Making a Georgetown Star Quilt-As-You-Go Block

This is a block I showed in Lesson 7 on my Craftsy Quilt-As-You-Go class and described as similar to Ohio Star in the way that you would pre-piece sections of the block so that you could use Quilt-As-You-Go techniques from the center square out.

If you are not familiar with my Piece by Piece Quilt-As-You-Go Craftsy Class, or with Craftsy, please use  link to view info about the class and check our great price.

Georgetown Star is a 20-inch (50.8cm) finished block, so 12 blocks and several borders would be nice for a queen size quilt or 16 blocks plus big borders for a King size quilt.

Making One Block

All of the pieces can be cut with From Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Template Set T, Product #8203, but if you also own Set Q, Product # 8212, you will also want to use Set Q where listed. 

The engineered corners on our templates make positioning sections for Quilt-as-You-Piece so much easier. (We do also have a Corner Trimmer for 45°angle corners, Product #8064, or a Deluxe Corner Trimmer, Product # 8217, that can be used to cut engineered corners on nearly any corner of ruler-cut pieces. In addition, if you are making enough blocks for a quilt, either of our large Diagonal Set Triangle Rulers would make cutting accurate large corner triangles easier. (We suggest #8968.) We are also giving ruler-cutting sizes for the pieces.

Cut the number of pieces needed:

Pre-piece the following units:

Center the largest square on the batting and backing. Add the B triangles Quilt-As-You-Go, 2 opposite sides first and then remaining 2 sides as shown in Ohio Star in the Craftsy class in Lesson 7.

(The green and brown block I showed was smaller so I had actually pre-pieced the center square and first 4 triangles on that block, but I do not recommend it on this size block.)

As all of the pre-pieced units are triangles, continue adding them to the block as shown.

(You can download a full size pattern piece F - the framing piece - from our website http://www.frommarti.com/georgetown.shtml.) Make a decision about how you intend too prepare the batting in the seamline areas before adding the strips and corner triangles. I would fold back the backing and trim the batting as shown in Lesson 6, minute 5, and fuse the batting to the backing. It won’t hurt to trim out a small square of batting where all of the strip seams will meet on the center side similar to the small squares cut out of corners in Lesson 5, minute 2.

Fabric Estimates for 12 Blocks

2 - 2 1/2 yards background fabric (white)

2 - 2 1/2 yards of fabric for corner triangles and center square

3/4 yards each purple and turquoise fabrics

5/8 yards each of contrasting fabrics for bands

Use assorted backing squares or 4 3/4 yards for matching backings and finishing strips.

Kudos to Uintah High School's Quilting Program!

Renee Steele is one of our favorite quilting teachers. She has taught Designer Sewing/Quilting at Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah, for the past 20 years. She shared photos of some of her students Pineapple quilts with us and we asked her to share her story with you. We know you'll agree that these are great quilts!

When I first started teaching at the high school, the Clothing Construction class enrollment was dwindling fast, so I went out on a limb and offered quilting. I as a teacher had much to learn. There are over 200 students, boys and girls, that participate and excel in the quilting class each year.

200 students per year x 20 years of teaching = 4000 potential quilters!

In the beginning the quilts students created were very simple; 10-inch blocks, enveloped, and tied. Today my students do very difficult piecing, appliqué, trapunto, and amazing machine quilting and binding.

We use only home sewing machines to do the quilting. This way every student can machine quilt every day instead of one student tying up the one quilting machine until their project is finished. My theory is teach them how to use a basic home machine that they can afford to purchase now and they can always upgrade if they desire to.

The love of quilting is “sewed, pieced and quilted” in the hearts, minds, creativity and abilities, whether students pursue quilting in the present or later in life. The love, skills and knowledge are there just waiting to burst with individual creativity!

I will always be grateful to Marti Michell for being so generous with me and my students. Through quilting, and the use of Marti’s tools and expertise, many teenagers have walked away with a sense of accomplishment, self worth, a new talent and ability to provide revenue for their families should there ever be a need.

