Friday, April 28, 2017

Three quilts and a million pieces

I'm showing off two quilts for the price of one today.
In February, I asked my local quilting friends to put together
6 inch blocks from their blue, green and neutral strings


We planned to make one charity quilt measuring 60 by 80
but there was more than enough for two.

The second one measures 57 inches square

The bigger one has an inner border made from only dark blue fabrics.

My guild friend Karen was sick on the day we put the quilt together,
so she made her own from blue, green, and yellow strips
using the same inner border idea.




Saturday, April 1, 2017

Strippy Scrappy Thread Cone Block




Scrappy Strippy Large Thread Cone Block
6 and 1/2" block unfinished

Hello!

I have been a member of this scrappy fun for some time and enjoy the inspiration
so I thought I would drop in and post my tutorial for this scrappy string block.

I have been trying to use up some of my overflowing stash of strips.

Where do they all come from?

I think they multiply like spring bunnies in my scrap jars and boxes.


Last weekend I improv pieced a bunch of red thread spool blocks for the


This month is "Multi-Color" Month
so I gathered a handful of small multi-colored strips
to figure out how to duplicate the 


Large Thread Cone Block

Cutting:

Threads:  
3/4" to 1 and  1/2"  assorted multicolored strips

Background:  
Two 2" by 5 and 1/2" strips white
Two 1 and 1/2" by 5 and 1/2" strips white
Two 1 and 1/4" squares
Two 1"  by  4" strips white
Two 1" by 2" strips white

Cone:
Two 4 and 1/2" by 1" strips gray
One 1 and 1/2" by 1"  strips gray


I sewed the strips randomly together, 
pressed in one direction
 and trimmed the center of my cone to
3 and 1/2" by 5 and 1/2" 

My multicolored scraps are random and uneven strips.
so the resulting thread looks "wonky"
like my variegated threads.

I am also using various scrap strips of a favorite gray and background white 
to make this block.



 This is what I had when I started to sew.


I sewed one the corners of the top of the cone 
and pieced the spool strips.


Cut the side pieces and sewed them to either side of the cone.


Sewing tip:  finger press to find the center of each piece and 
align the centers when sewing on the top and bottom.


Sew on top and bottom of cone.


Trim square to 6 and 1/2"

I hope you enjoyed my block tutorial today.

If there is enough interest, I will post tutorials for the other thread spool blocks here
as well as on my blog.

Happy strip sewing!