Scrap Half Square Triangle Quilt - with Text!

Although this quilt looks complicated - it's really a "two color quilt".  One side is text fabric, the other ... scraps!

Using the AccuQuilt Half Square 2" Finished Triangle die to cut all the fabrics - it was super fun sewing a HUGE pile of little squares. 

An alternative method is to rotary cut using a template like this one which I use when I snowball a corner.   This blog post explains one way to use the Folded Corner Clipper, along with some video links: HERE.

There are 1,980 pieces in the quilt top but just pace yourself, take your time - and think of this as a long term project that is something easy to pick up and leave. Or, make a small quilt just for the enjoyment of sewing little pieces fast & furious!

Make all your blocks with the diagonal going the same way - 3 half square triangles across.  Sew three rows together and start again.   (The top square in the diagram.) 

Lay 4 blocks out - rotating each one to form a 'white' or 'text' diamond in the center.  Sew together and trim to 12" x 12".

My blocks were not square due to a multitude of bad ironing habits (steam, ironing every which way, etc.) - and since I wanted the final assembly to be a happy experience and not a 'hair tearing out experience" - everything was trimmed to the same size - regardless what got chopped off! This was a fun, non-perfect scrappy quilt and definitely not a heirloom item! 

There are 30 HST units across & 33 HST units down.  With this 'design' your numbers should be divisible by 3 - since your base unit is 3 half square triangles.  Over the months (maybe years), I didn't realize how big the top was getting.  So, to finish this journey I took all the remaining misfit pieces, sewed them together with no regard to the original pattern and attached them to the sides to make things even.  Quilt finished. 

This blanket is my quilt life flashing before my eyes.  10 years of projects rolled into one quilt with a rainbow of colored fabrics softened by various text designs.  I liken this quilt to finger painting - tons of enjoyment with lots of messy bits!

Materials:

Text fabric / Scraps

AccuQuilt Half Square Triangle - 2" Finished Square-Multiples

     #55063

Backing:  Fairy Frost /  Michael Miller 

Warm & White batting 

Aurifil 50wt. thread #2311 & #1248

Size: 58.5" x 64" 

July 2021

Granny Square Quilt in Retro Fabrics

For those who like little squares this is a super fun project.  Half design/craft camp, half sewing.  I have a tutorial for making a Granny square quilt with 3.5" squares (here) and how to make a design board with 2.5" squares (here).

This quilt was made 'by the book' using the Great Granny Squared by Lori Holt.  Lots of pictures and very clear directions and for $13 it doesn't break the bank.  

I decided to cut all my squares in retro fabrics so I could make a variety of vintage themed little quilts.  All these squares were cut using a rotary cutter and the AccuQuilt Square 2.5" die (#55059).

Starching and ironing makes handling all these little pieces easier: like nice crisp paper that doesn't flop! Sashing strips are 2.5" wide and the cornerstones are 2.5" x 2.5" squares.  

The 'inside' portion of the quilt made with the Granny Squares measures 40" x 40". Dark shot cotton in Denim blue is the border fabric and that was cut at 4" wide before sewing. 

Solid blue is the backing with simple wavy line quilting on the sashing seams and through the squares.  Lastly, a nice indigo striped binding completes this little quilt going to a 4th of July baby!  

Materials:

Great Granny Squared book by Lori Holt

Retro 30's fabrics from Lecien and Darlene Zimmerman

Shot Cotton in Blue Jean/Denim / Kaffe Fassett

White Kona

Cotton Couture in Midnight / Michael Miller

Warm and White batting 

Indigo Candy Stripe binding from Hawthorne Supply Co.

Aurifil 50wt. thread # 2311 (muslin) #2740 (blue)

AccuQuilt Square Die 2.5" unfinished - #55059 

Size: 47.5" x 47.5"

July 2021

Scrap Log Cabin Quilt ... Tilda Style

The 100 piece Tilda Bit by Bit Stash Builder from Serendipity Woods was a joy to play with. A treasure trove of fat 16ths made The Cleo Quilt (here) and this very fun scrappy log cabin. These little fabric pieces gave all the color and variety one could wish for.

Let's begin:  The tutorial for this block is from Red Pepper Quilts here.  Rita Hodge is renown for her lovely and precise sewing and in this tutorial she gives all the cutting instructions and a diagram that will build your block up to 8.5" x 8.5". 

After reaching that 8.5" block - I added one more round with my widest scraps - and if they were too short - sewed two or three pieces together to get the proper length.  I then measured my smallest log cabin block and trimmed all 9 units to that size which was 14" x 14". 

Next came the sashing cut at 2.5" unfinished and some 2.5" x 2.5" cornerstones.  The final part was  simple quilting with a wavy line following some of the seams, left to right and up and down.  

This was made for a friend who adores blue and of course, who doesn't love Free Fall by Tula Pink - so that is the backing. 

The stripped binding tops off this very colorful scrap quilt.  I learned a lot during the last month as I went through all my quilt projects and organized my sewing room (aka the garage).  I really enjoyed the variety and quantity of this Bit by Bit Stash Builder Bundle. Not too overwhelming and two small quilts used up pretty much all the fat 16ths ... it felt good not to have loads of leftovers!  Most importantly - to pace myself with all the projects that I have started and not feel guilty that they will take a long time to finish.  

Materials: 

Tilda Bit by Bit Stash Building from Serendipity Woods

Free Fall in Navy by Tula Pink

Navy candy stripe binding from Hawthorne Supply Co.

Shot Cotton in Denim by Kaffe Fassett

Warm and White batting 

Aurifil 50 wt. thread #5118 and #2720

Tutorial from: Red Pepper Quilts

Size:  49" x 49" 

July 2021