Super easy half square triangle method!

Marny here...

The November/December's Bee Block for the Des Moines Modern Quilt Bee is a maple leaf! Karen's parameters are simple. She is requesting just two blocks where the leaf portion is all one fabric. We have a lot of leeway here. They can be solids or prints in red, maroons, purples, golds, and oranges. The blocks will all measure 12 1/2 inches, but the leaf portion can be any size with background added as needed. The background is a uniform Kona Snow that Karen provided.

You can find the inspiration for Karen's quilt on the The Story of Kat.

Once again, serendipity stepped in (like the lightbulb binding moment). I've started watching the new Angela Walters YouTube videos that Craftsy is offering for free. The first episode of The Midnight Quilt Show aired earlier this week. Angela is a hoot! She is a great teacher and entertainer in addition to her awesome quilting skills, including both longarm and freemotion on a home machine.

Back to serendipity, in the video Angela demos making four half square triangles from two squares of fabric. I've heard of this before, but having Angela whip it up in front of my eyes encouraged me to try it. It is a super easy method for making four matching half square triangles. Warning! The outside edges are on the bias though, so extra care pressing and piecing is required. Light hands with the iron, pinning, and stitching are a must.

Two squares

Squares right sides together, stitched 1/4 inch all around.
It doesn't matter if your stitching crosses in the corners.

Cut corner to corner, both directions

Open them up and gently press

Four matching half square triangle units done in no time!

Maple Block
I'll be adding background to size it up to 12 1/2"

Watch here for our quilt sale to start!

Book Cover Tutorial

jill here...Last week we enjoyed my holiday sewing party.  We've done so many projects it's a challenge  finding something new, fresh, and useful.   We are easily distracted with conversation and need time to eat as well!  This year's little notebook covers were prepped (fabrics cut and bias binding readied) ahead for quicker construction.

Little notebook for lists and planning!

Choices to cover: a lined notebook (found at Target)
or a planner (found at the Dollar Tree).

Spread the book flat to measure.  The planner was 7 1/2" tall x 10 1/2" wide.  Add 1" to both sides for the quilted cover:  cut 8 1/2" x 11 1/2".  Adjust the size to fit your book but better to cut a bit too large than small.  Guess how I know that?

I made my own quilted fabric. I used a fun print but
you  could piece something more intricate. 
Pre-quilted fabric works great too.
I cut width of fabric pieces 14" wide, sandwiched them with 
batting and backing and challenged myself to free motion quilt.  
Great practice!
The strips were sub cut into the appropriate sizes for the book covers.

From a contrasting fabric, cut an inside backing piece 
the same measurementas the book cover.  Cut 2 more pieces the 
height of the cover (8 1/2" x 4 1/2" wide:
these are the side pocket pieces that hold the cover in place).

 Cut a  WOF 4 1/2" strip of a contrasting fabric for 
the pencil pockets.It's another great Michael Miller fabric, 
purchased years ago!I added a 2" bias stripe, pressing the outside 
edges in the center and then in half to make a 1/2" binding.
I sewed the binding on the top edge of the pocket fabric,
 always trimming the selvages away. The top edge could be folded under 
andsewn if you wish to skip the accent strip.

Sub cut the pocket fabric into 4 1/2"  squares.

To create the side pockets, sew the pocket to the taller piece.
Simply sew the the pocket on the inside edge, then press under a
quarter inch twice to sew a finished edge the full length.
There will be a right and a left finished edge.
Bias tape could also finish the edge.

The backs of the side pieces.

Place the side pieces on top of the quilted cover,
making sure you have the finished edge to the inside and the 
pockets facingthe same way, right sides together, 
matching the outside corners.

Place the backing piece, right side of fabric on top of the  previous step.
Pin in place.  Starting on the bottom, just before the side pocket starts,
sew the layers together . Stitch with a generous 1/4" seam allowance
the perimeter of the rectangle, stopping just after the other pocket.
This will leave an opening large enough to turn the cover right side out.
Trim off the corners and turn.  Push out the corners.
 Press and pull the corners out from the right side to square up.
Sew the bottom opening closed by hand or machine.

Slide your book under the inside pockets.
You may have to pick it up by the binding to get the ends in.
TaDa!

Ready for action!

Happy holiday campers.

We had a great time at the Lucky Star Market.  We'll post some quilts later

that will be available for purchase.  Hope you're enjoying the season. 'till next Tuesday...

More pictures of Quilts for Sale

Marny here...the time is finally near! Lucky Star Market is this Friday, December 2nd in the evening and all day Saturday, December 3rd here in Ames, Iowa! 

Lots of our quilts will be for sale...at wonderful prices...we want them to find new homes that will love them! Jill shared some crib/child size quilts and more information here last week. 

