PATIENCE CORNERS BLANKET OF HOPE

 

The first time I made this block pattern I was involved in a group I found on Facebook that contained thirty women who were to make thirty 12.5 inch quilt blocks, one for each member of the group. With the thirty blocks, each person could then make themselves a quilt with blocks from all over North America. You could make the same block if you wished or make different ones. 

Since then I have made a couple of Blankets of Hope for our church's quilt ministry using the pattern. It makes such a pretty quilt that several other members have used the pattern also. I just finished one that I especially liked because of the fabric prints I used and since I haven't had a tutorial in a while for a quilt pattern, I thought I would show how to make it.

It is such a versatile pattern because of its versatility with fabrics. If you are making a lap size quilt (about 42 X 48 inches), it makes up nicely using a charm pack or make it "scrappy by using scraps, or like how I made this one, use one "busy" print for all of the 4.5" squares.

The pattern consist of 42 (forty-two) 4.5 inch squares and 42 strips 4.5 X 2.5 inches and 42 strips 6.5 X 2.5 inches. To make the quilt 42 X 48 inches, I added a 3 inch border.

I used a solid for the strips that went well with the print I used for squares. I cut a strip the width of the fabric and 4.5 inches wide and a strip the width of the fabric and 6.5 inches wide. Then I cut the two strips into 2.5 inch wide pieces to make the rectangles.

From the busy print I chose, I cut strips 4.5 inch across the WOF. From each one I cut  9 (nine) 4.5 inch squares. Doing the math, that means I cut 5 (five) strips.

If you are using a charm pack, you will have to trim the squares down to 4.5 inches for this size quilt. *

Since my busy print was non-directional (didn't have a pattern that had prints going one-way), I could speed up the time to make the blocks by "chain-sewing". I took all of the squares in a pile and first sewed the shorter rectangle to one side of the square without stopping to cut the thread. I  pressed the seams first to seal the stitches and then pressed the seam on both sides to one direction.  Then I stitched the longer strip down the perpendicular side with the first seam. Repeated the pressing. AND the blocks were made. 

All I had to do was arrange them on my design wall so that I distributed the print out over the top.

Did you notice how I arranged them? I alternated the rows so that the squares were completely surrounded by the solid color. Now that meant sometimes corners were touching with the squares and sometimes they weren't. I'm not sure which were the "patient" corners - the ones meeting or the ones not. What do you think?

I sew the blocks together to make strips (rows or columns) depending on which would be the less. In this case, the top is 6 columns by 7 rows so I will sew the vertical blocks together to make 6 columns because that will be one less strips to sew to complete the panel. 

When I have the columns made, I seal the seam and then press the seams in each column going the same directions for the column. So that the seams will "nest" when I sew the columns together, I press the odd numbered columns going back toward the first block and the even numbered columns going away. Now you can do which ever way you prefer. It is easy for me to remember this way. You just want to be consistent so your seams will match up when you sew them.

Once you sew the columns together, you can press the seams any direction you wish, I just think it looks nicer if you do all of the columns the same direction.

Now I added the 3 (three) inch border by cutting 5 (five) strips 3.5 inches wide (remember the two quarter inch seams) across the width of the fabric. You need five because the "length" of the quilt will be 48 inches and your fabric is probably 42 inches at the most. The fifth strip will be pieced with two of the other strips for the sides. Sew the top and bottom strip on first and press it toward the border unless it is a white fabric. Cut off any access that you might have. Then sew two of the other strips together pressing the seam to one direction and sew it to one side of the top. Cut off the excess and then sew the excess to the last strip you cut and sew it down the last side.

To finish the quilt, I went back to the pink that I had used for the rectangles in the blocks to cut for my binding. I cut the strips 2.5 inches wide across the width of the fabric for the binding. I usually cut five strips but this pink fabric was wider and I only used three and part of a fourth one to make the binding. I sewed the binding on the back and then brought it over to the front and machine stitched a fancy decorative stitch to sew it back down. If you are sewing the binding down by hand, you will machine stitch it to the front of the quilt and bring it over to the back to slip stitch down. I have only started doing the fancy stitch because sometimes my arthritis in my hands does not want to corporate with me. 

I "turned in" the Blanket of Hope yesterday when our quilting group met.

Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to see your finished quilts in the comment section. Enjoy.

DIY PET SCARVES

 Our church recently did a Furry Friends Blessing in the Park and some of the members of the Blankets of Hope quilting ministry made different sized scarves for the pets. Some of them tied and some you just slipped over the collar. 

Since we have cats, I made smaller ones that slipped over their collars. They were so easy and so much fun. I took lots of pictures as I made some to be able to share the process with you since it doesn't really require a pattern so you will be seeing pictures not always from the same print.

Before I go any farther, I should admit to just a little bit of OCD. The good news it doesn't affect every aspect of my life. The bad news is in the areas it does affect, I come off sounding like I am really micromanaging and that's not good. I sound that way when I write up tutorials such as this one. I apologize now and hope you will still continue to read this post and appreciate it.

