PICK A PETAL -- MONTH 5

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 is time to start the applique on the lovely Log Cabin borders. Here are two photos showing Jen Kingwell's stitching. We will learn more about the embroidery in future months:

Here is mine on the design wall. I am preparing two of the borders to travel with me to Texas. The hand applique will be done in my hotel room in the evenings:

All I need to work on these away from home are needles, thread and a good pair of scissors. A needle threader helps too. The pre-wound bobbins of Quilters Select 80 wt. thread is perfect for hand applique and has every color I can possibly need:

I prefer turned edge applique to raw edge so that is what I am doing. The Kit includes Mylar templates for all the shapes used in the quilt. Mylar is heat resistant plastic, use a synthetic setting on your iron, not super hot. 

Searching on the internet for videos to share with you, I found a couple. The first is Jen Kingwell showing hand applique of circles:

MARSHALL Quilt

The second is Margaret Mew demonstrating how to prepare applique shapes using Mylar templates:

Margaret Mew

On my blog I have written MANY times about turned edge applique. Use the SEARCH box in the upper left to look for Turned Edge Applique to find them. 

A very helpful tool for preparing applique shapes is a Sandpaper Board. Jen Kingwell's is perfect, not very expensive and can be used on both sides. Buy it at The Quilt Show Store:

For bias stems I simply cut bias strips 3 times the size of the finished stem. For 3/8" stems, cut 1 1/8" wide bias--or close. These whimsical flowers should be "organic", not precise. Then I fold them in thirds and they are done. Here is a bunch I have ready:

For the flowers I dug through the Mylar templates to find the ones I needed for Month 5. This is the BOTTOM ROW Log Cabin border  of the quilt. I complicated my life by putting 6 Log Cabin blocks on the Top and Bottom rows, and 4 on the Left and Right Sides.  It takes extra effort to figure out which motifs are intended to go on the outside corner blocks. And their orientation. So, I recommend you follow the instructions for the Log Cabin block rows, Month 4.

Then I played with fabrics to make my selections. While I used the photo of Jen's quilt as a guide, I made changes using the Kit fabrics. And sometimes I just used some of my favorite fabrics. 

If the shape could be easily prepared for machine applique that is what I did. Squares are easy. 

Use the Sandpaper Board to hold the fabric while tracing around the template. A mechanical pencil is my marker of choice, as long as I can see it:

I cut a slightly larger than 1/4" seam allowance: 

This is a starch-like product; use starch, sizing, Best Press, etc, to give a crisp edge. I like to use this small Steamfast iron because it is easy to clean the starch off the bottom. (Mine is not one of those recalled for safety): 

Once dry I remove the template and the shape is ready to be sewn in place: 

Once I had the stems prepared, I used very small dots of Roxanne's Glue Baste It to hold the shapes in place for machine applique. I did the stems first then added any other shapes that would be sewn down by machine. If the shapes were easier for me to prepare for hand applique, that is what I did. Here are several prepped and ready:

This shows the stem machine appliqued and the flower parts prepared (the circle) or traced ready for hand applique:

The stitch I use for machine applique is one Alex Anderson has taught several times. It is a Single Blanket stitch. On my Bernina 770 it is stitch 1329, Width .8 and Length 1.7. Play around with your machine to find a stitch you like. Then WRITE IT DOWN so you can use it again. Even though I have saved this stitch in my FAVORITES, I still write it down so I know I am using the same one each time. In the past I have used a small zig zag, that works well too.

Here is a great VIDEO of Alex showing her process. It starts at about 10 minutes into the video:

Alex Anderson Machine Applique

For thread, I used Quilters Select 80 wt, color # 275, a bright green, in the top and a neutral in the bobbin. I knew I wasn't going to change thread colors so this was a good choice. The stitch is small, the thread is fine, it's hardly noticeable even when there is contrast with the applique shapes. Remember, when the quilt is done most people won't see it from any closer than 6 feet away:

Feel free to draw your own "organic flowers"--Jen encourages you to do this in the pattern instructions.

Next month we will be adding the appliques to the Top Border. Embroidery instructions begin in Month 7.

Please add your Progress photos to the FORUM. That is also the place to ask questions, I check there frequently.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

HOMEWARD BOUND -- MONTH 9

  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 finish the wide applique borders by adding the Birds and more leaves.

As always, I strongly recommend you watch any videos prepared for this month. They are important additions to the pattern instructions. 