Marti's templates, instructions, videos, and love of teaching/sharing, have made a tremendous impact on myself and my students throughout numerous projects they've completed over the years, and I appreciate all the hard work Marti’s team does to make the piecing process so easy and carefree.

Thanks, Renee, for the kind words about our work but you deserve all the credit, our part was easy! Your creativity and love of quilting is what fires up your teenage students, and we're grateful to you for "passing on the needle" to so many of them.

We're mailing the Farmer's Wife PDFs again!

We still hear from people who are interested in making their Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt using our templates :) so we began another round of mailings on November 20, 2015. Sign up to receive a PDF that covers 10 blocks in the original Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book (not the 1930s book) every two weeks by visiting our website and using the "join our email list" button in the righthand column.

If you have any questions, all the details about the PDFs can be found in the November 2013 archive at right.

If you are interested in the Farmer's Wife 1930s Sew-along, those details are in the August 2015 archive.

Thanks for using our templates!

Let's Make a Tree of Paradise Quilt Block

The Tree of Paradise quilt block is sometimes called Tree of Life. It's been a little diagram in our catalog for a long time, and when a quilter named Ellen called us recently to ask about the pattern, we were a little surprised it wasn't in the Encyclopedia of Patchwork Blocks Volume 4.

So we made the block -- beautiful! -- and wrote up the instructions for Ellen, and now we're sharing it with you!  The pattern is also available on our website with full-size paper pattern pieces (visit "Free Patterns," in the About Our Products menu, on our website, where there are also more and bigger pictures).

The underlying grid is 7 squares across and 7 down, which means it can be made with Template Set L. There are variations with two half-square triangles or three half-square triangles "hanging down" on the sides of the tree. We like the proportions of this version, with 2 green half-square triangles hanging down on each side.

Cutting the Pieces for the Tree of Paradise Block

 Light Fabric
    18: #71 triangles*
    3: #70 squares
    1: 6-inch square
    2: #67 squares
    2: #68 triangles

Dark Fabric
    18: #71 triangles*
    6: #71 triangles
    2: #68 triangles (1 trunk)
    1: rectangle 3″ x 4½″ (trunk)
*Layer light and dark fabrics right sides together, then cut 18 #71 triangle pairs. Do not separate; they are ready to sew.

Making the Block

1. Join the light and dark #71 triangles to make half-square triangle units. Make 18.

2. Make the 3 x 3, or 9-patch, unit. Arrange 6 of the units made in step 1 and 2 #70 light squares into rows, as shown, and join the rows.



3. Make the left and right side units. Arrange 6 of the units made in step 1 and the 6 dark #71 triangles into rows as shown and join. Make 2.



4. Join the large * light triangles to the pieced units made in step 3. Make 2.



5. Arrange 6 of the half-square triangle units to make mirror image rows, as shown. Make 1 each.



5.  Join the units made in steps 4 and 5, as shown. Make 1 each.



6. Make the tree trunk unit. Join the light and dark #68 triangles to make a square. Arrange it with the light #67 squares and #68 triangle as shown and join into rows. Join the rows. Make 1.



7. Prepare the dark rectangle for applique by turning under ¼″ on 2 long sides and one short side and pressing.



8. Position the rectangle right side up on the unit made in step 7, aligning the short folded edge at match points shown. The trunk piece is a bit long, to accommodate placement. Applique in place using your favorite technique. Trim trunk piece even with top edge, if necessary.



9. Add the dark #68 triangle to the unit made in step 8. Make 1.


10. Arrange the units as shown. Join into 2 rows, then join the rows to complete the block.

 

Copyright © 2014 Martha G. Michell

Happy Independence Day!

Happy July 4th, everyone!  We're celebrating the traditional way -- with hot dogs, apple pie, sale shopping and fireworks!

We're having another "Make Your Own Sale"!  Now through next Thursday, you can save on almost everything on our Website! Even fabric and all quilt kits (except English Manor).

Save 7.5 off fabric and kits, and 15% off everything else.
 
Treat yourself to something on your wish list, or treat a friend to a special gift you know they would love. Regardless of what time zone you are in, you can save money on our quilting products until 12 midnight your time on Thursday night, July 10, 2014!