Bonus, every quilt sold comes with its own pattern! We'll have quilts and patterns and more for sale. Come say hi!

Clockwise from upper left, all throws.
Bowtie Pasta with a Twist
Pie, Sweet or Savory
Cheddar, No Crackers
based on Pie, Sweet or Savory

Clockwise from upper left, all throws.
Market Values
Supper ClubA unique, one of a kind quilt
Flatbread

Clockwise from upper left, all throws.
Leftovers
NibblesTorte
Lunchboxes

Clockwise from upper left, all throws.
Pie, Sweet or Savory
TV DinnersBrioche & Baguette
Bowtie Pasta with a Twist 

Clockwise from upper left, all throws.
Salad Bar
Flatbread
Recipe Cards
Nibbles

Clockwise from upper left
Leftovers, throw
Market Values, throw
Nibbles, throwLunch Boxes, child

We'll share our booth location as soon as we can! We're excited to see old friends and make new ones! See you soon!

Quilt Sale!

Just one of the quilt stacks!

jill here... Want the perfect quilt gift and don't have time to make it?  Our  Modern Quilt Relish quilt samples have gotten out of hand and they need to be loved.  We're selling these beautiful babies at the Lucky Star Market on December 2nd and 3rd. 

Have we got a deal for you! We're setting the prices to be totally affordable.  The variety is incredible...babies, runners, throws! Lots of different colors of all our pattern designs.

 Purchase the quilt, we'll give you a copy of the printed pattern (just in case you want to make another)!

Here's a preview of just a few of the crib/kid's quilts.

Cute as a bug in our Leftovers pattern.

Bow Tie Pasta in gender neutral  novelty prints.

The perfect Market Values for
baby's play.

Taffy Twists in analogous colors.

Sweet oranges and pink florals pop
on this crisp white Brioche and Baguette background.

What little girl wouldn't want to
snuggle under this sophisticated modern 
Recipe Cards design?

Stay tuned for more market previews: quilts, patterns and more! 'Till next Tuesday...

My new favorite binding technique!

Marny here...I recently made a baby quilt using a blue, aqua, and gray collection of Lagom Art Gallery fabrics. I tested scrappy binding, solid binding and a print binding. None of them supported the layout of color within the quilt. I really wanted one color for two opposite sides and another color for the remaining opposite sides. In steps serendipity!

I'd asked Penny at a recent Des Moines Modern Group meeting who some of the best teachers in our area were. She named Linda Hungerford (although Linda now resides in Florida), mentioning that many beginners she had taught were now accomplished quilters. She then specifically reminded me of Linda's binding technique using machine sewn mitered corners. It is well detailed on her blog here. Lightbulb moment...if I used Linda's tutorial I can change fabrics at the corners without guess work.  Using the new (to me) techniques allowed me to place a mostly blue print on two sides and a mostly gray with aqua print on the remaining two sides. 

I used 2 1/2" strips, pieced diagonally as I usually do,
to bring them up to the recommended length. 

I just matched my process to Linda's photos
and worked my way through the tutorial!

Checking how the mitered corners are going to look

I stitched right next to the seam from the right side of the quilt the way I usually do. 

Gotta say this looks pretty good from the back

Mitered corner from the back. All sewn up and no hand stitching required!

This method worked smoothly for me. Thank you, Linda, for the thorough tutorial. I am excited about this method because it will allow me to place fabrics/color in very specific spots anywhere along the edge of my quilts without guesswork.  

We hope those of you within shopping distance plan on attending Lucky Star Market December 2nd and 3rd. It is great fun choosing which quilts we'll be selling. More pictures of vendors etc on their Facebook posts. We can't wait to do some shopping ourselves!

Till Tuesday.... 

AQS Show in DesMoines 2016

jill here...  The DesMoines AQS show in October delivered some wonderful quilts to view.  Unfortunately, my camera battery ran out before I documented all the quilters.  Here are just a few of the more modern quilts.

The map view is alway intriguing.

The background is small log cabin blocks that
are stitched centrally to create the visually
interesting negative space.

The various sizes of blocks and differences in saturation make this quilt very interesting.

Beautiful line quilting.

Partners in quilting have created a stunning "Ad Libbing".
Linda Hungerford (Flourishing Palms)  and Lora Douglas.

Stunning use of color and movement.

From the Lion King Challenge...

Unique valued pieces to create the image.

Voluta #3: Release,  quilted by Sandra Palmer Ciolino.

Close up view of the abstract quilting.

Salsa blocks from Quilts du Jour, pieced  by Lisa Zbylicki
(from the DesMoines Quilt Guild.) What a pleasant surprise!

'till next Tuesday...