Categories

Archives

  • 31Dec

    Quilt Question: What is needle-punched batting?

    General Quilting & FUN No Comments

    Quilt Question:
    What is needle-punched batting?

    Quilt Answer:
    Some quilt batting manufacturers use a technique called needle-punching to create a uniformly thick batting. The technique is used mostly on cotton batting where the fibers may be of many different lengths. It uses groups of barbed needles that are “punched” through the fibers, and as the needles move up and down through the fibers they become tangled together, creating a strong batting that will not bunch up or migrate when it is in a quilt.

    Needle-punching is a fun craft that has been gaining in popularity. A few years ago it was all done by hand; you could work any type of fibers together by using a hand tool containing gathered rows of barbed needles which you “punched” repeatedly through a fabric or fiber base. Any yarn or fiber can be punched onto a base with this method, and lovely accents for sweaters, rugs, and other items can be created. Sewing machine manufacturers have sewing machines now that use special barbed groups of needles and a large hole in the throat plate, and you can do needle-punch quickly and easily by machine.

    It is sometimes also called “felting”

    Tags:

  • 26Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Star Baby Quilt, Part 4

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This sweet little quilt is shown as a Baby Quilt, size 50” X 50”. The blocks are 12” finished.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star block PIC

    Only one block is used, the Ohio Star block. The colors in the sample quilt are arranged to create a secondary design that resembles a diagonal pattern or an on-point setting.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Block PIC

    Arrange the blue and green squares you cut previously with the star point segments as shown in the image above. It is like assembling a simple nine-patch block, because you can handle the star point segments as one square.

    Stitch together the block pieces.

    Then sew together the completed star blocks, 4 rows of 4 blocks each.
    Add border strips, bind, and quilt as desired.

    Tags: , ,

  • 25Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Star Baby Quilt, Part 3

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This sweet little quilt is shown as a Baby Quilt, size 50” X 50”. The blocks are 12” finished.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Baby Quilt PIC

    Only one block is used, the Ohio Star block. The colors in the sample quilt are arranged to create a secondary design that resembles a diagonal pattern or an on-point setting.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Quilt Block PIC

    Let’s begin by making the Star Points segments. These will use the triangle half-square method of construction. Review this method by downloading the free, illustrated instructions here. (link to laptop)
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Block Segment PIC

    FOR EACH BLOCK:

    Make two triangle half-squares of pink/yellow. Make two triangle half-squares of pink/purple.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Segments PIC

    Press the seams towards the pink.

    Place one pink/yellow over one pink/purple. Be sure that one pink is over the purple, and the other pink is over the yellow.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Segment placement PIC
    Stitch diagonals from pink corner to pink corner, to make another triangle half-square. This time, you will have quarter-squares when you open the segments.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star segment quarter squares PIC
    Opened and pressed. Trim edges to get correct size of 4-1/2 inches square

    Tags: , ,

  • 25Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Star Baby Quilt, Part 2

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This sweet little quilt is shown as a Baby Quilt, size 50” X 50”. The blocks are 12” finished.
    Free Quilt Pattern Star Baby Quilt PIC

    Only one block is used, the Ohio Star block. The colors in the sample quilt are arranged to create a secondary design that resembles a diagonal pattern or an on-point setting.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Ohio Star Quilt block PIC

    CUTTING:

    Cut 16 squares of green, 4-1/2 X 4-1/2 inches each.

    Cut 64 squares of blue, 4-1/2 X 4-1/2 inches each.

    Cut 1-1/2 “ wide strips of border fabric (green) to equal 4 pieced lengths of 1-1/2 X 52 inches each.

    The “points” of the star will be made using triangle half-squares. Cut the yellow, pink, and purple into strips 5-5/8 inches wide, then into 5-5/8 inch squares. For greater accuracy, these triangle half squares will be slightly oversized, and trimmed to exact size after they are stitched together.

    You will need 32 squares of yellow and purple, and 64 squares of pink.
    (These are the 5-5/8 inch squares described above.)

    Free Quilt Pattern, Baby Star block segment  PIC
    Each 12 inch block has four of these segments made from the 5-5/8 inch squares

    Tags: , ,

  • 24Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Star Baby Quilt, Part 1

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This sweet little quilt is shown as a Baby Quilt, size 50” X 50”. The quilt blocks are 12” finished.

    Star Baby Quilt (pic)

    Only one block is used, the Ohio Star block. The colors in the sample quilt are arranged to create a secondary design that resembles a diagonal pattern or an on-point setting.

    Baby Quilt Star Block (pic)

    Fabric requirements for size as shown:

    Blue =  1- 1/8 yards

    Pink =  5/8 yard

    Yellow =  3/8 yard

    Purple =  3/8 yard

    Green =  3/4 yard

    The estimate assumes that long border strips are pieced. If you want single piece border strips, you will need 1- 1/2 yards of fabric for the length.

    Quilt fabric cutting instructions will be in the next post.

    Tags: , ,

  • 18Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Christmas Pine Trees Quilt Top, part 7

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This free quilt pattern makes a quick and easy quilt in a handy size.
    60”X60” is just right for cuddling with a child, and for gift-giving, too.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Tree Quilt (pic)

    Assemble the blocks, alternating Pine Tree and white.
    Press all seams well.

    Sew borders in place, pressing after each seam.

    Sandwich batting and backing, and quilt as desired. The snowflake designs on the white blocks pictured were quilted using red thread. Try variegated quilting thread, or metallic for some sparkle.

    Bind to finish.

    Merry Christmas!

    Tags: , ,

  • 15Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Christmas Pine Trees Quilt Top, part 6

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This free quilt pattern makes a quick and easy quilt in a handy size.
    60”X60” is just right for cuddling with a child, and for gift-giving, too.

