Patchwork Quilt Along Block Seven

I have to admit I'm a little sad that it is already the 15th of July!  Our kids go back to school in four short weeks and I'm just not ready for Summer break to end.  The good news about it being July 15th is that it's time for the Fat Quarter Shop to release another block pattern for the Patchwork Quilt Along!

This month's block is called Propeller, and you can find a link to the free pattern here on the Jolly Jabber Blog (scroll down to find the Propeller block.)

I thought this month's blocks were fun - and they took me a lot less time than the last set of blocks did!  Here are all of my blocks to this point.  Looks like next month I'll need to add more green and navy blocks to balance out the colors, but I love what I see so far!

Still needing to catch up?  You can find links to all the past blocks here.  And if you don't think you have time to make the full quilt, you can still make just one of each block for an adorable sampler mini quilt.  If you haven't yet made a donation to Make-A-Wish you can still do that as well.
  

The next set of blocks will be released on August 15th!  For some great inspiration, check out the Patchwork QAL Facebook group.  So much creativity!  And be sure to check out the bloggers below that are quilting along:

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl (@jedicraftgirl)

Amy of Diary of a Quilter (@diaryofaquilter)

Andy of A Bright Corner (@abrightcorner)

*Bonnie of Cotton Way (@bonniecottonway)

*Camille of Thimble Blossoms (@thimbleblossoms)

Debbie of Happy Little Cottage (@happylittlecottage1)

Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)

Heidi of Buttons and Butterflies (@buttonsandbutterflies)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)

Pat Sloan of PatSloan.com (@quilterpatsloan)

Renee of Sewn with Grace (@sewnwithgrace)

Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)

Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)

Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie of Moda Cutting Table

Simple Circles Quilt + Coming Up Roses Blog Tour

My days feel all messed up this Summer!  Today feels like a Friday, and yesterday felt like Monday.  Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

I have a fun quilt pattern to share with you today!  This is the Simple Circles quilt, made with the Coming Up Roses fabric line designed by Jill Finley for Penny Rose Fabrics. 

I fell in love with the bright reds, purples, and greens -- and together they just felt like a party -- so bright and cheery!  Aren't they pretty together?  

 I used this 6" circle ruler from Lori Holt & Riley Blake to make my circles.  

In the pattern I give you two options for making your circles - one using the ruler and one without.  My preferred way (because it's faster!) is to fuse some Heat n Bond Featherlite onto a strip of fabric, then cut it into squares.  

Use the circle ruler, a small rotary cutter and a rotating cutting mat to cut one circle from each square.

Cut all of the circles out - the rotating mat makes this step pretty slick!

(This red paisley print from the line is my favorite!)

Peel the paper backing off of one circle.  Fold it in half twice and finger press to crease.  This helps you find the center of the circle.  Fold one background square in half twice and finger press to crease. 

 

Then place the circle on top of the square, lining up the fold marks.  This helps to center the circle in the block.  

Press the circle in place with an iron.  

Then using a coordinating thread and thin zigzag stitch, stitch the circle in place.  

Once all your circles are appliqued in place, the quilt comes together quickly!  It's just a matter of arranging the squares and then sewing them into columns.  

Click here to print the Simple Circles quilt pattern. 

If you make a Simple Circles quilt I'd love to see it!  Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) or Facebook and add #simplecirclesquilt.  

If you don't yet have a 6" ruler, you can find the 6" ruler here by itself, or in a set with three other sizes here on Amazon.

The Coming Up Roses fabrics will be available in stores soon!  And the blog tour continues over the next several weeks on the following dates:

July 6:  Andy Knowlton / A Bright Corner

July 13:  Aurifil / Auribuzz

July 20:  Amy Chappell / Ameroonie Designs

July 27:  Carrie Burnett / Beri Bee Designs

Aug 3:  Kari Steiger / That's-Sew-Kari

Aug 10:  Kimberly Einmo / Kimbery Einmo Designs

Want to see more circle quilt ideas?  Check out my Curves & Circles Pinterest board!

Pinwheel Block tutorial with Tri-Recs Rulers + Ruler Giveaway!

