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Quilt Tips - A Last minute holiday gift

12/6/2021

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One of our members, Janice J, wanted to share this quick and cute last minute holiday gift to make.  Her friend sent her the information, and plans to make a tin of cookies to combine with these as a holiday gift.  What a nice idea!
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Prism Quilt and Free Pattern

11/22/2021

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I came across this beautiful quilt pattern on You Tube.  Designed by Anna Maria Horner for Janome Sewing Machines.  When I looked for the free pattern, the links no longer worked since this was published in 2012.  With a little ingenuity, I was able to find the pdf pattern and also share that here. See the file download below. The pattern includes templates to print and full instructions.  I can't wait to try this one myself!  
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Download the free pattern here:
amh-patchwork-prism-quilt.pdf
File Size: 3788 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Quilt Tips:  Layer Cake Quilt

11/1/2021

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I love quilts that are easy and look much harder to make than they actually are.  This quilt I found on You Tube by Material Girl Quilts falls into that category and is a great way to make a nice gift in any size quilt you want.  Just increase or decrease the number of blocks you make!
The lap quilt size uses a Layer Cake (10 inch squares) and there is very little waste.  That is the entire supply list to make this top!
PS - Here are some suggested sizes to help you plan:
Baby Quilts: 32 inch x 40 inch (approximately)
Lap Quilt:  40 inch x 60 inch (approximately)

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Quilted Wall Hanging made with a Charm Pack

7/26/2021

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I really enjoy this teacher on You Tube.  She makes everything so easy!  This video shows the entire process, including borders, binding, and the quilting. 

I am thinking about using a Charm Pack with Christmas Fabric to make something fun for my home. 
​Enjoy! Thx, Ann
Here are the links that Yoan mentions in the video:
You will need : 40x pcs of charm packs, 5” x 5“ (12.7 x 12.7 cm) fabric squares. https://amzn.to/3iAz1te, https://bit.ly/3y17NTa
21” x 42” batting
https://amzn.to/3kSXZXw
2/3 yard backing fabric
1/6 yard border fabric
1/3 yard binding fabric
Note: yardage requirements are estimated, based on standard 44” wide cotton quilting fabric. Machine quilting thread, 
Basic sewing /quilting notions.
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Free Pattern for Island Four Patch Quilt

7/5/2021

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     I love the colors of this fun quilt using a jelly-roll.  Of course you can cut your own 2-1/2 inch strips or even save scraps for your own look, but starting with a jelly-roll is much easier.  You also get the advantage of the variety of fabrics in the jelly-roll.  One jelly-roll with 40 strips + 1/4 yard of background fabric is enough to make the quilt top, with a few strips left over to make the binding. The finished quilt is 45x60 inches.
    A package of Tonga Treats batik fabric strips buried in her fabric stash called “Island Punch” by Timeless Treasures inspired APQS Dealer Cindy Schellenberg to create this simple but striking pattern. I think it would look great in any colors you love.
--Ann

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Here is a link to download and print the free pattern.  Click Here
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Easy & Cute Coasters using 5" squares

6/28/2021

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    I love this project!!!  I decided to sit down at my sewing machine to make just one.  Seven of them later my Netflix program was over.  They are a bit addicting and instant gratification.
    Now I have nice fabric coasters to protect my furniture from my hot cups of tea.  They make very cute and easy to make gifts, so I plan to make more and have some stashed away for future gifts. They even could be made with themes of favorite sports teams, animals, etc.  I think I will make some with chili peppers for my husband.
PS - I showed off a few completed of these to our Virtual Quilters Zoom sewing group and they let me know these work great to put on the base of wine glasses..  They can slide on from the center hole and stay with the glass.  Who knew?!? 
​ - Ann
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The Easiest Bargello Pattern in the World

6/4/2021

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Actually, if you watch this video, you don't even need a pattern!
​I have been a fan of Donna Jordan at Jordan Fabrics for a long time.  Her family business is very generous with great videos teaching how to make quilts and use some of the fabrics they sell.  This is a free tutorial technique video to make a Bargello looking quilt without all the hard work.  Like always, if you follow this video, you can have a quick successful quilt too.  Below is her YouTube tutorial with all the instructions you need to try this yourself.
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Half Square Triangles Quilt techniques

5/3/2021

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I found versions of this quilt pattern all over the internet.  Good reason, it looks good in almost any color and is relatively easy to make. 
​The first video, from Shabby Fabrics uses 5 inch charms.  She also gives some good tips on useful tools and rulers.  The half-square-triangles are made one at a time, but she does chain piece them to save time.
Here is a link for a list of the FREE patterns that Shabby Fabrics offers.  Scroll down to the Blitzen Quilt.
Click Here
This video from Sew Very Easy uses fat quarters to make 8 half-square-triangles at a time. 

