April's Block! Grandma's Attic BOM

April's Block

Happy April! It has been a surreal few weeks... I've lost time and feel like I'm in the twilight zone. I can say though, quilting has been keeping me sane. I can actually relax if I'm quilting and listening to an audiobook. I'm sure I'm not alone! Many of us have been busy making facemasks, working on UFO's and actually completing them! I've enjoyed seeing the postings of last year's BOM completed by many quilters over the last couple weeks. It warms my heart to see finished quilts. This month's block is super easy... 

 If you are new to the BOM here's the details.... There will be a new block design each month for a total of 12....  it will be a traditional sampler quilt. I'm planning it as a stash buster. It's based on two colors, a main color and a white/cream background color. You can choose any color for your main color, blue, red, green, anything....I'm making mine out of red fabrics. I have a lot of red Civil War fabric on hand, so that is what I'm using for mine. So go raid your stash for some fabric. You will need;

4 1/2 yards white/cream

4 yards red

1/2 yard red for binding

5 1/3 yard for backing

The finished size is 67" x 87"

Let's get started on this month's block, it's a spin off of a Shoo-Fly Block. You will need 1 red (or colors of your choice) You will make four blocks and then sew them together to make a large 4 block square. So go to the website and download the directions, grab a cup of coffee or some pop and let's go sew!

Following the directions cut out all of your squares and triangles... then start by making the triangle squares, pair together the cream A and red A triangles, right sides together. Sew along the diagonal edge. Press. Make a total of 16 triangle squares blocks.

Following the diagram below and the block layout, sew your Shoo-Fly Block together. 

Make 4 total. These single blocks measure 10 1/2" x 10 1/2".

Sew the 4 blocks together to form this month's block.

~ April's Block ~

 I hope you have fun making this month's block.  Remember the goal is to use fabric from your stash!

The monthly FREE pattern is available on my website. I have a special 2020 BOM section on my website. Each month the FREE pattern will be posted. But as soon as the new section or block is out the old block pattern will no longer be a freebie. But it will still be available for a small fee on my website or in my Etsy shop. If you want to share your finished blocks, feel free to post them on Facebook Group (Quilt Doodle Designs Grandmas Attic BOM 2020) and tag me or post them on Instagram tag Quilt Doodle Designs. I love to see everyone's progress as we stitch along together. 

Happy quilting! Stay Well!

Cindy and Belvedere

Website Note- I was hoping the new website would be up and running, but not quite yet. Don't worry about the web address, it'll all be the same when I do make the change over. I'm hoping that everything will be easier to use and download! 

Day 3 QAL Fun!

Welcome to Day 3! Did you get all your 6" squares constructed? If you just joined us, don't worry, there's time to catch up. Check out the previous postings for additional information. This is a quick easy quilt and a great stash buster. Today we will put the quilt together. I've been listening to my audio book and stitching away. Sure makes time fly by. I don't know about you but it's starting to feel like the twilight zone here. I'm not sure if I can tell you what day it is....

Finished Size 84" x 100" 

Day 1 - Cutting

Day 2 - Sewing

Day 3 - Assembly of the Quilt

Let's Get Started!


~NOTE~ There is no written pattern for this... just the blog postings with directions.

You will begin using your stack of 2 1/2" x 6 1/2"  background rectangles and 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares from your fabric stash, aka all the scrappy stuff.

Iron your Rail Fence Blocks. If needed, trim up to measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares.

Following the quilt layout diagram above, start constructing your quilt top. I like to chain sew everything together. Use your favorite method to put the quilt top together. Some of you might like to put it together in smaller sections or row by row. 

I've got a lot of pressing to do. Then add a border out of the background fabric. I'm putting a 2 1/2" border all around mine and then making a scrappy binding to go around the edge.

~Post your pictures to Facebook or Instagram and tag Quiltdoodledesigns for a chance to win this fat quarter bundle of seven sweet holiday prints~

 So put on your favorite music, an audiobook, and start sewing away. By the end of the day you will have a beautiful quilt top.

See you tomorrow, Ill show you my finished quilt top. Remember to post your progress to Facebook or Instagram and tag Quiltdoodledesigns for a chance to WIN a cute fat quarter bundle. I'll pick a winner April 2nd.

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

Day 2 QAL

Welcome to Day 2! Did you get all your pieces cut? If you just joined us, don't worry, there's time to catch up. Check out the previous postings for additional information. This is a quick easy quilt and a great stash buster. When I'm stressed or need to zone out a bit from news overload, I like to sew. I love projects like this because I can mindlessly chain sew without putting too much thought into it. . 

Here's what you need:

5 1/2 yards worth of scraps

3 1/2 yards for your background fabric

Finished Size 84" x 100" 

Day 1 - Cutting

Day 2 - Sewing

Day 3 - Assembly of the Quilt

Let's Get Started!

Let's get started! Today we will piece together the smaller Rail Fence Block. Easy peasy…… 

~NOTE~ There is no written pattern for this... just the blog postings with directions.

You will begin using your stack of 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles from your fabric stash, aka all the scrappy stuff.

Begin with two strips right sides together and sew along the long edge, 1/4" seam. I like to chain sew.... make 120 of the two rectangle strips. Remember to keep it scrappy and mix your fabrics up.

Add a rectangle strip along the long end of the two rectangle sections, right sides together. Again, I like to chain stich and listen to an audiobook as I sew along.

Iron your Rail Fence Blocks. If needed, trim up to measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares.

