PICK A PETAL -- MONTH 2

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

It's Month 2 and we start making a simple block, the Improved or Glorified 9 Patch :

Jen's Block 1 from the sample quilt

Jen does mostly hand piecing. The acrylic template set makes this block easy to cut out for that purpose. I prefer to machine piece when it's easier and faster, as it is with this block:

My Block 1, machine pieced, hand appliqued

MY METHOD  should you wish to try it:

1. Make an uneven 9 Patch:

         Cut 1 center square 2.25" 

         Cut 4 rectangles 2.25" x 3.75" 

         Cut 4 squares 3.75" 

         Sew the 9 pieces into a 9 Patch:

2. PREFER TO HAND APPLIQUE?:   Add Crescents, Template H, to the four sides of the block. I did it by needle turn hand applique. After showing you my method I will show how to machine applique, if you prefer.

        

Use Template G to add the 3 Dots to the two sides and bottom corner of each of the large squares. I used a Micron pen but be aware it is permanent so you have to be sure to cover it when sewing:

 

3. I made a plastic template of Crescent shape H without the seam allowance on the top curve so I could easily draw the sewing line--I like to have a line for hand applique drawn lightlty with a mechanical pencil. I also added extra to the bottom edge so I can "trim to perfection" when the block is done:

4. I used Template H to draw the dots on the fabric Crescent, again, if using a permanent marker be careful:

5. I finger pressed the curved edge under 1/4", using the dots as a guide. Pinned in place I am ready to hand applique this first Crescent:

6. Once all 4 Crescents are sewn, carefully cut away the excess fabric under the Crescent, keeping a 1/4" seam allowance, repeat with the remaining 3 sides:

7. Press the block as flat as possible, use Flatter or Sizing or Starch or Best Press if you like. Spray, let it dry, press firmly with a DRY iron.

Using an 8.5" square ruler, CAREFULLY TRIM TO PERFECTION. Fiddle a bit to be sure you have the four outer corners accurately aligned with the diagonal line on the ruler and the opposite corners:

45 degree line from upper right to lower left

Get the 1/4" mark exactly at the finished corner

Before and After Trimming

PREFER TO MACHINE APPLIQUE?:   I recommend Print N Piece Fuse Lite by Quilters Select as a pattern and stabilizer. It mostly washes out when the quilt is finished, and does not add bulk or weight.

Place fusible side on the back side of the fabric, allow 1/4" seam allowance at the curve

 Press with a dry iron following package instructions

Cut out 4 Crescents including the seam allowance on the top curve. Use a fabric glue stick to turn the seam allowance over and glue in place. A  nice curve on the back will give you a nice curve on the front:

Quilters Select Fabric Glue Pen is the best I have found for this process

The Appliquik tool really helps turn that curved edge flat

Use your favorite machine stitch for the applique: Blanket, Zig Zag, Edgestitch, there are several on most machines, try a variety to find your favorite. Use the SEARCH BOX on The Quilt Show to find MANY shows that feature this technique:

If you don't want the stitches to show much:

 

    Use fine thread--I like Quilters Select 60 or 80 wt depending on the color I need.

    Match thread color to the applique as closely as possible.

   Try a few different size stitches to find what looks best.

So there you have it, an alternative method to make Block 1. It's your quilt, you get to decide.

There are a total of 20 of these in the entire quilt. The machine piecing method I described here works great as Leaders/Enders. I made all 20 of the 9 Patches while making other things. Using many of the Kit fabrics, I simply cut out 80 each of the small and large rectangles, and 20 center squares. They sat beside my machine to be pieced over time.  

Then I cut 80 Crescents, Template H, again from many of the Kit fabrics. Now I am doing the hand applique in the evenings, while "watching" TV. No rush. And totally portable so they go with me on travel.

Don't agonize over which fabrics to use together--they ALL go. Look at Jen's quilt to get the idea, more fabric choice is better:

Next month we move on to Block 2--I have some interesting ideas about that one.

See me on the Facebook LIVE Friday February 2, 2024, noon central time. All the LIVE broadcasts are recorded so you can watch any time: LIVE BROADCASTS

Let's quilt.

Barbara

PICK A PETAL -- MONTH 1

It's a new year. Let's get started! 

The 2024 Block of the Month Quilt for The Quilt Show was designed by Jen Kingwell exclusively for Star Members of The Quilt Show. Join today to get access to the patterns, once a month throughout 2024, along with almost 500 shows featuring the best and brightest movers and shakers in the Quilt World. Membership is $49 for the entire year, the best money you will spend on your quilting journey.