This video by Jenny Doan at Missouri Star Quilt Company uses 10-inch Layer cake and makes half-square triangles 4 at a time.
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A quilt with many different personalities!

4/25/2021

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I love to research and the internet is my favorite place to explore.  Recently, I found a very cute quilt kit that was perfect for Spring.  The pattern was pretty simple and I thought I might want to just draft it out myself.  Done.  Then I just kept going.  I found it under several names, lots of colors, and each one was fantastic. The pattern comes in 3 versions:  Using 5 inch charms, 10 inch layer cakes,  or 2-1/2 inch mini charms.  Each one results in a different size project, of course.  What a nice way to use up some of the pre-cuts in your stash.  Add some borders and you can have some fun there too.
Best yet, I located a video on YouTube showing how to make the quilt by one of my favorites, Donna Jordon from Jordan fabrics.  They also offered a free pattern download from Moda.  See details below.
So I decided it was a "classic" to keep and should share it with all our virtual quilters.  So below, you will find the results of my fun adventure!
​    -Ann

Here is a link to download the free Moda pattern on the Jordan Fabrics website: 
Click here for pattern download
Here are a few of my favorite choices for fabrics.  If you want to find more, go to Pinterest.com and search "Moda Love Quilt."  You will be amazed at how many beautiful suggestions there are.
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TSW - Quilted Japanese Rice Bag

4/12/2021

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I absolutely love this little bag.  It is made with jelly roll strips, you get to do some basic or advanced free motion quilting on it, and I can think of so many uses for it.  It would hold craft projects on the go, be a wonderful gift for a friend, and even make a nice bag for kids to hold their toys.  Enjoy!
​Ann
PS - Here is a link to download her instructions from her website.  Click here
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Quilt Tips - Attics Window done the easy way!

4/11/2021

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A big thank you to Mary Ann for sharing this video from Shabby Fabrics with us.  It really is a clever way to make a panel into an Attics Window quilt.  It really doesn't get any easier than this!  -Ann
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TSW - A very cute Easter Egg pillow

3/29/2021

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I know Easter is only a week away, but this fun project is quick and there is enough time to get it made to decorate. In this case, it is an adorable pillow with easter eggs made from your scraps.  Trapunto stuffing gives it some extra dimension. 
Anyway, here is a photo of the finished Easter pillow project, and use this link to see the complete instructions from Krista Moser: Click Here
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TSW - A 3-yard quilt with a free pattern!

3/1/2021

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Do you have too much fabric in your stash and don't what to do with it?  Need an easy quick quilt to donate or gift to someone?  I love this series of books showing an amazing amount of patterns that take just 3 yards of fabric, one yard of each.  This video shows making one of the patterns, and even includes a free pattern for it to download.​
You can watch the full video below, or check it out on You Tube.  "Sew Very Easy" has a lot of other videos you might just find useful too.  Click Here
You can also download the free pattern with instructions:  Click Here
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TSW - Hidden Wells Block Tutorial

2/8/2021

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This block looks more complicated than it is.  Thanks to clever assembly and cutting, you can make these beautiful blocks quickly and easily. Please click on any photo to see a larger image.
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Step One: Each fabric – Cut one strip 2½” by the width of the fat quarter. Sew four strips together with a ¼” seam allowance and press toward the darkest fabric. Measure the width – it should measure 8½” – cut the piece into two 8½” x 8½” squares
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Step Two: Place one block right side up. Place the second block right side down on top with the strips going in the opposite direction as shown

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Step Three: Pin the blocks together. Sew a ¼” seam around all four sides
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Step Four: Use a ruler and your rotary cutter and cut diagonally from one corner to the other. Repeat this on the opposite diagonal corner

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Step Five: Open your pieces and carefully press. The blocks should measure approximately 5½” x 5½” – square up if needed
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Step Six: Arrange the blocks until you find a design you like and then sew them together with a ¼” seam allowance. Your block should measure about 10½ inches

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Here it is in other colors.... You can also try 2 light and 2 dark colors.
This article is from a blog post at ConnieKresin.com. She has many other helpful tutorials.  If you would like to see her post for this technique on her blog,   Click Here
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TSW:  Strip and Flip Baby Quilt (or any size!)

