At last we are at the backing stage -now I could say I wanted to make my quilt backing more attractive, but the fact is that I measured the fabric incorrectly and ended up with the backing about 2" too short! How frustrating, but not a major problem!
I chose 5 fabrics from those used on the front of the quilt and used die 657609 and the Big Shot to cut 10 x 4 1/2" squares. I then cut the backing fabric in half across the width.
I joined the squares together and used the pieced strip to join my 2 pieces of backing fabric together!
Problem solved!!
(The actual size of fabric you need for this quilt is 44" x 60" if you're using one piece.)
I taped the backing Right Side down to the floor

With the wind howling outside and the rain lashing down I'm very glad to be inside putting the sashing on our sample quilt - I think it may come in useful for chilly evenings!!
I did enjoy the Bank Holiday sunshine - spending it outside with grandchildren - watching on while they did all the running and chasing.
So to the sashing and joining of all the blocks.
I used a royal blue, from the Perfect Palette range by Fabric Freedom.
I used 1 1/2m because I didn't want to have joins in the long pieces.
I made the sashing and the border strips all 2 1/2" wide and used die 658328, and cutting pads - 656847, to cut the strips.
You will need 5 strips 48 1/2" long ( I usually cut a little longer just in case the quilt is bigger than I thought it was, the extra can always be trimmed off later.)
2 more strips will be needed for the top and bottom border and these need to be 42 1/2" long.
Finally you need to cut 16 x 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" to join the blocks into strips ( I cut 2 long strips and then cut them to length ).
Lay out all your blocks in an arrangement that you like.
Starting from the top, and working in rows down the length of the quilt,  join an 8 1/2" strip to the bottom of the first block, and then add the next block to the strip.


Continue with this until you have a row of 5 blocks joined together.
Press the seams towards the blue sashing.
continue to join the remaining 3 rows of 5 blocks together in the same way.
Using the longest strips pin the sashing along the inside edge of the first row of your quilt, stitch in place, and then add the second row to the sashing.
Continue until you have joined all 4 rows together. Trim any excess fabric from the sashing.
Press well.

Add 2 more long strips to the long outside edges of the quilt, to form the outside border.
Press.
Finally join the last 2 strips to the top and the bottom of the quilt to complete the sashing and the binding.

Now you can trim any threads or extra border away and we are ready to layer the quilt and stitch
It was only after I had taken the photo that I realised I had 3 blocks with yellow in a row - I would have preferred to have them mixed through the quilt more - I may change it before next week - but I'm not sure - so double check how you've laid the blocks before you stitch!!!
next week I will be at Quilts UK show at Malvern Showground - I'll be demonstrating on the Cotton Patch stand.
Come and say hello as you go by, it will be nice to meet you, and if you like bring your quilt to show me!
Have fun.
Angela

It's the end! - well only of making the blocks for our quilt.
I'm often asked which is my favourite die and I usually answer that it's the one that I'm working with at the moment, but having used the 2 1/2" half square die again this morning I have to admit that I always enjoy removing the triangles from the die and seeing them so perfectly cut.
The first block I am making today is a variation on Churn Dash, using 4 fabrics instead of the usual 2.

Using die 657609 and the darkest fabric and the Big Shot to cut the one square.
Die 657605 is used to cut 4 rectangles from a medium fabric, and then use die 657611 to cut 4 squares from each of a medium dark and light fabric.
Join the medium dark triangles to the light triangles, and join these to opposite ends of 2 rectangles, see picture below.
Join 2 rectangles to opposite sides of the square.
Join the 3 pieces together to complete the block.


 Use die 657607 and dark fabric to cut 4 squares.
With medium fabric and die 657611 cut 8 triangles, and with die 657613 and light fabric cut 4 triangles.
Join the triangles to adjacent sides of the square, to create a triangle.
Join these pieced triangles to the light triangles.
To complete the block join the 4 squares together.

So that completes the 20 blocks for the quilt.
Next week I will be cutting and attaching the sashing.
The Bank Holiday on Monday is supposed to be fine - which would be lovely - but whatever the weather I hope you all enjoy the weekend.
Until next week, have fun.
 Angela

Well not quite, but I do have to admit that I really enjoy applique - and this week I've had fun using 2 different heart shaped dies.
As I mentioned last week we are coming to end of making the 20 blocks for our quilt and need to look at the balance of colours before choosing the fabrics for the last few blocks, which I have duly done.

So this week I used the Primitive Hearts die 656335, with the Big Shot.
I used 2 fabrics to which I applied a fusible web to the back.
I  folded 5 layers of fabric over just the middle sized heart and cut with the Big Shot, and then repeated this with the second fabric.

 I arranged the hearts into a circle to make a flower, and then pressed the hearts in place, after removing the backing paper.
I stitched these in place using a small zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine.
Using Bigz die 656334 I cut the small and medium hearts.
Again I fused web onto the back of the fabric before cutting.

The early flowering magnolia, in my garden, is about to burst into bloom - so I think I can safely say that spring is here as last!
Also as promised photos - of the wedding dress made by me ( in my spare time!!!)

So now back to patchwork and  I'm hoping to have this quilt complete in time to have some summer picnics on it.
This week we have 3 blocks again but this time I am using a rectangle -die 657605, and a 2" and a 4" square ( dies 657607 and 657609 ).
For the first block you need 2 contrasting fabrics - and die 657605 to cut 3 rectangles from each fabric, and die 657607 to cut 2  x 2" squares from each fabric.
Join the dark squares to the light rectangle and the light squares to the dark rectangle

 For block 2 you need two fabrics - enough light  to cut 6 rectangles with die 657605, and enough dark to cut 1 x 4" finished square using die 657609.

Join 2 rectangles together along the short edge, and repeat.

