Mini Design Board for Granny Squares

I have an extreme love of small squares - perfect for making the Granny Square block. There are so many free tutorials on-line for a variety of methods with square sizes ranging from 1.5" to 3.5".  

This is how I lay out the design portion of my Granny Squares, which for this project are 2.5" squares.

Let's begin to transform a spare piece of foam core into a mini design board. 

1.)  Decide how many 'rounds' your Granny Square has.  Mine has 4 'rounds' plus the background fabric. 

2.)  Decide how big your unfinished squares will be.  Mine are 2.5" 

3.)  Count the longest row of squares -  and multiple by the size of your unfinished square.

My longest row is 7 squares x 2.5" = 17.5" 

So - my piece of foam core (or stiff cardboard) must be at least 17.5" x 17.5" to layout my squares and not fall off the edges!

4.) Take a scrap of batting and tape it to the foam core on the back, nice and tight.  

5.)  Mark the squares according to your square size.   I write on the batting how many granny squares of each fabric I will need.   

Example: 2nd row needs 4 units, 3rd row need 8 units and the last row needs 12 units.

6.)  Put the cut squares on your  mini design board and take a picture in case they happen to fall  off or you forget the pattern.  Lastly, add the background squares or rectangles according to what method you like when you sew everything together. 

The rest is up to you depending what tutorial you are following.  The biggest discrepancy for most tutorials is how to cut those outside 'background' squares and/or rectangles.  But no matter which technique you choose for your background square sizes - the inside design portion is done and you have a nice visual of what the finished block will look like.  It's craft camp for those of us who love small squares!

Thanks to these sources for their tutorials on how to make a Granny Square block:

Blue Elephant Stitches

Quilty Love

Wombats Quilts

and there are lots of YouTube videos as well if you are curious to explore

Materials:

Great Granny Squared  book by Lori Holt

Foam Core or cardboard/batting/measuring tape

May 2021

Quilt as You Go Hexies - In Progress

I am beginning to think that I may not be cut out for hexies - even the large ones. I made some more this week after ignoring my little pile for months.  Threw them all on a table and realized I am not even close to a small quilt ... oh dear!   Anyway, here are some recent pictures and refresher tips.  

The template and tutorial are from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. under Quilt As You Go.  I also have information from an earlier blog post in 2019 HERE.

Of course, cut out your fabric and batting ahead of time.  Trace the inside of the template with a pencil or fabric pen in the shape of the smaller hexie.  Glue a piece of batting in that outline and press with an iron.  Glue a smaller fabric hexie and place it on same sized batting and iron as well.  (see pics below)

** I use a can of fabric basting spray or a fabric glue stick for this part and ALWAYS use the glue on the fabric - not the BATTING.  You don't need much spray baste - just enough to make it tacky in the center before you stick and iron.

Next, put some glue on the back hexie - not right up to the batting, just a little under.  Finger press a seam with a little room between batting - and then fold up again.  Press with a hot iron.

Work your way around the hexie going one direction, ironing at every stage to keep things flat.  When you get to the end - your hexie should look like the picture above.

Fold over that last seam, iron - and then sew on the machine with a stitch length you like (I use a 2.40) all the way around.   Back tac at the beginning and the end, just to make sure everything is tight and not going to come apart.  

The glue I use is Roxanne Glue Baste It (temporary basting glue) with a small metal tip.  Here is blog post from Suzy Quilts that answers any glue questions, including using washable white school glue. 

Final thought - I thought this was going to be my forever quilt - not take me forever!

Materials:

Quailt As You Go Hexagon Template from Missouri Star Quilt Co. 

Amy Butler - everything

Aurifil Thread #50 wt. #2024 white

Warm & White batting scraps

Roxanne Glue Baste Glue & Collins Fabric Glue Stick

May 2021

The Cleo Quilt and Tilda Fabrics

I saw this pattern from Kitchen Table Quilting and knew it was the perfect fit for my Tilda fabric scraps. It's called The Cleo Quilt. Yes, the resolve to not get any more fabric flew out the window when I saw this offering from Serendipity Woods: 100 different scrappy fat 16ths of Tilda fabrics.

While I can't share the particulars of this pattern since it is all the work of Erica of Kitchen Table Quilting - here are some observations.  The pattern is confident beginner.  You can make your quilt scrappy & smaller (like I did) - or as complicated as you like because Erica offers coloring pages.  Layout and specs are written for 3 sizes, but it is very easy to make custom if you wish.   And best of all - you trim all your units to size.  I love a pattern that lets you trim down to a perfect size!

I can see myself using this pattern many times with multiple fabric leftovers.  This quilt has all 100 designs of the Tilda Bit by Bit Stash Builder Bundle, and some beloved Free Fall from Tula Pink on the back.  I couldn't be more pleased!

For binding I used Begonia candy stripe from Hawthorne Supply Co.  With all the mesh of colors a nice soft pink worked out very nicely.  And it coordinated with the swallows on the back fabric as well. Below you can see a wrinkled after washing picture of the quilting - wavy line stitch following seams on the diagonal.

This is a little bit of a departure for me since I like to show and explain the quilts I make from blocks that are often public domain.  But, I can honestly say this quilt was very fast & fun to make and worth the purchase. Best of all, I love the final look - and in another departure ... I am keeping this one for myself!

Materials:

Tilda Bit by Bit Stash Building from Serendipity Woods

The Cleo Quilt from Kitchen Table Quilting

Free Fall in Creamsicle by Tula Pink

Begonia candy stripe binding from Hawthorne Supply Co.

Warm and White batting

Aurifil 50wt. thread #2415 (light pink)

Size: 49" x 49" (after washing)

May 2021 

A Finished Star Like Quilt

Making its debut, this Star like quilt is made with just 2 blocks -  a square and half square triangle (HST) both unfinished at 4.5".  The tutorial and diagram on how to assemble the units are in the blog post HERE. 

Simple wavy line quilting with a pale pink thread (Aurifil 50wt. #2415) on the top, and white (#2024) on the bottom.  I put a mark at each seam junction - and sewed on the diagonal to make pretty diamond shapes on the front and back. No need to mark the entire quilt but sew through the center of the squares by eye - easy peasy. 

The fabric is Regent Street Lawns 2016 by Moda, an eclectic mix of strong colors that  surprisingly harmonize when assembled.  The background fabric is Bright White Cotton Couture by Michael Miller.

As I use up my existing stash of fabric, I do treat myself to new stripped binding from Hawthorne Supply Co.  

As I get my minky from there,  its super fun to match up their vast color palette of 'candy stripe' cottons with a current project.  This bold binding is candy stripe in Petunia.  

This is a very beginner friendly quilt which really is more about accurate trimming than anything else.  Tip for this quilt is to use a Topstitch Needle size 90/14 when sewing with minky!

Materials:

Regent Street Lawns 2016 / Moda

Cotton Couture in Bright White / Michael Miller

Aurifil 50wt. #2415 & #2024

Warm & White batting

White minky & Petunia candy stripe binding printed on 56" wide quilting cotton from  Hawthorne Supply Co. 

Size: 53" x 53"

May 2021