Sew the first row (see figure C, page 70), with the colored triangle on the bottom right, and repeat until you have eight rows sewn in this manner (some rows will be rotated when laying out the quilt).

STEP 5: SEW THE CENTER PINWHEELS. Sew the center pinwheels of the quilt. Sew these in blocks rather than rows, so that you’ll see how you can easily make pinwheels for future projects (see How-To: Pinwheels, page 75). For this quilt, you will need seven blocks of pinwheels. Sew the pinwheel blocks together to form the center section, making sure that the pinwheels are all facing the same direction.

STEP 6: SEW THE PIECES TOGETHER. Sew the rows and blocks together to form the quilt top. Before you begin sewing, take all the rows of triangles to a large surface and lay them out to be sure that the sewing order is correct. When sewing the rows together, I prefer to begin in the middle and work my way out, starting with the center pinwheels and sewing a row above and below (see figure D, page 70 ). Continue with the layout, following figure E on page 70, making sure to match seams when needed. continued

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QUICK TIP: This quilt requires some precision.

fig. A

fig. C

fig. B

When matching seams and triangle tips, it’s best to pin at each seam, making sure that the tips of the triangles are aligned and the seams are together ¼ in/6 mm from the edge. Sometimes you’ll need to make minor adjustments to make it work, reducing or enlarging your seam allowance a tiny bit. If you somehow find that one row is longer than the next, you can go back and sew slightly larger seam allowances on a few seams of that row to make it smaller so that the rows align. You can also use the nesting seams technique (page 26) to ensure that your seams are aligned. Also, you can feel for the tips of the triangles: As you are sewing and removing pins, double-check to make sure the tips are right under your stitching.

STEP 7: BASTE, QUILT, AND BIND.

fig. D

fig. E

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Follow the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (see page 13) to finish off the quilt. This quilt works well with diagonal, grid, or straight-line quilting to emphasize the geometric shapes. Here, the quilting was done only in the white negative space, with straight lines that echo the overall design.

HOW-TO: FLYING GEESE TRADITIONAL METHOD This traditional method uses a straightforward approach to sewing flying geese using triangle shapes. The quick-cutting method helps expedite the process. Though this method takes a bit longer than the shortcut method following it, I find that it can produce more accurate flying geese blocks.

2 Cut the large squares on the diagonal in both directions to create four triangles. Cut the smaller squares on the diagonal in one direction to create two triangles (see figure A, page 72). If you are making multiple blocks, you may want to stack the squares as you cut them to make sure they align.

3 Sew a larger triangle and a smaller triangle together, right sides facing (see figure B, page 72). The tip of the triangles should be aligned in the bottom corner and overlapped at the center tip.

DETERMINING SIZE (FOR BOTH TRADITIONAL AND SHORTCUT FLYING GEESE): The measurements given here are for the

QUICK TIP: If you are sewing multiple flying

Triangles Quilt, but what if you want to make your own flying geese blocks in a different size? You’ll use this simple formula to determine the size of your squares. (The finished width below refers to the finished size of the block once it’s sewn into the quilt top.)

geese blocks, chain stitch them so you can save time clipping threads after each set of triangles. As the name implies, chain stitching allows you to sew the pieces one after another in a chain, simply making a few stitches between each set of fabrics, rather than cutting the thread and starting again. When finished, you’ll need to clip the threads between the sewn pieces to separate the pieces.

Large squares: Finished width + 1¼ in/3 cm Small squares: Finished width + 7/8 in/2 cm

1 Cut the two contrasting fabrics into squares. For the 5-by-2½-in-/12-by-6-cm-finished-width block used in the Triangles Quilt on page 67, cut the squares to 6¼ in/16 cm for the center triangle (the goose) and 33/8 in/8.5 cm in for the smaller, outer triangles (the sky). One large square and four small squares will make four flying geese blocks, so adjust according to the number needed.

4 Open the joined piece and finger press the seam to one side. Place another small triangle on the opposite side of the large triangle, right sides facing, and sew along the diagonal (see figure C, page 72).

5 Open the finished block, finger press the seam to one side, and clip the excess fabric at the bottom corners. If needed, square up the block (see page 37).

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HOW-TO: FLYING GEESE SHORTCUT METHOD

fig. A

Although this book explains three different methods for making flying geese, there are still even more ways to do it! There are also special rulers and other tools you can buy to simplify the process even more. In this shortcut method, you can make flying geese quickly and efficiently, with no waste. This method works well for smaller triangles and larger projects. I find that attention to accuracy at each step is essential to getting the proper shape.

1 Cut your fabric into squares. The dimensions fig. B

for the squares in the Triangles Quilt (page 67) are 6¼ in/16 cm (for the large square) and 3 3/8 in/ 8.5 cm (for the small square). You need four small squares and one large square to make four flying geese blocks.

2 Place two small squares right-side down on one large square, each square aligned in an opposite corner. The squares will overlap in the center. Using a pencil or chalk, draw a line from corner to corner on the diagonal, and stitch ¼ in/6 mm on either side of the marked line (see figure A, facing page).

fig. C

3 Cut along the marked line, forming two separate pieces. Set one piece aside. With the remaining piece, unfold the joined triangles and finger press the seam (see figure B, facing page).

4 Place another small square on the large square in the right-angled corner, right sides facing. Mark with a pencil or chalk along the diagonal and stitch ¼ in/6 mm from the marked line on either side (see figure C, facing page).

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5 Cut along the marked line, creating two separate pieces (see figure D). Open the triangles and finger press the seams of both finished blocks. Trim excess fabric at the bottom corners. With the partial block that you set aside in step 3, repeat steps 4 and 5 to complete four flying geese blocks.

fig. C

fig. A

fig. D

fig. B

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HOW-TO: PINWHEELS

You can use four half-square triangles to quickly create a pinwheel design. You can make pillows, tote bags, or entire quilts from pinwheels large or small. Add sashing, strips of fabric used between blocks, or mix with different blocks to change the design. Here are simple instructions for making pinwheels. Before you begin, you will need four half-square triangles (see page 66). For this example, I’ll refer to colored triangles and white triangles, which you’ll be using in the Triangles Quilt (page 67).

fig. A

1 First, sew together two half-square triangles, with a colored triangle in the bottom left corner of the left square and a colored triangle in the top left corner of the right square. For pinwheels, you simply want the colored and white triangles to alternate (see figure A). Press open the seam.

fig. B

2 Sew another set of half-square triangles together the opposite way, with the colored triangle in the bottom right corner of the left square and the colored triangle in the top right corner of the right square (see figure B). Press open the seam.

3 Sew the two pieces together (see figure C).

fig. C

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4

CHAPTER

HEXAGONS

N

ow it’s time to work with the six-sided wonder, the hexagon. From paper piecing to large-scale construction, the quick and easy projects in this chapter introduce you to some new skills that will

help you create your own hexagon projects later. I’ve included three ways to create hexagons: the English paper-piecing technique with hand basting, a quick method using freezer paper, and a shortcut method using a watersoluble fabric glue pen. Once you’ve mastered your preferred method, you’ll be able to whip up hexagons in a snap. First, the Hexagon Handbag introduces English paper piecing and explains how to join hexagons. Next, making the adorable Hexie the Turtle will help you shape up your skills with hexagon appliqué and three-dimensional softie construction. Finally, the Honeycomb Quilt uses oversize hexagons for a uniquely dramatic effect in a quilt made from vintage sheets.

HEXAGON HANDBAG The sewing construction for this handbag is quick and simple, but the hexagon piecing takes a bit of time. So grab your fabric and settle in. You will use the English paper-piecing method to create your hexagon shapes, and then you’ll sew the hexagons together by hand with a whipstitch. The bag is fully lined and has attached wooden handles, an interior pocket, and a magnetic snap closure. Here it’s shown in a neutral palette that goes with just about anything.

MATERIALS Hexagon Handbag Templates Paper 36 fabric scraps, each 4 in/10 cm, for front hexagons 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of fabric, for back side ½ yd/0.5 m canvas fabric, for lining Matching thread One 2-in/5-cm square of fusible interfacing or a fusible patch Magnetic snap Bamboo or wooden handles, 6 to 8 in/ 15 to 20 cm wide

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: English paper piecing, hand-pieced hexagons, magnetic snap installation FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 15 by 16 in/38 by 40.5 cm (including handles)

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STEP 1: CUT AND FOLD HEXAGON SHAPES FOR THE FRONT OF THE BAG.

Cut the Hexagon template. Using the English paper-piecing method (see How-To: English Paper Piecing, page 83), cut out 36 paper and fabric hexagons. The paper should be cut to the exact size of the template, but the fabric should be cut roughly ¼ in/6 mm to ½ in/12 mm larger on all sides to allow for folding. You do not need to be exact, since the edges will be turned under in the basting process. Fold and baste the fabric hexagons to the paper, following the instructions. (See page 83.) After each of the hexagons has been basted to the paper, press them and move on to the next step.

STEP 2: JOIN TWO HEXAGONS. Hold two prepared hexagon pieces with right sides together (with paper and basting stitches still intact). You may want to pin them together in place. Thread a needle with an arm’s length of thread and tie a knot at the end. Starting on one end where the sides are held together, pull the knot under a fold and begin using a whipstitch to sew the pieces together, being careful to only sew through the fabric (see figure A). If you still have thread left, move on to the next hexagon. Otherwise, rethread your needle. When you need to change thread, simply make a few extra stitches into the edges before cutting the thread and starting again.

STEP 3: CONTINUE TO JOIN HEXAGONS. Unfold the joined hexagons and choose another to add to any free side. Hold the hexagons together and whipstitch two sides together. Unfold and continue in this fashion until you have joined all the hexagons together (see figure B), with six rows of six hexagons each. When

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you reach the intersection of three hexagons, be sure to take an extra stitch or two to close up any open spaces. Once you have joined all the hexagons, cut your basting stitches and remove the paper.

STEP 4: CUT FABRIC FOR FRONT, BACK, AND LINING.

Using the Handbag template, cut the hexagonpieced front into the bag shape. Be sure to cut on the fold as indicated. Then staystitch around the entire edge of the cut hexagon piece, making your stitches 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge. This sewn line will keep your hand sewing from coming apart as you work on the next steps. Cut one back side piece from a solid fabric and two canvas lining pieces from the same bag template.

STEP 5: INSTALL MAGNETIC SNAP. Measure 5 in/12 cm down from the center top of each lining piece and make a mark on the right side of the fabric using a fabric marker or chalk (see figure C). On the back side of each marked spot, iron the 2-in/5-cm square of fusible interfacing. (The patch will give your snap added stability.) With one side of the magnetic fastener, center the prongs on your mark and make two marks for the prongs. With a pair of small, sharp scissors, carefully cut tiny slits in the fabric and interfacing, insert the prongs into the right side of the fabric, slide on the metal backing from the back side, and bend down the prongs. Repeat with the other piece of the fastener on the opposite lining piece.

STEP 6: CREATE POCKET. Cut a 6-in/15-cm square from the lining fabric. Fold down one side by ¼ in/6 mm, then fold down ½ in/12 mm, and sew along the fold to create a hemmed edge. For the three remaining sides of the pocket, sew around the edges using an overcast or zigzag stitch, then fold these three edges under by ¼ in/6 mm toward the wrong side of the fabric and press in place. Center the pocket with the top hem 6 in/15 cm from the top center of a lining piece, pin in place, and sew around the three sides ¼ in/6 mm from the edge to enclose the raw edges. Topstitch around the pocket 1/8 in/ 3 mm from the edge, forming two rows of stitching (see figure D, page 82).

fig. A

STEP 7: SEW LINING AND OUTER BAG PIECES. Pin the two lining pieces together with right sides facing. Stitch around the edge with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, beginning and ending 6 in/ 15 cm from the top. Leave a 5-in/12-cm opening in the bottom to turn the bag right-side out in a later step (see figure E, page 82). Repeat with the outer bag pieces, again sewing the two pieces together right sides facing 6 in/15 cm from the top on either side, but this time do not leave an opening at the bottom. On the outer bag and the lining, clip along the curves to ease the seams on the rounded corners.

fig. B

5 in/12cm

continued

fig. C

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81

STEP 8: SEW LINING AND OUTER BAG TOGETHER.

Turn the outer bag right-side out and insert it into the lining so that the right sides of the bag and the lining are facing each other. Pin together. You will be sewing all along the top opening, beginning at one side, just where the side seam stitching stopped (see figure F). Sew around the top opening of the bag, joining the lining and the outer bag. Clip the excess fabric at the top corners.

STEP 9: PULL BAG RIGHT-SIDE OUT AND

6 in/15 cm

fig. D

CLOSE OPENING.

Pull the bag right-side out through the opening in the lining. Poke out the corners, and smooth and press along the curves. Press the raw edges of the opening in the lining under by ½ in/12 mm, and topstitch along the folds to close the opening.

6 in/15 cm

STEP 10: STITCH BAG TO BAG HANDLES. Fold one side of the bag over one of the bag handles. Sew by hand, hiding your stitches by sewing in the lining. You may need to pin or just hold the handle in place as you work. Repeat with the other side of the bag and the remaining handle.

fig. E

5-in/12-cm opening

Start stitching the lining to the outer bag at the end of a side seam.

fig. F

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HOW-TO: ENGLISH PAPER PIECING

(See finished examples of the front and back of a shape in figure B.)

4 Sew the basted shapes by hand either to English paper piecing is a traditional method for preparing appliqué shapes. You’ll cut the shapes from paper, then cut the fabric shapes a bit larger than the paper shapes, and then hand baste each fabric shape around a paper shape. The paper gives your appliqué shape accuracy and stability as you work. The pieces can be attached to each other or to a background fabric. The paper is removed before the finishing stitches are sewn.

each other or to the background fabric with a whipstitch. If you are sewing your shapes to background fabric, just before the final stitches are put in to secure the appliqué, cut your basting stitches and remove the paper. If you are sewing the shapes to each other (such as piecing hexagons), remove the paper after you have sewn all the shapes together.

