Happy New Year!

Yes I know - it's the first of September. But for me that's New Year. It's the beginning of a new school year and as a student and then a mother and the wife of a University professor the beginning of September always marked and still marks a new year for me. The heat of the summer is over and warm and colorful fall days are around the corner so it's time to take a gulp of fresh air and get going. 

 

This year for me the new year means that I will reactivate my blog. I refuse to let the pandemic drag me down as it did the last few months. As always quilting will be my therapy. 

So - how to celebrate this new start? The best way I can. With a free quilt pattern for you all - the pattern for my quilt "Jewels" which you can also see at the top of my website. 

 

The name comes from the fabrics in jewel tones which are really glowing because of the black sashing and border fabric.This pattern is for a twin size quilt 140 x 200 cm (74“ x 107“) but of course with a few blocks more or less you can easily make it any other size

 

For the top you will need

54 squares of fabric 20 x 20 cm (10“ x 10“) in jewel tones

250 cm (3 1/3 yards) for the sashing and border strips

 

Cut a length of 210 cm (7 feet) from the black fabric

Cut this fabric lengthwise into

8 long sashing strips each 4,5 cm (2“) wide

4 border strips each 12 cm (5“) wide and

4 binding strips each 6 cm (2 ½“) wide.

 

Please note: seam allowance is already included in the measurements.

 

Btw - if you do the maths you will realize that the measurements in centimetres and in inches do not exactly correspond. That's because I adjusted them for easier cutting.  

 

Cut all 54 squares in jewel tones on one diagonal – you will get 108 triangles.

 

Join 2 triangles in different colors on the long side and press the seam allowance to one side. Sew 54 blocks.

 

From the remaining black fabric cut 40 short sashing strips 4,5 cm (2“) wide and the length of your block.

 

Lay out the blocks in 9 rows, 6 blocks in each row. When you like the color combination sew the blocks into rows, adding the short sashing strips between the blocks.

 

Sew the rows together adding the long sashing strips.

 

Add the border strips.

 

Assemble the quilt sandwich and quilt.

 

Bind the quilt with the 4 binding strips.

 

Have fun and enjoy your beautiful quilt! See you next time!

 

I'm linking to Nina Marie's "Off the Wall Friday"

Blockheads 9 - Taos

In my opinion Taos called for orange and dark red to mimic the Adobe buildings and the colors of the desert. And by coincidence the colors corresponded exactely with the blooms of my newly bought hibiscus

Taos by Vanessa Goertzen

My block is 6" which made for rather small squares in the centre but it is manageable.

Here is the link to Vanessa's original post.

Blockheads 8 - 9Patch

Uneven 9Patch by Minick & Simpson

I really love the simplicity of this block. And in a 6" size it's really cute.

Here is the link to the original post by the makers.

Blockheads 6 - Magic

A pinwheel-variation I should have made with 2 different fabrics to make it stand out better. Well, done is done or as a friend of mine said "better finished than perfect".

Magic by Lisa Bongean

As there are so many patches I chose the 12" size.

Here is the link to Lisa's original post.

Blockheads 5 - 9Patch Variation

As it is the week of Valentine's Day Brigitte Heitland designed a block with the word LOVE written on it (click here for the link).
Paper piecing and a written word? Not for me. So I sew that 6"

Nine Patch Variation

Blockheads 4 - Shoo Fly

This week's block is a sweet little birdhouse by Jan Patek (click here for the link). I decided that I want only regularly pieced blocks for my sampler, no representational blocks like birds, bunnies, houses, baskets, hearts, etc. So I substituted Jan Patek's block for a traditional, 6"

Shoo Fly

Blockheads 3 - Crown and Star

As this block is made up of many pieces I went for a 12" block.

I love how the precise measurements in the patterns and the scant 1/4" foot of my sewing machine are delivering perfect blocks. Thanks to all the designers!

Blockheads 3

Crown and Star by Betsy Chutchian 

This is the link to Betsy's blogpost.

