Week 5 Sunbonnet Sleuth Solves the Mystery

This week we are sewing all of our blocks and units into rows. After the rows come together, borders are adding and we are done! Not to jump too far ahead, but just to let you know, the next mystery starts on August 1st. July is a vacation month.

1. Sew 3 rows with 5 courthouse steps blocks in each row. Watch the orientation of the reds and blues in the blocks as you put the rows together.

2. Sew 2 rows with the flying geese and diamond bar units. Sew the courthouse step rows and the flying geese rows together to finish the quilt center.

3. Cut (2) dark black/brown strips 1-1/2" x 40-1/2" and sew to opposite sides of the quilt center. Cut (2) dark black/brown strips 1-1/2" x 34-1/2" and sew to top/bottom of the quilt top.

4. Cut the border fabric into (2) vertical borders 6-1/2" x 42-1/2" long and join to opposite sides of the quilt center. Cut border fabric into (2) horizontal strips 6-1/2" x 46-1/2" long and join to the top/bottom of the quilt top.

5. Layer the quilt top, batting and backing. Quilt the layers together. Cut (5) 2-1/4" x wof strips and sew together end-to-end for binding. Bind the outside edges of the quilt to finish.

Week 4 Sunbonnet Sleuth

This week we are making 15 Courthouse Steps blocks. The cutting measurements are given on the block diagram. You can make the blocks the traditional way by cutting each strip to size or you can make them the easy way with my new Log Cabin Trim Tool. If you don't have this time saving tool you can order the tool from my website: www.jeanannquilts.com 

Note: The measurements on the block diagram include the seam allowances.

SEWING

The fabric logs for the Courthouse Steps blocks are joined first to opposite sides of the center square, then to the top and bottom. There are 3 rounds of strips to complete the block. Make 15 identical blocks.

These are the final blocks for the quilt. Next week we sew the quilt together.

Barbara Fritchie Star

Here is a small patriotic quilt for the coming holidays. It has an interesting story about the bravery of a woman during the Civil War. – The incident allegedly takes place during the American Civil War when the southern rebel troops were marching through Frederick, Maryland. Barbara Fritchie, a 96 year old woman is the heroine of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem that describes an incident where it is said Barbara Fritchie waved a union flag at the enemy. The legend itself says that the flag was hanging out of an upstairs window and the Confederate troops shot it as they marched through town. Visit this coordinating blog to read the full story, an excerpt from the famous poem, and find the block cutting and sewing diagram to make the quilt: www.sewwequilt.com

Here is the quilt and the directions to make it.

Barbara Fritchie Star

Quilt Size: 56" x 56"

1 Center Block: 16"

20 Border Blocks: 8"

Fabric Requirements and Cutting

Refer to the cutting diagram on the www. sewwequilt.com blog to cut the blocks

Red Print – 2-1/3 yards

Cut (17) strips 2-1/2" x wof, recut into (100) 2-1/2" squares

Cut (6) strips 2-7/8" x wof, recut into (80) 2-7/8" squares then cut each square in half on the diagonal once to make (160) half square triangles

Cut (1) strip 4-7/8" x wof, recut into (4) 4-7/8" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal once to make (8) half square triangles

Cut (6) strips 2-1/4" x wof, sew together end-to-end for binding

Gold Print – 1-1/4 yards

Cut (3) strips 2-7/8" x wof, recut into (40) 2-7/8" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal once to make (80) half square triangles

Cut (1) strip 4-7/8" x wof, recut into (4) 4-7/8" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal once to make (8) half square triangles

Cut (5) strips 1-1/2" x wof, sew together end-to-end, then cut (2) short inside
       borders 1-1/2" x 16-1/2" and (2) long inside borders 1-1/2" x 18-1/2" plus (2)
       short outside borders 1-1/2" x 22-1/2" and (2) long outside borders
       1-1/2" x 24-1/2" to surround the large center star

Cut (8) strips 2-1/2" x wof, sew together end to end and cut (8) 2-1/2" x 40-1/2"
       outside borders

Blue Print – 1 yard

Cut (17) strips 2-1/2" x wof, recut into (100) 2-1/2" squares

Cut (6) strips 2-7/8" x wof, recut into (80) 2-7/8" squares then cut each square in half on the diagonal once to make (160) half square triangles