I had to go buy Charlie and Parker new collars because I think we donated the ones we bought them when we first got them because they hated them. I wasn't really sure they would wear them now that they are three, but they do. Charlie is happier than Parker, but every time I find Parker's on the floor somewhere or notice that he isn't wearing his, I put it right back on. Charlie has never removed his. I will be making them a Christmas one after Thanksgiving so they will be festive. Right now Charlie is wearing sunflowers and Parker is wearing pumpkins. They look so cute.

I measured around their necks and decided an 8.5 inch square would be big enough and it was.

1) First I cut a square 8.5 inches.

2) Then I folded it in half vertically with the pattern.

3) I lined the bottom of the "rectangle" with a horizontal line on my cutting mat so that the cut edges opposite the fold also lined up with a vertical line on the mat.

4) I lined up the edge of my cutting template with the lower edge of the fold and then 2.5 inches down from the top on the cutting edge opposite the fold and

cut two triangles off. (Discard the triangles for another project.)

When you open it up, it should look like this.

5) Cut the point off the scarf. This is to reduce the bulk at the tip. If you don't cut off enough, just snip off a little bit more.

6) Now you are ready to move to your ironing board. You will be turning the edges under about 1/4 inch and pressing them down.

Start with the top side edges first and

then down the diagonal sides.

Once you have done this, you will start back with the sides and fold them one more time and press.

If you need to pin it help hold it down, do that. It doesn't really matter which diagonal side you start with. Fold one side again and press. (Pin if is helps.)

When you fold the first diagonal side for the second time, you can cut off any excess. (Look closely at the picture.)

Then fold the tip down to the fold so that when you fold the other diagonal side down,

the tip will look like this. Pin as needed. 

Press the top of the scarf under 1/4 inch once.

7) Now you are ready the sew the folded hems on the machine stitching close to the folded edge.

It depends on which diagonal side you started folding first the second time, but when you are stitching down the hem as you go around, stitch to the end of the top hem at the point. It might be hard to see in this picture. Maybe it will be easier in a picture of a finished scarf.

8) Once you have stitched down the hem along the bottom 4 sides, you will fold the top portion down to make the casing. 

You are bringing the top fold to the point in which the diagonal sides start. Pin if it helps you.

This will cover up where the hems meet so don't worry if it didn't look good before. (Remember I have some OCD issues with some things I do.) 

9) Stitch close to the edge across to form the casing. Remember I only folded this edge down once. That reduces some of the bulk.

AND you are finished. All you have to do is push the leash through the casing at the top.

Here are some I made for the Pet Blessing... (and Charlie and Parker)

This size would work for a small dog also.

A NEW BLANKET FOR HENRY

 It has been a while since I shared a tutorial for a new quilt, but this one is surprising easy and looks awesome when it is finished. I liked it so much that I made one quickly for Henry, our ten year old grandson in CO. I can't wait to make another one for Blankets of Hope, the quilt ministry at church.

I just love when I see a picture of a finished quilt especially if it looks challenging but discovers it really isn't when I see what the pattern is. I so enjoy "patterns". When I taught math in middle school, I was always telling the students to look for the pattern.

Back this fall, I took a day trip with two quilting friends to Hamilton, MO to a quilt show. We didn't see as many quilts as we thought because I was helping one of them who is new to quilting to look at the quilt and find the pattern. By the end of the day, she was doing really well. 

Henry living in CO is a Denver Bronco fan so a few days before we left to go to have an early Christmas with them, I decided to make him a blanket using some scraps I had left over after I made a Blanket of Hope for a young man at church who was very ill. I asked his mother if he liked the Chiefs (we do live in Kansas City afterall) and she said, "No. Actually he likes the Denver Broncos." I had to order the fabric because our fabric stores sell Chiefs material. I did have to buy some more blue and orange flannel because I was out of it for Henry's quilt.

I didn't have enough time to completely finish it before we left, but I got the top made, sandwiched it with backing, machine quilted it, and sewed the binding on. After we got to CO, I handstitched the binding down in the hotel that night and gave it to him the next morning when we saw them. 

This is the best picture of the quilt top for you to see how pretty the pattern is. It looks like a Bronco square is resting on top of blue and orange squares/blocks.

 Here it is hanging over the railing which is where quilt tops usually "live" after I get the top made but before it is finished as a quilt. It does usually end up back here after it is finished until the group meets.

Here it is as it went with me to CO with the binding sewed on with the machine. Many of my friends sew the binding down also with the machine, but I like to finish the binding by slipstitching it down by hand. It is so relaxing for me and gives me a chance to enjoy the quilt.

This binding was a piece in my stash that I have had a long time. It worked perfectly though with its navy background and small orange flower with a little added green leaf. 