Blockheads 2 - Sunshine Star

A nice little (6 inch) block that I really enjoyed making.

Blockheads 2

Sunshine Star by Sherri McConnell

Here is the link to Sherri's blogpost.

Blockheads 1 - Star Chain

For the third year in a row Moda is launching their Blockheads. That means 56 quilt blocks in 56 weeks. As I lost my sewing mojo in the last months I decided to join this sew-along to get back on track again. 

I defined some restrictions for myself:
1. No fabric buying - only using my stash.
2. No paper-piecing as I hate this technique (which is therefore not really a restriction but a permission).
3. I chose a dark gey background fabric. I have a bit over 2 yards and I will sew along as long as this fabric lasts.
4. The blocks are given in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 inches. I decided to make them either in 6 or in 12 inches. This should make for a nice, lively, not too big sampler quilt. And the 12 inch option will make it easier to sew the blocks with many pieces.

So here we go!

Blockheads 1

Star Chain by Corey Yoder

Here is the link to Corey Yoder's blogpost.

I really liked to sew this 12" block. And especially the colors I've chosen. It was a rainy gray day and the fabrics really brought sunshine into it.

To place the half-square triangles correctly I fold them and the squares in half and pinched them with two fingers to get a mark in the fabric. In the picture (left) I marked this pinch with a gray line. Then put the right sides of the fabric together matching the marks. Pin and sew (right). 

With All My Love

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so it's really time to think about a gift for your loved one. How about making something different this time. Not a card, not a tag, but a cushion. A comfortable pillow, colorful and soft, big (65 x 65 cm / 26 x 26 inches) and with a broad floppy border, really easy and fast to sew.

Layer a piece of foundation fabric 70 x 70 cm / 28 x 28 inches with a thin piece of batting the same size.
Put a piece of fabric 45 x 45 cm / 18 x 18 inches in your background color (here dark blue) in the middle of the batting.
Sew border strips in 4 different colors around the background piece. The strips have a width of 4,5 cm / 1 3/4 inches. Sew through all layers - sewing and quilting at the same time.
Now sew border strips the color of the background around the piece. These strips are 9 cm / 3 1/2 inches wide.
Draw a template for the heart. Draw a square 15 x 15 cm / 6 x 6 inches and draw the heart into this square - so you get the right size for the heart if you want to put 4 onto the pillow. Cut out your template and draw it 4 times to the paper side of fusible web. Iron the web to the backside of your chosen fabric and cut out the hearts. Fuse them to the background piece and appliqué them by machine, appliquéing and quilting at the same time.
If you want to have more quilting now it's the time. I was satisfied with quilting around the color-border and the hearts.
Iron. Cut the foundation fabric and the batting to the size of the top.
Cut 2 pieces of background fabric for the back of the cushion 65 x 45 cm / 26 x 18 inches. On one side which is 65 cm / 26 inches long turn the edge 1,5 cm / ½ inch to the left side of the fabric, iron and turn another 1,5 cm / ½ inch and iron again. Machinstitch this seam.
Layer top with right side up and the 2 pieces of the the backside left side up on top of it. Align the edges of the top and the backside pieces. The backside pieces will overlap in the middle - that's where the seams are.
Sew all around the outside of the pillow, backstitching at the beginning and the end. Turn the cushion right sides out, iron and sew once again in the ditch between the colored and the uni borderstrips.
Put a pillow 50 x 50 cm / 20 x 20 inches in the cover.
Done!

I hope you like this idea for a gift. And it's not only for Valentine's Day. Think about Mother's Day, birthdays, a gift for your son/daughter at college, ........ So why not sew some more cushions while you are at it. Have fun!

I am linking this to "Off the Wall Friday".

A cover for my calendar

I decided that my calendar needs a cover showing my passion for fabrics. And especially for this cute fabric with paw prints. It is so easy to do and just needs about half an hour. And this is how to do it:

Measure the outside of your calender, don't add any seam allowance at this point. Measure the complete width backside, spine and frontside - a tape measure works best for this.