Cut (1) strip 4-7/8" x wof, recut into (4) 4-7/8" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal once to make (8) half square triangles

White Print – 1-1/4 yards

Cut (3) strips 2-7/8" x wof, recut into (40) 2-7/8" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal once to make (80) half square triangles

Cut (5) strips 5-1/4" x wof, recut into (20) 5-1/4" squares, then cut each square in
      half on the diagonal twice to make (80) quarter square triangles

Cut (1) strip 7-1/4" x wof, recut into (1) 7-1/4" square, then cut this square in half
      on the diagonal once to make (4) quarter square triangles

Cut remainder of 7-1/4" square into (2) 4-7/8" squares, then cut these squares in
       half on the diagonal once to make (4) half square triangles

Making the Quilt

Refer to the block diagram on the www. sewwequilt.com blog to sew the blocks

1.     Referring to the block diagram, sew (1) 16" center Barbara Fritchie Star block for the quilt center and (20) 8" Barbara Fritchie Star blocks for the borders.

2.     Sew the short gold 1-1/2" borders to opposite sides of the center block and the long 1-1/2" borders to the top/bottom of the center block. Sew (2) side borders with (5) red and (4) blue 2-1/2" squares. Join to opposite sides of the center star. Sew (2) top/bottom borders with (6) blue and (5) red 2-1/2" squares. Join these borders to the top/bottom of the center star. Sew remaining gold borders to the sides then top/bottom of the center star assembly.

3.     Piece the (2) 8" star blocks together. Make (2) side borders with (3) blocks each and join to opposite sides of the quilt center. Make (2) top/bottom borders with (5) blocks each and join to top/bottom of the quilt center.

4.     Make (8) strips with (10) red and (10) blue 2-1/2" squares in a long row. Join these rows together in sets of two, alternating the red/blue squares as shown. Join a gold 2-1/2" x 40-1/2" to each side of the red/blue rows to make the pieced borders.

5.     Sew a pieced border to opposite sides of the quilt center. Join the (4) remaining star blocks to opposite ends of the (2) remaining pieced borders and join to the top/bottom of the quilt center to complete the quilt.

Layer the quilt top, batting and backing. Quilt the layers together. Bind the edges to finish.

Week 3 Have A Cuppa mystery

Here is week #3 of the Have A Cuppa mystery. It is a day late because I have 2 quilting friends visiting from out of town and yesterday we spent all day visiting local quilt shops, 3 of them. Bought some fabric and other quilting gee-gaws. We had a great time. There are way too many fantastic fabrics and too little time to sew them all into quilts. I only bought a little.....

Have A Cuppa - Week 3 cutting and sewing

Cutting:

1. Cut (2) 4-1/2" x wof strips from the dark black/coffee color, recut into (32) 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles.

2. Cut (1) 2-1/2" x wof strip from each of the four fabrics in blue stripe, orange stripe, bright yellow print and green print. Recut each strip into (16) 2-1/2" squares.

Sewing:

3. Following the Flying Geese Unit diagram, make (8) Flying Geese Units in each of the 4 different colors for a total of 32 Flying Geese Units.

4. Sew the units together in groups of four as shown. Make 8 units. Sew the units together in sets of two to make (4) Flying Geese columns.

Design Walls

For years I have made all of my quilts without using a design wall. Since I have started making scrap log cabin quilts I find that I need a design wall to place the blocks in a pleasing arrangement before sewing them together.

The only space in my sewing studio to hang a design wall is over the bifold double closet doors. I started with a piece of white flannel with a sleeve at the top that I ran a spring tension curtain rod through. Then I could force the curtain rod from side to side in the indent for the closet doors. I use the closet only for storage so the wall can stay in place for days or weeks at a time.

My blocks kept falling off the flannel...very frustrating. Then, on a weekend quilting retreat to Camp Mikell one of the quilters said she uses a white fleece blanket because the thick fleece acts more like velcro and none of her blocks ever fall off.

I ordered a twin size fleece blanket from Bed, Bath and Beyond (cost $17.99), ran a sleeve along the top side, slid it through my curtain rod and it works perfectly! The photo below shows the blanket in place on the curtain rod with blocks for my latest log cabin quilt positioned and ready to sew.