First, we add the remaining leaves to the four borders. If using the Kit, here are the fabrics to use:

VINE LEAF SMALL: Tiny Stripes Moonglow  8

                                     Tiny Stripes Fern             8

                                     Tiny Dots Lilypad           8

                                      Dragon's Breath Matcha   8

VINE LEAF LARGE:  Roman Glass Emerald      4

                                      Paperweight  Lime           8

                                       Tiny Stripes Fern            8 --these go on the ends of the 8 vines

                                       Dragon's Breath Shire     8

Once all the leaves are in place, you can add the FOUR BIRDS on the top and bottom borders. 

BIRD BODY: Tiny Dots Bluebell     4 Right Side Up  4 Reversed

FRONT WING: Tiny Dots Candy    4 Right Side Up  4 Reversed

BACK WING: Roman Glass Pastel  4 Right Side Up  4 Reversed

I used Print n Piece Fuse Lite to make the birds, printing four of them and drawing the other four, which are Reversed. If your printer will print in Reverse, you could print all 8 of them. This product serves as a template and a stabilizer. Most of it will wash out when the quilt is completely finished and quilted. 

Print n Piece Fuse Lite fused to the wrong side of the bird parts: 

I used Quilters Select Fabric Glue Pen to turn the seam allowances over onto the back of the PNPFL patterns. Note a few places you need to clip to be able to smoothly turn over the seam allowance:

There are several previous blogs I have written about this "turned edge machine applique" technique. Here is the TUTORIAL and another with MORE DETAILS The product used in these earlier blogs is very similar to Print n Piece Fuse Lite.

I did all the Bird applique by machine. You can do it by hand with the turned edge prepared shapes if you prefer. I was in  a hurry.

I chose not to do the very tiny Heart that is reverse appliqued to the bird. My birds just don't have a heart. I also chose to omit the very tiny eye--mine will be either hand embroidered OR I will use tiny black buttons. Sometimes you just have to say "I am not up to that."

UPDATE: Here is how I solved the "sightless bird" issue: I used small black snaps for the eyes. You could also use a permanent fabric pen to draw them:

OK, now to add the Left and Right borders to the center of the quilt so you can:

1. Complete the Vines

2. Add the four remaining birds

When joining the Left and Right borders to the center of the quilt, be careful to keep the loose ends of the vine out of the way as you join the Left and Right borders to the quilt.

Before you can place the four birds that are on the Left and Right borders, you need to complete the vines as they travel around the the corners of the quilt. 

I used a ruler to be sure the vines cross each other on a 45 degree angle, right in the middle. This also shows how I placed the birds so they would each be about the same distance away from the Star points: 

This isn't perfect but it is pretty close and from any distance looks fine. Much better than if I had just "hoped" I got them close to the middle:

There is a lot of work to finish these four wide applique borders, but once done, you are in the home stretch. I found the rest of the quilt went together quickly, relatively speaking...

Next month we made the next pieced Half Square Triangle borders, very similar to Month 5. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

GPDU -- MONTH 3: Applique Vase and Pieced Block

 A  couple days early, here are some helpful tips to get you ready for the 2022 Block of the Month from www.thequiltshow.com: Garden Party Down Under, by Irene Blanck. It's not too late start--just join The Quilt Show and jump in.

This month we make the first of six PIECED blocks and an applique vase:

Irene Blanck's Month 3 blocks

Let's start with the pieced block, 4-Patches on Point:

Mine from Kit fabrics

When making small units, everything counts: the cutting, sewing and pressing. The block is 12" finished, when sewn into the quilt, so each 4 Patch on Point is 4" finished/ 4.5" including seam allowances.  

Following the cutting instructions, be as accurate as you can cutting the pieces. Sew with fine thread--no thicker than 50 wt. I piece with 60 wt. on top and 80 wt. in the bobbin--Quilters Select brand. 

The 4- Patch pieces are oversized then cut to the correct size--BE SURE to trim the 4-Patch to 3.25" before proceeding to add the background triangles. Those triangles are CUT from 3.5" squares--don't get mixed up.

It's easy to see how to align the triangle on the 4-Patch. Sew with the 4-Patch on top--it's always best to have the bias edge on the feed dogs--when possible, as it is here: 

I trim the ears off the unit before adding the final two triangles--you can wait and trim at the end if you prefer: 

When trimming the 4-Patch to exactly 4.5" measure from the center out--the ruler should be at 2.25" at the center and top and bottom. This will also put a diagonal line on the center seam of the 4-Patch:

Trim the first two sides, turn the block completely around and trim the remaining two sides--this unit is now exactly 4.5" including seam allowances: 

DRESDEN PLATE: 

NOTE:  if you didn't buy the Paper Pieces Irene listed in the Recommended Supplies, there is a PDF on the Month 3 pattern/document page showing a FULL SIZE Dresden Plate that you can use to create your own petals and the center circle. 

