Gingercake

Simple HST Quilt in Solids

 

 

Last month my oldest turned 10.  TEN!  Hard to believe ten years have passed since she was a little tiny sweet baby.  She is a great girl and into style and trends and all things bright and beautiful (like most 10 year olds!).  I made this Half Square Triangle quilt for her gift and it is a big hit.  It is similar to this picnic blanket I made last year.

I used this technique to cut my HSTs and I used bella solds from Bloomerie fabrics.  The fabric was wonderful and the colors were so bright and bold.  It was exactly what I wanted.  The fabric colors I used were zen grey, amelia orange, peacock, peony, purple and buttercup.   I ordered a 1/2 a yard of each of the six fabrics and then cut the 1/2 yards into 18'' squares that were cut down into the 8 HSTs.  I used the extra 6'' strips to make squares to mix in and fill empty spots.

Although I shopped and shopped online for the backing and binding, I ended up just going to Joann fabrics so that I could make sure that the colors matched.  I knew that I wanted something with a bold print for the backing and this cute peacock fabric worked great.  Also, the polkadot orange for the binding was fine.  I would have preferred a stripe but I just couldn't find one I liked at Joann's so this had to work!  

Below is my poor attempt at the classic outdoor photo of the quilt floating in the air~

The colors are wierd and the photo quality is poor since my fancy new camera still baffles me sometimes.  But at least you can see how all the squares fit together.  Although it was my intention to put it together randomly, I still paid attention to mixing colors and letting some triangles and squares block together.  I really liked how modern it felt in the end.

Quilts are a challenge!  The biggest challenge for me is how time consuming they are and also the actaully quilting. It's a pain to wrangle all that fabric on my machine.  But this half square triangle type is a simple and fun construction and a twin size is not too hard on your regular home machine.  Making a quilt always makes me admire quilters who create complicated tops and the even more complicated quilting patterns!  

Color Block Triangle Quilt

It always feels great to complete a quilt.  Even the simple versions of quilts that I make!  I love how this one turned out.  Cal was ready to celebrate too...

I made this by using a 1/2 yard of six solid fabrics.  For inspiration I visited this site which is great way to guide you for mixing solids.  I never would have thought to add the navy and it really makes the whole quilt pop.  

Cut the 1/2 yards of fabric in 18" x 18" pieces (each color will make 2 squares for a total of 12 squares).   Match up the pieces with 6 different combinations.  Then use this method to make your HSTs.  Awesome tip!  The only change I made was to increase the size of the squares to 18" x 18".  I like the bigger pieces and it comes together really quickly.  Then just mess around until you have a fun pattern.  

I quilted it by stiching in the ditch (along the seams) along the zig zag and then down the center of the triangles.  I like the fun pattern it made on the back!  The binding is simply more of the solids and then finished using this method by Jeni Baker.  You would have to purchase a little more than 1/2 yard of the solids to make the binding the same way.  

I used Bella Solids by Moda.  They are lovely!  The backing is just pink flannel.  The finished size of the quilt is 47" x 62".  It's not big enough for a bed but more for the baby to play on the floor and for picnics or a cuddle on the couch.

Fun with HST

I bought a stack of solids and finally starting cutting into them using this method.  It's really cool to try if half square triangles interest you!  I love fun sewing tricks, don't you?  I enlarged the fabric pieces to 18" x 18" since I wanted bigger triangles.  The baby enjoyed chewing on the fabric pieces as Cal and I messed around with a quilt design.

She is getting big!  Almost 5 months already.  My original idea was much more random piecing (like this) but my 5 year old was really interested in making a pattern.  I am feeling a little over the chevron look but we were both pleased that it all came together like magic since I didn't even plan on the pattern!  Quilting is super cool like that.

I'll be sure to give more details as I get further along with this project!

Sheets Quilt- Finally Accomplished!

When I ripped up all my sheets awhile back, I did it to sell the bundles in my shop but also so that I could make a quilt for Anne's bed with all their soft and pretty glory. 

This was my first full bed size quilt.  Once I started it, I was on a mission to finish.  That is a a quality about me that is both a blessing and a curse- it probably would have been nice to do a little, put it aside and make something else, then come back for a little more.  From what I read on other blogs, this is how most people do their quilting.  But I worked on it for days and got it DONE.

Anne and I looked through some simple quilt pattern tutorials and she chose this Plus quilt by Jeni of In color Order.  She does a great job with her directions.  I wish that I had made it a little longer but it is great for now.  Anne loved the plus idea since she likes numbers so much (like all Kindergarteners!).  She likes tracing out the plus signs over and over again.

I did the backing with 20 eighteen inch squares of sheets.  I liked the thought of the the plus sign patterns showing through on the back.  It turned out really pretty.

  I ordered some pretty fabric from Amy's shop for the binding but my impatience to be finished took over and I did a cheater binding.  Now I get to use my new fabric for something else!

The size of my backing fabric gave me about 5" overhang on all sides so I cut it down to 2" and ironed it back toward the back.  I stitched this down with my machine with about a 1/4" seam allowance.  Then I ironed it back toward the front and double folded it under.  I wanted it to look like binding on both sides.

The corners are not perfect but turned out pretty good.  I just folded the corner in the front to make it look like a mitered corner.  I need to hand sew the corner down though so it doesn't come unraveled with washing!  I figured I could easily take it off and do a real binding later if I ever feel the need.

Anne loves the quilt.  She loves looking at the plus pattern and she loves all the colors.  Nothing muted for this girl!  She calls it rainbow colors.  I like how it feels like a family heirloom already- soft and sweet.  Now I need to make a matching sham to finish the look!

The penguin will do for now!   Are you ready to try a quilt?  Seems like quilters can't get enough of their craft.  I am not totally sold since it is such a long and involved process.  I wanted to try though- it's important to flex your crafty muscles, don't you think?  I did flex some muscles moving all this fabric around and cutting out all these squares!  

PLUS, now I know I can make a quilt :)  What's on your list to try?

 

Scrap Color Baby Quilt Tutorial

Hi again!  As I mentioned earlier today, what I like about these quilts is the ease of coordinating the colors.  In decorating, I love it when a whole room is all blue or green and even though the greens or blues may not be exactly the same, the design works since the basic color carries throughout the room.  That is the thinking behind these little quilts too.  And, you get to use up a lot of those pesky fabric scraps that are cluttering up your sewing room!

Begin by getting out your bag of scraps in your chosen color.  Don't have enough scraps in one color or you don't organize scraps by color?  Just gather a bunch of fabrics in one color and don't think too much about how well they do or do not coordinate.

Cut out 2 pieces of paper- one should be 5 x 5" and the other 5 x 2.75".  You need to cut 28 of the 5"x 5" and 56 of the 5" x 2.75".   Make sure you cut consistently.

You will also need 1 yard of UNWASHED cotton flannel, an iron, sewing machine, rotary cutter and mat, and coordinating thread.

Cut your scraps with the grain!  Try to stick with cotton.  Sometimes I mix in some vintage sheet scraps that are a poly/ cotton blend and although it works out OK, they do not lay as flat or consistently as the 100% cotton scraps and in the end are a bit more poofy. 

Lay your 5" x 5" pieces out on the floor or a big table top. 7 rows and 4 big blocks to a row.  Leave space for the smaller pieces in between.  It should look like the photo below.  Although I said earlier not to pay too much attention to the colors, do use some strategy about lights and darks, prints, stripes, polka dots, etc.  Make a quick attempt to spread them out evenly.

Next add the smaller pieces.  I like to alternate the small pieces going horizontal on one row and then vertical on the next.   Just adds a little more interest!  Again, use some quick strategy about lights and darks.  See the picture below...

Next start sewing your pieces all together.  Attempt to keep the design intact as you sew, starting with the bottom row and then moving on to the next one.  I usually move the entire row up to my sewing desk, complete the row, place it back on the floor and move on to the next row.  Sew all pieces together with a 1/4" seam allowance.  BE CONSISTENT with your seam allowance.  This really helps all you pieces come together nicely in the end.  Also, back stitch and clip your threads as you go.

I like to finger press my seam out as I go since it makes for easy ironing in the end.

Once you have moved through all 7 rows, you will need to attach them all together.  I usually do 2 at a time and then attach the sections together until I have the entire quilt top finished.

Iron out the entire quilt top until all your seams are laying nice and flat.  Since your worked your way through systematically and you were consistent with the 1/4" seam allowance, everything should have fit together nicely.  I admit that I usually have some seams that don't fit together perfectly and if it is more than a 1/4" off, I usually go back with my seam ripper and fit is up.  Otherwise, just keep moving through and it really wont make a big difference.

Next, cut out a piece of cotton batting that is 1/4- 1/2 bigger than the quilt top all around the edge. Iron these 2 pieces together and use your hand to spread the quilt top over the batting so it is nice and flat.  

Pin the 2 pieces together all around the edge and some in the middle- may be about 15 to 20 pins all together.  

Over to your sewing machine and do a large zig zag stitch all around the outside of the quilt top to attach it to the cotton batting.

Take your rotary cutter and trim the cotton batting so it is nice and straight and the corners are 90 degrees.

Next, take your yard of UNWASHED flannel and lay it on the floor or big table.  Iron it if it is wrinkled.  Ue your hands to make sure it is nice and flat .  Lay the quilt top (attached to the batting now) on top.  I usually line it up to a corner, and measure 1.5" away.  The flannel needs to be 1.5" larger than the quilt top all the way around.  I use a pencil and my large, clear ruler to mark a straight line.  Have your 3 year old play with his tractors and your felt scraps while you work :). 

Now cut the flannel along those pencil line you drew.  Change all those pins to go through the flannel also.  Move over to your ironing board and we will create the binding by folding this extra flannel over the quilt top.  Beginning on one side iron the flannel down toward the quilt top so that the raw edges face each other.  See the picture below...

 
Then iron it over again so that the flannel folds over the raw edge of the quilt top.

 Nice!  Move to another edge and do the same.  Make sure you iron the corners well since you need to use the creases made by the iron to make your mitered corners.

Sorry my ironing board cover is so busy and distracting!  Once you have all 4 sides ironed this way, choose one of the corners and unfold it back out.

See all those creases made by the iron?  They will come in handy here.  Next, fold the flannel back under so that the corner is now a straight diagonal line.

Unfold it again and you will have created another useful crease.

In the picture above I have the quilt top folded down but that diagonal crease lines up perfectly with the corner of the quilt top.  Make this fold on all 4 corners of the quilt.  

Next, pinch the corners together, facing away from the quilt top, and place a pin to hold it together at the crease in the middle of the pinch.  That sounds confusing but just pinch it backward and hold in place with a pin where the crease goes through the middle

Go over to your sewing machine and sew along the diagonal crease from the folded edge to the pin.  The quilt top is still attached but just folded away to make room to sew down the corner. Backstitch and clip your threads. 

Trim off the top edge and do a tiny trim at the corner.

Now lay the quilt top back down and use your finger and a chopstick to poke the corner out.

What a pretty mitered corner we are making!  over at the ironing board, before you iron it should look like this...

and then when ironed back to its original folds, it should look like this...

Lovely!  The first time I did this, I used this tutorial for cloth napkin corners.  It is well explained if you feel confused by my instructions.  I had to look at it over and over again to finally get it right.  Once you do it correctly though, you realize how simple it is!

Do all 4 corners the same way.  This step is optional but helpful- take out all your pins and iron the piece flat again.  Watch for too much material under a binding fold or too little.  Make adjustment if needed.  There isn't usually much, especially if your ironed well before and used enough pins and used your hands to smooth things out several time.  When everything is smooth again, put the pins back in again, plus some more!  You should have pins about every 6 inches to hold the layers together.

If you have a walking foot (special foot for quilting) use it now to do your own quilting job.  I don't have one (although I keep meaning to get one and they aren't expensive) and I just use lots of pins and hold the piece down as I sew.  

Start with the binding.  I do not use any pins on the binding since the un washed flannel lays nice and flat.  I also think the binding kinda needs to move a little to accomoadte the quilt top and the pins hold it in place unnaturally.  Sew on with a 1/8" seam allowance.  Just a theory though so pin away if you would like!

Once your have the binding sewn on around all 4 sides,  Now you can start on the quilt top.  I usually just "stitch in the ditch" since I don't have a walking foot and I am not an expert quilter!  Plus, I like the tidy squares it makes on the flannel side.  Start at the first seam between 2 of your cotton squares.  Use your fingers to push up that little edge you made on the binding stitch so you begin a little under the binding.

Stitch all the way down that "ditch" to the binding on the other side.  Lift that side of the binding up a little and finish your line there with a backstitch.  Clip your threads.

 Go all the way across your quilt where the seams of the large squares and the 2.75" x 5" rectangles meet.  Then turn the quilt 90 degrees and do the same down those "ditches".  When you are finished, you will have a nice boxy grid on the flannel side of your quilt and the quilt will be all sewn together.

IF you have some areas that are not lying flat and there seems to be too much fabric, don't fret too much.  

This mostly happens to me where I add some of the poly/ cotton blend pieces as you can see in the picture above with the piece of vintage sheet on my green quilt.  Try to spread out the extra fabric instead of having a single larger pinched area.  Do this by moving the fabric with your fingers under the sewing machine needle.  When you wash the piece after you have it all sewn together, the flannel shrinks a bit and makes these types of areas barely noticeable.  

The final step is to wash and dry your quilt.  I give mine one last good ironing after the drying and it looks great!

Hope you have some time to make one.  It's really fun to create something beautiful out of a pile of fabric scraps!  I love to think of all my old projects while I am cutting all the quilt pieces out too.  You can also get an idea of your personal style and favorite colors.  

My favorite this time around was the blue one I made.  My mom asked if I had anything sewn for boys since she needed a gift for a new baby and I told her that no, I didn't, and besides, boy fabrics just are not as cute.  I proved myself wrong when I put together all the fabrics in my blue scrap bag...

Cute!  Please feel free to make as many of these as you would like for family and friends.  If you do make one, I would love to see it in my Gingercake tutorials Flickr Group.   

 

Color Scrap Quilts

I know I was supposed to be working on the Lola Owl pattern but I ran out of flannel (that is what i use to line the lolas)!  Until I could make it to the fabric store, I started making more of my color scrap baby quilts since my scrap bags were overflowing.  Once I made it to the fabric store, I bought extra flanel to back the quilts and make some owls.  I love how these quilts use up my scraps AND coordinate so well without me having to fret over the combinations!  And I do fret quite a lot about color coordinating:)

First, I made a pink...

Then I made a blue...

and finally another green...

 

I made a tutorial!  I'll post it in the next couple of days.  It's easy and fun!  These 3 quilts will be for sale in my GingercakeSews shop soon.

Green is the Queen

I hope you aren't sick of me showing off my color scrap quilts but I can't help it.  I think I mastered the whole mitered corners and easy binding.  Flannel is the way to go with making it wrap around for the binding and I used this easy tutorial to machine sew the corners.  Can you tell I avoid hand sewing at all costs?

These are some easy quilts!  I love using my scraps and not worrying about matching and just throwing it all together.  I always have a period where I worry that it will look wrong or that I am using too much of something,  but in the end I like it. 

Anne held this up for me outside in the grass.  It was spitting snow flurries.  She is a good sport my little middle child.  I had to crop out her poor little face since it was so cold out there and she was freezing.  I had these visions of a great outdoor photoshop but it was terrible out there.   Again with all the indoor shots except this last one.  Spring is coming soon I hope!!