1 Cut the appliqué shape from plain paper. Your paper shape should not include seam allowance. (Note that the appliqué templates in this book are finished size, without seam allowance.)

2 Using the paper as a template, cut the fabric about ¼ to ½ in/6 to 12 mm larger than the paper shape. This cut needn’t be perfectly accurate since the raw edges will be folded under. I like to use a rotary cutter to make quick work of cutting the fabric shapes. You may want to stack fabric in layers to cut more than one shape at a time.

fig. A

3 Thread a small basting needle with an arm’s length of thread and tie a knot at the end. With the paper shape centered on the wrong side of the fabric shape, and holding the paper and fabric together with one hand, fold over one edge to begin making your shape. Insert the needle here with the knot on the back side. Sew through both the fabric and the paper shapes, making a long basting stitch. Continue around the shape with long basting stitches, folding and finger pressing as you go (see figure A). When you get to the end of the shape, make an extra stitch, then cut the thread. Then move on to the next appliqué shape.

back

front

fig. B

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83

HEXIE THE TURTLE In this sweet little project, you’ll learn to construct a softie toy while using your hexagon skills to add appliqué shapes. Hexie makes a great baby gift, child’s toy, or even a pincushion. In the preceding project, you used the traditional English paper-piecing method to prepare the hexagons; in this project, we use the freezer-paper method. After working with both of these methods, you can decide which you prefer.

MATERIALS Hexie the Turtle Templates 2 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of fabric, one for the shell and one for the body pieces 10 fabric scraps for hexagons, each 3 in/8 cm square 1 sheet freezer paper, 8½ by 11 in/21.5 by 28 cm Matching thread ¼ yd/0.25 m craft-weight fusible interfacing 1 small bag polyfill stuffing Embroidery floss in brown and a contrasting color, for the eyes and outer stitching

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: small appliqué hexagons, freezer-paper appliqué FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 4 in/10 cm high by 5 in/12 cm wide by 8 in/20 cm long

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QUICK TIP: Depending on how you want your

softies to look, inside you may add pipe cleaners to make body parts pliable and thick felt to make some areas stiffer. Use overcast or zigzag stitches along seams on the inside of stuffed animals, making them durable.

STEP 1: CUT FABRIC FROM TEMPLATES. Using the templates for the Hexie the Turtle project, cut out the underside (bottom shell) and turtle shell (top) pattern pieces as directed. Cut one piece of interfacing using the Turtle Underside template and fuse it to the wrong side of the turtle underside fabric piece. This will give added structure to the underside of the turtle. For the turtle shell piece, transfer the notch marks from the pattern sheet to the wrong sides of the fabric (do not cut). The notch marks indicate where you will fold the fabric and sew to make a small dart. Note that seam allowances are included in the body pattern pieces.

QUICK TIP: To trace markings from a pattern

onto fabric, use a pattern tracing wheel, or simply press firmly with a pencil or pen, then trace the indentions you have created with chalk or a marking pen.

STEP 2: PREPARE HEXAGON PIECES. Using the template, cut ten hexagons from your scrap fabric, making them about ¼ to ½ in/6 to 12 mm larger than the template on all sides. Also cut ten hexagons from freezer paper along the template edge with no seam allowance. As instructed in the How-To: Freezer-Paper

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Appliqué (see page 89), prepare the hexagons. Hand stitch two hexagons together, right sides facing, using a whipstitch along one side. Open up the joined pieces and add another hexagon to the piece, sewing it to a side. Continue until you have sewn together all the fabric hexagons (see figure A). Remove the freezer paper from the joined hexagons and press.

STEP 3: SEW DARTS IN TURTLE SHELL AND ADD HEXAGON APPLIQUÉ.

With the turtle shell fabric piece, following the triangular dart lines that you marked in step 1, fold the fabric together, right sides facing, and stitch along a marked line (see figure B). Repeat until you have sewn all seven of the darts. Center the appliquéd piece on the right side of the shell piece, pin it in place, and hand sew along the edges using a slipstitch.

STEP 4: MAKE TURTLE LEGS AND SEW THEM INTO THE UNDERSIDE PIECE.

Using the Turtle Leg template, cut eight pieces of fabric. Sew two pieces together, right sides facing, with a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Clip along the curves. Sew along the edge with an overcast or zigzag stitch. Turn the turtle leg right-side out. Repeat for all four legs. Then fill the legs with polyfill stuffing, using a chopstick or other blunt tool to push the stuffing in tightly. Leave the top ½ in/12 mm free of stuffing and place a pin just above the stuffed area to keep it tightly packed down as you sew the legs onto the underside. On the turtle underside piece, mark the lines on the back side of the piece as indicated on the template. Press the underside piece along each of the lines toward the right side of the fabric. Open the piece and lay it flat, right side up. Align one of the turtle’s legs along a fold, with the raw edges just at the crease line (see figure C).

Fold the underside piece over along the crease line, pin in place, and sew on the wrong side of the fabric with a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance, securing the turtle’s leg in place on the right side. Sew along the crease line from one edge of the fabric to the other edge. Repeat with all four legs, one centered on each of the four crease lines.

STEP 5: MAKE THE TURTLE’S HEAD.

fig. A

Using the Turtle Head template, cut two pieces of fabric. Use a satin stitch to embroider an eye on each piece, about ¼ in/6 mm in diameter, placing it as shown on the template. Repeat on the other piece. Sew the two pieces together, right sides facing, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Follow with an overcast or zigzag stitch. Clip along the curve, turn the head right-side out, and pack tightly with polyfill, leaving a ½-in/12-mm space at the opening. Place a pin ½ in/12 mm from the opening to make sure the stuffing stays packed in. Set aside.

STEP 6: PUT TOGETHER THE BODY. fig. B

With right sides facing, pin together the turtle shell and underside, making sure that the feet are tucked in and out of the way. Sew around the edges with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, leaving a 2-in/5-cm opening at the top neck area (the area with no darts) (see figure D, page 89). Secure the stitches by going over them with a zigzag stitch or an overcast stitch around the edges. Turn the sewn piece right-side out and press the outer edge flat.

STEP 7: SEW TURTLE HEAD TO OPENING.

fig. C

Next, place the turtle head on top of the opening on the outside of the fabric, with raw edges aligned with the raw edges of the opening. (The head will be facing backward.) Stitch in place at the edge, on the outer fabric of the top shell, using continued

HEXAGONS

87

a zigzag stitch (see figure E). The turtle’s eyes will be closer to the fabric. This extra stitching will give the turtle’s head added stability when you hand sew it in a later step.

STEP 8: STUFF THE TURTLE. Stuff the opening with polyfill, packing it in tightly. Fold the opening under by ½ in/12 mm and pin to secure. Thread a needle with the contrasting embroidery floss and tie a knot at the end. Pull the knot through the opening, tucking it under the fold, and sew a running stitch all around the edge of the turtle shell, ¼ in/6 mm from the edge. This row of stitches will serve to hold the head in place, close the opening, and create a decorative line. Finish and tie off, pulling the knot through the fold and pulling the needle out through the stuffing.

HOW-TO: FREEZER PAPER APPLIQUÉ This technique allows you to neatly iron curved edges of appliqué shapes without puckering the fabric. There are many different freezer-paper methods and applications in quilting, but my method will help you prepare the shapes and press under the raw edges. In this book, you will use the freezer-paper method for the Hexie the Turtle project (page 84) and the Cluster Dots Quilt (page 107) and to make the center circles of the Dresden Flower Quilt (page 127). You may use this technique to prepare any appliqué shapes including circles, hexagons, and others.

QUICK TIP: Freezer paper is a plastic coated

paper found at the grocery store in the food wrap aisle. Made for wrapping foods to be frozen, the paper is also commonly used for quilting and craft projects. One side has a matte paper finish and the other a shiny plastic coating that allows it to temporarily adhere to fabric when pressed with a hot iron. Here, you’ll use it to create the fabric appliqué shapes, but freezer paper has many other uses in fabric and sewing projects.

2-in/5-cm opening

For instance, it works well to create custom stencils when painting fabric. Simply cut out the design with a craft knife and iron the paper design onto fabric, then paint with a sponge brush. Freezer paper can also be used to create custom fabric. If you cut freezer paper and fabric to the size of an 8 ½-by-11-in/21.5-by-28-cm standard sheet of paper, you can iron the freezer paper to your fabric, making the fabric stiff enough to run through your inkjet printer, and allowing you to print a design

fig. D

fig. E

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89

directly onto the fabric. This is a great way to make quilt labels or name tags.

Note: My method is slightly different from some other freezer-paper methods, where the paper is fused to the wrong side of the fabric and then the edges are folded over and either starched, glued, or basted in place. This method fuses the edges of the fabric to the freezer paper instead, which I find makes the process faster and easier.

1 Prepare your templates. I prefer to trace templates onto thin cardboard (from a cereal box), which makes tracing easier and allows you to reuse the template later. (Remember: The templates for appliqué projects in this book do not include seam allowance.)

bit of the raw edge of the fabric and press it onto the freezer paper until it adheres. Turn the shape, pressing in the edge, making sure to leave the right side neat and free of puckers (see figure A). Flip over the shape and press on the right side as well. Continue this step with all your appliqué shapes. Set them aside until you are ready to sew them onto your background fabric.

5 If you are sewing the appliqué shapes by hand, you may leave the freezer paper attached as you begin sewing, and then gently pull it out through a small opening before finishing. When machine sewing, you will need to remove the paper before you sew the fabric shape to the background fabric. After removing the freezer paper, it’s a good idea to press the appliqué shape again.

2 Cut the shapes of your appliqué from freezer paper. Do not add seam allowance. Trace the template onto the paper, and stack several sheets at a time if cutting multiples. Then cut out the shapes using craft scissors.

Circle example

3 Next, place the template onto fabric and cut shapes from the fabric, adding ¼ to ½ in/6 to 12 mm around the perimeter. This extra does not need to be cut accurately because the edges will be folded over in the next step. You may want to stack several layers of fabric to cut efficiently. I use a rotary cutter to speed up the process, but when using a rotary cutter, which is very sharp, always remember to cut away from yourself.

4 With one freezer paper piece and one piece of fabric, iron on high heat with no steam. Place the fabric wrong-side up and the freezer paper centered on the fabric shape with the shiny side of the freezer paper facing up. Carefully fold over a

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fig. A

Hexagon example

HONEYCOMB QUILT No paper piecing or appliqué here. With this project, you’ll learn to quickly stitch oversize hexagons by machine, giving you a fast and simple quilt. Made from soft vintage sheets, this quilt brings a bright, happy feel to any room. Each hexagon is 12 in/30.5 cm wide; sew up a few to make a fast baby quilt, or add more to make a king-size quilt. If you want to make this quilt with vintage sheets, you can find vintage sheets sold in fat quarters online, or you can cut up flat or fitted sheets.

MATERIALS Honeycomb Quilt Template Vintage cotton sheets, 3 flat/fitted, or a variety of smaller fabric pieces (for a queen-size quilt, you will need 72 pieces at least 12 by 15 in/30.5 by 38 cm), for quilt top Matching thread 9 yd/8.2 m fabric for backing and binding Queen-size or larger piece of quilt batting

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: machine-pieced hexagons FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 89 by 90 in/226 by 229 cm

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91

STEP 1: CUT HEXAGONS. Using the hexagon template for the Honeycomb Quilt, cut out 72 hexagons in various fabrics.

STEP 2: BEGIN TO PIECE THE HEXAGONS TOGETHER.

Before you machine sew the pieces together, mark ¼ in/6 mm from each tip of each hexagon, on the wrong side, as shown on the template. Place two hexagons together, right sides facing, and sew along one side from the ¼-in/6-mm mark to the next corner mark (see figure A). Backstitch at the beginning and end of each row of stitches for this project, since the pieces will not be joined with others until later.

fig. A

STEP 3: CONTINUE PIECING UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED THE QUILT TOP.

Unfold the joined piece. From the right side, with the seam at the back, it should look like figure B. Along a side on one of the hexagons adjacent to the side you have just sewn, sew a third hexagon (see figure C). When unfolded, you now have a piece that looks like figure D (page 94). To piece the remaining hexagons, continue sewing sides to sides, being sure to stop at the ¼-in/6-mm marks and use backstitching. You will need nine rows of eight hexagons, for a total of 72 pieces (see figure E, page 94).

fig. B

continued

fig. C

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93

STEP 4: CUT TO RECTANGULAR DIMENSIONS. At this point, you will have some excess fabric along the top, bottom and sides of your quilt top (see figure F). Cut this excess off now, being sure to cut straight lines.

STEP 5: MAKE BACKING, BASTE, AND FINISH QUILT.

Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (page 13), make a backing for your quilt, then baste the quilt sandwich together with the batting in the middle, quilt it, and bind the edges. For the top quilting, you might try an echo quilting design, as shown here, to emphasize the geometry of the quilt, or you could sew free-motion flower designs within each hexagon. Or you might prefer hand quilting with perle cotton to complete the handmade charm of this quilt.

fig. D

fig. E

fig. F

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1,2,3 QUILT

HEXAGONS

95

5

CHAPTER

CIRCLES

S

hape up your skills with curves! This chapter starts with the simple Quarter-Circle Coasters; then moves to the Clamshell Pillow Sham, using traditional clamshell piecing; and then to a quilt design that

incorporates appliqué circles, the Cluster Dots Quilt. After working through this chapter, you will feel comfortable cutting, sewing, and finishing curved pieces. Sewing with circles takes a bit of patience and practice but, once mastered, can create amazing designs.

