Virtual Quilting Bee: Block #10 Tutorial

Hi all - and thanks for stopping by! If you're new to my blog feel free to look around. And if you haven't already seen the great blocks so far in the virtual quilting bee (hosted by Amy of Diary of a Quilter) you can go see them all here.

My block is called Mother's Dream and is from the book The Farmer's Wife. I believe the dimensions for the Farmer's Wife blocks are smaller and possibly put together using templates. I think this block also would be a good candidate for foundation paper piecing. But I wanted to write a tutorial that could just be cut and put together without a foundation. So some of the dimensions are a bit odd, just because it's on the diagonal.

1. Cut 2 squares 3 3/4 inches from background fabric.
2. Cut 2 squares 2 7/8 inches from background fabric.

3. Cut all 4 squares in half on the diagonal. This will give you 8 half square triangles - 4 large and 4 small.

4. Cut 1 square 3 1/4 inches. This is your center square.

5. Cut 4 rectangles 3 1/4 x 1 7/8 from fabric A.
6. Cut 4 rectanges 3 1/4 x 1 7/8 from fabric B.

Here is the block layout. You'll sew the block in strips, press, and then sew the strips together.

7. To sew the center triangles onto the rectangles, match up the sides as shown and leave the corner hanging over as shown.

8. Once you have the rows sewn together, sew the strips together and press to make the block.

And you're done! This block finishes at 8 1/2 inches (8 inches finished).

twin baby quilts

I have been wanting to make a quilt like this for a while now and I've also been wanting to try making half square triangles using the first method in this tutorial (the one where you start with a square, sew all the way around the edges, and then cut it diagonally into 4 parts).

I made this quilt first as the test quilt for the solids quilt. I used Violet Craft's fabric - Madrona Road - which I got from my local Modern Quilt Guild - they were giving it away for a challenge project.

I also found this perfect backing fabric from JoAnn (surprisingly). I kind of love it - and I wish it came in every color!

The second quilt I made with a very specific color palette for a friend's baby. She said she wanted a grey quilt, and that she didn't really want pink or yellow with it. I dug through my solids and thought these might work. I LOVE how it turned out.

I especially love the backing fabric. One of my all time favorites.

Checkerboard Herringbone in Notting HIll fabrics

This is the first quilt I made this year, and I actually finished it back in January. I wanted to do something with these larger scale prints (from Joel Dewberry's line Notting Hill) that would still show off the prints, but that I would be able to cut out of a fat quarter. I used this tutorial (by crafty blossom - grey and white herringbone quilt) as an idea for what I wanted. I have no idea if my sizing is the same, but hers is cut as triangles, and mine are cut as parallellograms.

 For the backing I was able to use this Primrose print and it ended up being perfect for the quilting. I just quilted it from the back so I could trace the flowers. The tension wasn't perfect on the front, but I love the pattern of it, and I think with a few washes, no one will notice. I think I'll try it again on a future quilt.

And isn't this a great binding? It's one of my favorite prints from the line - called tartan. I love it. And I love how it turned out.

2012 quilts

1. rainbow chevron finished!, 2. scrappy fish quilt, 3. harmony (do good stitches) quilt - finally!, 4. giant red white and blue star, 5. improv green quilt, 6. hello betty matryoshka, 7. simple squares - spiral quilting, 8. robot quilt, 9. weiner dog, 10. matryoshka strip quilt, 11. soft orange squares, 12. scrap quilt, 13. scrap quilt, 14. Granny Square Quilt, 15. Hello Betty Double Hour Glass, 16. Man Quilt number 2

 Wow! I finished 16 quilts last year! That is my record so far!

Thanks so much to all of you who read my blog. Even when I'm not on here much.