LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 8

 Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

This month we make the "Cat's Cradle" block, 32 of them. Making half square triangle blocks in units of 8 make these very fast and easy:

The only cutting change I made is my usual one: I upped the size of the pink triangles to 3.5" squares and the large background triangles I cut from 6" squares. I prefer to "trim to perfection".

This does mean I had to trim the pieced half of the block so the large background triangle fits correctly:

Using a Half Square Triangle ruler, I placed the 1/4" diagonal line on the center spot where the pink triangles cross the yellow triangle. The 5.5" line on the ruler is at the bottom of the triangle, and I can see that the HST square will be in 1/4" on both points--very important.

When sewing the large background triangle to the pieced half of the block, you want to "cross the X"--this will insure your middle is perfect:

With blocks as easy as these, I usually prepare all the pieces needed, following the excellent cutting instructions in the pattern. Then I work on these as "leader/ender" units while working on other projects. The pieces are made over time, then it is a simple matter to complete the blocks with the sewn parts. 

If I just want to make these 32 blocks immediately, I use a different ongoing project as my "leader/ender". My 3" Old Italian blocks are perfect for this task. See the instructions here: Summer Sew A Long:

Next month we move on to Nine Patch Stars, the blocks with the most pieces.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 3

Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

This month we make Half Square Triangles--BIG ONES! We make a lot, 48 total, but the designer's method for making 8 at once makes it fast and easy.

Here are mine. Note I changed the Spiceberry Pink fabric for a deep Green from my stash:

The pattern instructions are excellent and Lynn Wilder provides a Video too, so you will find this month fun to do.

I am a math person so love to have "formulas" for making several blocks at once. Half Square Triangles, 8 at a time? Right up my alley! 

The formula is so easy:

Finished size of the HST = 5". Multiple this by 2 = 10". 

Add 2" for the seam allowances = 12". 

Lynn recommends and I was very glad I did, adding an additional 1/2". 

Cut ONE 12.5" square of BOTH FABRICS. This will give you 8 HST, that FINISH AT 5"--meaning once sewn into the quilt. The HST unit when made has to be 5.5" including Seam Allowances.  This formula works for ANY SIZE HST you want to make 8 at a time.

FIRST STEP: Draw diagonal lines from corner to corner on BOTH DIAGONALS on the back of the lightest fabric. Place fabrics RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, then sew 1/4" on BOTH SIDES OF THE LINE. If you don't use a 1/4" foot you can draw the sewing lines if you like:

SECOND STEP: Cut the large square into FOUR SMALL squares, by cutting North, South, East and West--or "make a cross" as Lynn says: 

Then it is a simple matter to press toward the darker fabric--the Floral or the Green in my case--and "trim to perfection", making the HST exactly 5.5" square:

Lynn has additional excellent Tutorials on lots of these kinds of tips in the Classroom at The Quilt Show: Easy Patchwork Math.  She has included a link to the Tutorial that applies to each month directly on the Pattern Instructions. I encourage you to take a look at those each month. Much of what she teaches in those lessons is exactly how I do the steps. 

Next month we move on to blocks that will take a good bit more time than these, the Checkerboard Blocks.

Remember you can Ask Questions and Share Your Progress on  THE FORUM.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

MONTH 12 -- THE QUILTING AND FINISHING

PICK A PETAL is the 2024 Block of the Month quilt designed by Jen Kingwell exclusively for The Quilt Show. It is FREE to Star Members, join today to take advantage of this great bonus. WATCH Jen's Show to see how she makes this quilt--it is FREE for EVERYONE all of 2024: Jen Kingwell Show 3401 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  the patterns for Pick a Petal are available FREE to Star Members of The Quilt Show through December 31, 2024. Be sure you have saved/printed/backed up the files if you need them after that date. Any files you don't have will have to be purchased directly from the designer. No one here can give them to anyone, the rights to the pattern return to the designer per the contract. We protect the copyright of our designers who continue to create wonderful quilt designs for the exclusive use of The Quilt Show  Star Members for a specific amount of time.

This month the pattern instructions show how to assemble various parts of the quilt. Most of us did this as we were making the quilt. If you are ready for the quilting, it's time! 

Be sure to watch Show 3401 while it is free to Star Members, through December 31, 2024. Jen talks about her quilting designs and shows some details of the free-form quilting she did with decorative thread. She doesn't have a plan for specific motifs quilted in specific places. It appears she did what the quilt told her it wanted in any given area.

Here are some detail shots that may assist you as you do the quilting on your own Pick A Petal:

Some of the visible stitching is additional embroidery added to just the top, not quilting lines that go through all three layers. Some of the visible stitching is hand quilting, that does go through all three layers. I leave it to you to decide how you want to enhance your quilt with your quilting.