1/31/2021

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I thought I would share this fun and quick quilt pattern.  I can already think of other sizes and color choices to make this.  Small changes would make it jelly roll friendly, and scrappy would be fun too.  What would you make with this technique?
To see the original post and other cute projects they offer, see Cluck Cluck Sew   Click here
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This fun scrappy quilt is quick to put together and great for beginners. Use lots of different colors to keep it bright and fun…or just a few colors to keep it calm and simple.
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Finished Size: 36″ x 41″ Baby Quilt

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1. You’ll need to cut 27 color strips 2″ x width of the fabric (at least 36″) and 2 white strips 1 1/2″ x width of the fabric (at least 42″).
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2. Lay the color strips out in the order you want them.

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3. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the strips into pairs first…then sew the pairs all together. Alternate the sewing direction when sewing the strips/pairs together, and don’t pull the strips…this will help prevent stretching and keep the strips straight.
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4. Press the seams open. This takes a bit more time but the nice straight seams are worth it!

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5. Fold the length of the quilt top in half and align it carefully on the cutting mat. Trim the edges straight until the quilt top is 35″ wide.
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6. With the quilt still on the cutting table, make a cut 8″ in from the right side. Make another cut 5″ in from the last cut.

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7. Sew a white strip onto each side of the 5″ strip. Press towards the white strips and trim the ends.
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8. Rotate the strip 180 degrees, and sew the strip back in between the larger pieces to make the quilt top. Press towards the white strips.

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TSW:  Triangle Scrap Magic... and more

1/10/2021

13 Comments

 
TSW (Technique Sharing Workshop)
Years ago I took a series of classes on wearable art, which used many quilting techniques to create clothing.  One of my favorite techniques was randomly piecing fabric until it was big enough to make something out of the "created" fabric.  I recently found this post and it reminded me of how I loved doing this, and gave me a good way to use scraps to create a quilt.
​Ann Nolen
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You have scraps and you just sew them together into "slabs."
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Have you made enough? Lay your template down on it. Remember if it's too big, you can cut the extra off. If its too small, just add to it.

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Here a chunk from the top was curt off, and added to the side where it was needed.
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Even the extra triangle bits on each side can be put to good use too.

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Just keep creating, and it can be so much fun clearing out small scraps and creating these magic triangles!
Click on any photo to see a larger image
Many thanks for this information on the Triangle Scrap Slab Magic post by The PatcheryManagerie.blogspot.com

The options are endless, of course.  Look at these photos to see how this quilter sewed strips and used a square template to create a block.
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13 Comments

Demo - Mirrored Reflections

12/7/2020

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  • One of our members, Janice Johnson, posted this quilt block in our Facebook Group.  We loved it and wanted to know more about the quilt block and what the story was behind it. Good news, the pattern is a free download, and it can easily be made from fabric or jelly rolls in your fabric stash!
A few tips from Janice:
  • To download the free pattern for "Mirrored Reflections" offered by Dynamic Quilting Click Here.  You will need to sign up for their mailing list to get it. 
  • It uses 6 fabrics that should look good together.  Janice suggests using the two wider strips in row 1 and 4 for the best look. Remember that Row 1 and Row 6 should also look good next to each other due to the repeat.
  • Our group is invited to come to our Zoom Quilting Group on Monday, Dec 14th with questions or to sew on the block together.  The Group meets from 10:00 - 12:00.  Janice will be there to answer questions, or you can ask her in our Private Facebook Group.
Thanks Janice!
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Here are some of the blocks that were made by Janice and other members. Click image to see a larger version.
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Justine L
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Janet T.
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Carole H
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Janice J.
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Linda V
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Justine L
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    Virtual Quilters

    We welcome quilters from any area to join our free virtual quilt group.  If you have questions, contact Ann@VirtualQuilters.com

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