Saturday 14 February 2015

Miniature Block of the Month February 2015 - The Quilt Room


Minature Block of the Month February 2015 - The Quilt Room
Miniature Block of the Month February 2015 - The Quilt Room
Here is the February edition of the Miniature Block of the Month FREE from the Quilt Room, Dorking.  I am really enjoying this BOM so far.  Just one block means I can usually get it done quite quickly during one evening after work.

Just like last month I have put the pattern into my Electric Quilt software and printed off the foundation patterns.  I am pleased with the colours of the 'Snowman Gatherings' fabrics I am using.  I haven't taken any of the papers out yet.  I love the firmness and stability it gives - it reminds me of the more refined finish you get with dressmaking when you add an interfacing.

Suzi the Cat on her Cat Mat quilt
Suzi the Cat on her Cat Mat
We have had some warm winter days here lately which makes for hard work if you are a cat.  Moving from room to room following the sun is exhausting!

Joining up with Feline Friday! and Crazy Mom Quilts.
 

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Half Square Triangle (HST) Scrappy Quilt

Scrap Triangle Quilt
Half Square Triangle Scrappy Quilt
You may recognise this quilt.  I have been admiring it here and here.  I decided it was time to have one of my own.  It is a Katherine Guerrier design from one of my favourite books, 'Scrap Quilt Sensation' .
Scrappy Triangle Quilt
Scrappy Triangle Quilt

I have had a pile of random charm squares which were given to me in my stash for some time.  They are not fabrics I particularly like, but it was hard to turn down the offer of free fabric at the time. I don't think things have changed. This is the sort of quilt you can hide these ugly fabrics in quite easily.  Just to make it interesting I also added some of my favourite fabrics too.  The need to get as much variety as possible allowed plenty of petting and stroking of the fabrics in my stash. I had many happy hours in my sewing room. 
Double pinning quilt seams
Double pinning quilt seams

I think there are about 896 3" half square triangles in this quilt.  It is a surprisingly simple quilt to make, it is just the sheer quantity of square half square triangle blocks which need cutting, stitching and trimming which take up the time.  The finished size is about 84" x 96". Any half square triangle pattern really relies on accurate seam joins and I took time from the very beginning to double pin every seam to keep the seams in place as they went through the sewing machine. On the front (which is where it matters) they look as if they have behaved very well, but on the back there are a few which tried to go against the flow.

Half Square Triangle Scrap Quilt
Half Square Triangle Scrap Quilt
Comparing it to the same quilts I have seen already, it is clear that the look of the quilt will depend on the DNA of your personal stash.  I struggled for large scale prints for contrast, and I struggled for murky dull fabrics to stand out against the brights, but I wasn't about to go shopping for this project.  The aim was too get rid of some scraps, but in the process I seem to have created a new set of scraps! He ho ...


Joining up with Scraptastic Tuesday! and the scrap fans at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.