The Intrepid Thread

Hi Everyone,

Here it is the final post in the QAL. I told you we would have the top done before the end of October :)

I am just going to dive right in here:

The Beginnings QAL

Rows and Borders (Final size 44” by 52”)

Printable PDF

Cut (after your rows are sewn together):

2 - 2 ½” by measurement of your quilt length approximately 40 ½” Inside Border fabric
2 - 2 ½ by measurement of your quilt width plus 4 ½” approximately 36½” Inside Border fabric
2 – 4 ½” by measurement of your quilt length plus borders plus ½” approximately 44 ½” Outside Border fabric (this might have to be pieced if your fabric isn’t at least 45” wide)
2 – 4 ½” by measurement of your quilt width plus borders plus ½” approximately 44 ½” Outside Border fabric (this might have to be pieced if your fabric isn’t at least 45” wide)
** all seams are ¼”

Instructions:

1. Sew your blocks together into rows matching and pinning any seams that occur at the same place. As shown by the red arrow. Do the same on the second row.  Press the top row to the right and the second row to the left.


2. Sew your rows together matching and pinning any seams that occur at the same place. As shown by the red arrows.


3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the bottom two rows


4. Sew the rows together by first finding the center of the 9-Patch and Friendship star row and pinning it to the center of the top two rows unit. Then pin each end. Then pin half way between the ends and the center and keeping working halfway inbetween each pin until you feel confident that you have enough pins to keep it stable. Sew the seam. Then repeat for the bottom two row unit and the bottom of the 9-patch/ star row. I have placed numbers where the pins should go. Pin in this order.


5. Measure the long sides of your quilt and average the number if they are different. (In other words if one side is 39” and the other is 40” then your meaurement should be 39 ½”)  Trim two of your 2 ½” strips of inner border fabric to that measurement. Pin the same way you did for the rows. One in the center then the two ends then half way in between. This will keep you from having wavy borders. Sew both side borders on


6. Measure the width of the quilt on the top and bottom, with the two side borders and average again. Trim the last two 2 ½ strips of inside border fabric to the length you averaged. And pin and sew.


7. Repeat step 5 for the outer side borders.


8. Repeat Step 6 for the outer top and bottom borders. Then you are done !!

Yay! We are done! You might want to take your quilt to a professional to have it quilted. If you want to do it yourself there are a lot of resources out there. Books by Angela Walters and she also has videos on Bluprint.



I hope you loved the quilt along!


Love,

Hi Everyone,

How about this... the last block already! So you have two to work on this weekend.

If you are using the Maker to cut your blocks here is the file.

The Beginnings QAL (Printable PDF)

Block 15 House (8” Finished)

For One Block (that is what you need for the quilt)

Cut:

2 –  2 ½”” Squares of Background Fabric
4 –  2 ½”  by 2” Rectangles of Background Fabric
1 –  2 ½”  by 8 ½” Rectangle of Roof Fabric
1- 2 ½” by 3 Rectangle of Door Fabric
1 – 8 ½: by 2” Rectangle of House Fabric (A)
1- 2 ½” Square of House Fabric (B)
2- 2” by 1 ½” Rectangles of House Fabric (C)
2- 1 ½” by 3 ½” Rectangles of House Fabric (D)
4- 2” by 1” Rectangles of House Fabric (E)
2- 3 ½” by 1” Rectangles of House Fabric (F)
** all seams are ¼”

Instructions:

1. Mark the back of the 2 1/2” squares of background fabric with a diagonal line.


2. Sew Directly on the line and trim the corners. Press toward the roof.


3. Lay out The cut pieces so that it is easier to see how the block goes together. Here is a Diagram with the Pieces labeled to make it easier for you.

4. Sew the C and window pieces together. Then sew them to the D pieces.


5. Sew the D pieces to the window pieces. Then to the F pieces.

6. Sew the resulting sections from Step 4 and 5 together. Then sew the door and piece B together.


7. Sew the three sections together to make the lower part of the house.


8. Sew Piece A to the Roof (be sure to find the center of each of the pieces and pin at the center and each end before you sew). Then sew the Roof Section to the lower section and you are done.


Nest week I will have the final putting the top together post. We are almost done!

Have an amazing weekend!!

Love,

Hi Everyone,

Here is our second to last block. I love this Bowtie Block and I want to make an entire quilt out of it soon. I hope you love it too.

If you have been using the Maker to cut your blocks then some of this block is cut already, but... I did change the size of the small pieces so you will want to re-cut the small squares at least.

If you are using the Maker to cut your blocks here is the file.

The Beginnings QAL (Printable PDF)

Block 14 Bowtie (8” Finished)

For One Block (that is what you need for the quilt)

Cut:
8 –  2 ½”” Squares of Background Fabric
8 –  2 ½”  Squares of Focus Fabrics in sets of 2
8 –  1 ½”  Squares of Focus Fabrics in sets of 2


** all seams are ¼”

Instructions:

1. Mark the back of the 1 1/2” squares with a diagonal line.


2. Match the corner of a 1 ½” square with one corner of a background 2 ½” square and sew directly on the diagonal line. Trim away the corner leaving a ¼ seam allowance. And press toward the focus fabric. Repeat for all of the background pieces.


3. Lay out the matching focus fabric squares with the prepared background squares as a four patch and sew the two rows together. Press the top row to the right and the bottom row to the left.

