Tag: modern quilting

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Happy Flower Garden Quilt Along – Week 1 – Cutting our Fabric

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Yay! It’s the first week of the Happy Flower Garden Quilt along. It’s finally feeling like Spring here in Western Washington. The sun is shining and my flowers are starting to bloom.

Download Pattern

This week of the quilt along we will be cutting all our fabric. I like to cut all my fabric before I start a quilt. This make the piecing go together quickly.

I don’t pre-wash my fabric…I know that’s a No-No… But since I stopped pre-washing, I’ve loved being able to dive right into a project. The fabric is still crisp, when you wash the no longer stiff. Also when you wash your fabric it will shrink and  some times it will fray and you will loose some yardage. It also gives your finished quilt a nice crinkled look when it’s washed and dried. I like to throw a couple Shout Color Catchers in the wash when washing my finished quilt. This helps catch any loose dyes.

If you like to pre-wash your fabric, make sure to purchase a little extra to account for shrinkage!

Also, if you are using one of the alternative Flying Geese methods provided in the supplemental pdf. You will want to make sure to have a little extra fabric just in case.

Here is a Fabric Selection PDF you can print out. Cut your fabrics and tape/glue them to it!

Happy Flower Garden Quilt Fabric Selections

Cutting Your Fabric Tips:

*Get a NEW Rotary Blade (a dull blade makes it twice as hard to cut)
*Measure Twice and Cut Once
*Cut your largest pieces first, then cut the smaller pieces out
*Do NOT round up. Precise cutting is needed to make the 4 at 1 time no waste flying geese. So make sure to cut at the 3/8 or 7/8 marks (depending on what size you are making).

**If you may want to wait to cut your corner stones (Color E) and sashing strips until Week 9, but you can cut them now too! 🙂

I will be filming a LIVE Video Tuesday May 1st at 10:15 am PDT (West Coast USA) in the Facebook Group! I will be going over cutting your fabric and talk a little about the following weeks.

Facebook Group!

Quilt Along Schedule:

May 1st – Week 1 – Cut your Fabric
May 8th – Week 2 – Make your Half Square Triangles
May 15th – Week 3 – Make your Flying Geese units
May 22nd – Week 4 – Make your Bottom Rectangle Blocks
May 29th – Week 5 – Make half of your Tulip Blocks
June 5th  – Week 6 – Make the other half of your Tulip Blocks
June 12th – Week 7 – Make your Corner Tulip Blocks
June 19th – Week 8 – Make your Star Flower Blocks
June 26th  – Week 9 – Add Sashing and Cornerstones (Finish Star Flower Blocks if needed)
July 3rd – Week 10 – Baste, Quilt and Bind

I am so happy to be quilting along with you! I’m so excited to see your fabric picks!! Make sure to share your progress photo’s on Instagram with the hashtag #HappyFlowerGardenQA
Or Post your photo’s in the Facebook Group!!

The pattern will be 15% OFF through the end of the Quilt Along. If you still need your pattern you can download it by clicking below:

Download Pattern

Happy Quilting!
Andrea 🙂

Happy Flower Garden Etsy Image

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Sapphire Lane Quilt

IMG_6012My Sapphire Lane Quilt Pattern is now in my shop and ready for download!!

Digital Download (USA)
Digital Download (International customers)

PAPER PATTERN (USA)

When I was designing this pattern, I was trying to create a Large block, when repeated would create an additional pattern. I also didn’t want it to have a lot of half square triangles or flying geese. I also wanted to use this stack of gorgeous Indah Batiks by Me + You Fabrics.

indah batiks

I decided to go with strip piecing, to make the blocks go together super quick. The pattern also includes the amount of squares needed if you decided not to go with strip piecing or make a scrappy version.

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These are 21 inch finished blocks, so you only need 4 blocks for the baby size!

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I wanted to keep the quilting simple on this one. So I marked out a line 1/2 inch from each seam (top to bottom). Then I quilted down the center, making all my quilting lines about 1 inch apart. I love quilting this close together, it gives the quilt great texture when washed and dried.

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I went with the dark teal as the binding to tie in the center squares. I like to sew my binding to the front of the quilt and then hand sew it to the back.

The weather is finally cooperating here in Washington, so I was able to get a full quilt photo today. The only issue I had was the wind kept wanting to blow my quilt and holder over!

Sapphire Lane

This pattern has instructions to make a baby, throw, queen and king size quilt!!
When posting pictures of your quilt on social media use the hashtag #sapphirelanequilt or #happycloudcreations I’d love to see your version!!

Download Now!

PAPER PATTERN

Happy Quilting!!

Andrea 🙂

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Aloha Ripple QAL – Week 4: Center Block

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Welcome to the 4th week of our Aloha Ripple Quilt Along! I hope you are having a lot of fun sewing along. Now that all of our components are done, it’s time to start making our blocks!! This is my favorite part of quilting. Putting all the pieces together like a puzzle.

This week we will be making the center block of our quilt. The center block is a square in square quilt block. This block goes together super quickly so you will have plenty of time to finish up trimming the half square triangles from last week. This will also give all of you that just joined time to catch up!

