Tamarinis

Partial Seam Blocks: A Tutorial

Confession time: I LOVE partial seam blocks.  I love how they echo the infinity symbol, with no clear beginning and no clear ending.  And I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they are actually easy.  As in EASY.  E.A.S.Y.

I was working on a new pattern in this amazing new fabric line, Buzzworthy from Benartex, which just happened to use a partial seam block, and I thought it would be a GREAT opportunity to share a tutorial with you, walking you through the steps to sew a partial seam block.  And FYI if you want to see more about the full fabric line AND see some great projects, head over to Benartex's website.  You'll see it really is a buzzworthy group of fabrics (hahaha - see what I did there?!).  But seriously - check it out.  It is a terrific line with a fabulous range of prints and the fabric has an amazing feel!  I'm so excited for this project!

Before we jump in, a few disclosures:

• The block I'm using is strip pieced.  The method works with any type of units - solid pieces of fabric, strip pieced units, paper pieced units, curved piece units....you get the idea!
• This block is LARGE (about 15"), but this method works with almost any size block.  I will say that larger is MUCH easier than super small.  Having said that, I do have a pattern that has a 1" cut center - a bit tiny, but super adorable and yes, doable!

Ok, ready to see how the magic of partial seams happen?  Great!

For the purpose of our tutorial, we will work with a standard square block.  Our block has five units - a square center and four side units.  For the remainder of the tutorial, the side units are numbered to help you keep track of how we are moving around the center unit.

All sewing will be with RST (right sides together).  Place the center square RST, matching up the raw edge of the top left corner of Unit One with the raw edge of the center square.  Sew from the far right to about half way across the center unit.  You can stay stitch when you stop which will help prevent the stitches from coming out.

I strongly recommend pressing AWAY from the center unit.  This will create a long straight edge that will EXACTLY match (isn't math wonderful?!) the length of Unit 2.

So that's exactly what you are going to do - sew Unit Two to the long end of the center/Unit 1.  Again, press AWAY from the center unit.

Continue working your way around the block.  Sew Unit Three to the long edge created from sewing Unit Two to the long edge from your first seam.  Yup - press AWAY from the center unit.  Guess what you do next?

You are ALMOST done!  Fold back Unit One (see the picture above) so that you can sew along the full length of Unit Three and the center unit.

Here is a close up of Unit Four lined up, ready for sewing!  Stitch along that full length.  Press AWAY from the center square. Just one more seam to go!

 

Note that the first unit (Unit One, where we started) is now lined up with Unit Four.  Match up the unsewn edge of Unit One with the raw edge of Unit Four.

 

To complete the block, start sewing at the end of the partial seam you made at the beginning.  I generally advise overlapping those stitches just a bit (start sewing on top of the end stitches) so that the seam is secure.  Fold back your completed block and press AWAY from the center square.

Here is the block from the back.  Pressing away from the center square allows the center to lay nice and flat, and really does make it easier to work with the partial seam!

Ta-da!  You have mastered the partial seam!  Go you!  Go forth and happy stitching!

If you prefer diagrams, I have a nice little partial seam tutorial you can find here on my blog.

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  PS - I'm trying to get to the next milestone number on Facebook and Instagram (I am trying to get 2000+ followers) and would REALLY appreciate your help - so please click and follow!  Thanks so much!

Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.  

Christmas In July Pattern Parade Blog Hop

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Ready for a one day whirlwind of holiday awesomeness?!  Each participant is bringing you all sorts of holiday fun and magic.  There are traditional projects, modern projects, large and small projects.  I'm sharing with you a favorite of mine - turning my favorite appliqués and die cuts into quick holiday ornaments!

Here is the ornament I created especially for you!  And the best part? It was quick and easy!  Let's look at how I created this ornament (and you can download an instruction sheet at the end of the post).  I'll also share some other applique inspired ornaments.  You'll be stitching up a tree full of ornaments in no time!

The entire ornament was created using Crafter's Edge Snowflake die.  The snowflake was cut from this adorable snowflake print fabric (I couldn't resist!) from Benartex's Rustic Christmas collection.  I sprayed the back of the die cut snowflake with Odif's 606 spray and fused it to the first layer of the base.

The base was cut from the other part of the die, and I cut not one but TWO bases from felted wool.  FYI - I find that two layers of wool give the ornament enough body that it will hang nice and flat and not curl on you!

While stitching is not required (since I fused it to the wool base with Odif 606 spray), it does add some nice texture and interest to the ornament.  I used Aurifil 12wt, which is a nice, heavy thread, perfect for embellishment!  If using a 12wt, make sure you increase your needle size to at least a 90/14 needle AND loose your top thread tension to avoid fraying.

Notice that I did the stitching through the fused snowflake and the first base only.  This is so I can neatly tie off all of my threads and have a tidy ornament back!

I thought it would be fun to add some beading to the ornament as well - just a tiny bit of sparkle!  The beads were hand stitched on after the machine embellishment was done (yes, before adding the second base).

Because I added the beads, I used a wool pressing mat for the next stage of the process.  First, I pressed the stitched ornament flat.  Next I sprayed the wrong side of the second base with Odif 606 spray.  I cut a length of baker's twine and knotted it to form a hanging loop, and layered it between the two bases, and then fused the stitched base to the back base.  And that's it!  Ornament done!

I mentioned turning a favorite die (like the snowflake die in the first ornament) or a favorite applique into an ornament.  Here's an example of an applique I turned into an ornament.  This is from my Your Love Gives Me Wings pattern.  This time the base is a simple oval, and I did some additional stitching around the base to add some more detail.  Don't you just love the little tassel stitched to the bottom of it?