4. Match the center seam and pin. Sew the seam to create the individual Bowtie blocks.


5. Lay out the individual blocks so that they form a circle as shown.


6. Match up your seams so that they nestle and sew the two rows together. Press the top row to the right and the bottom row to the left.


7. Sew your two rows together.


8. And you are done.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Have an Amazing weekend!

Love,

Hi Everyone,

It is soon to be the season of ornament exchanges so I thought I would get you started off with some fun and funny ornaments or pincushions to make. These are quick and easy and sure to be a hit.

The Pincushions are made the same way as my Self Binding Napkins with a couple of changes at the beginning and end.  So go grab the PDF and then come back to this post.

Some links in this post are affiliate links.

Witty Stuffed Christmas Ornaments/Pincushions

 

Hope you love them!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

Love,

Hi Everyone,

November Quilter's Planner stickers! I got them done just in time. I have surgery tomorrow. Wish me luck. Click here for the free stickers. I am no longer charging for them Use the menu above to go to the sticker page and download all of the stickers for free.

Here is a pre-view:
I hope you enjoy!

Love,

Hi Everyone,

Here is another super simple block. I am having surgery on Monday and I am not sure how on top of things I will be afterwards so I wanted to make certain to get one more block ready for you before hand.

I have been trying to finish the video but unfortunately 3 of the files got corrupted so I am trying to get it pieced together. But again I don't think you need it this is a simple block with just a couple things I wanted to teach you about bias edges. So even without the video I am certain you can handle this.

If you are using the Cricut Maker here is the file for cutting.

The Beginnings QAL Block 13 (printable PDF)

Block 13 Windmill (8” Finished)
For One Block (that is what you need for the quilt)

Cut:
2 –  5” Squares of Background Fabric
1 –  5 ¼”  Square each of two Focus Fabrics

** all seams are ¼”

Instructions:

1. Cut the background squares in half once diagonally. Cut the Focus fabric squares in half twice diagonally. (Note: You may look at this picture and wonder why, since these are all right triangles, you need to cut some as half squares and some as quarter squares. The reason that we cut the squares this way is so that the straight of grain ends up on the outside of your quilt block. If you cut the smaller triangles as half squares the bias edges would be on the outside of your block and it would get stretched and distorted out of shape in your quilt. If you have ever seen a wavy quilt that has had blocks or borders stretched you will know what I am talking about.)

2. Stack up your focus fabric triangles so that there are four of the same triangles in each stack and place them with the right angle sides matching. Whichever print you place on the right side will be the one that is in the center of your pinwheel. (as you see I have it opposite of the illustration but that is okay ?? ) Sew the focus fabric triangles together on the right angle side as you have them laid out. Be careful not to stretch the triangles as you sew, use a light hand. Press (it doesn’t matter which direction this time)


3. Match the background triangles to the larger triangle units formed by the focus fabric triangles and sew. Press toward the focus fabric.

4. Square your blocks up to 4 ½” square.




5. Lay out the small blocks so that they form a pinwheel see the picture for step 3.


6. Match up your seams so that they nestle and sew the two rows together. Press the top row to the right and the bottom row to the left.


7. Put a pin through the back at the point at the center on one row then through point in the center on the other row and with the pin standing straight nestle the seams. Put a pin in either side of the center pin then remove the center pin. Sew ¼” seam being careful to sew over the point at the center seams. And you are done!



Hope you enjoy this sweet block!

Love,

Hi Everyone,

 Here is the first of the blocks for our big push to get finished with our quilt this month. I Was literally buried under fabric last month and unable to get even 5 minutes to get these tutorials done. I have had the blocks finished the video filmed since the middle of August.

Speaking of Video. I am not posting it with this block. This is a super easy block and I am pretty certain you can do this one without the video. I do have video for it and it will be posted with the next post. The video incorporates all of the last 4 blocks.


If you are using the Cricut Maker to cut your blocks you can find the cut files for this block here.

The Beginnings QAL Block 12 (Printable PDF)

For One Block (that is what you need for the quilt)
Cut:
2 –  1 ½”by 8 ½” rectangles of Background Fabric
1–  3½”by 1½” rectangle of Background fabric
2 –  3 ½” squares of Background fabric
2 –  1 ½” squares of Ear Fabric
1 – 3 ½” by 7 ½” rectangle of Body Fabric
1 – 3 ½” by 5 1/2" rectangle of Body Fabric

** all seams are ¼”



Instructions:

1. Mark a diagonal line on the back of each of the 1 ½” ear fabric squares and one of the 3 ½” squaresof background fabric.

2. Place ear squares on the each side of the background 1 ½” by 3 ½” rectangle as shown. Make sure the diagonal line goes from top left to bottom right on the left side. And the Top right to the bottom left on the right side.


3. Place background 3 ½”  square on the right side of the body 3 ½” by 5 1/2” rectangle as shown. Make sure the diagonal line goes from top left to bottom right.


4. Place the unit created in step 1 on the top of the body  3 ½” by 7 ½” rectangle and sew them together.

5. Place the background 3 ½” square on the top of the unit created in step 2 and sew.

6. Place the unit created in step 5 to the right of the unit created in step 4 and sew.

7. Place the background 1 ½” by 8 ½” rectangles on each side of the cat and sew.

And voila you are done!
I hope you fun making this adorable block. It is so quick and easy and makes a great fun quilt.

See you next week with our next block...or maybe 2.

Love,