Triangle Thursday #13

Tea Leaf

This design is number 1734 in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. It is attributed to Modern Priscilla, a periodical begun in 1887 that offered mail order quilt patterns among other articles.  This pattern was dated 1928.  It is also attributed to Nancy Cabot who gave it 3 different names during 1937, including Tea Leaves. You can get a printer friendly version here. 

Cutting directions are for 6”

Fabric	Number to cut	6”
Rust Triangles	4	2” triangle template
Black Print Triangles	4	2” triangle template
Black Squares	3	2 ½”
Rust Squares	2	2 ½”

Here are all the pieces --  each triangle piece is actually two, ready to be sewn together. 

I did something differently this time as I was using two fabrics that were originally cut off from the same blocks.  Rather than use the template to cut the exact size of the unfinished block, I sewed the two triangles together and then trimmed the half square triangle down to an exact 2 ½” block.  I think it was a bit faster yet used up some waste triangles. 

Here are all the pieces laid out in the correct order. The block is ready to sew into rows now. You know the routine.  And below I’ve sewn the rows together. (Note to self...arrange the block the same way for each picture!) 

When pressing the rows, I ironed the center row to the center block.  In the top and bottom rows the seams were pressed toward the outside edges. (or the right and left sides as shown here!) However you choose to iron your seams the ultimate goal is to nest all adjacent seams.

Once the rows are done, sew them together matching where the units meet.  I ironed the rows toward the center. 

It was good to use some of the same fabrics as last week’s. But honestly, these little animals don’t lend themselves to a leaf block! None the less, by the end of the year I’ll have a enough blocks for some little quilt.  An additional odd note:  these photos except the finished block were all taken on the same rotary cutting board.  Yea, weird that the colors came out so differently.  And, they were taken with the same phone within the time it took me to make the block, probably less than an hour once I had the fabrics picked out and cut.  I need to measure the finished block to see if it is really out of square or it was the picture that made it look strange.  See you next week.

Happy Quilting! 

Design Wall Monday 4-8-13

A FINISH! 

This has been a long time in the works.  The top was finished in October last year while I was at retreat.  I find it funny that this side of the quilt was photographed -- see the perfect meet up of the triangles?  The other side I was so tired of trying to figure out how to get them right that I just chopped them off!  This is from a Better Homes and Gardens Scrap-Lovers' Quilts.

I used concentric circles grooved boards for the inside quilting.  The other two borders just have a single line stitched through the center.  The triangles have some half circles.  It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to quilt this one except I knew I wanted to use the circles in the center.  

The binding was a piece I got when I purchased bags of scraps at my guild's auction a few years ago.  Hindsight -- I wished I used a dark binding or possibly dark, pieced binding.  But I'm tickled to have it done.  

Not the greatest week for goals!

Week of April 1, 2013

Quilt 3 charity baby quilts√ two and a half are done

Find backing for my triangle quilt and quilt it √ backing is ready but haven’t quilted it yet

Put together the rest of the units made of the Mystery for Relay quilt√  11 of 16 blocks done

Mail QOV blocks and the heart block√

Hem the darn burgundy pants Decided to wash them before hemming in case they shrank. 

Week of April 8, 2013

Finish the charity baby quilt on Ruthie

Load, quilt and bind my pinwheel charity quilt

Hem the burgundy pants

Finish the mystery blocks

Finish the brown bag block

Cut the kitty cat fabric quilt (yes, something new!!) 

Go through pants in my closet and get rid of what I don’t wear**

** I've been trying to do a little closet cleaning of late.  So every week I've given myself a task.  Most of the times I haven't added it to my list but, this time I really want to get some stuff cleared out and given to charity.  Shouldn't take all that long as I'm only doing one little section. 

Take some time this week to visit other design wall blogs listed at Patchwork Times. (oops, Design Wall Monday on Patchwork Times isn't up yet.  Check later for the link.) 

Happy Quilting! 

Triangle Thursday #12

April 4, 2013

Eccentric Star

This design is number 1683b in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. It is attributed to Nancy Cabott. Nancy Cabot was the name Loretta Leitner used to write a daily column for the Chicago Tribune offering a quilt picture along with some information about it.  According to one of the columns  “if you wish patterns for these historic quilts, send 5 cents in stamp and coin for each pattern ordered . . . “  You can read more about Nancy Cabot at Illinois Quilt History website.  You can get a printer friendly copy here. 

Cutting directions are for 6”

Fabric	Number to cut	6”
Cream Triangles	8	2 ” triangle template
Square	1	2 ½”
Rust Triangles	8	2” triangle template

Here are all the pieces laid out in the correct order.

 I started by making all of the  half square triangles. Press toward the darker fabric. 

I highly recommend you lay out the block after you sew the half square triangles.  It’s easy to get a square going the wrong way. Next, sew the units into rows. I ironed the units in the center row toward the square.  The top and bottom rows the units were ironed away from the center unit.

