Blog Hop Coming Up!

I'm very excited to share the schedule for the Road Home Row Along blog hop. This will be taking place from September 6 through October 11. There are 40 people participating, along with our wonderful host, Marian of www.seamstobesew.com and Amy of www.sewincrediblycrazy.com. Each participant will have a row pattern to share that represents home to them. The patterns will be up for a bit but don't wait too long to collect them.  You can see the full schedule at Seams To Be Sew.

I was born and grew up in New Milford, Connecticut, so I've designed a row that is very representative of New Milford. It's a secret until I share on my date, Thursday, September 15. And there will be a Show and Tell day on October 11 where you'll be able to see what we've made from our rows. The designers are from all over the world, really, with the United States having the most rows. Lots of sponsors have donated prizes, from Aurifil to The Fat Quarter Shop to Nancy's Notions. Take a look at the donors listed at Seams To Be Sew.

I'll be back later in the week with the 101 Patchwork Patterns block of the week. We're almost ready to put together the first round of our medallion quilt. See you then!

Mary

101 Patchwork Patterns Block 11

The schedule for The Road Home Row Along will be published on Monday at www.seamstobesew.com. I am very excited to be participating in this for the first time. This will continue to Row by Row Experience we've all been doing this summer, with no travel involved. Every Tuesday and Thursday starting September 6 bloggers will share their row pattern for free on their blog. There will be lots of prizes, too. My post will be September 8th. I hope you can visit me, and others during The Road Home.

Block 11 Corn and Beans

Download a pdf pattern for Corn and Beans

This week's block has a lot of pieces but is fairly easy. I'm going to show you a new way to make flying geese units, too.

First you will make 4 half square triangle blocks using 2 yellow and 2 beige 2-3/8" squares. Then  the remaining 4 yellow squares get cut in half, diagonally. These pieces are sewn onto the half square triangle piece one at a time. In this photo I sewed the top triangle, then the bottom. Note that the diagonal edges of the triangles face the same way, away from the half square triangle unit.

Next, using 2 beige 3-7/8" squares cut on the diagonal, add to the unit made above. This will give you the 4 corners of the block.

Flying Geese x 4

This is a method of making flying geese where you don't have to cut and sew half square triangles. I'm always worried I'll stretch the diagonal cut bias edge and make a wonky block. By using this method you won't have the cut edges to deal with.

Using the 4-1/4" green square and 4, 2-3/8" beige squares, do the following steps:

Place 2 of the beige squares right sides together with the green square, aligned as shown. Draw a line across the center of the beige squares and sew 1/4" to either side. Or, in the photo above, I used the Fons & Porter Quarter Inch Seam Ruler and drew the 2 sewing lines. 

I've had the rulers for a while and never tried them. I'm happy with the results - I think I was more consistent sewing on lines rather than using the foot to guide me along a center line. These are available anywhere that sells sewing notions. If you are like me and have them lying in a drawer, give them a try.

After sewing the two lines, cut the diagonal between the sewing lines.

 Press the attached half square triangles away from the green goose fabric. Place a single 2-3/8" beige square on each half, and sew either side of the diagonal.

Cut on the diagonal between the sewn lines; press. You now have 4 flying geese units for your block.

Make 1 4 patch using the 2" green and beige squares.

Make 2 of each

Make 4 half square triangle units using 2, 2-3/8" green and 2, 2-3/8" beige squares. These are then oriented as shown here, and a 2" beige square added. These are then sewn to the flying geese, making 2 of each arrangement shown.

Now you are ready to assemble your block. I always place all of the pieces of the block in their respective positions, and then it's simply sewing a 9 patch together. The corner units and the flying geese units are easy to position wrong and I hate to have to rip out seams.

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you all have time to quilt!

Mary

101 Patchwork Patterns Block 10

We are experiencing a major heat wave today, with the temperature over 90 and high humidity. Luckily I can stay in the air conditioning and sew!