When I said this was a favorite technique, I wasn't kidding!  Here are two more - both in my Kismet fabric line from Island Batik, and pulled from some of my applique patterns.  The Peacock Ornament (left) is using smaller portions of applique elements from one of my tea towel applique patterns, while the God's Eye Ornament uses the center portion of one of the appliqués from my Good Fortune pattern.

Hint: when pulling from existing applique patterns, remember that you don't have to use the entire applique.  Just pull elements from the applique that you really like!

Match your base shape and size to the applique.  With the Peacock Ornament, I thought a round base looked best and suited the shape.  With the God's Eye, an oval mimicked the shape of the eye and fit the applique pieces nicely.

While I chose to stitch around the edges of all my applique shapes, you could make it even quicker and easier and just fuse the shapes into place.  Find what works best for you and suits your individual style.

Want to start creating your own appliquéd ornaments?  Here is a little Download Applique or Die Based Ornament Instructions outlining the basic steps to take!

Please share your ornaments with me - I'd love to see what you create!  And as a thank you for visiting during the blog hop, here is a 10% off coupon code (but hurry - it is only good through Friday, July 17th!): CIJPP.

Visit the other talented designers that are sharing their holiday creations with you as well!  Here's the list of participants and the categories for their projects:

 

Table Toppers, Home and Kitchen
Inquiring Quilter
Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Cooking Up Quilts
The Quilted Diary
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Morning Glory Designs
Scrapdash
Days Filled With Joy

Small Projects
Geeky Bobbin
Sunburnt Quilts
Tamarinis
Tuning My Heart Quilts
Prairie Sewn Studios
Puppy Girl Designs
Ladybug Buzz
Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio

Traditional and Modern Quilt Patterns
Ms P Designs USA
Quilt 2 End ALZ
Patti's Patchwork
Cotton Street Commons
Brown Bird Designs
From My Carolina Home

 

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.  And did you know?  I travel and teach!  Contact me to schedule a trunk show and/or workshop!

 

Whistle Stop Tour Blog Hop

 

Welcome to my installment of the Whistle Stop Tour Blog Hop!  I'm thrilled to be included - as a Certified Instructor (otherwise known as a CI), as a quilter, and as a fan of the amazing Deb Tucker and her wonderful Studio 180 tools.  

We are celebrating the launch of Deb Tucker's Signature Collection, Steam Engine, designed by the talented Kathy Engle of Island Batik.

If you are just joining us, check out Deb's post with all of the highlights and details on the beautiful Union Station project, which uses all of the FREE (yes, I said FREE) blocks included in the blog hop.

Isn't it lovely?  You'll want to check out each instructor's post for details on how to make your own blocks, as well as Deb's post with overall yardage, tool and technique sheet requirements.

Let's jump right in to my Stormy Chain block!  You'll need just four fabrics (!!):

•   Purple Print (1) 3 1/4" x 24" strip, subcut into (4) diamonds for the diamond centers
  
•   White Floral Print (4) 2 3/4" x 4" rectangles (diamonds rects)                                                                   
  

                                                  (1) 2 1/4" x 20" strip (4 patches)

•   White Dots Print (4) 2 3/4" x 4" rectangles (diamond rects)
  

                                                (1) 2 1/4" x 10" strip (4 patches)

•   Dark Green Print (2) 3 3/4" squares (block center)
  

                                                 (1) 2 1/4" x 10" strip (4 patches w/ white dots print)

                                                 (1) 2 1/4" x 20" strip (4 patches w/white floral print)

Now, before I dive into the step by step - a bit of a disclaimer.  You will NEED your Studio 180 rulers (Diamonds Rects and 4 Patch Square Up).  Each ruler comes with wonderfully illustrated, step by step instructions for creating the units I'll be picturing in my instructions.  Please note I have NOT included step by step cutting using the tools!

You've cut your diamonds (per the instructions that came with the Diamond Rects tool) AND your side triangles (again, per the instructions that came with the tool).  Please note - you will have (2) white flower print and (2) dot prints.  And look at the placement (yes that's right!) - white flower prints on bottom, dot prints on top.  You'll want to do this with ALL four diamond units.  Yes, it's right!  You'll see.

Stitch all four diamond units, trim and press per the instructions.  Your goal?  (4) 3" x 6" (finished) diamond rects units.

When trimming, pay careful attention to your trim lines.  I LOVE to use a stiletto when trimming.  It allows me to "nudge" the fabric into perfect position so I get a really accurate trim.  And that's the secret, folks, to a really accurate block!

Next, on to the four patch units.  You are going to need two different strip sets - a 10" long strip set made up of the 2 1/4" dot print and 2 1/4" dark green print, and a 20" long strip set made up of 2 1/4" white floral print and 2 1/4" dark green print.  Press each strip set to the dark green print.

       

Hint: Sew INTO the seam when possible for perfectly matched points!

Cut (4) 2 1/4" units from the dot/dark green strip set.  Sew these together into (2) four patch units. Open the center seam intersection for the flattest block when pressing.

Cut (8) 2 1/4" units from the floral/dark green strip set.  Sew these together into (4) four patch units. Open the center seam intersection for the flattest block when pressing.

Ta-da! Perfect Intersection!

Use the Four Patch Square Up Ruler to trim down your oversized four patch units.  I know - I thought the same thing when I hear about the tool.  I thought - four patches - super easy!  And yes, they are.  But....absolutely perfect blocks make it SOOOO much easier to get a Mary Poppins style project (you know - practically perfect in every way!). So just do it - use the Four Patch Square Up Tool and get perfect four patch blocks! You'll trim them down to an unfinished 3 1/2" square.