PICK A PETAL 

Each month I do a LIVE broadcast on Facebook and YouTube, recorded to be watched when convenient.  I offer tips and tricks and answer questions from members and viewers. It is intended to supplement the pattern and enhance the written instructions. Find all of the LIVE broadcasts at this one location, available as they happen. The first one will be January 1, 2024, noon Central Time: LIVE Broadcasts

Each month I also dedicate one of my monthly Blog posts to the Block of the Month. This one is posting Sunday December 31, 2023 so everyone is ready to go with the release of the Month 1 pattern. You can follow me by email or Google or Bloglovin--use the links right over there on the right side. I also post a reminder on the Block of the Month FORUM when the new blog is posted.

BEST TIP BEFORE YOU BEGIN: WATCH Jen's Show on The Quilt Show FIRST! The show is FREE TO EVERYONE, all year, watch and learn and get excited to make PICK A PETAL. It airs starting December 31, 2023. 

MONTH 1 The Center (Centre) Block   Find the Pattern HERE--available to STAR MEMBERS ONLY

1. Acrylic templates are currently available for purchase from The Quilt Show STORE  If you don't buy them, you will simply make your own templates from plastic. It is ESSENTIAL that they be as accurate as possible. 

2. ACCURACY starts with printing the patterns the correct size. Always download the pattern to a computer/device and print from the Download. Set the printer for ACTUAL SIZE, not "fit to page" or "scale". The 1" scale box must be exactly 1" if you want your templates to be ACCURATE!

UPDATE: Use this photo to help determine if your printed Template page is accurate. The sizes shown are FINISHED sizes, not including seam allowance. Printing is always an issue when accurate templates are required:

3. All of Jen's instructions are for hand piecing. I prefer to machine piece so I will show you how I made the center block. Do whatever you prefer, try both methods, combine both methods--I call that the "hybrid method", machine and hand piece, using whichever method works best for a particular step. 

4. I assembled my star differently, the way I usually machine piece Lemoyne/8 Pointed stars with Y seams.

TIP FOR USING THE KIT FABRICS: Fabrics in the KIT are similar but not the same as Jen's sample quilt. She used some of her stash. I had plenty of leftover fabrics from Homeward Bound and Garden Party Down Under, the 2023 and 2022 Block of the Month quilts, so I added some of my favorites of those. This quilt is very scrappy--everything goes! I used Jen's quilt as a guide to select my fabrics. For the fan blades, I just cut a 3" strip of almost all the fabrics and made blades. If I run out of something, I will substitute something else. 

First, I cut a variety of fan blades and handles for the Fans. Trace around the template and be sure to include the dots at the intersections. I use a Micron Pigma pen size 05. The ink is permanent so you might not want to use it for the dots if they will show through to the front. A sandpaper board helps hold the fabric as you trace around the template. Fine grit sandpaper taped or glued inside a manila folder works fine too.

 Be sure to cut off the drawn line when cutting out the pieces--if you keep the line you are making the piece a bit larger than it should be: 

                                                    

It is easy to machine piece the four blades together. 

The "handle" can be hand or machine pieced, you decide. 

A member on the FORUM suggested using Glue Basting for all the curved piecing. Thank you, Sonia! If you are not familiar with this I strongly recommend you watch two videos that clearly show the process. I tried it and had pretty good success, and expect to get better at it with more practice.

How to Glue Baste a Curve

How to Sew a Curve  I am not nearly that fast!

The back side showing how I pressed

Front side

Join two diamonds, stopping and backstitching at the Dot where the Fan will be inserted. I pressed seams open:

                                       

Add another Fan at the middle: 

Before adding the side Fans, I joined the Star halves together, again, stopping/backstitching at the Dot: 

Before sewing the center seam I "test" the center by machine basting about an inch across the 8 diamonds--simply turn the stitch length very long: 

Check to be sure you are happy with it--if not, remove the basting stitches and try again. Once happy, set the stitch length back for regular piecing and sew the entire center seam, dot to dot, backstitching at both dots: 

I am happy with this

Center seam sewn

For me, there isn't a lot of extra fabric around the outside of the templates so I cut the pieces bigger than the template, to allow me to "trim to perfection" after the block is complete. 