I'd like to share with you how I used the Tri-Recs rulers to make the pinwheel blocks in the Pinwheels & Patchwork quilt  (free pattern here.)  And if you don't already have a set of these handy rulers, stay tuned to the end of the post for a chance to win a set from the Fat Quarter Shop! (giveaway has ended)

I bought these Tri-Recs rulers years ago and then they sat for a looong time because I didn't know how to use them!  Now that I know, they're super handy and you can do all sorts of fun blocks with them.  Today I'm just showing the pinwheel block, but once you get the hang of them, you can start just creating!

The pinwheel block for today is really just four triangle-in-a-square blocks that have been rotated and sewn together.  Let's get started!

First of all, cut a strip of fabric that is 6.5" x WOF (width of fabric).  You can keep it folded (the way it comes off the bolt) and that way you'll be cutting two triangles at a time.

Line up the "Tri" ruler on the strip of fabric as shown.  That nice flat edge on the top of the ruler is helpful here!  See how it lines up with the top of the fabric strip?

Use a rotary cutter to cut out one triangle, then flip the ruler over and line it up along that just-cut edge.  You're ready to cut another triangle!  Keep going along the length of the strip of fabric, cutting out as many triangles as you need.  For one block we only need 4 triangles.

Next up we'll be cutting the side triangle pieces using the "Recs" ruler.  Once again, cut a strip of fabric that is 6.5" x WOF.

See that notch on the top left of the Recs tool?  That notch will come in handy when you start piecing the block.  So make sure you trim that notch from the fabric as you cut!

  Line up the ruler as shown, and cut one triangle. 

As before, flip the ruler over and cut another one.  And then just keep flipping and cutting all the way down the length of the strip.  For our one block you'll only need 8 of these side triangles.

Time to sew!  Arrange one triangle piece with two side triangles as shown.  We'll sew one side first.  

Flip the side triangle over so the two pieces are right sides together.  Notice the bottom corner of the triangle?  

That notch you cut in the side triangle piece helps you line it up with the larger triangle.  The notch should line up with the bottom edge of the large triangle. 

Stitch along the side of the triangle with a 1/4" seam. 

Flip open the side triangle and press.  I recommend pressing open.

Now line up the second side triangle - making sure that notch at the bottom is lined up.  Sew with a 1/4" seam. 

 Flip open the second side triangle and press open.

This triangle-in-a-square (TIS) block should measure 6.5" square.  Repeat to make a total of 4 TIS blocks.  Take a minute to trim off any little dog ears on each block.

Arrange the four blocks as shown, taking note of how each one is rotated. 

 Sew the top two blocks together, and the bottom two blocks together, with a 1/4" seam.  Press seams open.

Now sew the two block halves together, being careful to line up that center seam.  Stitch and then press seam - this time press to one side.  The finished block should measure 12.5" square.  Fun block, right?  


Would you like to win a set of Tri-Recs rulers?  Just leave a comment below, telling me one thing on your Summer bucket list.  Giveaway ends Sunday July 2nd at midnight and I'll announce the winner here on Monday July 3rd.  And thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring the giveaway!  International entries welcome, one entry per person please.  Giveaway has ended - thank you!

Want to see what else you can make with the Tri-Recs rulers?  Check out this pinterest board - filled with different ideas on what you can make using these two rulers!

And don't forget to go here and download the free pattern for the Pinwheels & Patchwork quilt.  Now that you know how to make the pinwheel blocks, this quilt's a breeze!  

Patchwork Quilt Along Block Six!

Wow!  We're halfway through the Patchwork Quilt Along with the Fat Quarter Shop!

This month's blocks are called "Round the Corner" and boy are there lots of tiny pieces to work with!
(Download block pattern here)

I have a confession... I used a technique called Fusible Patchwork to make my blocks.  You can read more about it here.  The first time I did fusible patchwork, I drew my own squares on the interfacing.  But I recently found a pre-printed panel at my local quilt shop so all I had to do was cut out a 5 square x 5 square section (7.5" x 7.5") and it was ready to go!  (Panel is from Quiltsmart, 1" finished squares)

 

Is that cheating?  Or just using a helpful technique?