QUARTER-CIRCLE COASTERS Whip up these sweet and simple coasters in under an hour, using just a few bits of fabric. These coasters are placed together in squares, then cut to the circle shape. This project is a great introduction to sewing along curves and teaches you basic construction for making coasters, a perfect go-to gift for any occasion.

MATERIALS (FOR FOUR COASTERS) Quarter-Circle Coasters Template 16 fabric scraps, at least 3 in/7.5 cm square, for patchwork coaster tops Matching thread 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) for backing fabric ¼ yd/0.25 m fusible fleece

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: basic piecing, sewing along curves FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 4½ in/11.5 cm

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STEP 1: SEW PATCHWORK COASTER TOP PIECES.

STEP 5: SEW BACKING TO QUILTED TOP PIECE.

Cut the 16 fabric scraps into 3-in/7.5-cm squares. Lay out the squares to decide what order you want them: There will be four used in each coaster. Begin with two squares and sew them together, right sides facing, to form one piece (see figure A). Press open the seam. Sew two more squares together, and press open the seam. Next, pin the two joined pieces together, right sides facing and the seams aligned. Sew together, to form the coaster top (see figure B). Press open the seam. Repeat to make three more coaster tops.

With a backing fabric piece and a quilted top piece together, right sides facing, sew around the edge with a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance, leaving a 1½-in/4-cm opening to turn the coaster rightside out (see figure D). Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitches. Repeat with the other three coasters.

STEP 2: CUT CIRCLE SHAPES. Using the Quarter Circle Coasters Template (note that seam allowance is included), cut each of the four patchwork top pieces into a circle, making sure to center the circle template on your fabric. Then using the template, cut the coaster backing fabric and the fusible fleece into four circles each.

STEP 3: FUSE FLEECE TO COASTER TOP. Place one coaster top, right-side up, on a fusible fleece circle, wrong side facing the fusible (textured) side of the fleece circle. Using a hot iron, fuse the fabric to the fleece. Repeat with the remaining three coaster tops and three fleece circles.

STEP 4: QUILT THE TOPS. With a chalk pencil or erasable marking pen, mark the stitch lines on a coaster top as shown on the template, with the two lines intersecting in the center. You will be stitching through the coaster top and fleece only (the backing will be added in the next step). Quilt according to your marked lines (see figure C). Repeat with the other three remaining coaster tops.

STEP 6: CLOSE AND TOPSTITCH. Turn one coaster right-side out by pulling it gently through the opening. Push out the inner seam so it makes a smooth circular shape. Turn the fabric under at the opening by ¼ in/6 mm and press flat and pin if necessary. Topstitch around the edge of the coaster, about 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge, sewing the opening closed and flattening the edges (see figure E). Repeat to finish the other three coasters.

QUICK TIP: When sewing along a curve,

move quickly and use shorter stitches.

fig. A

fig. B

fig. C 1½-in/4-cm opening

fig. D fig. E

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CLAMSHELL PILLOW SHAM Next up: a pillow sham! For this project, we make patchwork scallops the oldfashioned way: using the clamshell technique. I’ve sewn the scallops by machine, but this project is perfect for hand sewing if you want to spend some quality time with it. After you have finished one sham, you’ll be an expert at sewing along curves, easing seams, and creating curved patchwork designs. This simple technique could also be used for a full quilt, or you could sew several rows of clamshells and appliqué them as a quilt border. You may decide to use two colors and sew the scallops in alternating rows, and alternating colors regularly, or use a random selection of colors and fabrics as I’ve done here. I recommend cutting a few extra pieces to practice, so you can get the hang of sewing along the curves without puckering the fabric. Here the pillow is a standard bed pillow size, so you could make two shams for your bed or one to mix in with other pillows. Or you can reduce the size to make a throw pillow.

MATERIALS Clamshell Pillow Sham Template 6 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) or 50 scraps of fabric at least 6-in/15-cm square for sham front Matching thread 1 yd/1 m quilt batting 1 yd/1 m linen fabric for sham back Two 1-in/2.5-cm buttons

CUT Front fabric, 50 clamshell shapes from template (note that seam allowance is included) QUICK TIP: Try tracing the template onto thin

cardboard from a cereal box or onto a plastic pattern sheet (available at your local craft and sewing store). This way you have a sturdier template that can easily be filed away and used again in future projects. For the back pieces: 1 piece, 21 by 14 in/53 by 35.5 cm 1 piece, 21 by 20 in/53 by 50 cm

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: clamshell technique, easing curves, machine sewing on curves FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 20 by 26 in/50 by 66 cm

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STEP 1: CLIP THE CURVES OF THE

STEP 3: CONTINUE SEWING A ROW OF

CLAMSHELL PIECES.

CLAMSHELLS.

With two clamshell pieces, clip along the curves according to How-To: Ease Curves (see page 106). You can clip the edges of all 50 of the clamshell pieces now, or just clip as you work.

Sew another clamshell piece to the joined pieces, repeating the pinning and sewing process so that it looks like figure D (page 104) when completed. For this piece, you will leave an extra ¼ in/6 mm at the top of the curve. Do not worry about the raw edges at the top, because this section will be cut in a later step. Press this finished piece flat with the seams in one direction. Continue sewing until you have two rows of clamshells with six on the top layer and five on the next row (see figure E, page 104).

STEP 2: SEW TOGETHER TWO CLAMSHELL PIECES.

Fold one clamshell piece in half lengthwise and with a fabric marker or chalk, mark the center top on the wrong side of the fabric. Place this piece with a second clamshell shape with the right sides of the fabric facing up as they will be put together, so you can see how they should be sewn together, with the marked piece at the lower right with half of its convex side resting in a concave side of the other piece (see figure A). Flip up the bottom piece so that the right sides of both pieces are facing each other (see figure B). The center of the marked piece will be at the edge of the other piece. Pin in place, then begin gently pulling the fabric around the curve, pinning in place as you go (see figure C). Be sure the fabric is smooth ¼ in/6 mm from the edge where you will be sewing the seam. Use plenty of pins and adjust the fabric as you pin to make it work. If you have not sewn on curves before, the pinning and sewing may seem awkward at first. Starting at the bottom, sew along the pinned edge with a ¼-in/ 6-mm seam allowance, stopping ¼ in/6 mm from the end (see figure C). Be sure to backstitch at the start and finish.

Mark the center.

fig. A

fig. B

Stop ¼ in/6 mm from the end

QUICK TIP: You may find smaller appliqué

pins helpful when pinning around curves. Also, for sewing along curves, make your stitch length shorter since smaller stitches will help you to sew a smooth curve.

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fig. C

continued

STEP 4: SEW ANOTHER ROW. For the next row of clamshells, begin on the edge, pinning a piece and sewing it in the quarter circle. Then sew into the openings created by the joined pieces from the previous row, which have formed half circles. This is a bit challenging, so make sure you keep your seams pucker-free as you pin. If your fabric puckers, simply pull out a few stitches in that section and try again. You may want to sew small segments to get the hang of it before sewing around the full half circle. When sewing this row, it is critical to mark the center of each new piece and line it up with the bottom tip of the clamshell before pinning in place (see figure F).

fig. D

STEP 5: CONTINUE TO SEW CLAMSHELL ROWS. fig. E

Continue to sew the clamshell rows until you have nine rows total, with the number of clamshells in each row alternating between six and five. The top and bottom rows will each have six clamshells.

STEP 6: PRESS AND CUT. center aligned

fig. F

Press all the seams in the piece, and bring the piece to a large cutting mat or other open surface for cutting. Cut the piece into a 27-by-21-in/ 69-by-53-cm rectangle, making sure to create straight lines and right angles. Sew a basting stitch around the edge to hold the pieces in place as you work. Cut the quilt batting to the same dimensions. Baste the wrong side of the patchwork piece to the batting with safety pins.

QUICK TIP: If your fabric seems thin, you might

consider using a small square of fusible interfacing behind the buttonhole in the next step, for added stability.

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STEP 7: HEM BACK PIECES AND MAKE BUTTONHOLES.

2 in/5 cm 21 in/53 cm

Next, hem the two edges of the back pieces that will be exposed. On the 21-in/53-cm side on one piece, fold under the edge by ½ in/12 mm and press, then fold under 1 in/2.5 cm and press. Using matching thread, sew along the folded edge, about 7/8 in/2 cm from the edge, catching the folded fabric underneath to form a hem. Repeat with the other back piece. Next, using a fabric marker or chalk, mark the placement of the buttonholes on the larger piece of backing fabric (see figure G). Because options for buttonholes vary on different sewing machines, follow the instructions in your machine’s manual to sew the buttonholes on the marks as indicated. (It’s a good idea to practice sewing buttonholes on scrap fabric first.)

20 in/50 cm 6 in/15 cm

2 in/5 cm 6 in/15 cm

fig. G

STEP 8: SEW SHAM PIECES TOGETHER AND ATTACH BUTTONS.

Stack the fabric pieces together to be sewn. Place the pillow front on top of the batting piece with right sides facing up. On top of those, place the larger back piece with the buttonholes, with the three raw edges aligned with three raw edges of the pillow front. Place the smaller back piece next to it, with raw edges aligned on the opposite end. Pin in place. Sew around the outside edge with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance (see figure H). Clip the corners, turn the pillow cover right-side out, poke out the corners, and press to finish. Using a fabric marker or chalk, mark the spots through the buttonholes for placement of the buttons. Sew the buttons onto the smaller back piece.

fig. H

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HOW-TO: EASE CURVES When sewing on a curve, you need to clip into the fabric at the seams to allow the fabric to curve. If you are an experienced sewer, you may have used this technique in garment sewing, perhaps when attaching a collar or sewing on a sleeve. Often in garment sewing, you will notch the fabric, or cut tiny triangle-shape pieces from the inside seams. But here, simply make a tiny cut into the fabric along the edge of the seam allowance, to give the fabric extra stretch so it will conform to a curved shape. Sometimes you will make these cuts into the fabric after you have sewn the seam, but for the Clamshell Pillow Sham (page 101), I suggest cutting into the fabric before you sew it, making it easier to pin and sew two pieces together without the fabric puckering.

1 Make tiny, / -in/3-mm cuts into the fabric 18

(when using ¼-in/6-mm seams) within the seam allowance, so that the cuts will not affect the structural integrity of your patchwork. The cuts should be spaced about 3/8 in/1 cm apart along the curves (see figure A).

2 After you have cut all fabric to be sewn, you may pin two pieces in place and sew together.

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fig. A

CLUSTER DOTS QUILT For this appliqué quilt, we use freezer paper to prepare circle shapes, which are then stitched onto fabric squares using a zigzag stitch. Once all the squares are assembled, you will arrange them into the finished design to make a creative pattern of clustered dots. I made the quilt in a twin size here, but it could easily be made larger or smaller by adding or subtracting blocks. I think this project would make a lovely baby quilt or lap quilt. You could even make the blocks into 18-in/46-cm square place mats.

MATERIALS Cluster Dots Quilt Templates Sixteen ¼-yd/0.25-m pieces of various fabric for circles 1 roll freezer paper Matching thread 6½ yd/5.9 m background and binding fabric 5 yd/4.6 m backing fabric 72 by 90 in/183 by 229 cm quilt batting, twin size or larger for overhang

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: freezer-paper appliqué, machine sewing on curves FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 72 by 90 in/183 by 229 cm (twin size)

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STEP 1: PREPARE THE CIRCLES FOR Using the Cluster Dots Quilt Templates and following the instructions in How-To: FreezerPaper Appliqué (page 89), use the freezer-paper technique to prepare 80 small 2½-in/6-cm circles and 80 large 5-in/12-cm circles.

½ in/12 mm ½ in/12 mm

APPLIQUÉ.

½ in/12 mm

STEP 2: CUT BACKGROUND FABRIC INTO SQUARES.

Cut the background fabric into 80 squares, 9½ in/24 cm each.

STEP 3: SEW CIRCLES ONTO BACKGROUND SQUARES.

½ in/12 mm

fig. A

Remove the freezer paper from the circles and press them. Place and pin a small and a large circle onto one 9½-in/24-cm fabric square (see figure A). The circles should be in opposite corners, ½ in/ 12 mm from the edge of the corner. With your sewing machine set to a narrow zigzag stitch, sew around each of the circles, working slowly to avoid puckers. You may want to practice sewing circles on scrap fabric before you begin with a square. Repeat for all eighty squares, sewing two circles to each. You can repeat the layout shown in figure A since the squares will be rotated in the final layout.

STEP 4: SEW BLOCKS. Take four squares, each 9½ in/24 cm, and sew them together (see the layout in figure B). Press the seams open. Repeat this to make twenty blocks of four squares each.

fig. B

STEP 5: JOIN BLOCKS. Sew the blocks together in rows of four (see figure C, page 110). There will be five rows of four blocks each. Press seams open. Sew these rows together to make the completed quilt top, being sure to align the seams as you sew (see figure D, page 110). Press seams open. continued

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STEP 6: BASTE, QUILT, AND BIND.

fig. C

fig. D

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1,2,3 QUILT

Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (page 13), finish off the quilt. This quilt works well with echo quilting around the circles, and would be lovely quilted by hand with varying shades of embroidery floss. Here, the top quilting was done with a free-motion pebble design within the negative space, emphasizing the circle shape and allowing the fabric circles to stand out from the background. Once you have finished the quilting, trim the edges and add the binding.

