TheSilverThimble

Scrappy Double Hourglass Tutorial...

A few comments and a few emails, all liking this quilt, so thought we could share the process with a few more people by going through the stages here.

 

REQUIREMENTS  Plenty of scraps, including equal amounts prints and lights.

   Quarter Square Triangle Tool

I have done this with 2" strips.  A full strip (width of fabric) of print and a light will give you two 6" blocks.  If using FQ's, cut strips across the fabric to yield one 6" block.

If you enlarge the picture and look closely at the tool, you will see the measurements on the right hand side, tells you that you are cutting from a 3 1/2" strip and the number within the yellow circle in the centre, tells you that you will have a 6" finished unit.  There is a small amount of the triangle peeking out over the top of the strips.

Press seam towards print. Place tool on strips as shown.  Make the cut on the right hand side.

To make it easy to cut the left hand side of the triangle, place a second ruler flush up against it and remove triangle.

 

Once the first triangle has been cut, rotate the tool 180deg and place up against the cut edge, check other markings and cut.  Do not turn the tool over.

 

Continue along until you have 4 segments.

Join two pairs, press seams in opposite directions, join the last two halves.

I found it easy to make the blocks with seam allowances butting up, but near on impossible when it came to joining them all together!

The beauty of the tool, is it's accuracy.  The pieces fit together, well.  You can make this double hourglass block in different sizes.  If you used 2 1/2" strips, your block would finish at 8" - if you used 1 1/2" strips, your blocks would finish at 4".

If anyone has any queries, please email or make a comment so that I can get you on the right track immediately. 

Sandy.

 
 

 

MINI IRONING BOARD...

Most of my local ladies have made these and I think a few others in the district as well - after a 5 minute Show and Tell in the shop one day.  They are the handiest of accessories, especially at a workshop, and can be completed in about 20 minutes.

REQUIREMENTS

2 pieces of 5mm craftwood 13" x 9 3/4"  (available from hardware stores in a large sheet - if you're lucky, they will cut it for you)

Cutting mat 8" x 11"

Felt or sandpaper (not shown in photo)

Duct Tape, PVA Glue, Bulldog Clips

Approx 50cm fabric and 2 pieces of wool wadding, approx 22" x 30"

 Lay your 2 pieces of craftwood, side by side with a gap between, using a pencil as a guide. 

    

Cover with the duct tape on both sides to create a hinge.

Cut a piece of wadding,  the exact size of the folder you have created, and a second piece, slightly larger, just enough to fold over the edges.  Slather the top side of your folder with PVC glue and fix down the first piece of wadding.   For the second piece, I cut out some little segments at the hinge, to make it easier to fold.

 

Cut a piece of fabric 3" x 9" to cover the duct tape hinge and glue down - don't worrry about the raw edges, they will be covered.  Fold the edges of the wadding over and glue. 

The rest of the process, is just like covering a book.  Cut your fabric to suit your folder - I like about 3" overlap, but as you can see, I was a bit short on the bottom end.  It's still OK, just a bit more difficult to handle.  Stretch it over the edges, glue down and hold with bulldog clips.  Check to see that your folder still closes and adjust if necessary.

Give it a little time to dry, then stick down your cutting mat and felt or sandpaper.

The first one I made, I used felt just to cover the exposed area, but I have used fine sandpaper for this one - handy when you wish to trace around templates.

I hope these instructions are clear enough for everyone, please contact me if there is anything you don't understand.

Your mini ironing board/cutting mat compendium will be a very useful addition to your patchwork accessories. 

Talk soon, Sandy.

 

 

Throwing in my virtual hat...

Yes, my virtual hat is being thrown in the virtual door!  No blog post last week - and did I hear about it!!!  Apologies to all who wait with baited breath for the next issue!  We arrived home on Monday evening and as I didn't have much news, thought I would give you all a break.  Not a good idea, I'm told!

Tuesday morning into work, and I was greeted with the pavers UP, yet again.  This is the last time I'm told, the final trim so to speak.  And yes, they have done a very good job - guess I have no excuses left for not cleaning the windows now.  Any volunteers?

Bookings for the retreat weekend "Anything Goes" are still open. At this stage there are about twelve people on the list, which will be very comfortable, but there is still room for more.  Some of the time will be devoted to making QAYG blocks, and subsequently quilts, for the bushfire survivors.  For those that are unable to make it to Barcaldine, perhaps you could organise your own groups to set aside some time to also make these.  I have put together a little "tutorial" for those that may be interested.

Backing cut at 12" square.

Wadding cut at 11" square.

Strips cut at various widths. Mine are from 1 1/4" to 3 1/2".

I have used a co-ordinated range, (leftovers from my Westech display of Ava Rose, still love it), however scrappy would be equally as good.  I like to use a common fabric or colour for the centre strip as it helps to tie things together - once again, it's your choice.

 

 

Lay your centre strip across the diagonal, right side up.  The next strip will be placed right side down and as I'm working towards the right hand side, those raw edges would be level.  Using your walking foot, sew through all layers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flip your second strip over, give it a good finger press, and continue to add strips until the side is covered.  Turn the block around and add strips to the other side until it is completed.

 

 

 

 

 

Wadding square covered, trim to 10 1/2" square.  Continue making blocks - as many as you like! 

 

 

 

 

 

Join blocks by placing WRONG sides together, sew through all layers using 1/4" seam and open out flat.  (My backing is a pink and white check which you can just see in the seam allowance)

This exposed seam will be covered by a "tram track" which I can't show you just yet.  It's a strip cut at 2" with a 1/2" turned under on both sides.  Looks like bias binding, only it's cut on the straight of grain.  That is placed over the seam and stitched down on either side.  There is a tool called a bias maker which makes this process very simple, and mine is at the shop!  Once a row has been completed, ie. seams covered, then the rows are treated the same way with a long tram track going the full lenght of the row.  Clear as mud?  If anyone would like further explanation, please call me.

If you would like to check out the blog http://ozcomfortquilts.blogspot.com, you will see some similar quilts made using this method.  Of course any quilts will be accepted, as well as blocks.  Send them to me and I will forward them to Victoria.

A few of the Blackall girls visited during the week and they are making plans for a stitching day.  Also had the Ilfracombe girls down in preparation for a  workshop with Pauline Rogers, the weekend after next.

Part of the fabric order "In the Pink II" has arrived.  This is the range being used for the Homespun Block of the Month, Breast of Friends.  Hopefully the remainder will be along soon and I can cut the kits that have been ordered.  The Bali Pops (40 x 2 1/2" strips of batiks) have been very popular.  Sorry I haven't any photos as yet.  I have been working on some simple blocks using these, they look yummy!

That's about enough from me for tonight - hope it makes up for the drought of last week!

Talk soon, Sandy.