 

So now it's time to lay out all of your pieces so you can assemble your block.

FYI - I do this whenever I'm making a block, to ensure I have all pieces positioned correctly.  You'll want to note the orientation of your dot and floral prints on the diamond units.  Please note that all of the floral prints are oriented to the OUTSIDE of the block.

Begin in the center and stitch a 3 1/2" dark green square to a dot/green four patch.  Note the orientation of the dark green squares in each four patch.  This is essential (ESSENTIAL) to achieve the correct overall effect in the final block.  Press to the 3 1/2" dark green squares.  Sew the two units together, and open the center seam as you did with the smaller four patches, again to achieve a flatter block.  You'll be SO very glad you did!

Next, sew the diamond units to the left and right of the block center.  Press toward the block center.

Sew a floral/dark green four patch to each side of the remaining diamond units.  Again, note the placement of the dark green blocks.  Really, not kidding - placement is super important to achieve the correct effect.  Press to the four patch units.

Finally, sew the three rows together, pressing to the top and bottom of the block.  Whew - you are done, and now you have a stunning 12 1/2" (unfinished) Stormy Chain block!

Here's a link to the PDF of the instructions for you as well!

You'll want to check out the rest of the blog posts over the next few days, and make the rest of the blocks so you can put together your own Union Station quilt!  Good luck, and don't forget to share your progress with us!

The Blog Hop Schedule:

Monday September 9^th

•   Karen Overton – The Quilt Rambler 

Tuesday September 10^th

• Michelle Renee Hiatt – Sew on the Go
• Marie McKay – Ribbon Star Studio

Wednesday September 11^th

• Sarah Furrer – Studio 180 Design

Thursday, September 12^th

• Gail Renna – Quilt Haven Threads
• Kathie Beltz- Kathie Beltz Designs

Friday, September 13^th

• Jackie O’Brien – If these Threads Could Talk

Saturday, September 14^th

• Tammy Silvers – Tamarinis
• Carolyn Ratola – CaTs Quilting

Sunday, September 15^th

• Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Design
• Bonny Peters – Cat Den Mountain Quilts

Monday, September 16^th

• Sarah Furrer – Studio 180 Design

 

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.  And did you know?  I travel and teach!  Contact me to schedule a trunk show and/or workshop!

Evening Elegance Blog Hop - Day Two

 

Welcome to Day Two of the Evening Elegance Blog Hop, celebrating the debut of Deb Tucker's new signature line with Island Batik, Twilight Chic.

For those of you that don't know me, I am a pattern and fabric designer, and I design under the label Tamarinis.  I design patterns for my label, as well as for my fabric lines (for the fabulous folks at Island Batik), as well as for fabric lines for Northcott, Timeless Treasures, Dear Stella, Connecting Threads and Maywood (last but certainly NOT least!).  I am also a newly certified Studio 180 Instructor (woot woot! - yes, I drank the kool-aide!).  I hope you'll jump over to my website while you're here and check out what I have!

But let's get to the good stuff, right?!  The wonderful folks at Studio 180 have pulled together some blocks from their Blockbuster series (link below, "borrowed" from Karen Overton's post) that you can put together to make a beautiful sampler quilt!  

Now when you go to the Studio 180 site and download the free (yes, I did say FREE) instruction sheets, you'll notice that you can make the block in several different sizes.  We are all making 12" (finished) blocks - FYI.

Thanks to Karen for posting all of the links - and I'm sharing her links again - just in case you missed it.  And I LOVE her suggestion of printing them all off and putting into a notebook.  Genius!  And how convenient - because then you can just pull out the notebook any time you get in the mood to stitch up some fun blocks using your Studio 180 rulers (because I know you have them all!).

 

Blockbusters 1 – 15

Blockbusters 16-21

Blockbusters 22-25

Blockbusters 26-30

Blockbuster 31

Blockbuster 32

Blockbuster 33

Blockbuster 34

I'm sharing Block 7 - Whimsy Turndash and Block 22 - Square Dance.  Let's look at the step by step for each block. 

Whimsy Turndash

The components:  (1) Square squared, (4) Little Houses, and (4) Half Square Triangles

The instructions for the components are included with the rulers OR on technique sheets, but I'll be showing you step by step for construction the blocks.  In the case of Whimsy Turndash, all of our units will the 4" finished, 4 1/2" cut size.

For our A unit (Square Squared), we'll need (1) center block and (2) squares that will make our corners.   

With this lovely, yet dark, navy fabric, it may be a bit hard to see the ruler lines - but they are there!  Use the marking on your Square Squared to trim the center square to the size for 4" finished blocks.

Cut your (2) corner squares in half corner to corner to yield (4) Half Square Triangles.

Lay your pieces out for piecing.  This may seem like an unnecessary step - but it can save you some grief and some seam ripping later.  By placing the pieces as they will go in the sewn block, you can ensure you have correct placement.

Sew the two side HSTs on (roughly centering on the center square), then press away from the center square.  Repeat with the top and bottom HSTs.  I like to trim the excess before pressing, but you don't have to.

Use the markings on your Square Squared ruler to trim this unit to a PERFECT 4 1/2" unfinished size.  Whew!

Next you need to pull out your Little Houses Technique Sheet, because you'll want to make (4) Little Houses units.

Last but not least are the HST (half square triangle) corner units.  Whip out your Magic Wand, mark your stitching lines (I like to use a chalk marking tool for this).  Stitch on the lines, then cut them apart and press to your darker fabric.