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CHAPTER

6

FLOWERS

F

lowers can be created in many ways, whether made from other shapes, sewn on with appliqué, or incorporated in the topstitching. Floral shapes always bring a cheerful feel to quilts. Here we start

out making a Posy Tea Towel with a pattern of simple circle flowers and leaves. Tea towels are a sewing staple and make pretty, timeless gifts for housewarmings, weddings, or the holidays. Next up is a Petal Skirt, an A-line skirt with a raw-edged reverse appliqué design for a gorgeous handmade look. And then we make a Dresden Flower Quilt, which uses a traditional Dresden plate quilt design, with the oversize flowers giving it a modern twist.

POSY TEA TOWEL For this simple tea towel design, we use the needle-turn appliqué technique to add sweet details. The appliqué is hand sewn to the tea towel. You’ll also learn to create clean, mitered corners for the towel. The flower design can be used on napkins, for a matching apron, or even on pillows, quilts, or clothing. I used a striped tea towel fabric and a patterned fabric for the flowers, but you should have fun and change the look with your own fabric choices. The instructions here use the needle-turn appliqué technique, but you can use the freezer-paper method (see page 89) or another technique, if you prefer. For a super-quick project, apply the appliqué shapes to the tea towel with fusible webbing and create the design using the raw-edge appliqué technique. Or for more detail, you can add some embroidery.

MATERIALS (FOR ONE TEA TOWEL): Posy Tea Towel Templates, 2 shapes (circle and leaf) 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) cotton or linen blend fabric for tea towel 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) colored fabric for flowers 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) green fabric for leaves Matching thread

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: mitered corners, needle-turn appliqué FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 17 by 21 in/43 by 53 cm

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115

STEP 1: CUT THE TEA TOWEL FABRIC AND FLOWER AND LEAF APPLIQUÉ SHAPES.

Use one fat quarter for the body of the tea towel. (Or if using a larger piece of fabric for the tea towel, cut it to 18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm.) Using the Posy Tea Towel Templates, cut three circles from the colored fabric and six leaves from the green fabric. Cut around the outer line in the template. (You will use the inner line in step 4.)

STEP 2: MAKE MITERED CORNERS. Following the instructions in How-To: Mitered Corners (facing page), create four mitered corners on the tea towel fabric.

STEP 3: STITCH THE HEM.

STEP 5: PIN THE APPLIQUÉ SHAPES. Lay out the appliqué flower and leaf shapes and pin them in place on the tea towel (see figure A). The leaves will be about 3 in/7.5 cm from the bottom edge of the tea towel and ½ in/12mm from the side edges, with about ¼ in/6 mm between each flower, when sewn.

STEP 6: HAND STITCH THE APPLIQUÉ SHAPES.

Following the instructions for How-To: Needle-Turn Appliqué (page 118), stitch the appliqué shapes onto the tea towel. Remember that your stitching will show on the back side of the tea towel, so keep it as neat as possible.

When you have completed the mitered corners, press them in place. Then press the hem fold along the four sides of the tea towel. With matching thread, stitch the hem in place, 3/8 in/1 cm from the edge, making sure to catch the fold in your stitching.

STEP 4: PREPARE THE APPLIQUÉ SHAPES. Using fabric marker or chalk, transfer the inner line from the circle and leaf templates to the right side of the fabric on the appliqué shapes. This line will be the fold line and should be about ¼ in/6 mm from the raw edge. If you do not want to take the time to mark your fabric, you may just eyeball it as you sew the shapes in step 6. Clip around the curves, making small cuts about 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge (see How-To: Ease Curves, page 106).

fig. A

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HOW-TO: MITERED CORNERS

Mitered corners are the perfect finishing touch for linens such as tablecloths, napkins, tea towels, and place mats. Once you’ve learned this simple technique, you’ll want to use it for all your projects.

Mark where corner folds intersect.

1 Fold and press all four sides of the tea towel fabric toward the wrong side of the fabric by ½ in/12 mm, then fold by another ½ in/12 mm and press again. At this point, the corners will have a simple fold.

fig. A

2 Working with one corner, use chalk or a fabric marker to indicate where the folds meet (see figure A).

3 Open this fold, leaving the outer fold still folded over, then fold the fabric back so that right sides are facing each other and you have formed a 45-degree angle, aligning the two folded edges. With a fabric marker and a ruler, draw a diagonal line from the previously marked points (which are now aligned at the outside folded edges) to the intersection of the pressed hem crease. Stitch along this line (see figure B).

4 Snip the excess fabric and press this small seam open. Turn the corner back on itself to form the mitered corner. Press in place. Repeat for the three remaining corners.

fig. B

folded edge crease line

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HOW-TO: NEEDLE-TURN APPLIQUÉ

Needle-turn appliqué is used to sew small appliqué shapes to background fabric. It simply involves folding the raw edge of the fabric under with the needle as you work. This old-fashioned technique allows you to do less fabric preparation and requires no tedious pressing.

fig. A

1 With thread matching the first appliqué shape you want to sew, thread a needle with an arm’s length of thread and tie a knot at the end.

2 Begin by holding the appliqué shape in place with your left hand with one bit folded under by about 1/8 to ¼ in/3 to 6 mm. You may want to pin, use temporary glue, or baste the shape onto your fabric to help it stay in place as you work. Pull the thread knot just under the appliqué shape and hide it in the fold. Fold under a bit of fabric, using the needle as a tool to turn the fabric under (see figure A).

3 To begin stitching, take short dips with the needle into the base fabric, followed by small stitches at the edge of the fold, creating nearly invisible stitches (see figure B). Just make your stitch in the base fabric under a few threads of the fabric as you work, and make small stitches for stability. Continue to stitch around, using the needle to turn the fabric under as you work.

4 Stop about /

18

in/3 mm from the corner of the appliqué shape and adjust the fold to make sure it isn’t too bulky. You may need to clip some excess fabric at the corners as you work.

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fig. B

PETAL SKIRT This easy A-line skirt will soon become a wardrobe staple. The pretty Petal Skirt is made with a reverse-appliqué design and with hand stitching for a special handmade look. The reverse appliqué technique does not involve adding fabric pieces to the top of the fabric as with other appliqué techniques, but rather cutting designs from a top fabric to reveal an accent fabric that is layered underneath. In this case, the skirt lining will be revealed from under the outer skirt fabric. If you prefer a more finished look, simply turn the raw edges under and stitch in place. Here, the appliqué edges are machine sewn before the hand stitching is added, for added durability and to withstand repeated washing. The skirt has a side zipper, a hook and eye closure, and is fully lined. You’ll learn to draft your own simple pattern for this skirt so that it fits perfectly!

MATERIALS Petal Skirt Templates 1 yd/1 m butcher paper or muslin for the pattern piece 2 yd/1.8 m cotton or linen fabric for skirt 2 yd/1.8 m lightweight cotton fabric, such as shot cotton or voile, for lining Matching thread One 7-in/17-cm invisible zipper in matching color Hook and eye closure Embroidery floss in contrasting color Note: The lining will be attached to this skirt, so it is especially crucial that you prewash both the skirt and the lining fabrics before cutting and sewing.

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: basic pattern drafting, invisible zipper installation, reverse appliqué FINISHED DIMENSIONS: Varies, depending on your measurements

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119

STEP 1: TAKE MEASUREMENTS AND

Pattern Waist Measurement

First, measure your natural waist (above the hip). Then measure from your waist to your leg where you would like the skirt to fall (either above or below the knee). Use the following simple formulas to determine the waist, length, and hem measurements of your pattern piece. Note that the pattern requires you to cut the fabric on the fold, or doubled, so the fabric pieces will be doubled in size after they are cut. Pattern Waist Measurement = (waist measurement ÷ 4) + 1 in/2.5 cm Pattern Length Measurement = waist to hem measurement + 2 in/5 cm Pattern Hem Measurement = Pattern Waist Measurement (calculated above) + 6 in/15 cm

Pattern Length Measurement

CALCULATE PATTERN DIMENSIONS.

Pattern Hem Measurement

fig. A

Pattern Waist Measurement

Draw the pattern on butcher paper or muslin using a ruler and pen. Mark a line at the top of the paper based on the Pattern Waist Measurement from the formula. Use the distance of the Pattern Length Measurement to mark the distance to the hem. Use the Pattern Hem Measurement to draw a line straight across, parallel to the waist measurement. Then draw lines to connect the ends of the waist- and hemlines (see figure A). Next, we’ll round off the hem to create the proper shape at the hemline of your skirt. Measure 1 in/ 2.5 cm up from the bottom corner and make a mark on the side, then measure 6 in/15 cm in from the corner along the hemline and make a mark there. Draw a curved line between these two marks (see figure B). Cut out the pattern piece, using the curved line as your guide on the hem edge.

continued

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Pattern Length Measurement

STEP 2: MAKE THE PATTERN PIECE.

Pattern Hem Measurement 6 in/15 cm

fig. B

1 in/2.5 cm

STEP 4: SEW SIDE SEAMS. With the lining pieces together, right sides facing, sew only one of the side seams with a ½-in/ 12-mm seam allowance. Repeat with the front and back skirt pieces, sewing only one side seam (make sure that you sew the seam on the same [wrong] side). Finish the seams with an overcast or zigzag stitch. Also sew an overcast or zigzag stitch along the remaining raw side edges (which will be sewn together in a later step).

STEP 5: INSTALL THE ZIPPER. Following the instructions in How-To: Install an Invisible Zipper (page 124), sew in the zipper.

STEP 6: FINISH THE SIDE SEAMS. Finish the side seam of the outer skirt, making sure to match the seam lines with the seam allowance in the zipper section. This is an important step: It allows the zipper to lie flat in the seam. You start the seam stitching just where the end of the zipper stitching left off, pinning the tail of the zipper out of the way as you sew. Finish the side seam of the lining, but stop 8 in/20 cm from the top, leaving an opening that matches the zipper opening.

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straight grain line

Fold your fabric in half, and place the long, straight side of your pattern piece on the fold. The straight grain of the fabric should run vertically (see figure C). Pin the pattern piece in place and cut out one piece for the front. Repeat, cutting another piece for the back of the skirt. Repeat this step with the lining fabric, cutting two pieces on the fabric fold.

Place pattern along the fold in fabric.

STEP 3: CUT FABRIC AND LINING PIECES.

fig. C

STEP 7: JOIN THE LINING AND OUTER SKIRT AT THE WAISTBAND.

With the outer skirt and lining together, right sides facing, insert the lining into the skirt. Fold the lining under toward the wrong side of the fabric by ½ in/12 mm by the zipper and pin in place. Sew around at the waistband, using a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance. Turn the outer skirt right-side out and tuck the lining into the skirt. Press around the waist. Topstitch around the waist, ½ in/12 mm from the edge. To attach the lining at the zipper opening, sew the lining to the zipper tape by hand, keeping your stitches hidden inside the seam fold, or topstitch by machine on the outer skirt just to either side of the zipper.

STEP 8: PREPARE THE HEM. With the lining fabric, fold the raw edge at the hemline in by ½ in/12 mm toward the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for the outer skirt. Pin the hem in place, to be sewn together in a later step. For now, you want to make sure that the lining is smoothly pulled to the hem before you sew the appliqué design, avoiding any wrinkles or puckers.

outer skirt and lining fabric. Next, using a pair of small scissors (or even better, appliqué scissors), cut the top layer of fabric from the center of the stitching, revealing the lining fabric underneath (this is called reverse appliqué). You should cut about ¼ in/6 mm from the stitching, but you can always go back and trim closer later.

STEP 11: OUTLINE THE DESIGN WITH EMBROIDERY STITCHES.

Using a simple embroidery stitch such as a backstitch or a running stitch, with embroidery floss, sew around the edges of each appliqué petal design (see figure D).

STEP 12: STITCH ALONG HEMLINE. Machine stitch along the folded hemline, 3/8 in/ 1 cm from the edge. If you’d like to make the hem stitching invisible, just hand stitch, sewing the folds to each other along the edges.

STEP 9: ADD THE HOOK AND EYE CLOSURE. With a needle and thread, sew one side of the hook and eye closure on either side of the skirt at the opening just above the zipper.

STEP 10: CREATE REVERSE APPLIQUÉ. Using the Petal Skirt Templates, transfer the three flower designs onto the outer skirt fabric wherever you wish, using a pattern tracing wheel or embroidery transfer paper. You also may simply trace the design firmly with a pencil, then draw the pattern with chalk or a fabric marker in the indentions created. Machine stitch along the traced pattern outline, stitching through both the

fig. D

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HOW-TO: INSTALL AN INVISIBLE ZIPPER Invisible zippers add a professional finish to garments. In this book, the invisible zipper is used in the A-line Petal Skirt (page 119). Zippers may seem daunting, but with a bit of practice, you can install a zipper quickly and easily. If this is your first time with zipper installation, I’d recommend buying an extra zipper to practice with before you try installing the zipper in your favorite fabric. These directions guide you to install an invisible zipper in a seam so that it becomes neatly hidden when zipped. You will need a zipper foot for your sewing machine to make sure that you can sew up to the edge of the zipper teeth. I find that temporary fabric adhesive or adhesive tape works better than pins to hold the zipper in place.

1 You will be joining two pieces of fabric together with a seam and a zipper. First, sew an overcast or zigzag stitch along one side of each of the outer fabric pieces, on the side where the zipper will be placed. Go ahead and overcast the entire length of your fabric on these edges.

2 Attach the zipper presser foot (or invisible zipper presser foot) to your machine. It may help to press the zipper flat, since the invisible zipper may be a bit rolled on itself. A flatter zipper will allow you to more easily sew right next to the zipper teeth. Be cautious if ironing a plastic zipper!