The fabrics in this quilt is the Charleston 1850 collection I designed for Newcastle Fabrics. www.newcastlefabric.com. Naturally I used my new Log Cabin Trim Tool to make the blocks. Visit my website www.jeanannquilts.com to find the link to the youtube video and order information. I made the (36) blocks for this quilt in two days. I am going to make triple border and include the finished quilt in my new book.

Sunbonnet Sleuth Week 2

First thing...as I started to complete the cutting instructions this morning I realized that 3 of the fabrics need more than a fat quarter to make the quilt. My sincere apologies! Here is the new fabric requirement list. Note that the blue, the red, and the blue stripe are the 3 fabrics require more than a fat quarter.

Now, let's get started cutting and sewing.....

From the blue cut (1) strip 2-1/2" x wof, recut into (8) 2-1/2" squares.

From the black/coffee cut 1 4-1/2" x wof strip, recut (2) 4-1/2" squares and (12) 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles. (4) rectangles are needed this week, set (8) rectangles aside for next week to be used next week).

From the red cut (1) 2-1/2" x wof strip, recut into (8) 2-1/2" squares.

**Save ends of strips not cut today to be cut into pieces for next weeks sewing**

Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of all the red and blue 2-1/2" squares.

Position a blue 2-1/2" square on one side of a black/coffee 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangle. Sew on the pencil line. Trim 1/4" from stitching line, fold out resulting triangle and press. Repeat on the opposite corner of the black/coffee rectangle to make a flying geese unit. Make 4 units.

Position a red 2-1/2" square on opposite sides of a black/coffee 4-1/2" square. Sew on the diagonal line of each square. Trim 1/4" from stitching line, fold out the resulting triangles and press. Repeat in 2 opposite corners to make a square-in-square unit. Make 2 units.

Sew a flying geese unit to opposite sides of a square-in-square unit to make a bar diamond unit. Make 2 units.

This is an easy week of sewing, there will be more sewing week-by-week until you finish the quilt.

Ugly Betty

When I look at some of the fat quarters I have impulsively bought over the years, all I can think of is that TV program, Ugly Betty. Why in the world did I think I just had to have these fat quarters? I must have had something in mind! Now they are here in my studio taking up valuable room, what to do with them?

There is a purpose for everything! My sister, Janet Houts, and I are finishing our third book, First Time Log Cabin Quilts, to be published by Landauer Publishing Corp. We are making some charts to let quilters know how many blocks can be made with strips cut from 1 light value fat quarter and 1 dark value fat quarter plus a fat eighth for the center squares. We are making the charts for 6", 8", 10" and 12" blocks. To make sure our numbers are accurate, I am stitching a series of blocks in each size using my ugly fat quarters. You will never see the sample blocks from the ugly fat quarters, but what a great way to sew into my overflowing stash while saving those "special" fabrics for some future quilted masterpiece.

Just to give you a little "eye candy" here is a Log Cabin quilt I made using some really pretty fabrics. It is a simple barn raising setting using 8" Log Cabin blocks.

Sunbonnet Sleuth Mystery #3

Time for a new mystery project.  This one measures 46" wide x 54" long. It is a great little wall quilt. I've used coffee theme fabrics, but you can pick any theme you like, or, no theme at all. Since it's summer, think beach theme using shells or garden theme using flowers. Do you need a baby or youth quilt? Use some fun children's theme fabrics. In using your own fabric collection, take care to match colors and color values for best results in your finished quilt.

Here are the fabrics you will need to make the quilt. Have fun pulling from your stash, or going shopping. You can use fat quarters or a quarter yard cut on width of fabric for the quarter yard pieces.

I am calling this mystery Have a Cuppa.

Color Hints: I've had some queries about the color combo's featured. For the fat quarter fabrics shown above, count the bright blue, red and bright green as "darks" and the two stripes and the gold as lights. 

If you want to select lights and darks for your fat quarters, select 3 light and 3 dark fat quarters. I used a dark coffee brown (or strong tea brown) for the plain darkest fabric, but you might want to use black, a very dark navy or purple or hunter green depending on your color palette.