Once the rows are done, sew them together matching where the units meet.  I ironed the rows toward the center. 

Another triangle pattern complete.  I have quite a few of these rusty colored triangles so I am hoping to use most of them – I might actually have enough to make some small quilt top eventually.  Happy Quilting! 

March Stashbusting Statistics

I had a big finish for March and boy did it eat up the fabric!

2013	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In/ Year
March	8.25 yds	32.50 yds	14.75 yds	23.75 yds	8.75 yd

So I'm not in the black yet but I am moving forward on it each month.  Maybe this month I won't go wild buying fabric.  

Pat and I had planned to recover my ironing board on Sunday afternoon with fabric from my stash but we were both pooped from all our singing Easter morning.  Hopefully this month the big board will be recovered.  I've got holes in the current cover.  

I've already gotten a few items ticked off my to do list this week.  I'm working on the Mystery for Relay quilt.  10 blocks out of 16 are done.  Once I get those done I'm going to decide if I want to do a few more rows as I am hoping to make this a lap size quilt. 

Tomorrow I hope to get another charity baby quilt done.  Come visit tomorrow to see the Triangle Thursday block.  It's another 6" block. I'm trying to use the same group of leftover triangles so that I can make a small quilt with it. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 4-1-13

Yikes~ late again.  I was exhausted yesterday after singing two services yesterday and one service Saturday.  Happy Easter All!  

I've been busy putting these blocks together.  You might remember them from a previous post or two when I was getting ideas for the centers.  All but one of these blocks has the floral print center that will also be the border.  And, oops! nothing like a photo to show you made a mistake.  I've got one block with a pin in it to remind me to change the corner. I'm pleased with the progress I'm making on it as it isn't my primary project right now. 

I did quite well with my weekly goals this time. 

Week of Mar 25, 2013

Make and apply binding to scrap quilt√

Finish triangles for baby quilt√√ & quilt it

Quilt customer quilt√

Make more blocks for QOV√ I made more and mail … or just mail what’s done! I need to get these mailed now!

Continue working on Mystery for Relay quilt√

Week of April 1, 2013

Quilt 3 charity baby quilts

Find backing for triangle quilt and quilt it

Put together the rest of the units made of the Mystery for Relay quilt

Mail QOV blocks and the heart block

Hem the darn burgundy pants

I will be posting my stash busting statistics either tomorrow or Wednesday.  I have the first baby quilt on the long arm now. I hope to have it off Ruthie later today and another put on.   

Visit Patchwork Times for a portal to Design Walls across the internet. 

Happy Quilting! 

Triangle Thursday 11

March 28, 2013

Birds in the Air

This design is number 1322 in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. It is attributed to Ruth Finley who wrote Old Patchwork and the Women Who Made Them that was published in 1929.  Ruth didn't design this block but she included it in her book.  There are several quilt blocks with the same name, attributed to Finley, with vastly differing designs. You can get a printer friendly version of this post here. 

Cutting directions are for 6”

Fabric	Number to cut	6”
White Small Triangles	3	2 ” triangle template
White Large Triangle	1	6 7/8" Cut in half diagonally (I cut a 7 to 7 ¼” square so I could cut the finished square down to the correct size.)
Pink Triangles	6	2” triangle template

Here are all the pieces laid out in the correct order.

I started by making the three half square triangles. Press toward the darker fabric. 

Next, sew the two half square triangles on the left together.

Then sew the extra triangle to each of the columns of half square triangles.

I pressed each seam toward the top of the column. 

Once the columns are ready, sew the two longer ones together matching along the bottom.  Add the last triangle, again matching to the bottom. I ironed these to the smaller column. 

Here are the pieces ready to finish the block.  Because I chose to cut my white triangle bigger here’s a hint to get an accurate block without cutting off the points.  When you line these two pieces up, line up the bottom left corner of the pink to the diagonal corner. 

In this picture I’m in the process of lining these pieces to that left bottom corner.  I had them completely lined up before I sewed the diagonal seam. Sew the quarter inch seam using the pink as a guide as the white is a bit oversized. I pressed to the light triangle.

Square up the block by placing the diagonal line of the ruler on the diagonal line of the block.  Trim the light sides first, you might find you don’t need to trim any from the pink side. 

Here is a beautiful quilt on DakotaCity Quilter blog made by Lori which prompted me to pick this particular block.

And, if you want to make a larger size look at Mama Love Quilts. Nicole also has several good suggestions on how you can set this particular block. 

Check out Sandi’s blog, Piecemeal Quilts, to see a much more modern version of this classic pieced block.

I noticed that Barbara Brackman showed four of these blocks together as a separate listing but with the same name.  There are so many ways you can use this block from old fashion to modern.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Triangle Thursday and some fun eye candy. I’ve got to find storage for all of my cute little blocks.  They are are running amok in the studio. Happy Quilting!