Making the Center Block

Please refer to the pattern to find your exact piece sizes. I like to use the stitch and flip method for this block. When making the block this way you don’t have to worry about using triangles cut on the bias.

First you will lay two small squares on top of your large square on opposite corners (with right sides of fabric facing each other).
Mark a line diagonal from one corner to the other on each small square. Stitch right next to the drawn line toward the outer side. Trim off your corner, leaving a 1/4 inch from the seam. Press toward the attached triangles.

Next you will place the other two small squares on the opposite corners. Mark a line diagonal from one corner to the other on each square. Stitch right next to the drawn line. Trim off your corner, leaving a 1/4 inch from the seam. Press toward the attached triangles.

This block is a great way to frame a pretty floral or to fussy cut a cute image. I can’t wait to see all of your blocks!!

LIVE VIDEO: Join me today (Tuesday Feb. 6th) at 10:15 am PST (West Coast USA) for a LIVE video in the Facebook Group to go over tips and answer any questions.

Make sure to share a photo of this weeks step on social media with the hashtag #AlohaRippleQAL or join the Facebook Group and post a photo of  your center block!
You can follow me on Instagram here: Instagram.com/HappyCloudCreations

Join the Facebook Group

If you haven’t downloaded the FREE Aloha Ripple Quilt Pattern yet, you can find it here:

Download Pattern

Next week we will make our Corner Block A!

Here is the full Quilt Along Schedule:

Starting January 2nd: Download Pattern – Select your fabric and post a photo!
Week 1: January 16th: Cut fabric
Week 2: January 23rd: Make the Flying Geese
Week 3: January 30th: Make the Half Square Triangles
Week 4: February 6th: Make the Center Block (1)
Week 5: February 13th: Make Corner Blocks A (2)
Week 6: February 20th: Make Corner Blocks B (2)
Week 7: February 27th: Make the Stacked Flying Geese blocks (4)
Week 8: March 6th: Assemble your Quilt Top
Week 9: March 13th: Baste, Quilt and Bind your Quilt!

Happy Quilting!
Andrea

 

 

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Aloha Ripple Quilt Along – Week 1: Cut Fabric

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Welcome to the first week of the Aloha Ripple Quilt Along! Hopefully you have all your fabrics picked out and are ready to start cutting!

If you still need to download your FREE pattern click here!

Things you will need:

  • Rotary Cutter
  • Acrylic Ruler
  • Cutting Mat
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Pins

When I make a quilt I like to cut all my pieces up front and label them to keep organized. Make sure you have a nice sharp blade for your Rotary cutter.

*Measure twice – Cut once*

I know everyone says it, but it’s true. You don’t want to rush your cutting and end up cutting your pieces too small.  You want to make sure you have plenty of fabric for the whole quilt.

When you cut out your pieces you will want to cut out the largest pieces first. Then cut the smaller pieces. This will ensure that you have enough fabric.

I like to take a little piece of paper and write the color and size on it and pin it to the stack of fabric. Since some of the sizes are very close, this helps me sew the correct pieces together.

Once they are all cut I like to stack them in a Gallon size Ziplock bag. That way I don’t loose any of my pieces.

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Make sure to read through ALL of the Basic instructions before starting your quilt. I’ve added instructions on how to test your scant 1/4 inch seam inside the basic instructions. Most quilt patterns require a scant 1/4 inch seam, they just don’t mention it. This 1/4 scant accounts for the little bit of fabric that is take up when you fold and press your seams open.

You will also want to look through the whole pattern to wrap the construction around your head before you start. You may need to cut your fabric differently if you want to make your flying geese or half square triangles with a different method than is listed in the pattern.

I like to go through all the steps and write in my color choices, so it’s less confusing when I get to those steps. You can also go through with a highlighter and mark the instructions for the size you are making, since the instructions are for baby, throw and queen size.

You could also tape pieces of your actual fabric to a pieces of paper and label it for reference.

Join me today at 10:15 am PST (West Coast USA) for a LIVE video in the Facebook Group to go over tips and answer any questions.

Make sure to share a photo of this weeks step on social media with the hashtag #AlohaRippleQAL or join the Facebook Group and post a photo!

Join the Facebook Group

Download Pattern

Next week we will be making our Flying Geese units! We will be using the 1 flying geese at a time method and the 4 at 1 time no waste method.

Here is the full Quilt Along Schedule:

Starting January 2nd: Download Pattern – Select your fabric and post a photo!
Week 1: January 16th: Cut fabric
Week 2: January 23rd: Make the Flying Geese
Week 3: January 30th: Make the Half Square Triangles
Week 4: February 6th: Make the Center Block (1)
Week 5: February 13th: Make Corner Blocks A (2)
Week 6: February 20th: Make Corner Blocks B (2)
Week 7: February 27th: Make the Stacked Flying Geese blocks (4)
Week 8: March 6th: Assemble your Quilt Top
Week 9: March 13th: Baste, Quilt and Bind your Quilt!

Happy Quilting!
Andrea

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Arrows Away Quilt – Free Pattern!!

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(Pattern Download is at the bottom of this blog post)

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post.