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3 With the right side of the skirt fabric facing up, place the zipper on the fabric right-side down (with right sides facing) and pin or use temporary fabric adhesive to hold it in place (see figure A). The zipper should be open with the zipper teeth facing away from the edge of the fabric. The beginning of the teeth of the zipper (at the top end, not the bottom end of the tape) should be 3/ 4 in/2 cm from the top raw edge of the fabric. The teeth of the zipper should be ½ in/12 mm (or the width of your seam allowance) from the raw edge of the skirt fabric, so that the zipper, when closed, will align with the seam fold (see figure A).

4 Backstitch and begin stitching at the beginning of the zipper at the top, making sure to sew as close to the zipper teeth as possible. Stop stitching 1½ in/4 cm from the tail end of the zipper and backstitch to secure stitching.

5 Next, close the zipper and place it on the opposite side of the hem to make sure that the two sides will be properly aligned. Mark the correct position, unzip the zipper, and pin it, right sides facing, to the edge of this fabric. Repeat steps 3 and 4.

6 When you finish your seam, be sure to move the end of the zipper out of the way and stitch right up to the end of the zipper stitching, forming the seam and enclosing the tails of the zipper inside the garment.

Begin stitching ½ in/12 mm from the top.

Stitch ½ in/12 mm from the edge.

End stitching 1½ in/4 cm from the tail end.

fig. A

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DRESDEN FLOWER QUILT Commonly used in the 1920s, the traditional Dresden plate quilt design is named after Dresden china pieces and resembles a flower design. For this quilt, the design is made with a modern twist using giant 25-in/63.5-cm flowers that are cropped at the edges. With the large flowers, a shortcut to quickly create the pointed tips of the flower petals, and a method that allows you to sew on the appliqué and quilt the top at the same time, this pattern becomes far less daunting than it may initially appear. For this version, I’ve used monochromatic shades and a neutral background, but you can make this quilt with fabric scraps, vintage sheets, old baby dresses, shirting cotton, or even linen.

MATERIALS Dresden Flower Quilt Templates 12 fat quarters (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) of various yellow fabrics for flower shapes 4 yd/3.7 m background fabric for quilt top Matching thread 4 yd/3.7 m fabric for quilt backing 4 sheets 8-½-by-11-in/21.5-by-28-cm freezer paper, or one roll 3 yd/2.7 m double-sided fusible webbing (Wonder Under or equivalent) 60 by 60 in/152 by 152 cm quilt batting, throw size or larger 1 yd/1 m fabric for binding

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: Dresden plate quilt technique, machine appliqué FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 60 by 60 in/152 by 152 cm (throw size)

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127

STEP 1: CUT THE FABRIC PIECES. Using the Dresden Flower Quilt Templates, cut the long petal shapes from the yellow fabrics. There will be sixteen petals per flower, for a total of 64 petal pieces, so you will cut about five or six petals from each fat quarter. Note that you will make the pointed petal tips in a later step; the tip is not included in the template shape.

and first pieces to each other (see figure D, facing page). The center will still have raw edges, but you will cover it in the next step. For the next petal pieces, you only sew half flowers: So stitch eight petal pieces together to make six half flowers. Press all seams open and set aside the completed one full flower and six half flowers.

STEP 2: SEW THE QUILT TOP BACKGROUND AND THE QUILT BACKING.

Cut the background fabric into three pieces, each 20½ by 64 in/52 by 163 cm. Sew the pieces together along the long 64-in/163-cm sides to form one piece. This will be your background fabric for the top of the quilt. Using these same measurements, cut the quilt backing fabric into three pieces, and sew them together. Set these two pieces aside.

seam in center

fig. A

STEP 3: CREATE THE TIPS OF THE FLOWER PETALS.

Take one petal and fold it in half lengthwise with right sides facing. Sew along the top (the wider) end using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance (see figure A). Clip the fabric at the fold, and press the seam open. Turn right-side out, making sure that the seam line is centered on the back side (see figure B). The tip should be turned out with a clean angle. Press the tip flat. Repeat with the other petal pieces.

fig. B

STEP 4: SEW PETAL PIECES TOGETHER TO FORM THE FLOWERS.

Take two petal pieces and place them together, right sides facing, and then stitch together, being sure that they are aligned at the folded end (see figure C). Continue stitching with another petal piece, then another until you have sewn together all 16 petal pieces of a flower, joining the last

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fig. C

STEP 5: CUT AND PREPARE THE APPLIQUÉ FLOWER CIRCLE CENTERS.

Using the Circle Template, cut four yellow fabric circles about ½ in/12 mm larger than the template. Then cut circles from freezer paper exactly matching the template dimensions. Using the instructions in How-To: Freezer-Paper Appliqué (page 89), place the freezer paper in the center of a circle on the wrong side of the fabric, fold over the raw edges of the fabric, and press them to the freezer paper. Repeat with the remaining three circles.

STEP 6: CUT CIRCLES IN HALF AND ADHERE FUSIBLE WEBBING.

Cut three of the four circle pieces in half (freezer paper still inside). Then remove the freezer paper and press the circles again. Pin the circle and halfcircle pieces in the center of the flowers. Roughly cut out the fusible webbing using the flower and half-flowers as templates. Make sure that the webbing is not larger than the flowers in any area. Following the instructions on the double-sided fusible webbing, fuse one side of the webbing to the wrong side of the flowers using a hot iron with no steam, leaving the backing paper on the webbing in place.

fig. D

2 in/5 cm

5 in/ 12 cm

STEP 7: ARRANGE AND FUSE THE FLOWERS ONTO THE BACKGROUND FABRIC.

Using a large table or floor surface that will accommodate the entire quilt, lay the quilt backing down wrong-side up, then place the quilt batting on top, followed by the quilt top background fabric right-side up, forming the quilt sandwich. Remove the backing from the fusible webbing and arrange the flowers on the quilt background (see figure E). Be sure that you have the flowers in the desired positions with about

¼ in/ 6 mm from the outer edges

5 in/ 12 cm

5 in/ 12 cm 2 in/5cm

fig. E

continued

FLOWERS

129

5 in/12 cm between each flower and each row of flowers. There will be more space at the top and bottom than on the sides. You may pin in place if needed. When you like the layout, bring the iron to your quilt and press, fusing the flowers to the fabric. (You can place a portable ironing board or mat under your work if you prefer.)

STEP 8: BASTE AND QUILT. Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together on page 13, baste the quilt together with safety pins. Bring the basted quilt to your sewing machine and begin quilting along the outer edges of the flowers as close to the edge of each flower as possible. Then stitch around the center circles (see figure F). Next, stitch in the ditch on the seams between each petal, to secure the flowers. Add any other type of quilting you would like. In my quilt, I used echo quilting around the flowers, then random sections of straight lines to fill in the negative space and add interest to the design.

STEP 9: TRIM AND BIND THE QUILT. Square up the quilt and trim the excess batting. Prepare and sew the binding (see Binding, page 17).

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fig. F

FLOWERS

131

7

CHAPTER

STARS

T

he sky’s the limit when working with stars. The star shape is a traditional quilt shape that can be made from triangles, diamonds, or slivers of fabric using paper-piecing techniques. In this chapter,

you’ll make an Arrow Tablet Case with an abstract star, a Native Star Duffel Bag using diamonds created by strip piecing, and a simple Star Quilt made from strips cut from half-square triangles. The techniques in this section are simple but create endlessly interesting designs.

ARROW TABLET CASE In this tablet case, I’ve created a starlike design to make an 8-by-10-in/20-by25-cm case for an electronic tablet. But since the squares are 1 in/2.5 cm each, you can easily adjust this pattern to fit any device. Grab some graph paper and a pencil and sketch out different possibilities for your own project—feel free to rearrange the half-square triangles to create a different design. This case is fully lined, padded with quilt batting, and features a flap closure with Velcro, to keep your device secure.

MATERIALS

CUT

1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) fabric for stars

Star fabric:

½ yd/0.5 m fabric for front background, back side, and lining

16 squares, 1½ in/4 cm

Matching thread One 1-in/2.5-cm sew-on round Velcro fastener in matching color ½ yd/0.5 m quilt batting

21 squares, 2 in/5 cm

Background fabric: 21 squares, 2 in/5 cm 26 squares, 1½ in/4 cm 1 square, 2½ in/6 cm for tab closure 3 pieces, 10½ by 8½ in/26.5 by 21.5 cm for back and lining Quilt batting: 2 pieces, 10½ by 8½ in/26.5 by 21.5 cm

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: half-square triangles, small piecing FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 8 by 10 in/20 by 25 cm

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135

STEP 1: MAKE HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES. With the twenty-one 2-in/5-cm squares each of the star fabric and the background fabric, make halfsquare triangles as directed in How-To: Half-Square Triangles (page 66). Make stacks of half-square triangles, each pair right sides facing. Repeat until you have forty-two half-square triangle units.

STEP 2: SEW PIECES INTO ROWS. Lay out the finished half-square triangles interspersed with the solid 1½-in/4-cm squares (in both background and star fabric) in the configuration shown in figure A. Begin sewing them row by row. Press seams in one row in one direction, then in the opposite direction in the next row, so that you can nest the seams together (see page 26). Sew the rows together to create the completed case front. You should have two extra triangle units and two extra solid background pieces, which will be used to make the tab closure in the next step.

fig. A

STEP 3: MAKE THE TAB CLOSURE. Sew the two remaining 1½-in/4-cm background squares to each other, then sew the two remaining half-square triangles to each other, forming a larger triangle shape with the star fabric. Press seams open. Then sew these two pieces together (see figure B). Press the seams open. Sew one side of the Velcro circle to the center of the 2½-in/6-cm square background piece. Place the front joined tab piece on top of the background piece, right sides facing. Sew into a pointed tab shape (see figure C), using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. You may want to mark your diagonal line before you begin sewing. Clip the excess fabric, turn the tab right-side out, and poke out the corners. Press flat.

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fig. B

STEP 4: SEW FRONT AND BACK TOGETHER. Sew the other side of the Velcro piece to the front of the case, centered about 1 in/2.5 cm from the top raw edge. Pin the batting pieces to the wrong sides of the front and back pieces. Place the front and back pieces together, right sides facing, then sew along the sides and bottom using a ¼-in/6mm seam allowance. Clip the corners and trim excess fabric and batting. Then turn the case rightside out.

STEP 5: SEW THE LINING. fig. C

Place the two lining pieces together, right sides facing, and sew around both sides and the bottom, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance, leaving a 4-in/10-cm opening in the bottom for turning the case right-side out in the next step. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitched seam line.

STEP 6: SEW TOGETHER THE OUTER CASE AND THE LINING.

fig. D

Next you will sew the tab onto the outer case. On the back center of the outer piece, pin the tab with raw edges aligned and the front side of the tab (with triangle) facing the right side of the fabric. Sew the tab to the outer piece about 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge (see figure D). Next, place the outer bag, right-side out, inside the lining bag, wrongside out. The outer bag and lining should be right sides facing with side seams aligned. Pin and sew around the top of the case, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Turn the entire case right-side out through the opening in the lining. Poke out the corners. Then fold in the raw edges of the lining opening and topstitch to close. Tuck the lining inside the case and press flat.

STARS

137

NATIVE STAR DUFFEL BAG This duffel bag is roomy and easy to carry, perfect for a weekend trip away. For the front of the bag, you’ll make half of a Native Star quilt design and sew it onto the bag by machine. The star design comes together quickly using a simple strip-piecing method. As you construct the bag, adding lining and a zipper closure, you’ll continue to shape up your sewing skills.

MATERIALS Native Star Duffel Bag Template 1½ yd/1.4 m fusible fleece 1½ yd/1.4 m cotton lining fabric ¼ yd/0.25 m each of 7 different solid fabrics for star pieces (9 by 44 in/23 by 112 cm) Matching thread 1½ yd/1.4 m canvas outer fabric One 22-in/56-cm sport zipper with closed bottom end

CUT Cotton lining fabric and fusible fleece (cut same from both): 2 pieces for front and back, 15½ by 23 in/39 by 58 cm 2 top pieces, 4¼ by 23 in/11 by 58 cm 1 bottom piece: 12 by 23 in/30.5 by 58 cm 2 side pieces, using the Native Star Duffel Bag Template Star fabric: 2 strips, 2 by 44 in/5 by 112 cm, of each of the 7 fabrics Outer canvas fabric: 2 pieces for front and back, 15½ by 23 in/ 39 by 58 cm 2 strap pieces, 5 by 24 in/12 by 61 cm 2 top pieces, 4¼ by 23 in/11 by 58 cm 1 bottom piece, 12 by 23 in/30.5 by 58 cm 2 side pieces, using the Native Star Duffel Bag Template

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: strip piecing, appliqué, zipper installation in a lined bag FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 14½ by 22 by 12 in/37 by 56 by 30.5 cm

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1,2,3 QUILT

STEP 1: PRESS THE FUSIBLE FLEECE. Press the fusible fleece to the wrong sides of each of the seven lining fabric pieces, fusing the fleece to the fabric. Set the pieces aside.

STEP 2: SEW STRIPS FOR NATIVE STAR PIECING.

You will piece the Native Star together using the strip-piecing method (How-To: Strip-Piecing, page 27). With the seven 2-in/5-cm strips (one of each color), sew them together to form one piece (see figure A). When deciding your color order, note that the strips placed in the center will be more prominent in the design. Repeat with the next set of seven strips, using the same order. Press the seams to one side.

as you work on the next steps. Sew the strips together, overlapping the edge by ¼ in/6 mm as you begin to sew. Press the seams open. Repeat until you have four diamonds with four strips in each. Note: This method requires some fabric waste and seam ripping, but I find it so much faster than piecing diamond shapes. You can set your scraps aside to make another star shape or use the bits for other projects. It’s good to have a scrap bin near your cutting area to contain all the bits that can be used later.