More info is on the "Special Offers" page on our website.

Wishing you a safe and happy July 4th weekend!

Our good friend Mary Huey has a new tutorial on her blog on cutting and sewing split diamonds and making other six-pointed star designs with Template Sets G and H.  Check it out!

Mary is teaching a six-pointed star sampler class at next month's NQA show, too. 

(This image is from the back cover of Six is for Hexagons.)

Smashing Sashings Children's Quilt

I recently discovered a wonderful alphabet panel designed by Jennifer Heynen for In the Beginning fabrics and thought, what a great sashing star quilt that would make!  So I made one!

 
It's a great example of how easy and quick it is to use an all-over print in place of pieced blocks to make a smashing quilt -- the sashing stars are the patchwork!  It's 47 inches and uses 2 alphabet panels.  Easy peasy to make, and perfect for a child's nap or play quilt.

And we made a 2-page pattern that you can download for free!  It's on our website, or just click the link below and save it to your computer.  Info about our original Sashing Star Set is here.

Download the PDF.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm happy to announce that From Marti Michell is a Grand Prize sponsor of the 2014 FabShop Hop!  Our amazing! prize is a quiltmaker's dream package -- all this plus a Wild Rose tote bag and template DVD!

So get over to fabshophop.com and start hoppin'! And next time you're on Facebook, "like" FabShop Hop and From Marti Michell to get future news!

EDIT:  Congratulations to Joyce K!

IQA Show Winners

The prizewinning quilts at the IQA show are terrific!  This show is always a favorite.  And aren't we lucky that the Internet makes shows like this open to everyone!

"Come on down" and see the quilts! 

http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

And here's a new quilt that we made!  It's our new BOM called "Bordered Rows."

Greetings from Quilt Festival!

We're in Booth 1525 if you're here in Houston -- come by and say hello!  And be among the first to see Volume 5 -- Yes, it is finally here!  

5 is Fabulous! is about 5-inch finished units made with Sets T and R and 2-1/2 inch sub-units made with Set Q. There are 16 projects, large and small, plus a dozen fresh sampler blocks.

Bigger units means covering a bed with bigger blocks and fewer of them -- and you will be surprised by how nice 15- or 20-inch blocks look on a bed! Or on a wall or on your lap! Some of the quilts are shown below. You can see all the quilts in the book on our website here. We had fun making them and hope you'll love the book as much as we do!

Come by the booth and ask about our Volume 5 show special! And if you aren't at Festival, you can still get the special! Details will be in your email tomorrow if you're on our email list and on our site.

Other news -- I have a new fabric line! It's called Tomorrow's Promise. Here's a link to the Maywood Studio page where you can see these new prints.

A "consolation prize"

There were so many great comments on my Moda blog post!  It was really fun to read everyone's comments and to see that Log Cabin is still a first quilt for so many people. Log Cabin never seems to go out of style or wane in popularity.

And tomorrow on the Cutting Table blog, Moda will announce one winner from the September comments on my post and that person will receive Log Cabin Ruler #8037 and my Log Cabin ABCs book!

There can only be one winner, so we have a "consolation prize" for everyone else - place an order through our website that is over $30 that includes a Log Cabin product and we will ship it for free. This offer expires at midnight your time on October 3, 2013.

The fine print: Free shipping applies to domestic addresses; foreign addresses will be charged actual cost of shipping less $5.95. Shipping adjustment will not show online but your order will be adjusted at the time it is processed by Customer Service.

I'm Moda's Guest Blogger Today!

Moda's Cutting Table has been celebrating National Sewing Month every day of September with a new guest blogger.

Today that's me! I was so happy to be invited. Head over there quick to learn 2 tricks for Perfect Log Cabin Blocks, with photos and videos! Including a demo on why it's important to cut patchwork on the lengthwise grain -- Grainline Geeks Unite! :)

I hope you enjoy my blog post. Be sure to comment for a chance to win blog candy!  The winner will be announced on the Moda Cutting Table blog Oct. 2.  Just click the measuring tape:

Update: The contest is over, but you can still read the blog post on Moda's Cutting Table. :)

Fabulous Edge Finish -- Our No Binding, No Bulk Finish

Quilters are raving about this great new way to finish placemats, table runners and small wall quilts. It is especially nice on some quilts, such as art quilts, where a traditional quilt binding actually disrupts the flow of the design.