Use your Tucker Trimmer to trim the units down to 4 1/2".  Now you're ready to lay out all of the units for your block.

I like to lay out my units and sew them in rows.  Suggestion - when possible, you always want to let your pieced points lay flat.  So....you would press IN on the top and bottom rows, and press OUT on the center row.  Sew the three rows together as shown - and ta da! Whimsy Turndash!

Square Dance:

The components: (8) Flying Geese units, (4) Square Squared units, (1) center square

The square squared units are made just like we did above BUT....we are going to add in one color to get a nice new effect with the block.

See that dark purple HST?  Sew it on LAST - trust me!  Your seams will work better with the other units if you do.

Ok, let's tackle the Flying Geese units.  You will have two sets - one purple/gold set (4 flying geese units) and one purple/blue floral (4 flying geese units).  Both are made the same way.  I used the gold/purple for the pictures, so don't forget about the other set!

Now my pictures are "short cuts" - ie not step by step.  Those are (conveniently) on the instructions for your Wing Clipper ruler.  But...I wanted to point out a couple of things to you.  One:  look closely at the first picture.  When you place your smaller squares on top of your larger square and mark corner to corner, the instructions say to "nudge" the squares in just a bit.

Again - look closely.  Do you see how my gold squares are just inside the raw edge of the purple squares?  How you can see just a bit of purple on the outside edge?  That's the "nudge".  If you are uncertain about this placement, I STRONGLY suggest doing a practice set before making your block.  Why?  Because when you get to the trimming part (the last picture), please notice that I have VERY VERY little to trim.  It's not hard - but proper placement is KEY to getting those awesomely perfect flying geese units.

Ok - let's lay all of this out - our center solid square, our (4) square squared units, and our (8) flying geese units.

Again, put the units together into rows.  Pressing tip - pressing the seams open on the three horizontal rows will make the block lay MUCH flatter.  This block has a lot of seams, and that allows some of the seams to relax and give a better overall effect.  Pretty cool, huh?

Visit the other participants this week to see more awesome blocks done in Deb's lovely Twilight Chic line!

PARTICIPANTS:

• Monday November 5th: Karen Overton – The Quilt Rambler
• Tuesday November 6th: Tammy Silvers – Tamarinis
• Wednesday November 7th: Jackie OBrien – If These Threads Could Talk
• Thursday November 8th: Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Designs
• Friday November 9th: Studio 180 Design

 

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.

Double Pinwheels - A Tutorial

One of my favorite blocks is a pinwheel.  But....what's even better than a pinwheel?  A double pinwheel!  Yep - it's like double the joy, double the fun.  Let's make one together!

Gather your Materials:

    To make (2) 9 1/2" (9" finished) Double Pinwheels, you will need:                         

                    (2) 6" background squares (aqua)

                 (2) 6" small blade squares (lime stripe

                 (4) 6" large blade squares (fuchsia)

                 Marking tool (pencil or chalk marker)

                 Rotary cutter

                 6 1/2" (or larger) square rotary ruler

                

Let's begin!

Match one aqua square with one lime square, right sides together (RST).  If working with a directional fabric AND you care which way your directional print goes, take a moment to "test" the direction by folding back one corner (as shown above).  Since my half square triangles (HSTs) will rotate around the block, I know that I need two going in a vertical orientation, and two going in a horizontal orientation.  

If you are not using a directional fabric, or if you simply don't care, then skip the above step.

Draw a line corner to corner on the wrong size of your aqua squares.  Sew 1/4" seam allowance to the right side and to the left side of the drawn line.  Cut on the drawn line.  You will now have (2) HSTs!.  Press the HSTs open, pressing to the darker (aqua) fabric.  Isn't it pretty?  But we are SOOOO far from being done!

 

Cut the HST in half ACROSS the seam line, from corner to corner.  Hint: Place a line on your ruler ON the seam line, and place the edge of the ruler so that it hits the two corners.  Now when you cut along the edge, you will have a nice, straight line, and two equal units.  Repeat with your second aqua/lime HST.

Cut your (4) 6" fuchsia squares in half corner to corner, as shown.  These will become your large blades.  Ready to lay this sucker out?  Yep, me too!

Now comes the fun part - laying out all of your units to see how they will look together.  Take a moment to work with your directional fabric (if you had it).  If you followed my suggestion above, you'll be able to control the directional print and have a terrific looking block.

Layout tip: Note that the aqua portion is the background, so it should alway be to the outside of the block.  The fuchsia HSTs are the large blades, and they should always point to the center.  Take your time, get the layout like you want it, and then starting sewing the large and small units together.

When sewing the large fuchsia blade to the smaller pieced unit, note that the fuchsia blade is larger.  That is OK!  Really!  Center the smaller unit on the larger one, matching up the raw long edge.  Sew with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Don't pull or tug on that exposed bias edge when sewing.  Repeat with your remaining units. You've got this!

Press to the fuchsia (large) blade.  Now we need to trim our unit.  Our units need to be trimmed to 5" (we are making a 9 1/2" unfinished Double Pinwheel).  We need to do a little math - but relax.  No need to whip out the calculator!  To trim our unit symmetrically, we need to know the halfway point for our block.  For a 5" block, the halfway point is 2.5, or 2 1/2".  Using your square ruler, place the 45 degree line on the seam line, and the 2 1/2" intersection (see picture above) at the seam line between the aqua, lime and fuchsia.  Trim the side and top of the block.

Rotate your trimmed block, and following the steps above, trim the remaining two edges.  You should now have a perfect, symmetrical 5" square.  Repeat with your remaining units.