STEP 3: CUT STRIPS AT 45-DEGREE ANGLE. With one joined set of strips, use the 45-degree angle marked on your rotary cutting mat and a ruler to begin cutting the pieced fabric into 2-in/5-cm strips. Once you have established the first angled cut, you may use this angle to cut the remaining strips (see figure B). You will use the pieces with seven complete diamond shapes and set the rest aside. Repeat the cutting process with the second set of joined strips until you have 16 strips with seven complete diamonds in each.

fig. A

fig. B

STEP 4: LAY OUT AND SEW THE STRIPS TOGETHER.

Begin to lay out the diamond strips horizontally, with diamonds staggered by one in each ascending row (see figure C). Use a seam ripper to remove some of the diamond shapes in each row, as indicated by the shaded areas in figure D. You should now have four strips of 16 small diamonds to form the large diamond shape. Backstitch at the seam ends so that your pieces stay together fig. C

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1,2,3 QUILT

QUICK TIP: To ensure that the points of the

diamonds will match, before you sew, place a pin ¼ in/6 mm from the edge, then look to make sure that the tips of the diamonds are aligned. I often use my seam ripper as a tool to push seams under the presser foot while sewing, but use caution when doing this.

fig. D

STEP 5: SEW DIAMOND SHAPES TOGETHER. Sew the diamond shapes to form the half star. Sew them together along one side, right sides together, creating the half-star shape (see figure E).

STEP 6: PRESS THE EDGES AND SEW ON THE BAG FRONT.

Press down the edges by ¼ in/6 mm, leaving the bottom edges raw because they will be enclosed in a seam. When you come to the tips of the diamonds, fold straight down by ¼ in/6 mm, then fold the sides under. Cut any excess fabric and press. In the corners, you may need to use the seam ripper to take out a few stitches in order to fold the fabric under. Next, pin the star on the front piece of the bag, positioning it about 1 in/ 2.5 cm from the left and top, and overlapping the fabric on the right side. Trim the excess along the fabric edge. Then pin in place and topstitch the star to the fabric, about 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge, being sure to catch the tips of the star. Sew down the bottom and right side of the star as well, so that it doesn’t bunch as you sew.

fig. E

fig. F

continued

STARS

141

STEP 7: MAKE THE STRAPS. With a 5-by-24-in/12-by-61-cm strap piece, fold and press down the raw edges on both long sides by ½ in/12 mm, pressing the edges toward the wrong side of the fabric. Then fold the strap piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides facing, so that the folded edges are now enclosed. Press in place. Stitch along both edges, ¼ in/6 mm from the edge. One side will have the two folds coming together and one side will be the center crease. Repeat this step to make the second strap. Set aside.

STEP 8: ATTACH THE ZIPPER TO THE LINING AND OUTER FABRIC.

With the zipper and both of the outer bag and lining 23-by-4¼-in/58-by-11-cm top pieces, follow the instructions in How-To: Install a Zipper in a Lined Bag (page 31). Sew in the zipper up to ½ in/12 mm from the end.

STEP 9: BASTE THE STRAPS TO THE CENTER ZIPPERED PIECE.

On the center zippered piece, fold the lining pieces under toward the middle and pin them out of the way. Align both raw-edge ends of one of the straps with the raw edges of one long side of the center piece. The strap should be centered, with each end of the strap about 7 in/18 cm from each short side edge. Sew the strap to the outer fabric only, right at the edge, using a zigzag stitch for extra durability (see figure F, page 141). Repeat for the other strap, sewing it to the opposite side of the center zippered piece.

STEP 10: SEW THE OUTER FABRIC PIECES. Now that you have attached the zipper and straps to the top center pieces, continue to sew the rest of the outer bag to this center piece. Lay the front fabric piece on one long side of the center piece, right sides facing, with raw edges aligned (on the

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1,2,3 QUILT

23-in/58-cm side with the top of the star design). Sew along this edge, ½ in/12 mm from the raw edges. Start and stop ½ in/12 mm from the edge on all the body pieces (this will allow you to inset the side pieces). Lay the bottom piece on this front piece, right sides facing, and sew together. Next, sew the back piece to the bottom piece and sew the other long side of the back piece to the top center piece. Your bag will now be shaped like a fabric tube with wrong sides facing out. Inset the side pieces. Stop ½ in/12 mm before each corner with the needle in the down position, pivot the bag, then turn the corner and start stitching on the next side. You will need to move the zipper out of the way and pin it in place when sewing this section because you’ll be sewing over the end of the zipper tape. Leave the zipper halfway open.

STEP 11: SEW THE LINING PIECES. With the body of the bag still wrong-side out, sew the remaining lining pieces to the center lining pieces that are attached to the zipper. Sew the front, bottom, and back piece, followed by the two side pieces. When sewing the side pieces, you will pull the canvas outer bag out of the way, but sew over the zipper in the center. Leave an 8-in/20-cm opening in one seam as you sew a side piece, where you will turn the bag right-side out.

STEP 12: FINISH AND TURN RIGHT-SIDE OUT. Sew an overcast or zigzag stitch along all the seams in the outer bag and lining. Then turn the entire bag right side out through the opening in the lining. Poke out all of the corners. Fold the raw edges of the opening in and topstitch along the folds to close it.

STAR QUILT This beautiful quilt is made in classic colors of red and white that give a nod to tradition, but the bold graphic style and asymmetrical reversed block add modern interest. The stars are made with a fast technique using half-square triangles. Choose different colors for each star, or try patterned fabrics, or use a simple two-color palette with a slight variation as I did here. With large 18-in/46-cm blocks, the quilt comes together quickly, so it works well in a large size.

MATERIALS

CUT

5 yd/4.6 m star fabric for quilt top

Star fabric:

Matching thread

60 squares, 10 in/25 cm

10 yd/9.1 m for front background fabric, backing, and binding

4 pieces, 3½ by 9½ in/9 by 24 cm

Quilt batting, queen size

Background fabric: 60 squares, 10 in/25 cm 116 pieces, 3½ by 9½ in/9 by 24 cm

QUICK TIP: It’s more efficient to cut all of the

fabric at once and make blocks in an assemblyline fashion, repeating one step before moving on to the next. I recommend cutting out the fabric for one block first, then sewing the block together, so that you understand the instructions and make sure all the measurements are correct. You do not want to waste time and fabric on a repeated mistake!

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: half-square triangles, star piecing FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 90 by 108 in/229 by 274 cm

STARS

143

STEP 1: MAKE HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES. Following the instructions for How-To: Half-Square Triangles (page 66), use one 10-in/25-cm square of star fabric and one 10-in/25-cm square of background fabric to make half-square triangles. Repeat with the remaining squares. Once sewn together and cut, you will have 120 completed half-square triangles. Press all the seams open.

STEP 2: CUT HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES INTO

½ in/12 mm

2 in/ 5 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

2 in/ 5 cm

STRIPS.

Cut the half-square triangles into the strips that will form the star shapes. Begin with one halfsquare triangle and place it on the grid of your cutting mat. As you cut the strips, the angle of the diagonal must be in the same direction for all the strips with the colored fabric for the star section at the top, so cut the strips the same each time (see figure A). Cut off the top ½ in/12 mm of the half-square triangle and add this piece to your scrap bin. Then cut the next strip 2 in/5 cm wide, and repeat until you have four 2-in-/5-cm-wide strips. You will not need the bottom portion either, so add it to your scrap bin. Repeat this process with all 120 of the half-square triangles. Put the strips in piles of four.

fig. A

fig. B

STEP 3: REARRANGE THE STRIPS AND SEW THEM TOGETHER.

Lay out four strips in the order shown (see figure B) and sew them together. Repeat until you have sewn together 116 sets of four strips. For the last four sets of strips, reverse the order so that they form a star with the background fabric. Press all seams open. continued

fig. C

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145

STEP 4: SEW THE JOINED PIECES TO THE RECTANGLES.

A

A

Take one of the joined pieces from the first 116, sew it to a 3½-by-9½-in/9-by-24-cm background piece, sewing along the side with the shortest star strip (see figure C, page 145). Press the seam open. Repeat until you have sewn all 116 of the joined sets to a piece of 3½-by-9½-in/9-by-24cm background fabric in the same manner. Next,

fig. D

sew each of the four remaining joined pieces to a 3½-by-9½-in/9-by-24-cm piece of the star fabric. This will form a single square in the reverse color scheme. You should now have a total of 120 squares, each 9½ in/24 cm. Place them on the cutting mat and trim, if needed, to square up.

STEP 5: JOIN THE SQUARES TO FORM LARGER BLOCKS.

Join the squares together to form one large 18½-in/47-cm block (see figure D). Repeat with the remaining squares until you have 29 blocks with colored stars and one block with the reversed star/ background color scheme.

STEP 6: SEW THE BLOCKS INTO ROWS, THEN JOIN THE ROWS TO MAKE THE QUILT TOP.

Sew the blocks into six rows of five each. After you have sewn the first row, press all seams open. Continue to sew rows, and make sure to add the accent block in one of the rows (see figure E). Join the six rows together to form the quilt top. Press the seams open.

STEP 7: BASTE, QUILT, AND BIND. Following the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together (page 13), baste the top, batting, and backing pieces together, quilt it, and finish with binding. This quilt may be hand quilted, or machine quilted with an all-over design, perhaps a grid, or a design like flowers or vines, as shown here, to add organic curves to the geometric quilt design. 146

1,2,3 QUILT

fig. E

STARS

147

CHAPTER

8

DIAMONDS

D

iamonds can be used to create timeless quilt designs. Whether simply a square turned on its side, a more elongated shape, or a shape with curved sides and sharp points, we’ll explore the

versatility of the diamond in this chapter. The first diamond project is a clever Argyle Apron with hand stitching. Next is a Diamond Hot Pad made of concentric diamonds using the foundation paper-piecing method. And the final project is a handsewn Cathedral Windows Quilt in a smaller size perfect for a baby quilt or wall hanging. This chapter covers some techniques that may have seemed daunting before, but once you get started, you’ll see there is nothing to fear!

ARGYLE APRON Bring back argyle with this fun retro design. Here, we use patchwork and hand stitching to create an argyle apron. The argyle effect is formed with simple squares that are strip pieced, then cut and turned at an angle to form diamonds. Simple hand stitching provides the finishing touch. Best of all, the back of the apron is fully lined so that your patchwork seams and stitching are neatly hidden. This makes a charming hostess gift and is fun to wear around the kitchen.

MATERIALS 1½ yd/1.4 m cotton fabric for background and lining ½ yd/0.5 m contrasting fabric Matching thread Contrasting embroidery floss

CUT Background fabric: 1 strip for argyle section center, 2½ in by 25 in/ 6 by 63.5 cm 2 strips for argyle section outer pieces, 4 by 25 in/10 by 63.5 cm 2 apron sash side pieces, 5 by 27½ in/12 by 70 cm 1 apron sash center piece, 5 by 18½ in/12 by 47 cm 1 upper front piece, 8½ by 18½ in/21.5 by 47 cm 1 back lining piece, 15½ by 18½ in/39 by 47 cm Contrasting fabric: 2 strips for argyle section, 2½ by 25 in/6 by 63.5 cm

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: strip piecing, embroidery running stitch FINISHED DIMENSIONS: apron front, 15 by 18 in/38 by 46 cm

DIAMONDS

151

STEP 1: USE THE STRIP-PIECING METHOD TO MAKE PATCHWORK STRIPS.

Lay out all the 25-in/63.5-cm strips in both background and contrasting fabrics with the wider background strips on the top and bottom, alternating background and contrasting fabric (see figure A). Then sew the strips together. Press all the seams toward the darker fabric. Cut this joined piece vertically into nine 2 5/8 -in/6.5-cm strips (see figure B).

STEP 2: JOIN THE PATCHWORK STRIPS TO FORM THE DIAMONDS.

fig. A

25/8 in 6.5 cm

Lay the patchwork strips on a table or cutting mat in an arrangement as shown in figure C. Sew the strips together, with the squares turned at a 45-degree angle to make diamonds. Press these seams open.

STEP 3: CUT THE DIAMOND SECTION. Cut the diamond section so that you can sew it to the larger apron front piece. Cut a rectangle that is 6½ by 18½ in/16.5 by 47 cm, centered on the two rows of six diamonds (see figure D), with ¼ in/ 6 mm from the tips of the centered diamonds on all sides.

STEP 4: STITCH THE ARGYLE LINES.

fig. B

fig. C

Be sure that the seams you have sewn are locked in place before you start the hand stitching. I suggest backstitching at the ends of the cut seams so they don’t unravel as you work. With embroidery floss and a hand-sewing needle, use a running stitch to sew along the diagonal center of the diamonds (see figure E). You may mark these lines with chalk or disappearing ink to guide your stitching, if needed. fig. D

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STEP 5: PREPARE THE SASH. Sew the three sash pieces together with the smaller 18½-in/47-cm piece in the center. Use the ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance for the rest of the project. Press the seams open. Fold down the edges on both long sides of the fabric by ½ in/ 12 mm and press in place. Fold the entire piece in half lengthwise, so that the folds of the fabric are touching with wrong sides facing. Then, to close the ends of the sash, open the fold at one end and fold back in the opposite direction so that right sides are facing. Sew along the edge. Repeat with the other end. Flip these ends back right-side out. The length of the sash will be sewn together in a later step.

fig. E

STEP 6: ASSEMBLE THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE APRON.

Sew the diamond patchwork piece to the larger upper front piece, right sides facing. Press the seam open. Sew this piece to the back lining piece. Pin the pieces together, right sides facing, and sew around the bottom and two sides, leaving the top open. Turn right-side out, poke out the corners, and press all the seams.

