September's Block Grandma's Attic BOM

Happy September everyone! I'm a bit slow to get this posting up since we just got back from a family vacation. It was the last hurrah for this summer. We had beautiful weather and it only rained overnight and was sunny the next day, perfect! I enjoyed playing cards and relaxing while the guys went out fishing. I was amazed how quickly our vacation flew by. It was hard to pack up and come home, we had such a relaxing, fun time with our family. I'm already looking forward to next year! 

This block is laid out the same as April's block. Same pieces are cut out, just a little differently. This block is called 'Snowball' even though it doesn't resemble a snowball. You can use all the same color or make your block scrappy by using several red fabrics. So go to the Quilt Doodle Website and download the pattern. Let's get started!

To begin with, follow the directions on the PDF that you download and cut out all of your pieces, and label as shown. Feel free to make your block scrappy if you would like. Have fun, relax and sew.

Starting with the triangles labeled ‘A’, sew the ‘light’ and ‘dark triangle pieces together. Iron. Trim these triangle squares to measure 3 7/8" x 3 7/8" squares.

Following the diagram on your PDF pattern, lay out your block pieces to form the block and sew each 'row'.

Then sew the rows together matching up the seams. Iron. Trim the block to measure 10 1/2" x 10 1/2". Make 4 blocks total.

And then sew the four Snowball blocks together to  make one large 20 1/2 " x 20 1/2 " block.

~ Snowball ~

 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. 

Today I will continue to play catch up from having a few days off. I really would love to spend some time in my sewing room but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Remember to post your blocks onto the Facebook Group, I'm thinking of having another little giveaway.

Happy quilting! 

Cindy and Belvedere

Scrappy Hats QAL Day 15

Welcome to Day 15

Whew, it's already day 15! Today we will work on noses... snowman noses. I pulled a fat quarter out of my fabric stash.... I had already cut into it from a previous project so it was more like a fat eighth. We will make 13 noses for our snowman blocks. In the pattern I have you do your noses using a fusible method using Heat N Bond fusible web. In this method you will trace all of your noses onto the paper side of the fusible web. Iron this onto the wrong side of your orange fabric. Then cut all of the noses out, peel off the paper and then fuse the nose onto your snowman block following placement from the pattern pictures. To finish the raw edge off, you then machine applique stitch using orange, brown or black thread, around the edge of the carrot design. I like to use a fairly small applique stitch. It is easier to do this before you assemble your quilt top.

Let me show you another way to make your carrot noses using fusible interfacing. This method will give you a finished edge of your carrot noses without having to do needle turn applique by hand.

Here is what I used for the fusible interfacing. I found this a Hobby Lobby, but I'm sure you'll be able to find it or something like it at your local sewing store, or quilt shop.

For this method you will trace your nose on the 'untreated' side. The fusible side will be right side together with the orange fabric. DO NOT IRON OR PRESS.

Using orange thread. sew on the line. The clip a slit in the center of the interfacing making sure not to cut the orange fabric.

Turn right side out thru this opening. The fusible side of interfacing is now on the outside.

Make 13 of these cute noses!

Iron the nose in place on the snowman block.

Then stitch in place, I used a buttonhole stitch on my machine. If you don't want the stitches to show, you can also hand stitch around the edge using a blind stitch and orange thread.

One carrot nose done, 12 more to go!

Let's talk snowman eyes.... If you don't want to sew on buttons for your snowman eyes.... you can embroider them onto your blocks following the placement on the pattern cover. Or if you have an embroidery machine, you can machine embroider them on using dark brown or black thread. Button eyes are sewn onto the quilt after all of the quilting is done on your quilt.

 See you tomorrow! We will work on the flying geese border! Remember to share your progress on Instagram #scrappyhatsqal @quiltdoodledesigns

Happy Quilting!
Cindy and Belvedere

You can also click on this link to purchase the instant PDF Download of the Scrappy Hats Pattern.

 

Scrappy Hats QAL Day 14

Welcome to Day 14

Whew, it's already day 14! Today we will complete the last snowman block. It's gone so fast! I hope that you have been having fun creating the scrappy hats for your snowman blocks! I've enjoyed seeing your blocks so far on facebook and Instagram.  Today's block will be the most challenging because the pieces are small but it is well worth the effort! Today we will make a star brimmed hat! It's one of my favorites in this quilt. Since this is the last hat, you can have fun and make it as scrappy as you want. I made each star out of the same fabric but you can add extra scrappiness by cutting the center block out of a different color/fabric. In the pattern I've written it for this option. So let's make some stars!