Remember that layout step we did above?  Yep, you get to do it again, only this time with your perfectly sewn and trimmed units.  Sew the units together into pairs (surprise - you are going to find that your seams nest beautifully, giving you awesome points!), and then sew the pairs together.  Tada!  

Oops - almost forgot!  With all of those seams coming together, this is a great time to open up that seam intersection on the back to reduce some of the bulk!

 

And now - tada!  Two beautiful 9 1/2" double pinwheel blocks.  One spins to the left, one spins to the right!  

I hope you'll come back and visit soon!  Starting July 9th, I'll be hosting a blog hop with 16 other designers!  We'll be sharing inside peeks into our sewing spaces, providing tips and tricks to organizing and dealing with fabric, tools, thread, and more.  AND a little bird told me there will be prizes!  Uh huh - goodies!  So mark your calendar.  I hope to see you then!

Thanks for sharing the quilting passion with me. Happy stitching!

If you are interested in having me teach at your shop or guild, please contact me!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.

Adventures in Quilting - Flying Geese

Welcome back! Or if you are just joining me, welcome!  This month, Kate and I are exploring flying geese.  No - not the ones with feathers.  The awesomely versatile, terrifically directional flying geese blocks.  

Do you love 'em?  Do you hate 'em?  Or just not sure how to approach them?  Like HSTs (half square triangles), flying geese blocks are remarkably versatile and multipurpose.  They can stand alone as individual blocks, they can create wonderful direction and movement when places in rows, or they can be combined with other shapes to create star points and other blocks.

Head over to Kate's blog to see how to handle construction when you need a huge stack of them.  But wait - before you go, let me show you how to put together a flying geese (hmmm...shouldn't it be flying goose block when you just have one????) when you just need a few.

First - a few general guidelines.  If you are creating your own design, the easiest ratio when working with fabric is that the finished length of the block should be twice the height of the block.  For example, an 8" wide block should be 4" high finished.  Yes, other sizes/ratios can be made, but that may require special rulers, paper piecing or templates.  

Ready to start your block?  Great!  Let's make a 4" x 8" finished Flying Geese block.  You will need:

    (1) 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangle (flying geese "point")

    (2) 4 1/2" squares (block corners)

    Rotary Cutter

    Ruler

    Chalko liner (recommended)

 

 

Here are my cut pieces.  My background (the black print) is cut 4 1/2" x 8 1/2".  My pink square are each cut 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".  

Mark a line corner to corner on the WRONG side of your 4 1/2" squares.  I recommend a chalko liner because if you make a mistake, it is super easy to brush off the line and remark.

You may have noticed that I am using directional fabric.  Yep - it's on purpose.  I wanted to show you how to work with directional fabric, should you want or need to.  Notice that my lines are running two different directions.  I want to show you how the orientation of the fabric print affects the overall look.

I've done the "fold test" to see how my corners will look once stitched.  Just like it sounds, the fold test is simply folding on what will be your stitching line (in this case, the line we marked on the wrong side of the square).  As you can see, my lines are going in two different directions.  Not what I want!  So....time to redraw the line on one of the squares so that my lines will be going in the same direction.  And before I stitch, I will again do the fold test.  Saves TONS of time seam ripping (rip, rip, rip....yep, we all do it!)

That line we draw - that will be our sewing line!  Match up the outside edges of the square and rectangle, RST (right sides together), and stitch on the drawn line.  Actually, for more accuracy, stitch just a thread or two to the outside (the outside corner away from the rectangle) of the drawn line.  This accommodates the thickness of the fabric when folded back (oops - spoiler alert!).

Want a bonus?  Draw a second line 1/2" away from the first line - to the outside edge - and stitch on that second line as well.

Cut between the two lines.  You now have 1/2 of your flying geese block done AND you have a bonus HST!

Press AWAY from the center.  Place the second marked square, RST, on the opposite corner of the rectangle.  The drawn line should go across the pressed seam line (as shown above).

Repeat the same steps: sew on the drawn line, and (if so desired) draw a second line 1/2" away, sew on it, and cut.  Again, press AWAY from the center.

You now have a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" (4" x 8" finished) Flying Geese block.  And if you did the bonus steps, you'll have two HST units as well!

So NOW head over to Kate's blog and see how to tackle multiple flying geese units!

Thanks for sharing the quilting passion with me. Happy stitching!

If you are interested in having me teach at your shop or guild, please contact me!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored by Kate and I in future posts.

Summer in the County with Island Batik - A Pillow Cover Tutorial

Welcome to my portion of Summer in the County Blog Hop with Island Batik!  As many of you may already be aware, I'm a bit of an Island Batik fanatic - so getting to come up with a new project
showcasing their fabrics was a real treat!

Summer, to me, is a long lazy day, a comfy chair, a good book, and gentle breezes.  Ah.....makes you want to pull up a chair next to me and soak up the sun, huh?  But wait - you'll need a pillow to make sure you're nice and comfy - and that's what I'm going to show you today.  Well - at least, I'm going to show you how to make a simple envelope style pillow cover......with gorgeous fabrics from the Island Batik Vineyard collection!

Step 1: Choose your pillow form.  For the purpose of this tutorial, I am using a 18" square pillow form (Fairfield Weathersoft - so it's great for outdoor pillows as well)*.

Step 2: Cut your fabric based on your pillow form size.  I like my pillow covers to fit snugly, so I cut my fabric the same size as the pillow - which makes the pillow cover a bit smaller than the pillow after the seam allowance.  For the 18" pillow, I cut a strip 18" x WOF.