But remember, it is done before you quilt, not after!

It is similar to what some people call a pillowcase finish, but without the bumpy, bulky edge. That bulk in a pillowcase finish is caused by the batting seam allowance that is sewn in the seam piling up when the piece is turned right side out. With our method, we prevent any batting from ever being sewn into the seam.

Let me show you how with this small decorative table mat.

The secret ingredient is Marti's Choice Fusible Tape. It is a light-weight, fusible, non-woven interfacing repurposed from the sewing industry and conveniently packaged in 30-yard rolls, either 1" wide or 2" wide. For this process, I like the 1". We call it tape because it is narrow and comes in rolls, but it is not adhesive tape. It is heat fusible and must be permanently positioned with your iron.

This is what you need:

1. Your quilt top
2. A prepared backing piece (read on for details!)
3. Batting
4. Marti's Choice 1" Fusible Tape

To prepare the backing, cut a backing piece that is a little wider than the front and at least 3 inches longer. Cut it in half horizontally. Put the two sections right sides together and join them with a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving a few inches unstitched in the center. The opening is where you will turn the quilt inside out later! Press both seam allowances in one direction.

Layer the pieces and, using the top as a template, cut away excess batting and backing so they are exactly the same size as the top. BUT we don't want the batting to be the same size as the top. We want it to be 5/16" -- just a little more than 1/4" -- smaller all the way around. We could cut 5/16" off all four sides, but instead, separate the batting from the other two pieces and cut off 5/8" on two adjacent sides of your batting piece.

Bonus Tip: "Worth the Price of Admission"

You know how cutting batting can leave fibers in your cutting mat? But did you notice that when you trimmed the backing fabric and batting away there were no fibers in your mat? Any piece of paper will protect your mat the same way. Use just one layer of newspaper, printer paper, etc., and don't worry -- one sheet of paper every now and then won't dull your rotary cutter blade.

Now it is time to secure the batting to the wrong side of the front of the quilt. With the front face down, center the batting on the wrong side of the front. One side at a time, cut a strip of batting tape as long as the batting. (No need to measure, just do this at the ironing board, unroll the tape and cut to length!)

With your iron at a medium heat, press into place. I like to run the tip of my iron along the edge first, just securing the batting tape to the seam allowance -- it creates a tiny ridge. (Increase heat if tape did not secure -- iron temperatures vary!) Then go back and press the rest of the tape to the batting. (Cover polyester batting with a scrap of fabric, especially if you have raised the iron temperature.)

Continue with three other sides. The batting is never going to curl up or pull out of place -- you could call it permanently pinned!

Because the fusible tape and batting are the same color, we added the orange lines to define the edge of the batting tape.

Put the prepared front and prepared back right sides together and stitch all the way around using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Again, in the close-up, you can see the orange line shows the edge of the fusible tape and the green arrow points at the stitching line.

Turn the project inside out through the opening in the center back. It looks awful in the process...

But suddenly, it is flat. Give it a light press, especially along the edges. NOW you can quilt. I'm showing the back since I only quilted in the ditch and you can't see anything from the front. If you quilt enough, the quilting secures the opening, or I use a little strip of paper-backed fusible web on the seam allowances.

Ask for Marti's Choice 1" Fusible Tape, product #8220 (60 yards) at your favorite quilt shop or go to www.frommarti.com. Also available in 2" width, product #8221 (30 yards), which is more desirable for joining batting sections on full size quilts.

UPDATED Dec 2014

For some reason, my reply to Robyn's comment will not post. The answer to her question is the method above is almost the same as the method in the booklet that comes with the fusible tape. In between this post and that product packaging, we realized we could eliminate a step, which is why the instructions are a little bit different -- but either way works great!  :)