How Many Quilts Can You Make with This Block?

Don't you just love the Spring Robins Collection by Clothworks?  I love the greens, blues and purples in this collection and of course the adorable robins are truly the best.



I teach quilt classes and recently I had to come up with a simple pattern for a mystery quilt.  I decided to use this block because it is so versatile.  The finished block can be arranged in a few different ways to make different quilt top designs.



I'd love to share the block pattern with you.

You will need a light, a medium and a dark fabric.  Here are the fabric amounts and cutting instructions to make a 36" by 36" lap quilt.

You will need:
Light Fabric - 1-1/4 Yards
Medium - 3/4 Yards
Dark - 2 Yards

Cut:
Light
(5) 4-78" by WOF strips, Sub cut into (36) 4-7/8" squares then cut on the diagonal to make (72) triangles
Medium
(9) 2.5 X WOF strips
Dark
(5) 4-78" by WOF strips, Sub cut into (36) 4-7/8" squares then cut on the diagonal to make (72) triangles
(9) 2.5 X WOF strips

Sew your medium and dark strips together and cut into (144) 2.5" X 4.5" rectangles

Sew light half square triangles to dark half square triangles.  You should have 72 blocks.

Sew your half square triangle blocks to your 4 square blocks as shown.  You will have 36 of each of the two arrangements.

Sew these together to make 36 blocks.

You can arrange your blocks in different ways.  Lay the blocks out on your design wall to figure out what layout you prefer.

I used this layout to make this quilt a few years ago.

A few more...

I chose the 'Jacob's Ladder' layout for my Spring Robins blocks.

This will be my next OMG.  I do want to finish it.

Linking to: Monday Making, Moving it Forward, Free Motion by the River, Midweek Makers, My Quilt Infatuation, Threading My Way

Jelly Roll Fun

I am working on my first OMG challenge.  It's a challenge for me because I have to get the thing done.  Find the quilt HERE.  After putting together all of the blocks, this is what I had left.  There isn't enough to make another row, so I guess it's time to put a border on the thing.  I don't have a lot to work with, but let's see what I can do.

I played with these fabrics and was able to put together a little border and am ready to start quilting.  

I was digging in the dark corners of my fabric stash, looking for just the right fabric for a backing for the pansy quilt, when I found this sweet little jelly roll.

I haven't made a jelly roll quilt for a long time and I wanted to cut it up right away and start sewing but I wasn't quilt sure what to make.  I was browsing my favorite quilt blogs to get an idea and came across Katy Quilts post, Finish It Up Friday-Twist and thought, "That's what I want to do!"  

I cut some strips and started sewing, because that's how I do things-no pesky paper and pencil for planning.  Sometimes things even turn out.  

When I sewed the block together I realized I hadn't quilt figured out how to make the block, which is usually the case.  I grabbed my seam ripper, but stopped.  I decided that I would just leave the block as it was and move forward.  I'm not sure what the finished quilt will look like but here goes.

Notice the sweet berry print on the white fabric.  It's perfect for this project.

Honestly, I've never seen a bad jelly roll pattern so whatever happens is good, right.

Linking to:  Oh Scrap,  MCM, Monday Making,  Sew Cute Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Finished or Bit Friday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop, Show Off Saturday Let's Bee Social, 

Raw Edge Applique

Raw edge appliqué describes the process of creating fabric pictures using fusible web. 

The secret to raw edge appliqué is this tool, the Applique Pressing Sheet.  For many years, I would arrange my web backed fabric pieces on their background and hold my breath and apply the iron.  Now I press my pattern pieces to this sheet and if I don't like the way they look, I can lift them up and put them somewhere else.  This sheet is also perfect if you are following a raw edge appliqué pattern, like the one I used to make this Forget-Me-Not block.

I used this Dana Verringia pattern, the Appliqué Pressing Sheet and an iron to put this block together.

I completed all of my layered pieces first.  I put them together in layers by first taking the paper back off the piece that would be on top and iron it to the piece it will be on.

Then I took the paper off of this piece and ironed it to the bottom piece.  I did this with all of the flower and leaf pieces.

Then I placed Applique Pressing Sheet on top of the pattern.  I placed the numbered pattern pieces on  top of the sheet and pressed them down with a hot iron.

You can see that these flowers are numbered 11, 12 and 13.  I put the flower labeled #11 first.

Then I added flower piece #12.  I had to move this flower over a little to cover the stems.  Sometimes you have to improvise.

Then I added flower piece #13.

When the piece was completely ironed to the Applique Pressing Sheet, I gently pulled it off the sheet.

You can see the pieces are glued together by the fusible web.

I then put the completed flower piece on the prepared background and ironed it in place.  

If you like to do raw edge appliqué and you don't have an Applique Pressing Sheet, you might want to think about getting one.

Linking to:

I Quilt Anything Goes Mondays Sew Cute Tuesday Linky Tuesday Fabric Tuesday Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party #27 Threading My Way Let's Bee Social #31 No Rules Weekend Blog Party #96  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Link A Finish Friday Fabric Frenzy Friday #25 The Party Bunch Link Party Say G'Day Linky Party Hand Made Hangout #7 Pieced Pastimes:Saturday Sparks Link Party #74 Pin Me Link Party #96 Sew Darn Crafty Link Party