Are you looking for a quick an easy quilt? Maybe you have a baby shower coming up. Or you have a son or daughter going to college soon and you want to give them a special gift. Well, this Arrows Away Quilt is perfect for making a super quick, easy and modern quilt!
The first time I made this quilt, was about a year ago. I love using big blocks! It makes the quilt go together super quick. Also, you can show of gorgeous big prints.

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The first throws size version was slightly smaller than the pattern. After research, I found out more people prefer larger size throw than my original version. My research also showed people prefer a rectangle shaped quilt over a square size quilt. So I added a strip of sashing to the top and bottom of the original design to make it more of a rectangle.

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You can download your FREE Copy here: Arrows Away Quilt Pattern

I’d love to see your Arrows Away quilt! On social media use the hashtag #happycloudcreations

Happy Quilting!
Andrea

 

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The Beauty of Solids

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Let me tell you a secret. I used to think Solid colored fabric was SO boring!!! I never purchased solids for my quilts or projects. I’d use a dot fabric or a fabric with a white on white pattern.

And then I joined Instagram. I saw all these gorgeous quilts that had solids in them! They looked so balanced, not too busy and so so pretty!

So I decided I’d go out of my comfort zone and make an all solids quilt! Yes ALL solids!! Crazy huh! I found the perfect pattern, a Tetris quilt for my husband. I loved how it turned out so much! The Kona Cotton fabric by Robert Kaufman is so vibrant!

Tetris Quilt

Solids can help balance out your quilt and showcase the block designs. If you have too many busy prints the design can get lost.

So I had some left over solids from my Tetris quilt and I decided to test out my Stepping Stone Quilt pattern with the solids too. I love how it turned out too!

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I bound it with a Black with White dash fabric called Thicket by Gingiber for Moda and the backing fabric is made by Riley Blake. This quilt is listed for sale in my Etsy shop here.

 

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Then I saw this awesome fabric from Arrow Flight by  Michael Miller fabric and got inspired to make the front of my quilt mimic the backing fabric.

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So I came up with my super easy Colorful tiles quilt pattern.

colorful tiles quilt

This Colorful tiles quilt is also listed for sale in my Etsy shop here.

I used the Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman Color chart to help pick some of the solids for the front of this quilt.

color chart

This color charts is super awesome! It’s great for picking out backing fabric and coordinating solids. You can buy one online from a variety of quilt fabric shops. What’s also cool, is this color chart matches up with all of the Kona Cotton fabric sold a Joann Fabric Stores online and in store

If an all solids quilt isn’t for you. You can try to mix more solids in with your quilt to help the pattern pop. Like in my X Marks the spot quilt. The white fabric makes the design pop. You can find the pattern here.

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So if you haven’t made an ALL solids go try it!! Or at least try adding some solids to your next quilt, I’m sure you will love it!!

Happy Quilting!
Andrea

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Snowy Day Quilt Sampler Block Challenge

SDQS - QuiltCLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD: Snowy Day Quilt Sampler Pattern

Recently my Snowy Day Quilt Sampler was used in the National Quilters Circle Block Challenge! Over 24,000 signed up for the challenge and over 17,000 joined the Facebook Group.

It was a lot of fun meeting and interacting with all of these wonderful quilters. Seeing all of the Beautiful fabric and color combinations, makes me want to make more and more quilts.

The National Quilters Circle did a great job getting all these wonderful quilters together to make this quilt. I am so happy I had the opportunity to be part of it. You can see the Block Challenge recap by clicking here. I list a few of my favorite quilts from the challenge! There were so many beautiful quilts to choose from!

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I chose to go with straight ‘organic’ line quilting! It’s quick, easy and I love the texture it give the quilt!

When you use cotton batting your quilt will shrink 3% when you wash and dry it. It will get all nice and crinkled and it has a wonderful texture.

I used Macramé fabric by Rashida Coleman-Hale of  Cotton+Steel in the quilt I made for the pattern!  I love this fabric so much, I am also using it in my NEW Happy Flower Garden Quilt. The pattern will be coming out June 1, 2017! Yay! Stay tuned for photos!

During the block challenge I made two quilt tops with the group! My first quilt top was made with a mixture of Up Parasol and Clementine fabric by Heather Bailey for Free Spirit Fabrics.

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I loved how the blocks turned out! But there seemed to be a lot of pink. So I decided to add a pink border around each block. Then I added a scrappy teal/aqua sashing in between all of the blocks. I gifted this quilt to my parents for their 41st Anniversary!

The second quilt I made during the challenge was made with a variety of Cotton +Steel fabrics. I love how they all go so well together, even though they are from different designers.

Sprinkle by Sarah Watts, Cookie Book by Kim Kight and Paper Bandana by Alexia Marcelle Abeg

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I tried to make this a little different than my other two quilts. I did a border in white around each of the blocks and then I did a navy Paper Bandana sashing with the Red Sprinkle cornerstones. I’m excited to finish this one. I bought some Kona Cotton in Baby pink for the backing fabric.

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You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see the new patterns I’m working on!

Happy Quilting!

Andrea