Step 3: Turn under the short ends of the strip 1".  Press.  Turn under each short end again another 1".  This creates a double thickness fold at each short end of your 18" x WOF strip.  These double thickness ends will the openings of your envelope pillow cover.

Step 4: Edge stitch the two folded edges in a contrasting or coordinating thread, close to the edge.  (Note: the higher the contrast of thread, the more visible the stitching will be, so if you aren't confident in your edge stitching ability, choose a thread close to the color of your fabric.)

Step 5:  Lay the edge stitched strip right side up on your sewing table.  Fold in one short end 12"; pin in place.  Fold the remaining short end in so that the resulting fabric square is 17" long (it will be 18" wide on the unfolded sides).  Pin.

           

Step 6: Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch the right side, back stitching at the beginning and end to secure the stitching.  I also recommend back stitching over the fold overlaps to secure.  Repeat with the left side.

Step 7: Turn the pillow right side out.  Tada!  An easy envelope pillow cover!

I decorated mine with a pillow wrap featuring simple dimensional coneflowers, inspired by my Summer Coneflower table set.

Oh - and for my summertime recipe - I'm currently hooked on Quinoa Soup.  I found this while searching for a knock off of Panera's broth bowls.  No, it's not the same, but it's yummy and very easy (hey, if I can do it, anyone can!).  This recipe is from Swirls of Flavor, and the recipe title is linked directly to their website (absolutely no affiliation, but wonderful recipe!):

Quinoa Lentil Broth Bowl

1 Tbs. olive oil
6 thinly sliced lemon wheels
1 onion, chopped, 1 cup
2 cups packed chopped kale leaves, abut 2 ounces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped, 1 cup
1 rib celery, chopped, 1/2 cup
1 envelope Sazan seasoning, Goya or Knorr
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken or vegetable broth, 5 1/4 cups
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion
1/3 cup EACH lentils and quinoa OR 2/3 cup Harvest Grains Blend*
cooked sliced chicken, optional

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in saucepot. Cook lemon wheels until golden and caramelized, turning once and reserve.

2. Cook onion, kale, carrots, celery and Sazan seasoning until vegetables are just tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add chicken or vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices and reserved lemon wheels. Bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and quinoa OR Harvest Grains Blend. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until grains are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

4. Top with sliced cooked chicken, if desired.

Makes 6 cups.

 The blog hop has been going on for a while now, but in case you missed some of the earlier posts, or want to visit other blogs, please do!  Here is the schedule of posts:

8/17/2015 Katie  www.Islandbatik.com/news
8/18/2015 Marlene Oddie http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com
8/19/2015 Connie Kauffman http://kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com
8/20/2015 Adele Mogavero http://www.adelemogavero.com
8/21/2015 Joan Kawano www.moosestashquilting.blogspot.com
8/22/2015 Pamela Boatright http://pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/
8/23/2015 Connie Kresin Campbell www.conniekresin.com
8/24/2015 Linda Pearl www.onequiltingcircle.com
8/25/2015 Carol Steely http://funthreads.blogspot.com
8/26/2015 Pam Geisel http://www.forquiltssake.blogspot.com/
8/27/2015 Patti Bochey https://lemontreesnippets.wordpress.com/
8/28/2015 Barb Gaddy http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com
8/29/2015 Tammy Silvers http://www.tamarinis.typepad.com/
8/30/2015 Marlene Oddie http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com
8/31/2015 Bea Lee www.beaquilter.com
9/1/2015 Nan Baker http://purrfectspots.blogspot.com
9/2/2015 Maria Hrabovsky http://www.mariamichaelsdesigns.com/blog/
9/3/2015 Maryellen McAuliffe http://teachpany.blogspot.com
9/4/2015 Christine Martinez http://madeinscraps.blogspot.com

 And....there is, of course, a giveaway!  Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway.  Winner will be chosen at the end of the blog hop on 9/4/15, and chosen from entries in the Rafflecopter.  US residents over 18 only please, and one entry per person.  My winner will get a Tamarinis pattern of their choosing from my catalog of patterns.  Good luck, and thanks for visiting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*An affiliate post; products and/or services provided in exchange for the post.  All opinions expressed are my own (promise!).

Using Precuts: A Shoo Fly Tutorial

FabriQuilt asked me to work with their precuts (yes, please!) and work up a tutorial - and I was not only honored, but thrilled to get to work with some yummy fabrics.  Who wouldn't be, right?!

I got to work with the charming "Walk in the Park" line.  Using one 5" stack, plus yardage in two different prints, I not came up with a nice little Shoo Fly tutorial for you, but also a charming table top set I call "Sunday Brunch".

Ready to make your shoo fly block?  Here we go!

Materials:

(1) 5" fabric stack (FabriQuilt Walk in the Park used)

(4) 4 1/2" squares background fabric (lime)

Before you even start marking or cutting, I recommend going through your stack to see what duplicates you have (sorry, but this particular tutorial is assuming there are (3) 5" squares of a single print in your stack).  If you don't have duplicates - well, you can of course still make the block, but it will be scrappy.  Which is fine - more than fine actually, as scrappy can be very charming.  I am also supplementing my 5" squares with additional yardage - in this case, a lime green print from the same "Walk in the Park" line. 

With an eye toward making a table runner from my semi-scrappy blocks, I looked for not only those duplicate squares, but some sort of commanility - color, print, scale, etc.  For this project, I decided to use prints that were primarily gray as my corners, prints that were red or had red in them for the Shoo Fly portions, and the lime green print as my background.  Make sense?  Got your squares picked out?  Ok, great!

Step 1:

Pair (2) Shoo Fly squares (my red prints) with (2) gray prints (my block corners).  Draw a line corner to corner with a pencil or chaco liner on the WRONG side of the lighter print. 