And finally a picture of the finished quilt showing the backing. If you look closely, you can see how I machine quilted it. Since I made the blanket a little bigger than my usual lap-sized quilts, I purchased an oversized throw and it worked perfectly. I didn't use any batting since the blanket was thick and the top was mostly flannel.

     

My quilt/blanket consisted of sixteen 12-inch finished blocks and a top and bottom 3-inch finished row that is a partial block. I hope that is easy to see. The secret to the pattern though is that it is sewed together in 6-1/2 inch rows and not this 12-inch finished block.

Let start at the beginning with the cutting...just two ways of cutting.

The focal square is a cut 6-1/2 inch square from the print that I wanted to "showcase". I cut sixteen of those. I did this by cutting three 6-1/2 inch wide strips across the width of the fabric (wof) and then cutting six 6-1/2 inch squares from each strip. I had enough of the fabric, that I could "fussy cut" (chose where I was going to cut) where I cut the strips to feature either the word Bronco or the horse's head. (I initially cut twenty squares but settled on just using sixteen of them.)

I arranged the squares on my design wall to make sure I didn't have two similar blocks next to each other.

With the blue and orange flannel fabrics, I cut 3-1/2 inch wide strips across the wof from each color. I sewed two strips together, one of each color and made a bunch of these. They will form what looks like the blue and orange squares that the Bronco squares rests on. This technique is called "strip piecing".

I pressed them open and

then cut across in either 3-1/2 inch pieces (called a twozie*) that will be used with the 6-1/2 inch focal print square 

or

6-1/2 inch square pieces also a twozie* that will be used in rows with other 6-1/2 inch square twozies*.

That's it. After I have all of my pieces cut,  I go back to my design wall and lay the pieces out in the pattern. Look at the picture on the right at the top row above the blue line. This row consists of the 3-1/2 inch twozies* and the 6-1/2 inch focal print squares. (There is a twozie* before and after each focal print alternating for a checkered board effect. As you look at the picture you can see the fourzie** that forms with the twozies* since they come before and after the focal print. The row consists of four focal prints squares and eight twozies*.) 

or

eight of the 6-1/2 inch square twozies*  cut from the orange and blue wide sewed strips. (just below the blue line) Every other square is inverted to give a checkered board effect.

To further show making the row with the focal print, first sew two of the twozies* together alternating the colors to make a fourzie**. (four squares sewed together) (I know you can't see this in the picture.) Press the seam to one direction.

Then sew the fourzies** between the focal print starting and ending each row with a twozie*.

I did the same for the other row of just 6-1/2 inch twozies alternating across for the checkered board look. The top three rows are sewed in the picture, but not sewed together even thought it looks like it in the picture. I usually wait until I have all of the rows made, but you don't have to.

When you are ready to sew the rows together, the only seams that you have to match are the ones between what is the 12-1/2 inch block. To make this easier, I resort to my normal way of pressing seams...the odd numbered rows, I press back toward the beginning of the row and the even numbered rows, I press toward the end of the row. This allows me to "nest" the seams. 

I finished the top by repeating a  row of the 6-1/2 inch square twozies* and sewed one on the top and the other one on the bottom. 

To machine quilt the blanket, I first sewed an asterisk in the center of each focal square. This was a fancy stitch on my machine that made a line of these. I just stopped it when it finished the asterisk. Look closely - it is below the big C in Broncos and the ER in Denver.

I made sure I had the layers flat and pinned it in each corner and then pinned the center where I would stitch the asterisk. 

After that I machine stitched along the seams of the 12-1/2 inch block horizontally and vertically with a wavy pattern my machine will make.

Depending on the look you want for your quilt, if you want it to look 3 dimensional, if you want to use prints instead of solid colors for the background, choose small prints  so that the seams won't stand out. You also should not chose a directional print since you are alternating/inverting the background pieces. 

As I said earlier, I know I will be making another quilt by this pattern for Blankets of Hope.*** I would love to see pictures of your finished quilt, if you decide to give the pattern a try. If you have any questions just ask in the comments. 

My finished quilt/blanket for Henry was 48 x 54 inches.

 

It consisted of five rows of the 6-1/2 inch square orange and blue fourzies** (eight 6-1/2 inch twozies* sewed together) 

and four rows of the 3-1/2 inch twozies* before and after each focal print. (eight 3-1/2 inch twozies* on each row and four 6-1/2 inch focal print squares.) 

If you do the math, from the 3-1/2 inch x wof strips, I started with each color and cut thirty-two 3-1/2 inch twozies* and forty 6-1/2 inch twozies*. So I cut about 10 strips of each color, orange and blue - 3-1/2 inches x wof from approximately 1 yard of fabric of each color. I had a yard of the Bronco focal print.

* a twozie or two squares sewed together

** a fourzie or two sets of twozies sewed together. The four smaller squares can be four different colors or two different colors arranged with the same colors/prints sewed* diagonally from each other.

*** I picked out three pieces for the Blanket of Hope. What do you think?