The center of each of the 6 pieced blocks in the quilt has a small Dresden plate. For my sample quilt, made last year, I put Dresden Plates in the two 4-Patch on Point blocks, and Double Hearts in the four Shoo Fly blocks. The Dresdens take time to make so I simplified my sample quilt. You are free to put anything you want in the middle--including another pieced block, no applique.

I made two Dresdens, one by English Paper Piecing. one by regular Machine Piecing. In both cases, I cut out the 12 tiny petals the same way. Using a sandpaper board underneath, trace around each petal on the back side of the fabrics: 

I cut a 1/4" seam allowance on each petal, as I need that for machine piecing and it's the correct size for English paper piecing: 

I love using this drafting circle template for tracing circles. Find these in the Drafting section of an office supply store. So far, every circle size I need has been here. I draw the size to CUT on the back of the fabric and use a Perfect Circle Template for the actual circle size: 

Since circles from cardboard were provided with the petals, I used those to gather around:

For English Paper Piecing, use a light touch of glue to secure the seam allowances to the paper templates. This will be removed before sewing the plate to the background so go easy on the glue:

Ready to hand sew: 

English Paper Piecing, use thin, strong thread--I used Quilters Select 80 wt. thread. Catch just the edge of fabric folded over the paper template--don't sew through the paper. A Wonder clip helps to hold the petals together: 

Machine sewing process. Of course, you could hand piece them if you like:

Complete Dresden Plate machine pieced: 

I found it helpful to have a line on the front side to turn the upper edges to the back so I traced around the point of the petals with an erasable pen:

 

REMOVE the papers when the Dresden Plate is complete. Irene recommends using starch or sizing, etc. first, then remove the papers. Now sew it to the background with your favorite method, then add the circle.  

I machine appliqued one and hand appliqued the other. Your quilt, you get to decide.

My finished block:

Front

Back, showing how I pressed seams

THE APPLIQUED VASE;

One of my students had a brilliant idea for selecting fabric for her vases: she made a window template. If  using Print & Piece Fuse Lite, you will want to REVERSE the template since your shape will be reversed. It allows you to really see what your vase will look like. I chose neither of these:

Rather than print 4 pages onto PNPFL, since there were not a lot of shapes, I simply used a pencil to draw the shapes needed on one sheet of Print & Piece Fuse Lite. The large vase doesn't really require all the PNPFL, so I created a "border" of about 1/2" of it for the vase and the rest was used for shapes:

For multiple shapes, try this. Fold or stack small pieces together, draw the shape on the top piece, put a staple in the center to hold them securely, cut out the stack, remove the staple and you have 4 shapes all the same from small pieces of leftover PNPFL:

Here is the vase prepped for sewing. Be sure to cut out the opening around the handle BEFORE YOU FUSE the PNPFL to the back of the fabric. Then carefully cut out the fabric in the opening, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance to turn under, if you are doing turned edge applique: 

Ready to go: 

There is no need to explain all the applique procedures again. Review the Month 1 videos and blogs and Instructions if you need to or want to try another technique this time. 

You will  need about 26" of bias stems, 1/4 finished. I used Perfect Stems this time and that went pretty quickly. 

VERY IMPORTANT TRIMMING INFORMATION: this Applique block is trimmed to 12.5" H x 13.5" W, NOT a square. It must be this size to fit in the quilt. Be VERY careful with the trimming step. 

Here is a Cutting Guide Trick:   Using tracing paper that  is 9" x 12", tape two sheets together and cut out a rectangle that is exactly 12" x 13"--the Design Area of the block. This allows you to see exactly what the block will look like when sewn into the quilt. You must ADD SEAM ALLOWANCES when trimming the finished block. 

Here is WHAT NOT TO DO.  Placing the Cutting Guide exactly in the middle of the background, you can see the far most right small petal will be cut off at the edge, a big NO-NO (NOTE: my shapes are reversed from the pattern):

By moving the Cutting Guide a bit more to the right, all of the shapes are inside the Design Area, about equal all around and I am now safe to mark the outside edges for cutting--REMEMBER TO ADD 1/4" TO EACH SIDE WHEN YOU CUT. I used a water soluble marker to make lines several places on each of the sides so I know where to place the 1/4" line on a ruler. The block MUST BE CUT 12.5" H X 13.5" W:

Here are the Month 3 blocks from my Sample quilt made last year. Remember, my vase is reversed because I used a fusible product, PNPFL, to prepare the shapes. You can now sew Block 2 (vase) to Block 3, (4-Patches). They should be 25.5" W x 12.5" H when joined.