Download a pdf pattern for Winged Square

Here is this week’s block, called Winged Square. These are 1-1/2” half square triangle units, but don’t let it scare you. There are a couple products on the market that make half square triangles easier. 

Thangles come in strips with various sizes available. You cut strips the unfinished size you want your blocks to be, so 2-1/2” strips sewn with Thangles gives you 2” finished half square triangles. See http://www.thangles.com/index.html for more information.

Triangles on a Roll are available in several different configurations, including half square triangles, quarter square triangles, and others. These are preprinted in 11 different sizes for half square triangles on a light weight, easily removed paper. They are purchased by the roll. See http://trianglesonaroll.com/ for more information.

Triangulations by Brenda Henning is what I use. This is a CD-Rom of pages that you print. There are sizes from 1/2" to 7-1/2”. You can print them on any paper you would use for foundation piecing, such as newsprint, velum or regular copy paper. See https://www.bearpawproductions.com/store-detail.php?cat=1&ID=2 for more information. This is what I used and will show below.

I printed the correct size for the block, and it just happened that one full page gives me the 24 half square triangles needed. You sew on the dotted lines, following the arrow directions. You can sew on all the lines without stopping. 

Here is a close-up of the lines. When done, You cut on the solid lines in squares, then cut the diagonal solid line. I like to remove the paper by folding the triangle on the stitching line, tear off, and the seam allowance part of the paper comes right off. I don’t trim the corners until I’ve sewn the pieces together.

Once you’ve made your half squares the block is easy to sew.

Here is where we are at on making the quilt. I just noticed I’ve used white to color the background in Electric Quilt. My actual blocks are an assortment of 5 or 6 beiges. Either approach will work out fine.

Please share photos of your blocks on Facebook. You do not need to have a Facebook account to visit the Seacoast Quilter page at https://www.facebook.com/SeacoastQuilter/.

Thanks for visiting today!

Mary

101 Patchwork Patterns - Block 9 Weathervane

If you are following along and making the blocks, I must apologize. I wasn't feeling well for a couple weeks and wrote a pattern without testing it. Block 8, Pinwheels, had a mistake in the cutting instructions. Please download the block pattern again. I am now 3 blocks ahead so that won't happen again. And if I do fall behind and am ill, I will skip a week rather than risk an untested pattern. Very unprofessional of me, and I feel bad if anyone had trouble with it. I haven't heard from anyone so hopefully we're all behind with this summer heat. It has been a very hot, humid summer here on the northern New England seacoast. My old house only has an air conditioner in one room, so I spend a lot of time there!

Block 9 Weathervane

Download the Weathervane pattern.

Make Half Square Triangle Units:

Using the 2-3/8" squares of pink and beige, and following the tutorial for half square triangle blocks, make 8 units.

Make Flying Geese Units:

Using the 3-1/2" blue squares and the 8, 2-3/8" beige squares, make 4 flying geese blocks.

1. Place a background square, with the diagonal drawn, on a corner of the blue square. Sew along the drawn line.

2. Trim away the corner, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Press corner up.

3. Place another 2-3/8" background square on the other corner with the sewing line as shown. It doesn't matter which side you put the first corner on, but be sure they are both on the the same edge of the base square. You do not want them to be on opposite corners.

4. Trim the corner and press the piece. This shows the back with one corner pressed towards the background piece and one pressed towards the main block. If the blocks were to be sewn point to point, pressing the same way on each would allow the seams to nest.

Note: Flying Geese are usually a rectangular block, but the base can be larger, as is shown here. 

Here's what the quilt it looking like for me. I am going to start sewing the center together now, then add the last 4 blocks in this round once they are done. 

The Road Home Row Along

We are getting closer to the next online event that I'm participating in. Marian at Seams to Be Sew has organized a group of 48 quilters into a row along. Our theme is The Road Home which continues the Row by Row Experience theme of Home Sweet Home. We start on September 6 and continue for 6 weeks. Each has created a row depicting their idea of the theme. I can't share my design until my day, but I can tell you it is based on something from my hometown of New Milford, Connecticut.

Thanks for visiting today,
Mary