I was going to just make one block with this method - just to try it out...and then follow the pattern instructions for the others.  But the first one was so quick and the points were so pretty, I just did all six blocks with this method!


Once I got the main part of the block done, I then realized I still had to deal with the corners.  So I used four 1.5" squares, drew a diagonal line and sewed right on the line.  I trimmed the seam allowance and then flipped the corners open and pressed.  It looks a little different than the block pictures in the pattern, but it will work!    (Read more about the fusible patchwork technique here.)

You can find the pattern for this month's blocks here.  And don't forget to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation here.

The next set of blocks will be released on July 15th!  For some great inspiration, check out the Patchwork QAL facebook group.  There's some quilters that are making bigger blocks, and some that are only making one small block each month to make a mini quilt.  So much creativity!  And check out the bloggers below that are quilting along as well!

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl (@jedicraftgirl)

Amy of Diary of a Quilter (@diaryofaquilter)

Andy of A Bright Corner (@abrightcorner)

*Bonnie of Cotton Way (@bonniecottonway)

*Camille of Thimble Blossoms (@thimbleblossoms)

Debbie of Happy Little Cottage (@happylittlecottage1)

Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)

Heidi of Buttons and Butterflies (@buttonsandbutterflies)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)

Pat Sloan of PatSloan.com (@quilterpatsloan)

Renee of Sewn with Grace (@sewnwithgrace)

Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)

Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)

Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie of Moda Cutting Table

Breezy Quilt in American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine

I'm so excited to be able to finally share!  I have a quilt included in the August 2017 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine!  

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting magazine  ©2017 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved.

This is Breezy - a scrappy looking, yet fat quarter friendly quilt.  (I love when I can make a quilt that has a scrappy feel, but doesn't require all the work of finding and cutting scraps!)

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting magazine  ©2017 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved

The trick?  I mixed and matched fabrics from many designers and different collections to help give it that scrappy feel.  Melissa Kelley (Sew Shabby Quilting) did the quilting for me (Harbour Wave design) and I love how the swirls and waves in the quilting help to give the pinwheels some movement.  

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting magazine  ©2017 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved

You can see my project as well as the other featured projects from this issue here on the American Patchwork & Quilting website.  And this issue is now available in stores!

Comfort and Joy + Free PDF Pattern

I'm getting our Christmas quilting done early this year (and that's SO not like me)!  This last month I've been sewing with the new Christmas line from Riley Blake called Comfort and Joy.  It has the classic reds and greens, but also some great black prints that really make all the other colors pop.  (See all the prints here.)

When I first chose my fabrics for this project, I was on the fence about adding in that black plaid, but I'm so glad I did now!  I just love what it adds.  And aren't those snow globes charming? 

The quilt I designed to go with these prints uses a set of rulers I've had for awhile now - the Tri-Recs rulers from EZ Quilting.  Have you heard of them?  They're handy to have, and there are some great tutorials and patterns out there that use the Tri-Recs rulers.  Never used the Tri-Recs rulers before?  Or maybe you own them but aren't sure how to use them?  I'll be back on Friday with a photo tutorial showing how I made these pinwheel blocks.  

I'm calling this quilt Pinwheels & Patchwork.  It finishes at 60" x 69", and you can find a free PDF pattern to make your own Pinwheels & Patchwork here!  

And you can find the Comfort and Joy fabrics in stores now - although they were going fast at my local quilt shop, so don't wait too long or you'll miss out.  You can also find them online here at: Olie & Evie, Fat Quarter Shop, and Lou Lou's Fabric Shop.  

The swirly quilting design I did is a panto called Party Streamers from Urban Elementz. 

 Thanks for stopping by!  You can see more projects made with Comfort and Joy on the blogs (and dates) below:

May 22:  Julia @ Riley Blake Designs

May 30:  Deonn @ Quiltscapes 

June 5:  Andy @ A Bright Corner

Juen 17:  Amy @ Ameroonie Designs

June 19:  Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts

And don't forget to grab the free PDF quilt pattern for Pinwheels & Patchwork.  If you make one I'd love to see!  Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtag #pinwheelsandpatchwork.