Note:  If using a directional print, and you want the print in all four corners to go in the same direction, you will need to turn your directional prints as shown in the picture!

 

 

 

Step 2:

Pairing your squares, sew a 1/4" seam on each side of the drawn line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3:

Once you've sewn on each side of your drawn line, cut along the drawn line.  This will yield (2) HSTs
(half square triangles).

If you haven't done so already, repeat with the second set of 5" squares.

Press to the darker fabric.

Trim your HSTs to 4 1/2" square (they will be close, but will need a bit of straigtening).

 

 

Step 4:

Cut your third duplicate 5" square (same print as your Shoo Fly points) to 4 1/2".  If you don't have a duplicate print, then choose a print that coordinates nicely with your points.

Lay out your block (sorry - forgot completely to take a picture of the assembly!).  Use the finished block as a guide.  You will lay out your (4) HSTs, along with your (4) lime background squares, and your (1) 4 1/2" print center square. 

Sew the squares together in rows, being certain to alternate seam direction.

Tada!  You have a fabulous Shoo Fly Block!

If you like this block, I've created a charming table set - table runner and place mats (done with a fun, simple technique that minimizes the stitching and cutting.  It's available through this blog hop as an epattern!  Click here to get more information and to purchase.

Here's a pic of the projects that will be in the e-pattern:

 

As always, thanks for letting me share my love of quilting with you!  I hope you enjoyed the little tutorial, and will share your own shoo fly blocks with me!

 

Oh?  Want to win some free fabric?  Please sign up to follow the Inspired by Fabric blog (via email or blog reader), and then leave a comment to this post telling me you've done so.  A winner will be chosen at the end of the day on April 20th.  Good luck!

And feel free to follow this blog as well!

Happy stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

Island Batik Sock Hop Blog Hop - Pinwheels!!!!

I think I've been pretty up front about my obsession with batiks.  Hi, I'm Tammy, and I'm a batik fanatic....

Saturday Night Fever

And of course I LOVE Island Batiks - their fabrics are just luscious! 

So after much drooling and fondling, my own little contribution to the Sock Hop Blog Hop is here. 

I worked with the Saturday Night Fever collection, with a chartreuse background (how many times do you have any opportunity to use chartruese as a background??!!), and with the classic pinwheel block. 

Actually, I used a double pinwheel, or windmill, or old windmill (heck, it has more than a few names!).  Here's a link to a tutorial on the block: http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/double-pinwheel-quilt-block.html .

So what did I do with all those lovely brights and double pinwheels?  Glad you asked!

Palooza

A little side note - the romantic in me loves the "back story" of the humble pinwheel block.  You know the story:  There once were two very different squares. 
One day the squares met - and it was love at first sight.  The two squares got together - and before you knew it - "palooza!' - there were half square triangles.....of all sizes!  And that, my quilty friends, is exactly what happened in my sewing room - and how Palooza was "born".

Here's "Palooza" - the pattern should be ready shortly.  The final touches are being put on
the instructions, and then it's off to the pattern testers for review.  And then....you can have one for your very own!

Here's the full schedule of all the designers and projects.  Visit them all - and don't forget to enter the drawing to win fabric!

1/12 – Island Batik – You’re here!
1/13 – Susan Vassallo Quilting Arts – Topsy Turvey Log Cabin
1/14 – Freemotion by the River – 54-40 in Running Water
1/15 – Beaquilter – Hunter Star in Crimson Tide
1/16 – One Quilting Circle – Flying Geese
1/17 – Mary Mack’s Blog – Sisters Choice in Down in the Boondocks
1/18 – Happy Cottage Quilter – Nine Patch in Johnny B Goode
1/19 – Kauffman Designs – Drunkard’s Path in Downtown
1/20 – Tamarinis – Pinwheel in Saturday Night Fever
1/21 – Bejeweled Quilts – Maple Leaf in La Bamba
1/22 – Six Gables Designs – Friendship Star in Full Bloom
1/23 – Purrfect Spots – Duck and Ducklings in No Particular Place to Go
1/24 – Inchworm Fabrics – Another Star in In the Summer Time
1/25 – Sew Fresh Quilts – Stepping Stones in Cry Me a River

And, in case you missed it on any of the other blogs, here's the Rafflecopter to enter to win the lovely fabric bundles.  Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ribbon Weave Star (from Fabri-Quilt's Star Block Blog Hop)

In case you missed it, I wanted to post the instructions to my Ribbon Weave Star that I designed for the Fabri-Quilt Star Block Blog Hop.

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Fabri-Quilt’s Star Block promotion.  Ro Gregg’s Venetian Glass line is truly spectacular, and any excuse to play with those luscious fabrics is a good excuse, right?

 

Here’s my block – a woven ribbon star:

Now, before I begin – a funny (short) story.  I was trying to hurry – and we all know what a BAD idea that usually is.  Yep – no different for me.  I pulled up the wrong rendering – and made the wrong block.  Urgh!  I’ll share that one at the end – just so you can see what a different color placement can make!

 

 To begin:

 

I started with these four beauties – fat quarters of navy with gold, paisley print, mottled blue, and cream with gold.  Strips are cut along the 22” side of the fat quarter.