Join a rectangle to each side of the square.


 Two fabrics are used - the dark for 2 x 4" finished squares (die 657609 )  and 4 x 2" finished squares (die 657607).
The light fabric is cut into 4 x 2" squares with die 657607.
Join the dark and light squares together

 and join those pieces together

 Join the 2 pieces together to complete the block.
Next we need to lay out all the blocks to see if there is a balance of fabrics throughout - and then choose which fabrics need to be used for the final blocks to create a pleasing mix.
I think next weeks blocks will be applique to bring a balance of style to the quilt - so have a lovely week and catch up again next time.
Angela
 

Well hello again, I'm back at the sewing machine after enjoying the wedding of one of my daughters last week ( I have 4 daughters so I'm often doing something with one of them, I'll try to add some photos next week).
 So this week I have a trio of triangles for you - I'm beginning to get impatient about how this quilt is going to look - so we have 3 blocks ( but I promise that it won't keep increasing!)
I have used the 2" and 4 " finished 1/2 square triangles and the 4" finished 1/4 square triangle and cut them with dies 657611,657613 and 657166. I have also used the 4" x 2" finished rectangle, die 657605 in one of the blocks.
Let's start with the simplest of the blocks - the pinwheel - for this I used 2 fabrics

 and die 657613, cutting 4 triangles from each fabric. What I love about using the Big Shot and dies it that I can cut so much in one go - and it is always precise.
Join the dark and light triangles together to make 4 squares -


Join the four squares together to complete the block -

join these two pieces together to complete the block.
So next week I am going to check that I have a balance of colours in the blocks before I choose the colours and designs that I will use in the last 7 blocks.
I'm pretty sure that I am going to include some more applique - because I enjoyed the flower blocks so much.
But for that's all for this week -hope you've enjoyed it.
As for me - I think I might be helping one of my daughters move house this weekend - so I will be back to sewing again next week for a rest!!
 

Hello again - it seems like more than a week ago that I was writing my blog - maybe it's because of the Easter holidays. anyway I'm here again and this week I thought I'd make 2 blocks - so we have Old Maids puzzle first, followed by Fireflies.
Old Maids puzzle uses dies 657607 - square, 657611 and 657613 - half square triangles and the Big Shot machine.
I've used 3 different fabrics for this -



With the darkest and die 657613 I cut 2 triangles, with die 657611 I cut 4 triangles and with die 657607 I cut 4 squares.
With the medium fabric I cut 2 triangles using die 657613.
Finally with the lightest fabric I cut 4 triangles using die 657611.
To make the block I joined the large triangles together and then the small triangles.
Then join the pieced squares to the squares.

Join these pieces together.


Join the pieced squares together as in the picture below.


Finally join the two pieces together to complete the block.


Now for the Fireflies.
I used the same square and triangle dies and the Big Shot.
This time I used  4 fabrics -


Using die 657611 I cut 4 dark,10 light and 2 medium light triangles.
With die 657613 I cut cut 2 medium triangles.
Finally with die 657607 I cut 2 dark and 2 medium light squares.

Join the 4 dark triangles to 4 medium light triangles, and 2 light triangles to 2 medium light triangles.


Join the pieced squares to the dark squares as in the picture below, (you will have 2 of each)

 

It's official - it's Spring! well at least according to the date - let's hope the weather will catch up sometime soon!
So this week I've chosen to make the block 'Light and Shadows'
I've looked back at the fabrics I've already used and have tried to keep a balance so that I am using different ones from my collection.

For this block you will need enough dark fabric to cut - 5 x  2 1/2" squares and 2 x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles.
From medium fabric you need to be able to cut 2 x 2 1/2" squares and 2 x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles.
Finally a small piece of light fabric to cut 1 x 2 1/2" square.
Using die 657607 and the Big Shot machine cut 5 dark, 2 medium and 1 light squares.
With die 657605 cut 2 rectangles from each of the dark and medium fabrics using
the Big Shot machine.

Join a dark and a medium square to each end of a dark rectangle


Join 2 dark squares to either end of a dark rectangle
Join 2 dark squares to a medium and a light square
Join the 2 sets of squares together,
Finally lay all the pieces out, see below
and then join them to complete the block
I'm running workshops at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC this week - today until Sunday - if you're visiting the show do come by and join in or jsut say Hello.
Hope to see you there.
Next week I'll be working with applique flowers - just in time for Easter.
Have a lovely week.
Angela

Hello - what a week - we seem to have visited winter and come back to spring in just 7 days! Also I seem to have spent a lot of time in the car traveling to Preston and Wickham Market in Suffolk, to do demonstrations and teach workshops - a busy week but it was lovely to meet so many of you.
Now this week I've made a block called Arkansas Crossroads - do you ever wonder where the names originated and why - I know I do.
Anyway back to the block - you will need 4 fabrics for this block, - dark, medium, medium light and light.

I used the Big Shot machine and the following Bigz dies to cut the fabrics - 657611 and 657607.
Using die 657611 I cut 4 triangles ( 2 1/2" half square triangles, unfinished ) from each of the dark and medium fabrics.
With die 657607 ( 2 1/2" squares, unfinished), I cut 4 squares from each of the medium, medium light and light fabrics.
Remember that all seams are 1/4" unless stated and press the seams as you go - wherever possible towards the darkest fabric.
Join the dark and medium triangles together.
 and join them together.
Repeat this once to create row 4.
Lay out another set of squares, see picture below


Join  a pair of rows together, being careful to match seams.

and there is the complete block.
We're well on the way now.
I'll be at Sewing for Pleasure next week - running some applique workshops - do come and see me if you're there - and that could be a clue to the type of block I'll be showing next week.
Have fun.
Angela