Following the directions for Hat Brim #13 cut out the pieces that you need to complete this block. I am making a red, green and pink star. I have chosen to make the stars all the same color instead of cutting the center square out of a different fabric.

To make the star I begin by make 4 flying geese blocks using rectangle B and square A. Place the square on top of the rectangle, right sides together and sew corner to corner. Trim away the excess fabric leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Press. I like to chain sew.....

Repeat on the opposite side of the rectangle, placing the square on the rectangle, right sides together and sew corner to corner. Trim the excess fabric leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Press. Make a total of 4 flying geese blocks for each star block.

Following the block chart in the pattern, sew the block together and press. 

Here are my three adorable star blocks for my hat brim. Sew the blocks together end to end. Press. Finish strips measures 3 1/2" x 9 1/2"

Sew the hat block to the top of the hat brim strip and then sew the snowman face onto the bottom of the hat brim strip. Press. The finished block measures 9 1/2" x 11 1/2"

~ Star Snowman Block ~

Remember the carrot and eyes are not added to the block yet!

Isn't it fun making snowman blocks! I just love them! If you feel extra ambitious, you can make extra ones for an adorable table runner to match your quilt! See you tomorrow, we will work on the carrot noses and I will talk with you about a couple of different ways that you can make them. Remember to share your block on Instagram #scrappyhatsqal @quiltdoodledesigns

Happy Quilting!
Cindy and Belvedere

You can also click on this link to purchase the instant PDF Download of the Scrappy Hats Pattern.

 

Tea Anyone?

I am so excited! Downton Abbey the movie opens this week and I can't wait. My sisters and I have been planning to go see it since we first heard the announcement that it was going to be made! Our tickets are bought and we are sitting in the third row, center in reclining chairs at a local theater. Oh my gosh I just am giddy with excitement to see all my favorite characters again, Anna, Mr. Bates, Lord and Lady Grantham, Mr. Carson just to name a few. So I'm celebrating the opening of the Downton Abbey this Friday and making a tea cozy! I have a pretty yellow teapot that I've always wanted to make a tea cozy for.  It seems like an English thing to do. I do love black tea with honey and have gone thru several jars of local honey to sweeten my tea this year. My hubby got me hooked on it. He doesn't drink coffee but loves tea, hot or cold. This mini tutorial is sorta long, so bear with me....

Here's my pretty yellow teapot....

You will need; backing fabric, batting, cream thread (or color of your choice) yellow strips of fabric ranging from 1" wide wof to 2 1/2" wof, rotary cutter, scrap fabrics for applique, black thread.

I measured my teapot and determined I need my tea cozy to be 13" wide by 9" tall. I eyeballed it using a tape measure measuring how tall the teapot was and then width side to side (spout to handle)

I then layered my background fabric, cut slightly bigger then the 13" x 9", batting and then I sew my strips onto my fabric, batting sandwich one by one in a quilt as you go fashion.

Sew and flip.... sew and flip.... sew and flip....

…. until you have a full sheet of strips the width and length that you need.... Make two. I did not pay attention to matching fabric strips... they are both scrappy.

Then using a rotary cutter and a ruler, square your quilted fabric up to measure the size you need for your teapot cozy. I need 13" x 9".

No magic template... I used a dinner plate as a guide and rounded the two top corners on both 13" x 9" quilted squares.

Starting to look like a beehive already!

For the cute flower design I used my Sweet Flowers Applique pattern QD-249. I followed the directions and traced the design onto my heat n bond lite....

For the top of the tea cozy, I made a loop using a piece of scrap fabric. It measures about 1/2" x 5".... You can make yours shorter if you want to, no real formula. You just need to be able to lift your tea cozy off your teapot when you have tea.

Back to the applique... I made my flowers red and blue, you can make your flowers any color you want. I arranged the Sweet Flowers design following the placement sheet. To make the beehive entrance, I ironed some heat n bond onto a scrap piece of black fabric and cut a circle out. I positioned it onto the beehive among the Sweet Flowers design. Iron applique in place.