Add 2 cm/1 inch to the width and to the height for seam allowance and cut 3 pieces out of the chosen fabric. I did cut all three pieces from the paw print but you can use a contrasting color for the inside piece and/or the flaps.

If you want to make your cover softer cut a piece of batting in the same size.

Cut one piece of the fabric into two halves. My piece has a width of 28 cm (see measure tape in the first picture) and 2 cm of seam allowance which makes 30 cms. So I cut 2 pieces of 15 cms.

Fold each of these 2 cut pieces into half, right side out and iron them. These are your 2 flaps.

Lay out your piece of batting (if you use one). Lay the first piece of fabric (which is the outside of your cover) on the batting right side up. Lay the two flaps on the ends of the fabric and align the open ends with the end of the fabric.

Put the last piece of fabric (which is the inside of the cover) on top, right side down. Pin all the layers together.

Sew around the cover leaving approximately 8 cm/3 inches open in the middle of one of the long sides. Backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam to secure the thread. Leave 25 cm/10 inches of thread at the end of the seam.

Trim the batting almost to the seam and cut off the four corners. Be careful not to cut into the seam.

Turn the right side of the cover out through the opening, iron and close the opening with hand stitches using the leftover thread.

Iron once more and put your calender/book/notebook/sketchbook/... into the new cover.

I'm linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays" blog. 

New block for the Splendid Sampler

Well - this block looks really easy. Quite a few pieces but nothing that would pose any problem.
Wrong!
First I cut all the pieces, checked the numbers once again and started sewing. Then I realized that one large green square was missing. Looked everywhere but it was gone. Cut another square and did the 4 center squares.
Started sewing the "flying geese". Sewed half of them and then realized that the placement of the the red and blue triangles needed some thinking. Ironed the four "flying geese" and laid them out with the big triangles. Decided where the red and blue triangles had to be on the other 4 "geese". Realized that 4 other squares I (think I) did cut were gone. Nowhere to be found. Cut another 4 squares. Checked the placement of the blue and red triangles once more and made the 4 remaining "geese". Had it all wrong. At this point I did stop and called it a day.
The next day I sewed all the parts together - no problem at all.

So here's the block "Focal  Point" by Natalia Bonner.

6 blocks done - 94 to go.

New block for the Splendid Sampler

"Simple Simon" by Celine Perkins

 5 blocks done - 95 to go.

The Splendid Sampler

"Happy Happy" by Jen Kingwell

4 blocks done - 96 to go

The Splendid Sampler

Another heart block for my Splendid Sampler. 

Many tiny pieces. 

In Vienna we call this stuff "Fitzelei".

Here is "Lots of Love" by Melissa Corry

3 blocks finished - 97 to go.

The Splendid Sampler

Block 2 of the sampler is all about butterflies. It was a bit tricky as the block is 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm) and consists of 46 pieces. One square is 1 x 1 inch (2,5 x 2,5 cm). But nobody said it would be simple. And to be honest - that's what I like about it: simple and easy would be boring.

"Wings" by Jane Davidson

2 blocks finished - 98 to go.

Splendid Quilting

Ups - I did it again! I know it's not so good an idea but I couldn't resist. I really tried hard. Really. But its too good to not be part of it.

It is THE SPLENDID SAMPLER

100 blocks in a year - 2 blocks each week. 2 blocks per week sounds managable (although I already know that I will fall back from time to time).

I decided to use only fabric that I already have. This is not a big sacrifice as my stash is really large. I searched for all my little pieces of hand-dyed and marbled fabric - this will be my color palette.

I was anxiously waiting for the first block and on February 14 it was in my in-box. "Hearts Aflutter" - the perfect block for Valentine's day. One block done - 99 to go.

"Hearts Aflutter" by Pat Sloan

machine sewn, hand appliquéd