    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Trees (pic)

    To finish the Pine Tree Block, sew a medium blue strip, 9 1/2″ X 2 3/4″ along each long edge of the pine tree segments.

    Free Quilt Pattern, Pinetree foundation piecing (pic)

    Each completed Pine Tree Block will measure 9 1/2” X 9 1/2″.

    Free Quilt Pattern, Pine Tree Quilt Block (pic)

    You should have 13 completed Pine Tree Blocks.

    Tags: , ,

  • 13Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Christmas Pine Trees Quilt Top, part 5

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This free quilt pattern makes a quick and easy quilt in a handy size.
    60”X60” is just right for cuddling with a child, and for gift-giving, too.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Pine Tree Foundation Pieced block (pic)

    Begin with one of the printed (or traced) flying geese foundation segments and the strips of blue and green fabrics.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Flying Geese Foundation Pieced block (pic)

    Turn the foundation piece printed side down.

    Place a dark green strip right side up on the unprinted side of the foundation pattern over the area marked A1.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Placement for foundation piecing (pic)

    Right sides together, place a blue strip over the green, with the edge along the triangle mark for section A2 and extending 1/4″. (This piece must cover all of area A2 when it is flipped to its right side after stitching.)Hold or pin these in place, and turn the whole thing over. Stitch along the A1/A2 line on the printed side of the foundation.  Then flip the blue piece up and finger press the seam. Trim the blue strip and repeat along the A1/A3 stitching line.
    Free Quilt Pattern, foundation piecing placementFree Quilt Pattern, foundation piecing placement (PICS)


    TIP: Use a light box or hold the foundation segment up to the light to be sure the placement of your fabric pieces is correct before you sew.

    TIP: When you trim the blue it can be approximate, but be sure it extends past the next A4 line which will be green. If your stitching extends beyond the marked lines, it won’t matter, because it will be covered by the next piece and trimmed later.

    Place the next green strip right side down so that it extends 1/4” past the A4 stitch line, and sew the horizontal seam in place. Flip the green up and finger press. It should extend 1/4″ into the A7 section.
    Repeat with the blue strips as before, stitching along the A4/A5 and A4/A6 lines.

    Now you see how you stitch and flip, and the design is created accurately and quickly without cutting and handling little triangles with stretchy bias edges.

    When you have completed the fourth set of triangles, press the segment. Then trim the whole segment along the dotted line so the finished segment is 9 1/2″ X 5”.

    You will need a total of 13 completed pine tree segments.

    Tags: , ,

  • 13Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Christmas Pine Trees Quilt Top, part 4

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This free quilt pattern makes a quick and easy quilt in a handy size.
    60”X60” is just right for cuddling with a child, and for gift-giving, too.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Trees     (pic)

    We are ready for the foundation-pieced flying geese segment of the Pine Tree block.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Pine Tree Flying Geese block (pic)

    The diagram below is a foundation pattern. Copy it, and size it with your Paint or other editing software to measure 9 1/2” X 5″ along the outer dotted line edges. The dotted lines are the 1/4″ seam allowances for sewing the block together.

    Free Quilt Pattern, Pine Tree Flying Geese Foundation Pattern (pic)

    Foundation piecing can be done on paper, which can then be torn away. The smaller the stitch you use, the easier it is to tear away the paper.

    Or you can use one of the printable fabric products made to feed through your printer. You can then sew onto the printed fabric pattern, and it remains in your quilt. I find that with patterns having lots of triangles as this one does, the fabric sheets can give the bias edges of the triangles some stability.

    You can also use a pencil and trace the pattern onto whatever foundation medium you choose.

    I will be trying a new product, a Wash-Away Foundation Paper that I can run through my printer.

    The first step is to cut the green fabrics into 2 3/4″ strips. Then cut the light blue into 2 1/4″ strips.

    The sewing is done along the printed lines on the foundation. The printing will be the BACK of the segment.

    Now you should have 13 printed (or traced) flying geese foundation segments and the strips of blue and green fabrics.

    Tags: , ,

  • 11Dec

    Free Quilt Pattern: Christmas Pine Trees Quilt Top, part 3

    FREE QUILT PATTERNS, General Quilting & FUN, Quilt Tips and Ideas No Comments

    This free quilt pattern makes a quick and easy quilt in a handy size.
    60”X60” is just right for cuddling with a child, and for gift-giving, too.
    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Trees Quilt (pic)

    Let’s begin cutting fabric for the Pine Tree Block. There are a total of 13 Pine Tree Blocks in this quilt top.

    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Tree Flying Geese Block (pic)

    This block is divided into three segments, one center flying geese segment that makes the pine tree, and two side segments. (See below)These are evenly divided so that the center segment finishes at 4 1/2″ and the two side segments are 2 1/4″ finished (making the total finished size 9”).

    Free Quilt Pattern, Christmas Pine Tree Quilt Flying Geese Block (pic)

    From the medium blue, cut strips 2 3/4” wide.
    You will need a total of 26 medium blue strips, each measuring 2 3/4″X 9 1/2″.

    And let’s learn a technique for making flying geese. This method is “Foundation Piecing”. Foundation piecing can be done using fabric as a foundation, as in Crazy Quilts. A printed foundation pattern on paper can be used. For paper, set your machine to a small stitch, and the paper becomes closely perforated so it will tear away easily.

    I am going to try a fairly new product, a Wash-Away Foundation paper. It can be run through your printer to print the design, and after you have sewn the pieces in place, a quick swish in water will dissolve the foundation. This is the first time I’ve tried it, so we’ll see what happens!

    Next post, the Foundation Pattern for you to copy and print.

    Tags: , ,

« Previous Entries