 

 

Cutting:

Navy: (1) 3 ¾” strip

             (1) 4 ½” strip; subcut (4) 4 ½” squares

Paisley: (2) 1 7/8” strips

                      Cut (2) 1 7/8” x 3 3/8” rectangles from one strip

Mottled: (1) 1 7/8” strip

                      Cut (2) 1 7/8” x 3 3/8” rectangles from strip

                  (1) 2” strip

Cream: (1) 3 ¾” strip

                     Cut (1) 3 3/8” square from strip        

                (1) 2 ½” strip

                (1) 2” strip

                (1) 1 7/8” strip; subcut (4) 1 7/8” squares

Sew the Paisley 1 7/8” x 3 3/8” rectangles to the left and right sides of the 3 3/8” Cream square.  Press to the Paisley rectangles.

 

Sew the Cream 1 7/8” squares to the left and right side of the Mottled 1 7/8” x 3 3/8” rectangle.  Press to the Mottled rectangle. Repeat to make (2) sets. 

Sew to the top and bottom of the Paisley/Cream unit created above.

 

 

Create a strip set by sewing the Cream 2 ½” strip to the Paisley 1 7/8” strip.  Press to the Paisley.  Sew the Navy 3 ¾” strip to the Paisley strip.  Press to the Paisley.

 

Using your 6 ½” square, place the 45 degree line on the seam line between the Paisley and the Navy strip. 

 

Cut along the right side, cutting along the navy up to the paisley, then making the second side cut along the Paisley/Cream side.  Now turn that around and square it up, cutting a 4 7/8” square.  It will look like this.

Cut this square in half once, corner to corner.

 

 

 

Repeat with remainder of strip set to create (2) additional HSTs (half square triangles).  Set aside – we’ll come back to these, plus the center block, in just a moment.

Sew the 2” Cream strip to the 2” Mottled strip.  Press to the Mottled strip.

 

Cut (4) 3 ½” squares from the strip set.  You will be cutting these in half – but not corner to corner (gesh – that would be TOO easy, huh?).  Measure ¼” down from the top corner, ¼” in from the bottom corner, and cut along that line.  Using the picture as a guide, cut (2) squares in half from top left to bottom right, (2) from top right to bottom left.

It sounds odd – but it works.  (And I know because I had to do this twice – to get it right!).  You’ll be using the larger (non-pointed) HST units in your star block construction.

Ready to start putting all these pieces together?  You should have all the pieces as shown:

The Cream/Mottled HSTs  will be paired up with (2) of the 4 ½” Navy squares.

Note the Cream portions meet at the corner. Fold the Navy square in half, right sides together, to mark the center point.  Fold the Mottled/Cream HST in half along the long side, wrong sides together, to mark the center point.  Match up these finger creases, and sew the first HST to the marked side of the Navy 4 ½” square.  Press to the Navy square.      

Repeat with the second Mottled/Cream HST to complete one corner, pressing to the HST.  Repeat to make the second corner unit.

 

Remaining (2) corner blocks:  Note that again the cream corners meet at the center.Lining up the corner, flip one HST unit onto the Navy 4 ½” square and stitch along the strip set side (the side with the two seams).  Press to the Navy square.

Now repeat with the second HST unit, ensure that placement is correct (cream points are meeting in the middle).  Press to the HST.

Repeat with the remaining corner.

Now you should have all sections to create your star.  The block is stitched together on the diagonal.  Lay your sections out in three rows as shown:

Begin by stitching the Mottled corner units to the Paisley sides of the center unit.  Press to the center unit.

Final step (woohoo!) – matching up seam lines, sew the last (2) corner units to the center block unit.  Press away from the center.

 

And you are done!

And what about that “oops” block, you ask?  Well, here you go.  See what a difference color placement makes?  I forgot about the Navy background when piecing the HSTs, and suddenly the star point is lost.  Oops!!!

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabri-Quilt Star Block Blog Hop

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Fabri-Quilt's Star Block Blog Hop. 

I had just completed a quilt using the luscious Venetian line by Ro Gregg for Fabri-Quilt, so any excuse to work with this terrific line again was a good great excuse to me!  (More about the quilt later - it will be appearing in Quilter's Newsletter - so stay tuned....so to speak)

First task - come up with a star block.  A unique star block.  A 12" unique star block.  Not the toughest task - on the surface.  I mean, who doesn't love stars?  Right?  And yet......

But I did some up with one, finally.  Picture hours of agonizing time in front of the computer, drafting, drawing, discarding.  And laugh - it wasn't really THAT bad!  Just building up to the.....REVEAL!

Anyone that knows me knows I love the effect of weaving in quilt blocks - so I took the classic Ohio Star block, inserted a framed block, and added stips into the points to achieve the effect of woven ribbon in a star.  With absolutely NO thought to piecing.

So how would you piece this?  Templates?  Paper piecing?  All were considered - and discarded.  I wanted this to be simple - rotary cutting, straight piecing.  Nothing fancy.

And - I did it!  The instructions (my fav kind - visual!) are on Fabri-Quilt's blog.  And you can see the other blocks (there will be 9 total) on the blog as well. I hope you'll join in the fun, and create your own stellar (get it - star blocks - stellar......) quilt!  And if you do, I'd love to have you share your version on my Facebook page.

Now - a bit of confession.  I designed the block.  A few weeks passed.  The fabrics were shipped.  I pulled up the file - and.....yeah.....I pulled up the WRONG block.  Yikes.  Did I realize that at the time?  No.....not until I'd made ALL the pictures and was getting ready to write the instructions.....urgh.

Opps - wrong block!

What a difference color placement makes, huh?  Yeah.  So.....lemonade in the lemons....I got a chance to double check my notes and instructions.  Because I got to make the block again - the correct way!  Good news - I had enough fabric.  And my notes were dead on!  Yippee!!!

Have fun!  Enjoy the block blog hop!  And, as always, happy stitching!