These blocks were made by Pam R, one of the fabulous Sunday Sew and Sews: 

Next month you will make the second 4-Patch on Point block. So if you like to work ahead, you can make another now.

NOTE: All the instructions for the 4-Patch on Point block and the Dresden Plate unit will be repeated next month, exactly the same as this month. Decide if you need to print them again or not. There will be a new applique vase block in Month 4. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

GPDU Month 1--Part 2

 Once the Stems are in place, it's time to add flowers, leaves, berries and the  vase.  Irene's Month 1: 

Irene Blanck used Needle Turn Hand Applique. I used Turned Edge Machine Applique. You can even do Raw Edge Machine Applique. Compare the preparation BOTH Turned Edge and Raw Edge Applique using Print & Piece Fuse Lite  in this detailed post made for the 2020 Block of the Month: Afternoon Delight

PREPARATION OF THE SHAPES  Irene's method, Needle Turn Hand Applique:

Using a lightbox, trace the shapes with a suitable marking device on the FRONT SIDE of the fabric. Markers  to try might include a mechanical pencil, chalk pencil, washout marker, or Quilters Select Self-Erase marker. Different fabrics require different markers so you can see the line to turn it under.

Fabric on top of pattern with lightbox turned on: 

After tracing the  leaf, lightbox turned off: 

Cut out the leaf with about 1/4" seam allowance. I gently turned the edges under with my fingers: 

Using the lightbox for placement, use a few tiny drops of glue toward the middle of the leaf to secure it for sewing: 

All shapes are prepared in this way. Let's discuss Flower C. It is designed to be made with 9 individual petals, sewn to the background, then a circle is sewn to the center.

PREPARATION OF THE SHAPES--Turned Edge Machine Applique

Because my method is turned edge machine applique, I found it easier for me to make those as one Flower, then make a slightly larger center circle if needed to cover any edges at the place where there is very little seam allowance. 

I used Fabric Glue stick and the Appliquik tools to turn the seam allowance under: 

Now it is ready to be stitched by machine.  If there were 9 separate petals it would be more challenging  to get them glued exactly in place before sewing. Or maybe that's just me. There are 2 Flower C's in this block--why not try both methods  to see which you prefer?

STITCHING:

There are Videos on the 2022 BOM Month 1 page showing both hand and machine stitching. Show 3001, available for all to watch for FREE, shows machine stitching.

Irene likes to use about 5 neutral threads ranging from light cream to medium brown for all her applique. I usually prefer to use thread that matches the applique--probably because I love color. It's
your choice, try both to see which you like best. 

Irene uses Wonderfil 60 wt Egyptian cotton thread. This a Wonderfil 100 wt polyester set in similar colors to those she uses:

Quilters Select 80 wt polyester Prewound Bobbins. When doing hand applique or hand sewing a binding, I rarely find this not to have exactly the color needed: 

While I enjoy needle turn hand applique, I usually chose the speed of machine stitching these days. In Show 3001 I show how I tried several machine stitches before settling on a small zig zag stich for GPDU #1. Width is 1.5 and Length is 1.0. That worked well for me and I am using it again for GPDU #2.

Since I had 9 of us making blocks for the sample quilt, I wanted to give everyone the same thread. It was eye-opening to the Sunday Sew & Sews that green thread could be used on so many different fabrics and it worked fine. They were skeptical at first. We used Quilters Select 60 wt Perfect Cotton Plus thread, color #208 Chartreuse: 

I think both the Neutral threads and this green work so well because they are so fine. On a few of the darker fabrics I will use a darker thread. Try different threads to find you favorite.

NOW COMES THE SCARY PART: 

When all the stitching is done, carefully trim your oversize block to exactly 18.5" square. There is a Video on this task in Month 1 Videos. BUT--note the CHANGES I had to make on how to accurately cut my center block--see the photos and explanation below. 

Trimming the Applique blocks to the correct size after all the stitching is complete is important. Having a big square ruler helps but you can use any ruler that is at least 9.25" long. Simply be sure you know where the exact center is and measure out 9.25" in all directions. I use an erasable marker for this method, double checking before making those cuts

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:   BEFORE YOU MAKE THE FINAL CUTS TO SQUARE UP THE CENTER BLOCK, check to see that ALL the appliques are far enough inside the area of the Block. 

Notice HERE the outside berry will be right at the seam allowance if I trim it here:

Instead, I moved the ruler over to have about 3/4" space from the outside cut edges to the appliques on BOTH  the left and right sides:

You also want to be sure the bottom edge of your vase is sitting straight on the block:

Once your lovely center applique block is 18.5", it's time to add the Dogtooth borders.  See that process in Part 3. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara