Tag Archives: tutorial

looking back the years and starting something new (2x)

Looking back the years :

A friend of mine gave me  a couple of weeks ago some quilting books. I’ve looked through them and thought how much has changed in patchwork and quilting over the last 40 years .

My favourite one is “The Perfect Patchwork Primer” by Beth Gutcheon. It was first published in 1973. The issue is in black and white, includes a few photos and many block illustrations, designs or quilt assembly instructions. The author is a devotee of hand quilting. Machine piecing is OK, but machine or free-motion quilting is unthinkable. The other thing that surprised me, is that in those days there were no cutting mats, cutters or rulers. Only “home-made” templates were available and for cutting there were just scissors. Today we are very spoilt with all our sophisticated tools and various helpers.

Starting something new :

# One : From next week on I shall give classes in machine piecing and quilting. So last week I sew an easy sampler quilt top for beginners. At the same time I made tutorials about basic cutting and piecing of square and triangle units, blocks with flying geese units as well as sashing and borders, quilting and binding. I enjoyed preparing all information and I am looking forward to start with the classes!!!

# Two : While working on the computer I got an idea for a new quilt. A simple design with all the solids I love. It is based on the ideal proportion of the sides of a rectangle : golden ratio. As the top has also a “golden” solid fabric I named it Golden Ratio . Changed my mind, the name is Floating Colors  This one shall be quilted in straight lines in vertical and horizontal. The goal for next week (but more probably weekend) is to finish the quilt.

Happy quilting, B.

My Very First PDF Tutorial is Here –

Lost in Space Pillow

It has been some time since my last post. I did not have time to work on my quilt as I have started designing some tutorials in pdf.

I was playing with the design, how to place photos and text on a sheet. My very first pdf tutorial is now finished and I am working on the next one – a log cabin tutorial of my Abstract Dreaming Quilt. My next goal is to finish the quilt, take photos for the tutorial, revise and publish it. This is easier said as done or quicker said as done.

Please have a look on the tutorial and leave a comment if you like it (or not).

HST – Half Square Triangle Quilt Tutorial

HST – Half Square Triangle Quilt – the one I always wanted to make and never started. This easy pattern is ideal for practicing precise cutting, piecing and pressing. Since I was working with the wonderful batiks on my last project and liked them very much,  I decided to carry on with the same fabrics. They are so colourful and warm.

Quilt size : 42″ x 48 “

Distribution : 16 rows with each 14 HST blocks, all together 224 HST blocks.  I have decided to work with 4″ strips. After piecing and trimming the blocks have a size of 3,5″ x 3,5″.

Material :

Solid fabric : 1 1/2 yard from colour of your choice; cut in 4″ strips and then in 4″ x 4″ squares

Colour fabrics : all together 1 1/2 yard or 13 different colours; cut in 4″ strips and then in 4″ x 4″ squares

Backing fabric : 1 1/2 yard

Batting : 43″ x 50 “

Binding : 3/8 yard, cut 5 strips each 2,5″

Assembly :

1. Prepare all pieces by cutting into squares

2. Draw a diagonal line on the left side of the solid fabric, pin together with a batik one

3. Sew all squares along the drawn line with a 1/4″ seam allowance (normally width of the presser foot) using the chain piece method.

4. Complete the piecing by sewing along the other side of the line.

5. Now cut the squares diagonal along the drawn line in

6. Press seams open

7. Trim the squares to 3,5″ x 3,5″

8. You are ready to work on the layout. Using a design wall you can distribute the colour squares according your imagination – see below

I have decided to subdivide the quilt into several sewing batches. Taking always 4 rows with 7 squares. First I sew each row together, then the rows and as last the batches.

Here the rows are pressed a ready for pinning :

Accurate pinning is the secret to a nice and tidy quilt top. So take time, don’t hurry and work on your skills :

Once more : I pressed all seams open

And this is the finished top :

Prepare a sandwich and quilt as you want. After a lot of straight line quilting I decided to go for free-motion quilting. Trim the quilt and add binding. My favorite machine binding tutorial.

The quilt is listed on Etsy and Dawanda.  S O L D ! !