STEP 7: ATTACH THE SASH. Find the center of the sash and mark it. Also mark the center of the apron piece, then align the centers and pin the sash piece to the apron piece, sandwiching the apron piece inside the folds of the sash. Continue pinning along the sash, past where the apron meets on both sides. Topstitch along the folds of the sash, about ¼ in/6 mm in from the folded edges.

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DIAMOND HOT PAD This simple hot pad is the perfect starter project for paper piecing, and the finished result makes a great addition to any kitchen. You’ll master foundation paper piecing, the process of sewing fabric directly onto a design printed on paper, which works perfectly for tiny seams and patchwork details. The technique works well for making letters or pictures from patchwork to be used as quilt blocks or in wall hangings. Make the hot pad from fabric scraps in solids or patterns—mix and match to have a little fun.

MATERIALS Diamond Hot Pad Template Cotton fabric scraps for patchwork front of hot pad 1 fat quarter (18 by 22 in/46 by 56 cm) cotton solid fabric, for backing and binding Matching thread 8 by 8 in/20 by 20 cm quilt batting

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: foundation paper piecing FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 8 by 8 in/20 by 20 cm

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STEP 1: PIECE THE FRONT USING THE FOUNDATION PAPER PIECING TECHNIQUE

With the Diamond Hot Pad Template, use the instructions in How-To: Foundation Paper Piecing (following) to sew the patchwork front. You may want to make an extra copy of the template rather than sewing directly on it, in case you make a mistake.

STEP 2: BASTE THE PIECES TOGETHER. Cut an 8-in/20-cm square from solid fabric for the backing piece and cut another 8-in/20-cm square from quilt batting. Make a quilt sandwich with the backing on the bottom (right side facing down), then the quilt batting, then the hot pad patchwork front on top (right side facing up). Pin these pieces together.

STEP 3: MAKE BINDING AND ATTACH IT. Make binding according to the instructions in Putting the Quilt Together, page 13, and attach it to the hot pad using the binding instructions on page 17.

HOW-TO: FOUNDATION PAPER PIECING In general, when you hear the term ”paper piecing,” it is most likely referring to English paper piecing (page 83). Foundation paper piecing is used to sew very small patchwork seams, often in text or images. The method involves using a design printed onto paper and then sewing the fabric directly onto the paper to achieve precision with even the tiniest pieces. The method is a bit tricky to learn, but once you figure it out, you’ll see how simple it is. And you always come away with impressive-looking pieces. Plus there is no measuring involved! The pieces can be roughly cut and laid on the paper, then trimmed as you go. MATERIALS: To make the Diamond Hot Pad

project on page 154, you’ll need to have a copy of the Diamond Hot Pad Template, matching thread, and fabric scraps. You’ll also need a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler. PROCESS: You’ll place the fabric on the back

of the paper, but you’ll sew on the front so that you can follow the pattern. With the pieces cut roughly, you can simply sew the seam lines, then fold back the paper and cut the fabric into a ¼-in/6-mm seam. Then you’ll press flat and start with the next seam. I found placement of the fabric a bit counterintuitive at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll all make sense. This method takes some practice. In these instructions, I’ll reference the Diamond Hot Pad project, but you can use these general guidelines for any foundation paper-pieced project. I cut the fabric as I go, but you can cut it all before you sit down at the sewing machine, if you like.

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1 With the paper pattern cut out, use it as a guide to roughly cut one piece of fabric at least ¼ in/ 6 mm larger on all sides than the diamond shape. Next, cut a small piece larger than the next sliver of fabric that will be sewn in the pattern. Note that you can use much larger scraps, since everything will be trimmed later and it’s always better to cut a piece too large than too small. I often just cut squares or rectangles much larger than the piece to be sewn, to speed up the process, but this does cause some fabric waste.

2 Turn the pattern sheet over to the back side and place the fabric for the diamond behind the diamond marking on the front. I often hold the paper and fabric up to the light to make sure my placements are correct. This fabric should face right-side up, but the starting pieces are the only pieces that will be right-side up. Next, place the small piece right-side down next to this one, so that right sides of the fabric are facing each other and the larger side of the fabric will be on the side of the diamond, whereas what will become your seam allowance will be below that line (see figure A). (Gray lines in figure A indicate pattern shown on the reverse side of the paper.) You can pin the paper in place from the front or just hold it in place as you flip it back over. Turn it to the pattern side and sew right on top of the paper, stitching only along the line marked with a 1. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your rows so that they don’t unravel as you work.

overhanging fabric to be ¼ in/6 mm. Unfold the paper and fold down the smaller piece of fabric so that right sides are facing up. Press in place.

4 Continue working around the diamond shape, aligning fabric on the back and sewing along the lines on the front of the paper pattern. The trickiest part is the placement of the fabric, because you want to make sure that you place the fabric to create a seam allowance and also make sure that when folded back, the fabric covers the area you are working with. Sew the lines in the order indicated, trimming and pressing as you work.

fig. A

3 Remove the paper from the machine and take it to the cutting mat. Flip the paper over to the back side with the fabric. Fold just the paper along the line of the stitching, giving it a clean crease. The fabric will hang over the edge (see figure B). Using a clear ruler and rotary cutter, trim the

fig. B

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CATHEDRAL WINDOWS QUILT Named after the stained glass that these blocks resemble, the technique used to make the cathedral windows design is a bit like origami. You fold the fabric, then fold again, insert a patterned fabric into the “frame,” fold over, and stitch. It’s a fun process, and requires no backing, batting, binding, or top quilting. It’s actually more of a textured blanket than a quilt! The folding requires a lot of fabric, but I’ve made the blocks 8 in/20 cm to speed up the process. The quilt can be sewn either by hand or machine; I went with machine sewing. This smaller size is perfect for a baby quilt or wall hanging, but the quilt can be easily adjusted to any size. Because of the way each segment frames the fabric, this design works well for showcasing heirloom or vintage fabrics. It would be beautiful made with bits of embroidery, antique monograms, or a child’s baby clothes.

MATERIALS 6½ yd/5.9 m background fabric 1 yd/1 m fabric for the center diamonds, or forty 5-in/12-cm squares of different fabrics Matching thread

SHAPE UP YOUR SKILLS: cathedral windows design block piecing FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 40 by 40 in/102 by 102 cm

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STEP 1: CUT FABRIC. Cut 25 squares of the background fabric, 17 in/43 cm each. Then cut 40 squares of the fabric for the center diamonds, 5 in/12 cm each.

STEP 2: FOLD AND PRESS THE SIDES. With one background fabric square, press down all four sides toward the wrong side of the fabric by ½ in/12 mm (see figure A). This should be precise, so use a seam gauge for accuracy.

fig. A

STEP 3: FOLD THE FABRIC INTO THE CENTER. Fold the entire piece of fabric in half, then in half again, to find the center. Mark or finger press to leave creases. Open the fabric and lay it flat with the wrong side facing up. Bring one corner into the center (see figure B). Continue with the remaining corners (see figure C), making sure that all folds and edges are properly aligned and that the tips created by the folds are nice and pointed. Press in place. It may help to do all your folding on the ironing board.

fig. B

STEP 4: FOLD THE FABRIC INTO THE CENTER A SECOND TIME.

Fold the fabric toward the center again, forming an even smaller square with layers of fabric (see figure D). Press in place, again making sure that the corners are sharp. Set this folded piece aside. Repeat steps 2–4 with all the background fabric squares.

continued

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fig. C

fig. D

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161

STEP 5: SEW TWO FOLDED BACKGROUND FABRIC SQUARES TOGETHER.

Take two background fabric squares and open one triangular flap on each. Stack the two pieces with the unfolded right sides together and sew along the crease made by the open flaps (see figure E). Use pins if needed to secure the fabric while sewing. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching. Open up the joined piece so that the folded side is facing up (see figure F).

fig. E

STEP 6: CREATE THE FRAMED SECTION. Place a 5-in/12-cm square centered over the seam that you just created, at an angle to create a diamond shape (see figure G). Fold the background fabric over the edges of this center diamond and pin in place (see figure H). The background fabric folds should be about 3/8 in/ 1 cm at the widest point. Next, topstitch the folds, a scant 1/8 in/3 mm from the edge using a long stitch. You may choose to sew by hand, using a slipstitch to hide your stitching or embroidery floss to emphasize it.

fig. F

STEP 7: CONTINUE SEWING BLOCKS AND DIAMONDS.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have sewn nine rows, alternating four and five within each row.

STEP 8: FINISH THE EDGES. Along the edges, you will have triangle-shaped folds remaining. Sew down the folds flat, using a topstitch 1/8 in/3 mm from the folded edge. I chose not to add any fabric to these edge areas to maintain the straight lines of the square shape of this quilt, but you could add fabric here to make half diamonds, then just fold and stitch the outside edges, which would give the perimeter of the quilt a scalloped effect.

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fig. G

fig. H

BUTTONHOLE PRESSER FOOT: Most sewing

GLOSSARY

APPLIQUÉ: An appliqué is a smaller piece of fabric sewn on top of another fabric as an embellishment. An appliqué can be sewn by hand or by machine. Reverse appliqué is a variation in which the fabric appliqué is sewn underneath the main fabric and revealed through an opening.

BACKSTITCH: Also referred to as backtacking, this is a quick reverse stitch or two to lock your stitches in place as you start sewing. Backstitching is required when beginning a row of stitches, except when making patchwork or pieces that will be sewn to one another, or when using a basting stitch that will be pulled into gathers or removed in a later step.

BASTING STITCH: This stitch is used to hold pieces of fabric in place temporarily. It is a long stitch with wide spacing and can be done by hand or by machine.

BINDING: Binding is folded fabric that can be used both to enclose an edge to finish it and to add a decorative element. It is often used to finish the edges of a quilt and around curves in clothing, such as necklines or armholes.

BLOCK: A quilt block is a component of a quilt, often in the shape of a square. Blocks are generally made of smaller pieces of fabric and may repeat in the quilt top design.

BOBBIN: A bobbin is a small spool of thread that fits in your machine. It holds the thread that sews the underside of stitching.

machines are equipped with a buttonhole presser foot that allows you to insert your button into a gauge so the machine will make a buttonhole of the correct size.

CHAIN STITCHING: This method is an efficient way to sew together fabric pieces used in quilting, when many sets of cut fabrics need to be joined together quickly. You sew one set of fabrics together, then instead of cutting the thread and starting again, you take a few stitches, then place another set of fabrics under the presser foot. This creates a chain of sewn pieces, joined by the stitches in between each set of pieces. Simply cut those in-between threads to separate the pieces.

DART: A fabric dart, often used in garment sewing, is a sewing technique that pulls in fabric to add dimension or shape to the finished item. In general, the fabric is folded together and sewn with a straight line to enclose a triangular shape of fabric.

EDGE STITCH: This stitch is used on top of the fabric, similar to topstitching, but along the edge, generally 1/8 to 1/4 in/3 to 6 mm in from the edge.

FAT QUARTER: In the United States, a fat quarter is an 18-by-22-in/46-by-60-cm piece of fabric created by cutting a full yard into quarters with a horizontal and vertical cut. The fat quarter is used in quilting where smaller pieces of fabric are needed. Fat quarters make it easy to pick up small amounts of your favorite fabric patterns at the store. A standard quarter yard is 9 by 44 in/23 by 112 cm, or the full width of the fabric.

FEED TEETH (FEED DOGS): Located under the needle strike plate on the sewing machine, this mechanism pulls your fabric through the machine smoothly. For free-motion embroidery, you turn off the feed dogs, allowing you to move the fabric in all directions.

FEEDSACK FABRIC: Now a common term for a type of fabric, fabric feedsacks were actually used for transporting food in the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s. Women began to sew with these floral and geometric prints, which are commonly reproduced today.

GLOSSARY

163

HEM: The hem refers to the finished sewn edge of an item. It is usually formed with two folds followed by topstitching.

HOOK AND LOOP FASTENER: Commonly known by the brand name Velcro, hook and loop fastener has tiny hooks on one piece and tiny soft loops on the other that attach to one another to fasten fabric pieces together.

IN THE DITCH STITCHING: The term “in the ditch” refers to stitching on the right side of fabric in the indentation of a seam. This is often done in quilting to make the quilted stitches disappear within the patchwork seams.

INTERFACING: Interfacing is an essential element for suits, handbags, organizers, or any project that requires added strength or opacity. The right interfacing can add a crisp and professional look to your work. There are many types of interfacing available—and they can all be found jumbled in a pile at your local fabric store. It seems that you need a special course to decipher the different types of interfacing, but here’s a quick rundown:

Fusible Interfacing: This type of interfacing can be pressed directly onto the back of your fabric, and the heat of the iron makes it fuse with the fabric. There are many variations of iron-on interfacing, but it’s best to choose an interfacing weight that matches the weight of your fabric.

Double-Sided Fusible Interfacing: Often referred to by the brand name Wonder Under, this interfacing has emulsion on both sides. It can be pressed onto the back of one fabric, the backing peeled, then that fabric can be pressed onto another piece. This works well for appliqué projects.

Sew-in Interfacing: This variety of interfacing is sewn on to the fabric. It’s often helpful to pin or baste this interfacing onto your fabric as you work. This works well for lighter fabrics that might not work with fusible interfacing, or as a sturdy support for stiffer projects.

Fusible Patch: A fusible patch is a small precut piece of fabric with fusible adhesive on the back

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side and is often used for patching holes in clothing. I recommend the patches for added strength behind magnetic fasteners or buttons. Within each of these interfacing types, there are various weights and materials, so think about the needs of your project and test the interfacing with the weight of your fabric.

MITERED CORNERS: When seams meet at a 45-degree angle, the corners are mitered. The addition of mitered corners can add a professional look to linens and hems.