MY BIG MISTAKE: I cut the outside angles off following the template. DON'T DO THIS. My block came up just a bit short and I had to add just a tiny bit more fabric to each outside corner. I would also cut the pieces even larger than shown here: SEE BELOW 

NOTE: The KIT includes one fabric that is a fat quarter for the background. All the other fabrics are fat eighths. The star background fabric in the Kit is directional, plan your cuts carefully if it matters to you how the lines run: 

What I should have done:   

Mark Dots and trace around template

Extend outside edge beyond template and I added about 1/2"  on the long edge

Leave extra on the long edge and the left outer edge, trim away drawn pen line

Now you can join the 8 wedge shapes together to form the background Frame.

The frame machine pieced and ready to sew around the center star: 

Pin at each dot, adding pins in between:

Sew slowly, using a stiletto to keep the raw edges aligned. Have the Frame on top, the Star on bottom:

Back side of the block all done, showing how I pressed: 

My OOPS--what you don't want to do and how I fixed it. This puts lots of bulk at those 4 corners:

Work at your own pace, don't rush. The object is to have a beautiful center block that is the correct size and lays flat. 

My Center Block

TIP FOR WORKING AHEAD: The outer border uses 64 of the Fan Blocks, the exact size used in Month 1. If you make an extra 8 fans each month you will have those 64 done and ready after 8 months. I would much rather do that than have to make 64 all at once. 

The FORUM has two categories for each month. See MONTH 1 -- ASK QUESTIONS HERE  and MONTH 1 -- SHOW YOUR PROGRESS HERE .  You can also ask questions here on the blog. I check the FORUM several times a day and can give answers there for all to see.

Have fun and Let's Quilt!

Barbara

MY JOURNEY: QUILT # 11

 Another quilt from the Special Exhibit My Joyful Journey, part of the Virtual Quilt Festival, December 3-5, 2020.

QUILT # 11: Persistence, 70" x 70", machine and hand pieced, hand applique, hand quilted. 2003

The Story: Begun in 1990, I hand pieced the Mariner's Compass, using fabric I hand marbled. Another center medallion quilt, of which I have made many. Finally finished in 2003, hence the name. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Slow Sewing

I enjoy handwork and always have something going that I can easily pick up and work on.

The other day I started quilting my newest little quilt--see post Nothing New Under the Sun for the story of this one:

The method is "Big Stitch", using a thick thread, Perle #8. I find it very fast to quilt and that is what I wanted on this quilt. While I can do fine hand quilting with small stitches, not every quilt deserves that much time and attention.

I am still thinking about the border design--either a simple cable that requires marking with a stencil OR a simple cross hatch that can be marked with painter's tape. Stay tuned.

The other long-term hand piecing project is this hexagon star. This layout shows the stars touching--it looks a bit crowded:

An alternate layout allows some breathing room between the blocks and means I can cover more territory with fewer blocks. A large plain hexagon from a variety of small background prints like shirtings would fill the blank spaces:

Which do you prefer?

How do I get these done? I cut some out and leave them beside my comfy chair. At night, while listening to TV, I start sewing them. I can do several a night if I choose. And I can easily put them in a zip loc bag with a needle, a few pins, thread, scissors and my thimble, to take on the road:

 They are cut from 2" wide strips, using a 60 degree angle cut--I use a pencil to quickly mark the sewing line on the back of  the light diamonds, that doesn't take long. Easy to prep, easy to sew.

Back to my garments now--the lining arrived and has been washed so it's time to get those jackets finished.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Handwork is Still Alive

Quilters still want to learn handwork Having a project that can be taken on the go allows us to use bits of time to create when we cannot be at the sewing machine.

Recently I taught a group of women the basics of both English Paper Piecing and regular hand piecing of quilt blocks:

Class samples:

We started with a small English Paper Piecing project, a hexie flower. They learned how to either glue or thread baste the fabric to the paper shape. Then they learned to join the prepared shapes with either a whip stitch or by laying the pieces flat. Try both methods to determine your favorite.

Next we took on the 60 degree diamonds for regular hand piecing with a small running stitch. They learned how to quickly cut the diamonds with no templates, only rulers.  They learned to make short work of drawing the sewing lines, if they wanted those lines as a guide.

In less than 4 hours each of the women had gotten a few new skills and can go on to make whatever they like. This was a "process" class, not a specific "project" class.

The biggest hit of the supplies I showed was the Clover Desktop Needle Threader--we sold several of these. Do you have one or more of these? I couldn't sew without it, a great tool:

Let's quilt.

Barbara