 So put on your favorite music, an audiobook, and start sewing away. By the end of the day you will have a beautiful stack of Rail Fence Blocks.

See you tomorrow, we will work on piecing the quilt together.

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

Day 1 QAL Fun!

I know we all have that bin of fabric, you know, all the bits and pieces for projects past. Much of it is our favorite colors and prints. Well gather that all up. I have a three day project for you. Yep, three days.... you can do this!  I am making mine scrappy using my batik bin of fabric and some white fabric for my background. Mine is going to be 84" x 100", sorta huge but I want it to cover a bed. You can scale yours down if you would like. This quilt is jelly roll friendly too.

Here's what you need:

5 1/2 yards worth of scraps

3 1/2 yards for your background fabric

Finished Size 84" x 100" 

Day 1 - Cutting

Day 2 - Sewing

Day 3 - Assembly of the Quilt

Let's Get Started!

Let's get started! I pulled out my bin of batiks which has grown out of hand. So to tame my batik stash, I started by pulling out the fabrics I wanted to use for this quilt. Most of the pieces I pulled were from quilts and projects past. 

~NOTE~ There is no written pattern for this... just the blog postings with directions.

~ My Batik Stash ~

From your fabric stash/scraps etc....

Cut: 99 - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

360 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles

From your background fabric cut:

218 - 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles

That's it, just cutting fabric today. It's a great stress reliever, hacking up fabric. So put on your favorite music, an audiobook, and start cutting away. I cut extra fabric squares for my backing. I'm going to do a couple of pieced strips across the backing to add something special to the back.

See you tomorrow, we will work on piecing the quilt blocks.

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

A Stash Buster QAL

I'm not even sure how many days we've been practicing self distancing. Seems like f-o-r-e-v-e-r but I know we can do it! My best friend and I had lunch the other day. You are wondering how right? Well we both went thru the drive thru at Chick Fil A and got our lunches, parked in a parking lot like the police do on donut break and visited with our car windows open leaving a nice distance between us. It was a great visit and sure to be one we won't forget! We talked about quilting and what we were working on etc. It lightened my day and was a great break.

As you know I have been making face masks and now that I'm out of elastic, I'm onto the next project. I know we all have that bin of fabric, you know, all the bits and pieces for projects past. Much of it is our favorite colors and prints. Well gather that all up. I have a three day project for you. Yep, three days.... you can do this!  I am making mine scrappy using my batik bin of fabric and some white fabric for my background. Mine is going to be 84" x 100", sorta huge but I want it to cover a bed. You can scale yours down if you would like. This quilt is jelly roll friendly too.

Here's what you need:

5 1/2 yards worth of scraps

3 1/2 yards for your background fabric

Finished Size 84" x 100" 

Day 1 - Cutting

Day 2 - Sewing

Day 3 - Assembly of the Quilt

Let's start tomorrow!

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

Bunnies!

Fluffy Bunny Tea Towel

It's hard to believe that spring is right around the corner. It's still pretty gloomy and 'brown' here in Minnesota. The snow is almost gone and we have entered the muddy season. When I take Belvedere out for his walks I keep checking my gardens for signs of spring. Nothing yet. We're forecasted for a few days of rain, I'll check again after that!  I have seen Robins! Such a welcomed sight! Warm sunny days are just around the corner. I haven't seen any bunnies yet, so I'm cheating a bit, I've pulled out my bunny tea towels and put them up in my kitchen.  Ahhhh pretty colors, even though it's gloomy outside, I can smile at the cute bunnies in my kitchen.

You can add my bunnies to your home too!  All of my patterns are available in my Etsy Shop,  I have both PDF's and packaged patterns.  Happy quilting!

Mr. Cottontail Applique Design on a tea towel...

Mrs. Cottontail

Fluffy Bunny Table Runner 
finished size 17" x 38"

Happy quilting! I hope you are all staying busy and well!
Cindy and Belvedere

Sunday Sewing

I hope this note finds you well and happy. Week one of hubby working home has gone well. We are settling into our new work routine. I have enjoyed having lunch with him everyday. He's added more screens in the home office and I look forward to using them when life returns to normal. Multiple computer screens will be so handy for when I do pattern writing. I've moved my computer to the kitchen table, I have been enjoying the sunshine as I work.

Instead of working on my own sewing this weekend, I reached out to my local hospital and asked if they needed face masks sewn and the answer was YES. I know that there are a flurry of face ask patterns out there. If you do make masks for your local hospital or clinic, check with them and see if they have a preference on what pattern they would like you to use. My local hospital emailed me a link for the pattern they would like me to use. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever be called up to make face masks. It's the world that we live in right now. So if you want to make face masks... let me share with you my progress.

The pattern I am using calls for 1 - 6" x 9" rectangle of cotton, 1 - 6" x 9" rectangle of flannel and two 7" pieces of elastic. I had an assembly line going yesterday and made them until I ran out of elastic. They stitch up pretty quickly. 

I was able to complete about two dozen yesterday. I ran out of elastic. Found some more today, a dear friend donated her stash of elastic. Amazon's delivery for elastic is out to  mid-April. I will spend today making as many as I can again. 

I had to check how they fit, I'm pretty happy with them. I did deliver one to a neighbor, her hubby is home sick. So if your hospital doesn't need them, your neighbors might.

Belvedere is sleeping thru the Pandemic, he's got a bin full of dog food and not a worry in the world. 

Happy quilting everyone, stay well!

Cindy and Belvedere