NOTCHING AND CLIPPING: Curved corners require notching, or cutting into the fabric to ease the curve and decrease the bulk of the seam. These cuts are made by cutting into the seam allowance and removing small triangles of fabric along the curve (notching), or by making small straight cuts perpendicular to the seam line along the curve (clipping).

NOTIONS: This term is used to include all sorts of trims, zippers, buttons, or other sewing accessories that you may need. Store-bought patterns often have sewing notions separated from fabric in the supply list. Notions may also include thread, tools, fabric glue, bobbins, and other sewing aids.

OVERCAST STITCH: The overcast stitch finishes off a seam, preventing it from fraying. If you do not have an overcast stitch setting on your sewing machine, you may use a zigzag stitch along the raw edge of the seam. The overcast stitch can also be sewn by hand.

PRESHRINK: All new fabric should be washed and dried prior to sewing to preshrink it. This is particularly important when two fabrics are sewn together and may shrink to different degrees.

PRESSER FOOT: Most sewing machines come equipped with several presser feet that serve specific functions. The general purpose of a presser foot is to hold your fabric in place and keep it flat as it is moved under your needle. (See also glossary listings for buttonhole presser foot and zipper presser foot.)

RUNNING STITCH: This stitch is often used in hand quilting and involves going in and out of the fabric, leaving a visible stitch. Of varying lengths, this stitch is often made with perle cotton or embroidery floss when you want to add a decorative, handmade look.

SEAM ALLOWANCE: The seam allowance is the amount of fabric that will be hidden beneath a seam. It’s important to take seam allowance into consideration as you sew. All the patterns in this book include a seam allowance, which is generally ¼ in/6 mm. If you are a beginner, it can be helpful to mark the seam allowance on your sewing machine with a piece of tape or use a specially designed ¼-in/6-mm presser foot.

SELVAGE: The side edges of woven fabric are called the selvages. These may be white and printed with the name of the fabric and maker. They are often cut off the fabric and not used in piecing so that they will not show in your seams.

SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES: Needles are sized with American and European numbers, often printed together on the needle. A general-purpose needle ranges from 10 to 14 American, 70 to 90 European. Lightweight fabrics are best sewn with a lower needle size, and heavyweight fabrics with a higher needle size. Most projects in this book do not require a special needle, but you can experiment to see the different results. In addition, needles are available with various points to suit particular fabrics.

straight, and that right angles are true. In quilting, it is important to square up quilt blocks as you work in order to create a perfectly square or rectangular finished quilt.

STAYSTITCH: A staystitch is made around the edge of a fabric piece to prevent pulling or fabric distortion. The stitch is often used on lighter weight or stretchy fabrics.

STITCH LENGTH: Most sewing machines have a setting that controls the length of the stitches. A longer stitch is generally used for basting or topstitching, and a shorter stitch is best for securing fabrics and sewing around curves.

STRAIGHT STITCH: The straight stitch is the most basic stitch to achieve straight lines in hems, seams, quilting, and in all sorts of sewing.

TENSION: The tension setting on the sewing machine controls how taut the top thread and bobbin thread are being pulled as you sew. Reduce the tension for thicker fabrics and increase the tension for lighter weight fabrics. If you are unsure about the correct tension setting, it’s best to experiment on a piece of scrap fabric. Correct tension should produce stitches that are even on both sides of the fabric.

TOPSTITCH: The topstitch is used on top of the fabric. It is often done for decorative purposes, as well as to close an opening in a seam, or to add additional stability to a seam that will undergo lots of wear and tear.

SHOT COTTON: A lighter weight fabric, shot

WHIPSTITCH: This stitch is used when joining

cotton has an intense depth of color because it is often woven with two different colors of thread. Shot cotton has a softer feel than traditional woven cotton, perfect for baby projects or quilts.

together the edges of two fabrics, sometimes to keep them from fraying and sometimes as a decorative stitch. It is made by simply going in and out of the two stacked fabrics, leaving visible stitches wrapped around the joined edges, perpendicular to the fabric, either in a vertical or slightly diagonal position.

SLIPSTITCH: A hand stitching method that allows you to create nearly invisible stitches, the slipstitch sews through only a few threads of the base fabric and along a fold of the other fabric to be sewn.

SOFTIE: A softie is simply a stuffed animal, or a sewn toy.

SQUARE/SQUARE UP: To square up a project means to make sure that the dimensions are correct, according to your instructions, that the sides are

ZIGZAG STITCH: This stitch is shaped like a zigzag and can be used as a decorative topstitch or to prevent the edges of a seam from fraying.

ZIPPER PRESSER FOOT: A zipper presser foot for the sewing machine is specially designed for sewing zippers. The metal foot piece is on one side of the needle, allowing you to get as close to the zipper teeth as possible with your stitches.

GLOSSARY

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

QUILTING THANKS: I had some help making the quilts in this book. Though I pieced all the quilt tops, most of the quilting was outsourced to these tremendously talented people: Diana Taylor, quiltatl.com, Lopsided Squares Quilt (page 32). Lisa Sipes, thatcrazyquiltygirl.blogspot.com, Triangles Quilt (page 67). Regina Carter, reginacarterquilts.com, Star Quilt (page 143).

Thanks to everyone who helped with this book, most of all my family, who put up with me working on nights, weekends, and any time that I could get work done. I neglected the kids and abandoned the laundry, so I thank my stoic husband, Justin, for taking up the slack. He also provided great advice about color and design for quilts. I think he has a bright future as a quilting consultant. My daughters, Laura and Eva, were full of useful feedback as well, whether it was “Why would someone want to cut one hundred and twenty squares of fabric?” which is a good point, or “You should add more pink,” which I did. Thanks to the grandparents for helping out with the kids. And thanks, as always, to my genius brother, Michael.

Thanks to my agent, Kate McKean, who always does a phenomenal job deciphering contracts and representing my interests. And thanks to Laura Lee Mattingly, my editor at Chronicle, for her never-ending patience and for allowing me creative freedom with this book. Thanks also to the rest of the team at Chronicle, including technical editor Dee Neer, copy editor Ellen Wheat, managing editor Claire Fletcher, art director Hillary Caudle, designer Vivien Sung, and publicist Lorraine Woodcheke. Thanks to Laura Malek for working with me again to bring these projects to life with her wonderful photography. Her work can be found online at lauramalek.com. Thanks to The Indie-pendent, a handmade shop in Atlanta, for allowing us to take photos in their beautiful studio space. Their goods can be found online at theindie-pendent.com.

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Tia Curtis, tiacurtisquilts.blogspot.com, Random Rectangles Quilt (page 50), Honeycomb Quilt (page 91), and Cluster Dots Quilt (page 107). And thanks to Jessica Edens (betheink.com) for hand sewing most of the quilt bindings. Pattern testers: Thanks so much to the amazing group of women who volunteered to test patterns for this book: Rebecca Policastro Aranyi, Brooke Crook, Mary Emmens, Cristy Fincher, Sarah Jackson, Heather Loney, Katie Loney, Rebecca Makas, Cindy McCamant, Kellie King Morgan, Deb Robertson, Mandie Segura, Emily Sposetta, Jennifer Sylvia, and Kerry Wilkinson.

RESOURCES

FABRIC SHOPS B & J Fabrics, bandjfabrics.com Drygoods Design Online, drygoodsdesignonline.com Fabricworm, fabricworm.com

INDEX

A Appliqué freezer-paper, 89–90 needle-turn, 118 Apron, Argyle, 151–53 Arrow Tablet Case, 135–37

Fat Quarter Shop, fatquartershop.com Home Sweet, homesweetbyhand.com Intown Quilters, intownquilters.com Miss Matatabi, etsy.com/shop/missmatatabi Pink Castle Fabrics, pinkcastlefabrics.com Pink Chalk Fabrics, pinkchalkfabrics.com Sew, Mama, Sew, sewmamasew.com Sew Modern, sewmodernonline.com Summersville, etsy.com/shop/summersville Superbuzzy, superbuzzy.com Whipstitch Fabrics, whipstitchfabrics.com

ONLINE QUILTING INSPIRATION Daintytime, daintytime.net Denyse Schmidt Quilts, dsquilts.com Film in the Fridge, filminthefridge.com Handmade by Alissa, handmadebyalissa.com Red Pepper Quilts, redpepperquilts.com Stitched in Color, stitchedincolor.com Tallgrass Prairie Studio,tallgrassprairiestudio .blogspot.com The Modern Quilt Guild, themodernquiltguild.com Quilting Is My Therapy, quiltingismytherapy.com Whip Up, whipup.net

B Backing, 6, 13–14 Backstitching, 10 Bags Hexagon Handbag, 78–83 installing zippers in, 31 Native Star Duffel Bag, 138–42 Pixel Pouch, 29–31 Rail Fence Tote Bag, 44–49 Basting supplies for, 7 techniques for, 12–13 Batting, 11 Binding, 6, 17–19 Blocks, squaring up, 37 C Cathedral Windows Quilt, 159–62 Chalk pencils, 7 Channel quilting, 12 Circles Clamshell Pillow Sham, 101–6 Cluster Dots Quilt, 107–10 Quarter-Circle Coasters, 99–100 Clamshell Pillow Sham, 101–6 Cluster Dots Quilt, 107–10 Coasters, Quarter-Circle, 99–100 Corners boxed, 49 mitered, 117 Curves, easing, 106 Cutting mats, self-healing, 6 D Diamonds Argyle Apron, 151–53

INDEX

167

Cathedral Windows Quilt, 159–62 Diamond Hot Pad, 154–57 Dresden Flower Quilt, 127–30 Duffel Bag, Native Star, 138–42

I In-the-ditch quilting, 12

sizing, 13 Quilt top, 6

L Line quilting, 12 Long-arm quilting, 12 Lopsided Squares Quilt, 32–37

E English paper piecing, 83

M Machine quilting, 6–7, 15–16 Markers, 7

R Rail Fence Tote Bag, 45–49 Random Rectangles Quilt, 50–55 Rectangles Rail Fence Tote Bag, 45–49 Random Rectangles Quilt, 50–55 Stacked Table Runner, 41–44 Rotary cutters, 6 Rulers, 6

F Fabric color of, 8–9 cutting on the grain, 10 patterns, 9 pressing, 9–10 prewashing, 9 selecting, 8–9 types of, 8 Finger pressing, 10 Flag Place Mats, 62–66 Flowers Dresden Flower Quilt, 127–30 Petal Skirt, 119–25 Posy Tea Towel, 115–18 Flying Geese Pillow, 59–61 Flying geese techniques one-seam, 61 shortcut, 72–73 traditional, 71 Foundation paper piecing, 156–57 Free-motion quilting, 11 Freezer-paper appliqué, 89–90 G Game Mat, 23–27 H Handbag, Hexagon, 78–83 Hand quilting, 11, 16 Hexagons Hexagon Handbag, 78–83 Hexie the Turtle, 84–90 Honeycomb Quilt, 91–94 Hot Pad, Diamond, 154–57 168

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N Native Star Duffel Bag, 138–42 Needles, 7 Needle-turn appliqué, 118 O One-seam flying geese technique, 61 P Paper piecing English, 83 foundation, 156–57 Petal Skirt, 119–25 Pillows Clamshell Pillow Sham, 101–6 Flying Geese Pillow, 59–61 Pinwheels, 75 Pixel Pouch, 29–31 Place Mats, Flag, 62–66 Posy Tea Towel, 115–18 Pressing, 9–10 Prewashing, 9 Q Quarter-Circle Coasters, 99–100 Quilter’s square rulers, 6 Quilting channel, 12 free-motion, 11 by hand, 11 in-the-ditch, 12 line, 12 long-arm, 12 by machine, 6–7, 15–16 Quilts parts of, 6

S Scissors, 7 Seam allowances, 10 Seam rippers, 7 Seams nesting, 26 pressing, 9 Sewing machines, 6–7, 15–16 Skirt, Petal, 119–25 Squares Game Mat, 23–27 Lopsided Squares Quilt, 32–37 Pixel Pouch, 29–31 Stacked Table Runner, 41–44 Stars Arrow Tablet Case, 135–37 Native Star Duffel Bag, 138–42 Star Quilt, 143–46 String piecing, 65 Strip piecing, 27 T Table Runner, Stacked, 41–44 Tablet Case, Arrow, 135–37 Thread tying knot at end of, 16 types of, 7 Tools, 6–7 Top quilting approaches to, 11–12

by hand, 11, 16 by machine, 6–7, 15–16 Towel, Posy Tea, 115–18 Triangles Flag Place Mats, 62–66 Flying Geese Pillow, 59–61 half-square, 66 Triangles Quilt, 67–75 Turtle, Hexie the, 84–90 Z Zippers invisible, 124–25 in lined bags, 31

TEMPLATES To download and print the templates included in this book, type http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/pdfs/1_2_3_Quilt-Patterns.pdf into a web browser from which you can print (e.g. desktop or laptop computer connected to a printer). To print templates on 8 ½-x-11-inch/A4 paper from your home computer, please follow the following “tiling” instructions. Tiling will allow you to split the large template page seen on screen across multiple 8 ½-x-11-inch pages, which you can then assemble into the large template page to use for your project. Alternatively, you can make use of a large-format printer at your local copy center. For best printing results, print from Adobe Reader version X or higher. (Tiling options are not available on version 9 or lower.) 1. Open PDF and resave PDF onto your computer. 2. Open resaved PDF and choose Print. 3. Under Paper Size and Handling menu, choose Poster. 4. Select Cut Marks and Tile only large pages and Labels options. 5. Press OK to print. 6. Use the cut marks to line up the pages and tape together to assemble into large template page.