Quilts & Blocks I've Made From Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol 5

When I got my new Quiltmaker's 100 Block, Vol 5 I found so many blocks that I wanted to try.  Knowing that I could never get all made into quilts, I desided that would try different blocks, make them into pillows or just save a copy of the block I made.  If I really like them, would put them into a quilt. Here is what I have made so far.

   Whoopsy Daisy   Block 417   
     Designed by Eileen Fowler
     quiltmaker.com

This is a paper pieced block.  I made from batiks from my stash.  I picked a bright colored fabric, also from my stash, for a border and backing.  Made a blue stuffed cording for around the outside and used some vintage yellow/white buttons to close the backing.  I did the quilting, just using some random designs.


Cathedral Square   Block 469
Designed by Lee Heinirich
freshlypieced.blogspot.com

This is my favorite block, so far!  When I saw the block in the book, I was not so impressed. The dark background just did not appeal to me, but when I visited Lee's blog and saw how she had used the block with a white background I was completely hooked.  Also, I liked how she had used half blocks to stager the rows.

One of my grand-daughter had give me a Moda Layer Cake fabric, called Ruby.  I had been looking for something to use for and this fabric seemed to be the perfect answer.  Along with that fabric, I added some white for the background, a variety of same colored dark reds for the corners and some light gray for the ring around the center. 

A close up of the blocks

I added borders with squares the same size of the 4-patch blocks, seperated by 1" background and then a final outside white border.  It made a lovely throw.

Cathedral Square

Facet-nating   Block 428

Designed by June Dudley

Quiltmaker.com

I like this block very much and wanted to try it in red and white.  I used the fabric scraps from the Cathedral Square block.  Have the block made, but haven't quilted it yet.  I plan to make a pillow that is to go with the quilt.



Four Gables  Block 475

Designed by Susan Knapp & Mary Jane Mattingly

The Quilt Branch

Saturday, July 21, 2012

When I was invited to make 9 blocks for the Quiltmaker Williamsburg, VA, event Aug 1-4 I was quick to accept.  I would love to have attended the event, but since I could not, getting to participate in the block exchange was exciting to me.  We could choose any pattern from any 100 Blocks issue and Quiltmaker would assign a color pallette for us to use.  I was assigned the Summer Lemonade Stand palette, which is yellow, lime-green, blue-turquoise, orange, & pink.  I looked through all my 100 Blocks magazines and selected Four Gables from Volume 5 (page 61).

Since this pattern has a fussy-cut center block, I immediately remembered some fabric from my stash that I thought was very "summer looking".  I have always loved the colors but had never found something I wanted to make.  Anyway, this piece is what I select to be my focus fabric to make the centers from.  This is my fabric selections.  I hope that the "cloud blue" will be an OK color.

Each blocks center is from the same fabric, but all are different.  Here is one of the blocks.

The green side pieces have squares added to make the points and the pattern shows to mark the squares and use the "stitch & flip" method.  I did not mark the squares, but used the method I had posted earlier about using a piece of cardboard to show your line.  Chained all of them, checked the back side to see if any triming was needed, pressed, cut out the back two pieces to reduce bulk.  Then sewed on the other squares on in a chain and so on and then added the red piece and ended up with a nice 4 1/2" section.

Here is another of the blocks

When I finished all 9 blocks, I laid them all out for a picture, and O-MY-GOSH

was I ever surprised to see such a lovely secondary design

that I didn't even know was in there.

I'll be making this block again....into a quilt!

I hope the ladies at the block exchange will like this block.

                                          

Holiday Mouse Pot Holders

Christmas Mouse Pot Holders

HOLIDAY  MOUSE  POT  HOLDERS

Whenever I need a quick little gift for a friend, I like to make something special, just for them.  I've been makeing these Christmas Mice for a number of years, but this year I thought, why not have a "Holiday Mouse" so made these ones for 4th of July.  They could be fun at a family picnic or bar-b-que.  There also may be Easter and Halloween mice on the way, or even a Happy Birthday Mouse.



4th of July Mouse Pot Holders

The

4th of July

Mouse Pot holders

The Pattern

Draw a pattern on sheet of typing paper

A. The body is about 6 1/2" wide and 7" long.  Cut 1

B. The face is about 4 1/2" wide and 2" long.   Cut 1

      Where the seam of A & B join, should be the same width

C. Cut 4 pieces for the ears (C).  Each piece is about 2" wide and 2 1/2" long

     Sew 2 pieces right sides together to make 2 ears.  Trim to about 1/8",

      turn and press

D. Cut 1 piece for the tail about 2"wide and 6" long. 

     Fold side to meet  in center, press.   

     Then fold again in half and top stitch.   Fold tail in half to make a loop and 

     attach to the bottom center of mouse body A

Find center of top of body A and mark center.  Put an ear (C) on both sides of center.  I usually put some small pleats or gathers in the ears to make the bottoms more narrow than the top of the ears.

Place the face (B), right side down on the ears and stitch along the seam.  This will complete the top.  We will call this the "Mouse top"

Make Layers just larger than Mouse top you just sewed:  Will be about 7" wide and 9" long.

       2 layers of batting

       1 layer of backing, with right side of fabric up.

Then lay the mouse top, with right side of fabric down. Be sure that the tail is enclosed.

Sew around the outside edge making a 1/4" seam.  Leave an opening on one side about 3" for turning.  Trim about 1/8" inch from sewn edge and turn right sides out.

Shows mouse top layered on the backing and batting.  Note opening on right side for turning.  By sewing mouse top in this manner, you never have to match the backing to the front.

After turning, hand stitch opening closed, press, top stitch body (A) about 1/4" from edge.  Add some eyes and you have a HOLIDAY MOUSE POT HOLDER.