Summer Sensations Blog Hop

Welcome to my home on the internet.

I have an easy project to share that can be made from a set of 6 fat quarters. If you’re like me you pick up appealing bundles and then get home and don’t know what to do with them. Well, I came up with a set of placemats. I have no idea what the fabric I used is but I think it’s a Moda line from about 3 years ago.

I actually started off with a different project, made it, and then changed my mind. As I looked at the posts last Thursday and Friday I realized my project wasn’t summer at all. I think what I’ve got here fits much better.

My Summer Sensational Project

First, choose a focus fabric from your fat quarters. I am hoping that your fat quarter will measure 18” wide by at least 20” long. They do vary a bit, especially in the length. The cutting instructions are for the horizontal measurement to be 18”.

CUTTING:

Focus Fabric fat quarter:

From the fat quarter you have chosen as your focus fabric, cut 4 strips that measure 4.5” x 18”.

The remaining piece (grey) is scrap.

From EACH of the 5 coordinating fat quarters:

Cut 3, 2-7/8" strips. Cut these into a total of 14, 2-7/8" squares.

From 4 of the 5 coordinating fat quarters:
Cut 1, 4.5" x 8.5" rectangle.

Using the 2-7/8” squares, make half square triangle blocks with random pairs of squares.

Draw a line from corner to corner, shown by the solid line.

Sew 1/4" on either side of the drawn line, shown by the dashed lines.
Press the seam allowance towards the dark fabric.

(See the photo tutorial for making half square triangle blocks.)

Now, lay out your half square triangle blocks in a 4 x 7 grid. arrange the fabrics as random or as organized as you would like.

For Each Placemat:

Sew pairs together till you have 4 rows.
Sew rows together.
Add the 4.5" x 8.5" side piece.
Add the 4.5" x 18" piece to the long edge.

Here you can see I pressed the row allowances open because it was getting a little thick where the blocks joined.

Cut a piece of batting about 1" bigger than the placemat.
Place the backing fabric, cut 12" x 18", right side up, centered on the batting.
Place the assembled placemat, right side down, on top of the backing.
Sew all around the edges of the placemat at a quarter inch, leaving about a 4" gap to turn through.

Somewhere I learned that an easy way to mark your opening so you don't sew through it is to use 2 pins on either side to remind you.

To help make those corners turn easily, clip the point away, as shown here.

After turning the placemat, I used some long flower head pins to loosely hold it together.

I then sewed around the edge at a scant 1/4". Check the opening for turning and make sure it has been sewn closed.

Here is a photo of the finished placemat after quilting and washing. I love the way it came out! So 6 fat quarters made 4 placemats. I added 2/3 yard of Kona Cotton Ivory for the backings.

Thank you so much for visiting me today. Please take a look at my ongoing Block of the Week program based on Ruby Short McKim’s classic book, 101 Patchwork Patterns here: http://www.seacoastquilter.net/p/101-patchwork-patterns.html.

There are 2 other bloggers participating in today’s hop – please visit and enter the rafflecopter drawing after leaving a comment. We love feedback!

TeaTme Creations and I Can Quilt 2

And our organizer and cheerleader, Marian, at

Seams To Be Sew.

Here is the Rafflecopter to enter the drawing:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for visiting.
Mary

101 Patchwork Patterns Block 7

Road to California

Download the pattern

I almost forgot to publish the block this week. This is called Road to California, Jacob's Ladder, or several other names. It is also colored or configured differently, but with the same name. I found a nice article about the origin of the block at a site named Patterns From History.

This block is made from strips like we did in Block 1, and half square triangle blocks like we've made several times. I forgot to take pictures as I sewed the block, sorry. Please ask if you have any questions making it.

Here is where we are at on building our quilt. I can't wait to get the first round done.

Don't forget to join us on the Summer Sensations Blog Hop. The Fat Quarter Shop has given a $25 gift certificate to be awarded each day of the hop. Visit our host, Marian at Seams To Be Sew, for the schedule and winner information. My day is coming up on Tuesday. Look for a quick easy project that would look great on your Summer table, inside or out.

Have a good weekend!

Mary

Summer Sensations Blog Hop

Starting this Thursday through next Tuesday will be your chance to visit 12 bloggers plus our fearless leader on this journey, Marian at Seams To Be Sew. Today Marian said she will have a free pattern every day, and each blogger will be sharing a project on their day. So take a few minutes and see what each of these wonderful bloggers are up to on their day. My project is a quick and easy table topper that I hope you'll like.

The schedule is:

July 21

Quilt In Piece
Moose Stash Quilting
Bumbleberry Stitches

July 22

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Sally’s Quilts
Thrift Shop Commando

July 25

Cloth and Paper Studio
Quilt Doodle Designs
Life In The Scrapatch

July 26

Seacoast Quilter
TeaTme Creations
I Can Quilt 2
Seams To Be Sew

Also, the Fat Quarter Shop is giving a $25.00 gift certificate every day! So be sure and stop by for a chance to win.

Rowing Again, and Summer Sensations almost here!

Hi!

My friend and I went to get our Saturday Sampler blocks this past Saturday (7/9) and decided to stop in at some other shops in the area to get their Row patterns. Do you have a local shop that does Saturday Sampler? I know the idea goes back 10 years or so and I started going to Knight's Quilt Shop in 2012 after my shop closed in 2011. You purchase your first block in January, bring back the sewn block the next month and get the kit free. If you don't get it sewn, or can't go on the correct Saturday, you don't get it free, it's $5. Little Lamb Quilt Shop always did the first Saturday. Knight's is on the second Saturday. I've got 4 years worth of blocks done and still haven't assembled a top. I'll get to it!

After getting our blocks and row pattern at Knight's, we headed north along the New Hampshire/Maine border. We stopped at four other shops:

Saltwater Fabrics, South Berwick, ME. This one is titled "The Perfect Sewing Room." You can see the ocean out the windows - so clever!

The Village Quilt Shop, Berwick, ME.

Sanford Sewing Machines in Sanford, ME.

Footprints Quilt Shoppe in Rochester, NH.

That brings me to 10 row patterns collected so far. People are turning in completed quilts and winning 25 fat quarters already. I am saving the rows for future sewing. I've been scanning them as I get them so I will be able to find them when ready to sew.

The other news today is the schedule for the Summer Sensations Blog Hop that I'm participating in has been sent out to participants. My turn is on Sunday, July 24. I have a quick and easy project I'll be sharing. Please visit the wonderful Marian at Seams to be Sew for more information.

I'll be back with the next block for 101 Patchwork Quilts later this week.

Thanks for visiting,
Mary