In addition, the Month 12 pattern contains Jen's instructions for how she added a FACING, to finish the completed quilt, rather than an applied binding. I plan to  try that on a small quilt I will soon have finished. A FACING is a nice way to treat the edge of a quilt when a binding might detract. 

The FACING brings the front of the quilt to the back without adding a binding. Here you can see additional rows of hand quilting at the very edge of the quilt. People will wonder how you did that outside edge! 

I hope you have enjoyed Pick A Petal this year. Now it's time to pull my fabrics for Laurel Ridge--the 2025 Block of the Month Quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show. Be watching for a post about how you can be prepared to get started in January 2025 when Laurel Ridge hits the website! 

Grandmother's Autumn

Granddaughter's Spring

I am making mine with Granddaughter's Spring and some additional fabrics. Be watching for that soon.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

CONTROLLED CHAOS -- THE STUDIO

 Since returning from Houston 3 weeks ago, my studio has been a mess. I have several projects going at once, things are heaped up everywhere. So it is not a pleasant place to work. Take a look:

The Cutting Table

The Q20 flat surface perfect for dumping stuff

Ironing Station and boxes I might need for shipping sales

Rocking Chair, another dumping spot

Right side of sewing machine

Left side of sewing machine

Cozy chair/dump site

The Design wall at the moment

Before I go any farther, I must make some order from all this chaos!

Several hours later... (because I used the time to cut up all the fabric needed for 20 blocks used in Pick A Petal and design a Baby quilt)

From the doorway

Cutting Surface ready to go, Disappearing Patchwork on the Design Wall 

Two more blocks for Pick A Petal ready to sew on the left side of the machine

Ironing Station all set, no more boxes on the floor

Wow!

Now I am ready to get to work. 

Pick A Petal, the 2024 FREE Block of the Month for Star Members of The Quilt Show has its' own tote, everything all together:

The Fabric Kit and optional Template Set--essential in my opinion

All together in their own tote

Another "MUST DO" Project is a baby quilt for my next grandchild. An alphabet quilt with a Winnie the Pooh back--my son loves Pooh so I bought this fabric more than 25 years ago. I dug it out today to find it is 60" wide decorator fabric, designed as panels. It will be the back and I won't be hand quilting this one:

The design I worked up in EQ8--the letters will be LOTS of colors

I will create a pieced back with these panels and Confetti will be the background fabric on the front of the quilt

Another quilt I have to get made right away is Antelope Canyon--Dit Dot Evolution.  I am teaching it locally at Southern Charm Quilting Huntsville AL March 19 and April 2, 2024. So this top is first priority:

There is one other project I am eager to make, the only fabric/pattern I bought in Houston--actually, I bought it at The Quilted Skein on my day trip to La Grange, TX. It was just so beautiful, easy, and on sale:

So there you have it.  My studio space is once again my refuge and I smile when I come in and see it looking like this. Chaos will return in time but for now, it's neat, tidy and ready to welcome me in.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

HOMEWARD BOUND -- MONTH 5

  This quilt is the 2023 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show. It was designed by Sarah Fielke exclusively for The Quilt Show and is only available at The Quilt Show. The best news is it's FREE for Star Members of The Quilt Show. Each month in 2023 a new part of the quilt is released for download to Star Members. 

This month we make the pieced border that surrounds the center of the quilt:

With ONE EXCEPTION--the stars in the corners are made in Month 6--when ALL THE STARS for the entire quilt are made.

Sarah gives instructions for making the Half Square Triangle units (HST) two ways. The first is using squares cut in half on the diagonal. These are then sewn to background triangles and made the correct size.

In her Month 5 VIDEO she shows how to use her HST ruler to make the correct size HST. Any HST ruler will work if you don't have the Homeward Bound Accessory Kit.

I start with 3" squares, not 2 7/8", easier to cut and allows for trimming

After pressing seam to one side I trimmed to 2.5"

I pressed seam allowances in opposite directions

I pressed the center seam open

The smaller HST are made the same way and rectangles of background fabric completes them:

The applique little leaves and berries are fun to make. Watch Sarah's Month 3 VIDEO to see how she places the leaves  in the correct spot. 

After all the applique you have done so far, this month will seem like a breeze.

Here is a partial image of Sarah's middle: 

NOTE: While I am using the Kit, I worked on Month 5 before I received the Kit so some of the fabrics I used are not Kit fabrics.

Next month it's on to the STARS!

I am GONE TO TEXAS from April 30-May 9, teaching for 3 guilds. Info is in the TEACHING CALENDAR schedule, right up there on the top bar.

Let's quilt.

Barbara