Machine applique around the design using a buttonhole stitch with black or dark brown thread.

Then stitch the bee's antenna and the bee's 'flight'. Then pin the 'loop' onto the top of the tea cozy matching raw edges so when you turn the tea cozy right side out the loop will be on top. Then layer the front and back of your tea cozy together right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam leaving the bottom open. Turn right side out!

To bind the bottom edge, cut a 2 1/4" x WOF strip, fold in half wrong sides together lengthwise and iron. Line the raw edge of the binding on top of the raw edge on the outside of the tea cozy and sew a 1/4" seam all around the bottom.

Fold the binding edge to the inside and clip or pin in place.

Sew in the ditch making sure to catch the binding on the backside. Sew black buttons onto the flower centers.

Time for tea! Your hot water (or tea) in your teapot will stay nice and warm in the tea cozy for tea time. So sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and a sweet treat. I made some double chocolate chip cookies, yum! I'm all ready for a tea party!

~Beehive Tea Cozy~

 I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial on how to make a tea cozy. It's a great way to use up some scrap fabric from your stash. The Sweet Flowers pattern that I used can be found in my Etsy Shop both in a packaged pattern and also as a PDF instant download.  In fact you could switch this up and make a holiday tea cozy by using holiday fabric and one of my Christmas designs. 

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

The cookie was the first thing to disappear during tea time.... now to drink my tea

September's Block for the Garden Sunshine BOM

Happy September! The leaves are just starting to change here in Minnesota. The evenings are getting cooler and I'm enjoying having the windows open to let the cool breeze in. It's hard to believe that summer is over and it's Labor Day Weekend. All of the kiddos are back to school on Tuesday. I'll enjoy telling the time by when the school buses drive by my house again. It's also the last weekend of the Minnesota State Fair. I think hubby and I are going to try to fit that in this weekend. I'm looking forward to my pork chop on a stick and some ooey gooey cheese curds and a bucket of Sweet Martha's Cookies. A friend of mine won a few ribbons for her quilts. I'm thrilled for her and want to go see them. One of them I saw while it was in process so it'll be fun to see it finished with it's blue ribbon! Sew exciting!!

This month's block will be easy compared to last month's sunshine block. It's a pieced block named 'Square and a Half'. It's a traditional block and reminds me on a scrappy quilt I might have seen on one of grandma's beds. I made my block purple, with a white background and accents of yellow and green with a red star. You can have fun with it and make it any color.

These are the fabrics I'm using for my block this month.

Following the directions on the pattern sheet cut all of your pieces out. Please note- in the directions I'm having you cut white rectangles instead of the trapezoid shape I've got and purple squares. So please disregard what is pictured for those pieces. I decided to use a different technique for those shapes that would be easier to achieve for the beginner quilter.

 It is helpful to lay the pieces out as they will be sewn in the block while stitching along.

 • Sew red triangle C and yellow triangle C together along the right angle side, right side sides together. Press. Make 4. 

• Sew red triangle C and purple triangle C together along the right angle side, right sides together. Press. Make 4.

• Sew the C pieced triangles together to form an hour glass block.

• Following the diagram and picture of the block, sew the D and pieced C (hour glass blocks) together to form the center star of the block.

• Sew the purple triangle A and green triangle A along the diagonal edge right sides together. Press. • Draw a diagonal line corner to corner on the ‘A’ squares. Then line up the A square and B rectangle  right sides together and sew corner to corner on the line. Trim away the excess fabric. Press. Repeat on the other end to form an A/B rectangle. Then sew the remainder of the block together. Finished size is 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" (with seam allowance).

~Square and a Half~

The monthly FREE pattern will be available on my website. I have a special 2019 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 Garden Sunshine BOM 2019) and tag me or post them on Instagram tag Quilt Doodle Designs. I love to see everyone's progress as we stitch along together. 

As a reminder... if someone asks for the PDF or where it is on the Facebook group, please do not post the PDF directly onto the site. I appreciate you referring them to my website or to the blog. Thank you!

 Hope you are having a great day, remember August's block is no longer FREE. It can be found in my ETSY shop and also on the Quilt Doodle Website for a small fee. To get this month's block, head on over to Quilt Doodle Designs... remember this block is only available this month as a FREE PDF download. 

Happy Quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere