Winner!

I hope you all enjoyed the Charleston by REVIVE Blog Tour!  I enjoyed seeing everyone's projects, and love all the blocks submitted for the Electric Quilt/Timeless Treasures block challenge.  In case you didn't know, the block challenge has been extended for those who submitted a block.  Scoot on over here to find out more.

Thank you so much for visiting and for participating.  And congratulations to Jeanna, the prize winner for my day of the blog tour.  Jeanna, if you'll shoot me your mailing address and let me know which print you'd like, it will soon be on its way.  (You can see the whole collection here.)

Happy Hump Day!

Kim

Charleston by REVIVE Blog Tour

Welcome to the Charleston by REVIVE Blog Tour!  Charleston is the first REVIVE collection that is re-colored from vintage prints from different eras, movements, or artistic styles. This collection has been curated to highlight the Art Deco period, but colored and styled for use in modern-day projects.  You can see all 28 prints in the Charleston collection here.  The prints are mostly metallic, and are very elegant.  

I designed a quilt block for the blog tour, and have provided a tutorial below. Before you get busy sewing, though, you should hop over to Timeless Treasures' blog, Sew Timeless, to enter the giveaway for a complete 28-piece fat quarter bundle of Charleston.  You just might be one of the three winners chosen on July 27th.  And don't forget to leave a comment here to win one yard of your favorite print from the collection!  I'll close the comments Monday at 10:00 p.m CDT, and announce the winner here on Tuesday.  

   

And one more thing -- Do you EQ?  You can download the entire Charleston collection over at The EQ Blog.  And there's still time to design a block for the Timeless Treasures Block Challenge!  You'll want to hurry, though.  All blocks need to be submitted electronically by Monday, July 27.    

In case you missed any stops on the tour, here's the schedule.  

Monday, July 20:

Shayla Wolf, Sassafras Lane Designs

Tuesday, July 21:

Leslie Meltzer, 50 Sq Ft Studios

Kim Buffington, Make Something/Dritz

Wednesday, July 22:

Rebecca Silbaugh, Ruby Blue Quilts

Thursday, July 23:

Kim Brackett, Magnolia Bay Quilts (You're here!)

Lee Chappell Monroe, May Chappell

Friday, July 24

Jessica VanDenburgh, Sew Many Creations/The Straight Stitch Blog

And here's a little tutorial for you.  The block I designed for the Charleston by REVIVE blog tour is 12" square. "Bonus" triangles from one block are switched and used to complete a different block so that you end up with two different main fabrics in each block.  The cutting list below is for two blocks.  

For the first two blocks, I used:
Glitz Revive CM4205 Red
Art Deco Revive CM4208 Cream
Glamour Revive CM4212 Navy

In the instructions, I'll refer to the fabrics as red, cream, and navy.  

Cutting for two blocks:
From red fabric, cut 4 rectangles, 4 1/2" x 6 1/2".
From navy fabric, cut 4 rectangles, 4 1/2" x 6 1/2".
From cream fabric, cut 8 squares, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"; and 8 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Assembling the Blocks

1.  On the back of each 4 1/2" cream square, use a sharp pencil and the edge of a ruler to make a light diagonal mark from corner to corner.

2.  Mark another diagonal line 1/2" away from the first diagonal line.

3.  Place a 4 1/2" cream square on top of a red print rectangle, right sides together, as shown below.  Pin in place, then sew along both of the diagonal lines.

4.  Using a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler, cut between the diagonal lines.  

5.  Press the main unit (folded-corner unit) so that the seam allowances are directed toward the cream triangle.  Make 4 matching folded-corner units.

6.  Press the seam allowances of the "bonus" half-square triangle unit toward the red print.   

7.  Place a square ruler along the upper and right edge of the half-square triangle unit as shown, with the diagonal line of the ruler following the seam line.  Trim the top and right edges.

8.  Rotate the half-square triangle unit so that the trimmed edges are aligned with the 2 1/2" horizontal and vertical markings on the ruler as shown.  Trim the extra fabric from the top and right edges.  Make 4 matching half-square triangle units.

9.  Repeat steps 1 through 8 using 4 blue rectangles and the remaining 4 cream squares.  

10.  Sew together a red half-square triangle unit to a cream 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the cream rectangle. Make 4 matching units.

11.  Sew together the blue half-square triangle units to the remaining cream 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles.  Press the seam allowances toward cream rectangle.

12.  Sew a blue pieced unit from Step 11 to a red folded-corner unit from Step 5. Press the seam allowances toward the blue pieced unit.  Make 4 matching units.

13.  Sew a red pieced unit from Step 10 to a blue folded-corner unit.  Press the seam allowances toward the red pieced unit.  Make 4 matching units.

14.  Sew together together two units from 13.  Press the seam allowances to the right.  Repeat for the remaining two units from Step 13.  

15.  Sew the two half-blocks from unit 15 together.  Before pressing, remove the vertical stitching above the horizontal seam allowance with a seam ripper. 

16.  Turn the block to the back, and open the seam allowances and "rotate" them to form a tiny pinwheel.  Press the tiny pinwheel with the tip of an iron. 

17.  Turn the block to the right side and press the seam allowances in a clockwise direction.  

18.  Repeat Steps 12 through 17 using the blue folded-corner units and red pieced units. 

How easy was that?  Now you have two different 12" blocks!  If you have any questions about how to construct the blocks, just leave a comment here, or e-mail me using the link in my sidebar.  

And here's what your quilt might look like using almost all of the prints from Charleston.  

I hope you're enjoying the Charleston by REVIVE Blog Tour!  Be sure to visit all the stops.  And good luck with the drawings!

Kim

Winner!

Thank you all so much for your comments on the Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour, and for coming up with some really fun names for my block.  Sewing is the easy part for me; naming the project is always the hardest.  I've narrowed down a couple of names from your brilliant suggestions, but still thinking about it.  Even though the winner of the fabric bundle was chosen randomly, I think there should be a separate prize for the first person who suggested the name I eventually choose.  More to come about that.    

If you missed any of the stops on the tour, stop by to see the star blocks at each blog (links below).  And be sure to visit Timeless Treasures' blog for a chance to win a 30-piece fat quarter bundle of the entire collection of Dream Basics.  It's just gorgeous!  The winner of the 30-piece bundle will be announced on Friday, January 24.    

Jessica Alexandrakis - Life Under Quilts    
Kim Brackett - Magnolia Bay Quilts  (You're here!)
Nicole Daksiewicz - Modern Handcraft
John Kubiniec - Big Rig Quilting     
Kimberly Einmo

 

And stop by Peggy's blog to see what she did with her blocks.  She used a dark background fabric, and her blocks are fabulous. 

And finally, the winner of the half-yard bundle of fabrics I used for my block is No. 38, Sandie at crazy'boutquilts.  Congratulations, Sandie!  If you'll send me your mailing address, your bundle of fabrics will be on the way soon. 

Thanks so much for participating in the Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour.  Hope you all have a great week!

Kim

Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour

 

 

Welcome to the Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour hosted by Timeless Treasures Fabrics!  Dream Basics is a new line of gorgeous dotty "basics" fabric in 30 colors.  Each day this week, a different designer will share a tutorial for a star block using new Dream Basic fabrics, and give away half-yard cuts of the fabrics used for the tutorial.  Wrapping it up on Friday, Timeless Treasures Fabrics will give away a 30-piece fat quarter bundle of the entire collection! 

My star block doesn't have a name yet, so if you'd like to win a bundle of the fabrics I used for my block, just leave a comment here with your suggestion.  If you're a "no-reply" visitor, make sure I have a way to get in touch with you.  I'll select a winner using a random number generator and announce the winner on Tuesday, January 21.

Here's the schedule for the tour:

MONDAY, JANUARY 13 - Jessica Alexandrakis - Life Under Quilts    
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14  Kim Brackett - Magnolia Bay Quilts  (You're here!)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15  Nicole Daksiewicz - Modern Handcraft
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16  John Kubiniec - Big Rig Quilting     
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17  Kimberly Einmo

Here is my (nameless) 12" finished block.

And here are the Dream Basics fabrics I used to make it. 

Cutting:

From each of the Turquoise, Lime, Pink, and Citrus fabrics,
     cut a 1 1/2"-inch strip across the width of the fabric. 
From the Stone fabric, cut two strips, 2 1/2" by the width of the fabric.  Cross-cut into:
    4 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
    12 squares, 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"
From the Sun fabric, cut one strip, 2 1/2" x the width of the fabric.  Cross-cut into:
    4 squares, 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"

 (There will be extra fabric left from the Stone and Sun strips.  You can use it to make extra blocks.)

Block Assembly:

1.  With right sides together, sew the long edge of the Turquoise and Lime strips together, then sew the long edge of the Pink and Citrus strips together.  Press the seam allowances in either direction.

2.  From each of the Turquoise/Lime and Pink/Citrus strip sets, cut:
          2 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 6 1/2"
          2 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
          (If you cut very carefully, you should have enough rectangles for two blocks.)

3.  Arrange the rectangles as shown in the photo below.  This step will help you keep the colors in the right place so that your star appears to be woven. 

4.  Sew together a Sun 2 1/2" square to a Stone 2 1/2" square.  Press the seam allowances toward the Stone fabric.  Make 4 for each block.

 

 

5.  Sew a Stone 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle to each of the units from Step 4.  Press the seam allowances toward the rectangle.  Make 4 corner units for each block.

 

 

6.  Arrange the corner units and rectangles as shown below.  Again, this step will help you keep everything in the right place. 

 

 

7.  Sew the 4 1/2"-long strip set rectangles to the corner units.  (Look for the black arrows below that show the corner units sewn to the 4 1/2" rectangles.)  Press the seam allowances toward the strip set rectangles.

 

 

8.  Now sew the 6 1/2" rectangles to each of the units.

 

 

9.   On the wrong sides of the 8 remaining 2 1/2" squares, use a mechanical pencil and a ruler to draw a faint line diagonally from corner to corner. 

 

 



10.   With right sides together, sew two Stone 2 1/2" squares to the units, sewing on the drawn line.

 

 



11.  Fold the inside corners of the squares to the outer point, and press. 

12.  Fold back the top layer and trim away the excess fabric 1/4" from the seam line.  Ditto for the other side.   

 

 

13.  Press the folded triangles back into place and arrange the block units.

 

 

 

14.  Sew together the top two units and press the seam allowances toward the unit on the right.   Sew together the bottom two units and press the seam allowances toward the unit on the left. 

 



15.  Sew together the bottom and top halves.  Before pressing, I suggest "rotating" your seam allowances.  To do this, remove the stitching from the vertical seam above the horizontal seam you just made to sew the halves together.  Just two or three stitches -- see the circle in the photo below.    If necessary, turn it over and remove the stitches from the back, too. 

16.  Press the seam allowances in a counter-clockwise direction.  You should see a tiny four-patch like this one in the center of your block.  Doing this will allow you to rotate the block in any direction and still have tidy, nestling seam allowances. 

Even if you make identical blocks, you can rotate them so it appears that you have a different fabric placement in each block.  See?

And here's a digital version of what your quilt might look like. 

I hope you enjoy the tutorial.  Don't forget to visit the rest of the blogs, as well as Timeless Treasures' blog.  Have a good week!     
 

Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour

I hope you'll join us this week for the Dreaming of Stars Blog Tour hosted by Timeless Treasures Fabrics.  Each day, a different designer will offer a tutorial for a beautiful star block using the new Dream Basic fabrics, and give away fabrics used in the block.  And to wrap it up on Friday, you'll have the opportunity to win the entire 30-piece collection!  Here's the schedule for the tour. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 13 - Jessica Alexandrakis - Life Under Quilts    
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14  Kim Brackett - Magnolia Bay Quilts
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15  Nicole Daksiewicz - Modern Handcraft
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16  John Kubiniec - Big Rig Quilting     
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17  Kimberly Einmo

Have fun!

Soho Solids

The only thing more fun than a new fat quarter bundle

 

is a new fat quarter bundle and a new five-pack of rotary cutter blades. 

 

 

Playing with Soho Solids from Timeless Treasures.  Can't wait to see what happens. 

 

Have a good week.

 

Kim