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How to Sew a Sawtooth Star Block
5.5.2023
by

The Sawtooth Star is a simple block with endless potential. A history that goes all the way back to 1884, when it was first published in Farm & Fireside Magazine, this humble block was designed to reference the teeth of a saw. Now, the Sawtooth Star can be anything you want it to be: bold and beautiful, traditional and subtle, every single component can be changed in a delightful way! Take a look at some of these lovely samples, sewn by our very own Connecting Threads staff:

From left to right: Solid White and striped Faux Tweed Tonals. Solid White and Freshly Picked Batiks. Solids in White, Black and Taupe, Faux Linen Tonals in Ochre and Bronze. Solid in Freesia and misc. fabrics from Web of Roses. Misc. fabrics from Icy Splendor. These were sewn by our employees Sydney, Madison and Darlene!

Our video about how to sew the Sawtooth Star is on YouTube and is a lengthy beginner-friendly tutorial for all our quilting newbies out there! Click this link to start watching and refer to the Description for time stamps if you want to skip ahead to specific section.

This blog post is a written description of all the steps you’ll see in our video. We know it can be helpful to have text to follow along, so feel free to open both up to get started!

First, let’s start with all the materials you’ll need:

A quick note before we start out directions: this written tutorial matches our video tutorial where we will be making a 12” x 12” block. That is the sewn-in size, meaning once the block in sewn into a quilt, it will measure 12” x 12”. The unfinished size should be 12 ½” x 12 ½”.

If you want to make a different size, we have a handy size chart at the bottom of this blog post. Scroll to the end and you can learn how to make the size of your choice!

Instructions:

1. Cut your pieces, sizes are listed above in the materials section. You should end up with 4 corner squares & 4 rectangles in your background fabric, and 1 center square & 8 star point squares in your star fabric.

2. Next, you’ll need to create 4 Flying Geese blocks that will be your star’s points. This is a very simple, 1-at-a-time method, but feel free to use whatever you like best!

  • Start by taking your 8 star point squares and turn them right side down. Take a marking tool and draw a line down one diagonal of each square. I like to mark all of my squares in one go to speed up the process! See the reference photo below on where to mark (line is drawn in red):
  • Take one star point square and place it right sides together with one yellow rectangle. It should line up with one 3 ½” side. Again, check the reference photo above to make sure your placement is correct.
  • Pin along the diagonal line and sew on your marked line. Take the pins out as you sew!
  • Trim a ¼” seam allowance from your sewn line. See the reference photo below (I used red thread to make it easier to see!) – you want to trim off the smaller corner, not the entire block:
  • Press your block open. If using the listed fabrics, you should now have a yellow rectangle with one green triangle in the corner!
  • Take another star point square and place it right sides together with your rectangle. Your square should align with the opposite 3 ½” side from the first square. See the reference photo below to check that you have the placement correct – the red line is the diagonal you drew in a previous step:
  • Pin along your diagonal line then sew along that same line, taking the pins out as you go.
  • Just like you did with the first point, trim a ¼” seam allowance from your sewn line.
  • Now you need to repeat this whole process for each Flying Geese block, ending up with 4! Take your time and don’t forget to drop those triangle cut offs in your scrap bin – they sew together into perfect little half-square triangles for another project!

3. Lay out your corner squares, your finished Flying Geese blocks and your center square. See the reference photo below to check placement:

Your top row will be: one corner square, one Flying Geese, one corner square.

Your middle row will be: one Flying Geese, one center square, one Flying Geese.

Your bottom row will be: one corner square, one Flying Geese, one corner square.

4. Now we sew each of these rows together. Take your left side blocks and flip them right sides together with your middle blocks. See the reference photo below:

Pin down all of the seams that will be facing your sewing machine – this will help ensure that they remain flat during the sewing process! Take a look below – you’ll see that I pinned the seam in the middle of the Flying Geese block (which is being sewn to your center square):

Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew each pair together. Iron your seams open and repeat this process with your right side blocks.

5. You should now have three rows, ready to be sewn together! Take your top row and flip it right sides together with your middle row. You’ll want to pin at each intersection, especially any seams that might be facing your sewing machine. See the reference photo below to see where I like to pin:

Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew your top row and middle row together, taking pins out as you go. Iron your new seam open.

Repeat this same process with your bottom row. Flip it up, right sides together, with your middle row (which is now attached to your top row). Pin at your intersections and seams, then sew using a ¼” seam allowance. Iron your new seam open.

6. You now have a finished Sawtooth Star block! Congratulations!

So you’ve made a Sawtooth Star and you love it, right? I know, me too – I’m absolutely obsessed and can’t stop making them! However, I’m guessing that you might want to make one that’s a different size. Not everyone want a 12″ x 12″ block!

Here is a Size Chart for different block sizes. The blocks are listed by sewn-in size, then each component is listed by the size you will need to cut.

  Sewn-In

  Block Size

  Corner Squares

  (Cut 4)

  Center Square

  (Cut 1)

 Star Point Squares

  (Cut 8)

  Rectangles

  (Cut 4)

  4” Block

  1 ½” x 1 ½”

  2 ½” x 2 ½”

  1 ½” x 1 ½”

  1 ½” x 2 ½”

  6” Block

  2” x 2”

  3 ½” x 3 ½”

  2” x 2”

  2” x 3 ½”

  8” Block

  2 ½” x 2 ½”

  4 ½” x 4 ½”

  2 ½” x 2 ½”

  2 ½” x 4 ½”

  10” Block

  3” x 3”

  5 ½” x 5 ½”

  3” x 3”

  3” x 5 ½”

  12” Block

  3 ½” x 3 ½”

  6 ½” x 6 ½”

  3 ½” x 3 ½”

  3 ½” x 6 ½”

  16” Block

  4 ½” x 4 ½”

  8 ½” x 8 ½”

  4 ½” x 4 ½”

  4 ½” x 8 ½”

Happy sewing!

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 | Tags: Free Patterns, How-To

Open Skies BOM – Month 3
6.6.2022
by

Hi everyone!

Before we begin with the month 3 blocks, let’s chat about a couple of things.

A few of you have asked questions about the scant ¼” seam allowance I suggest in the patterns, and it seems (no pun intended!) to be throwing some of you off. All of my patterns are written to be mathematically correct, so anyone who wants to use a straight ¼” seam allowance will be able to successfully make these blocks. I personally use a scant ¼” seam and then square up the units as I go. But if any of you prefer to use a standard ¼” seam when sewing, by all means, please do! Just make sure your seams are accurate and consistent, and measure as you go to make sure you’ll end up with the correct 12-1/2” square when each block is finished.

Also, in case you haven’t noticed by now, there are A LOT of half square triangles in this quilt. Everyone has their preferred method of making these, so please feel free to step outside the box. While I used the mathematically correct 7/8” measurements on the cutting for these, please know that there is enough fabric for you to round up the extra 1/8” if you like, and then trim to size when done.

I know some of you are also using the Eight at a Time method of making HSTs, which is great! There are a couple of great videos on YouTube you can look up if you are curious about this method. Like I said, do what works for you!

Okay, let’s talk about this month’s blocks!

Block # 14

This block has lots of pieces, but it’s pretty straightforward. We’ll begin by making a simple 4-patch.

In steps 2 and 3 we will make eight half square triangles – four of each kind.

I’ve cut all the squares and am ready to pair them up and mark them for sewing.

Once the HSTs are sewn and trimmed, I paired them up to get ready to sew them together. Just make sure to keep the Cabin Plaid on the right side of each unit as you sew.

Take two of those completed pairs and sew them to the sides of the four patch. Sew the H squares to the ends of the remaining two units, and then sew those to the top and bottom to complete the center block. If you’ve followed the pressing arrows, all the seams should nest together.

Now all we have to do is assemble and sew on our usual HST borders, and the block is finished!



Block # 18

The center portion of this block is block is oh so easy! It’s just a large pinwheel with a border, and it comes together in a snap!

Start by making your four HSTs, and sew them together like the photo below. Make sure your pinwheel block measures 6-1/2” when done. This is when I like to use those scant ¼” seam allowances, so that I have wiggle room for trimming to size.

Then sew the F and G strips on as directed. One tip is to cut your strips a bit longer than necessary, and then trim them to line up with the pinwheel as you go. This is especially helpful with the top and bottom strips. This should measure 8-1/2” square when it’s done.

And of course, to finish things off, we will add those borders we are getting so good at.

Block # 20

This block is an easy version of the Lemoyne Star. The traditional way to make these is to sew with Y seams and other fun stuff that I don’t personally want to attempt, so we’ll be making this the cheater way.

This block starts the same as the last one, by making a pinwheel unit from half square triangles. It’s important  that you have your pinwheel oriented correctly in order for this block to turn out. So please double check as you sew and make sure your D and F triangles are in their proper place, exactly like the diagram in the pattern.

Next comes the flying geese units, and we’ll be using the stitch and flip method. Again, placement is key. You want to start with your Cream G squares on the left side first, followed by the Dark Blue E squares on the right for each unit.

Once you get those flying geese done, you can lay out the block and see that the Dark blues and Creams line up perfectly to make the star. How fun is that?!

With this is all sewn it measures 8-1/2” square, and now you can add your borders to complete the block.

And of course, there are always a few more sashing strips to make as well. I had someone ask if it matters that the A strips are cut crosswise on the fabric instead of lengthwise. I usually cut lengthwise whenever I can for sashing strips, but it’s not imperative. It’s true that cutting as suggested means less give for easing things in, but usually that’s not a problem if the blocks are measuring correctly. If this bothers you, you can cut three out using the FQ and cutting lengthwise, and save your fourth one for the months when you have the extra fabric for making eight, and just cut nine instead those months. It’s totally up to you!

Well, that’s it for this month. Please holler if you have any questions, either on here, or on the facebook group, and I’ll try my best to get to them. Thanks for stopping by!

 Happy Quilting! – Kristin

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Open Skies BOM – Month 2
5.2.2022
by

Hey friends!

It’s been so fun to see everyone’s first blocks on the facebook group. Keep up the good work!

This month we will be doing just two blocks, and 8 sashing strips.

Our two new blocks have one thing in common – Square in a square units. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with these little guys. I love how they look, but getting them the right size can be tricky. In fact, as I was sewing up these blocks I was seriously questioning my design choices, and wondering what on earth possessed me to do this to all of you. But it’s skill building, right?!

 If I have one piece of advice for making these it’s this: Accuracy in cutting the center square is crucial, but the outer triangles that you’ll attach can be cut bigger than needed, and then trimmed to size after they are all sewn on.

Another tip – STARCH! Any time I’m sewing pieces that have been cut on the bias, using extra starch just helps to keep them from stretching or getting wonky.

Ok, let’s get started!

Block #2

We’ll begin by making a pinwheel unit from four Half-Square triangles. Again, feel free to cut your D and E squares a bit bigger if you like, so that you can trim these down to size. And I know that 3-3/8” HSTs is a weird size! Trust me, it works out.

Make sure your completed pinwheel measures at 6-1/4” square.  This is key.

Next, you’ll sew on those well starched triangles. If you are having trouble figuring out where to line up your triangles, use the pinwheel as a guide. The point of the triangle should line up with the seam of the pinwheel, like you see in the photo below:

Do this for all four triangles as you sew them on, one at a time. Acutally, I usually pin mine on two at a time and sew accordingly, even though the directions say otherwise.

Once all the triangles are sewn on, then trim the unit to 8-1/2” square. If it’s done correctly, you should have the proper ¼” seam allowance to make sure you don’t sew off any of your pinwheel points.

Now all we have to do is sew the same border pieces as we did last month, and then attach them to the pinwheel unit to complete the block. If you need a refresher for how this is done, please take a gander back at the month 1 blog post. I also found it helpful to pin the border pieces on the under side so that I could see where the pinwheel intersects on the edges. I always find this helpful so that I can avoid sewing off my points.

In fact, if you look closely at the photo above, you can see that I had to rip out my first stitches and re-do them, because I had, in fact, cut off the point on this side. Ugh!

And here is the finished block!

Block #12

This block is just a sawtooth star that has a diamond (square in a square) unit in the center. Since there are so many triangles coming together in this block, things can get a bit bulky at the seams. If you don’t like all the bulk, feel free to press all your seams open. Personally, I’m kind of obsessed with nesting seams, so I ironed according to my directions, which created a bit of bulk around the center diamond square. I just starched and pressed the heck out of it, and mined turned out pretty flat. But it’s whatever you prefer. Remember, it’s YOUR quilt, and there are no rules, only suggestions!

First we will make that square in a square unit as I mentioned earlier, making especially sure that your center D square is cut accurately. You could cut your E squares at 3” and then trim the unit after sewing all the triangles on, if you prefer.

I always find it helpful to fold the center square in half and finger press a seam down the middle, so that I can have a guide to line up the point of the triangle before pinning.

You can’t see it in the photo above, but I promise there is a folded line down the center of the square that I’ve used as a guide to place the triangle before pinning. You want the point of the triangle to be on that line.

Next we will make four HST’s. Apparently I neglected to take a photo of these, but I think you all know how to make them.

Last, but not least, we will make some flying geese. Usually my patterns have directions for no-waste flying geese, since they are my FAVORITE! But after getting a lot of feedback from customers, I decided to just use the simpler stitch and flip method with this pattern, especially since we don’t make that many in the quilt. And to be honest, I felt a little out of practice!

For those wanting to do the no-waste method, you’ll need to cut one 5-1/4” square from the Droplet, Lt. Denim fabric, and four 2-7/8” squares from the Soaring Leaves, Prussian Blue fabric. For anyone unfamiliar with this method for making flying geese, just look up No Waste Flying Geese on the internet, and you’ll find multiple tutorials.

A little tip for the stitch and flip method: I find it helpful to sew just BARELY outside (the side closest to the corner) of the line, so that I don’t end up with my corners coming up short. And by barely, I mean a thread or two. But again, it’s a suggestion, so you do you!

This photo isn’t the greatest, but I’ve got everything marked and pinned.
The second set of squares are ready to be sewn and trimmed.

Now it’s time to assemble the block. I always lay everything out and double check that I haven’t flipped something the wrong way before I pin and sew.

As I was sewing and pressing, I continued to spray starch on this block, so that I could have better accuracy with getting my points to line up. I’m not sure I was entirely successful, but I decided it was good enough for me. I used to be really uptight about getting all my points to be PERFECT, and would rip and re-sew things multiple times sometimes, just to get everything to line up. In the past few years I stopped doing that so much, and now just enjoy!

This is also where you might choose to press the seams open, since there is quite a bit of bulk where the flying geese and the center diamond meet up. I pressed mine to the sides like a mad woman, lol!

Hopefully if all went well, this center unit should measure 8-1/2” square, and is ready to sew on our border pieces. We are going to get SO good at making these quilt block borders!

DONE!

And, of course, we have an additional eight sashing strips to make…

If you want to be sneaky, you could even use your extra fabric to make a few extra, since you know that you’ll be making more anyway. I promise I won’t tell!

Well, that’s all for this month. Yay, we did it! Thanks for stopping by, and please either comment below, or shoot me an email if you have any questions.

Happy Quilting everyone!

Kristin

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 | Tags: _, Block of the Month

Ruby BOM – Month 9
4.5.2022
by

It’s me again! This month we will get to make another four unique blocks, and this time three are repeats, and one brand spanking new. Since by now, we should all be pretty familiar with the techniques used in these blocks, I decided to skip over the lengthy tutorials that I’ve covered in months past. But it’s always good to see what these blocks look like sewn up in their new fabrics, so let’s dive right in!

Block #1

Now that it’s month 9, we FINALLY get to make the first block in the quilt. It’s about time! Technically, we made this same block WAY back in month 1, and it was block #14 then. And why didn’t I switch those and sew block #1 in month one and block #14 now, you ask? The short answer is FABRIC. When I’m planning block of the Month patterns, I need to pay attention to which fabrics will be shipped with which blocks, so blocks with like fabrics get grouped together. So now you know why things sometimes seem out of order. It all works out in the end though!

Speaking of being out of order, when sewing up this block, I began by making all of my flying geese and half-square triangles at the same time for this block. As you can see below, they are finished and ready for trimming, using my Bloc-Loc ruler to trim the flying geese units. Since you’ve all made these a million times by now, like I said earlier, I won’t bore you with the details.

Once those were all finished and trimmed, I was able to get busy assembling the block. Here is the center portion of the unit, which I’ve laid out to begin sewing.

Next, we’ll take the remaining flying geese as well as some Half Square Triangles, then sew those together as shown in step 7. Make sure you press the seam inward toward the flying geese unit on each side so that your seams will nest.

Now, all we have to do is sew those units to the sides, add our G squares to the remaining two units, and then get those sewn to the top and bottom, and the block is finished!

Block #5

This block is our only new one for the month. And this also means, that since it is new, we will be making it again in month 11, so be prepared.

Right off the bat, we are making even MORE no-waste flying geese – in two colorways no less. Once you have both sets completed, you’ll sew them together like it says in step 5. Here is what that looks like in real life:

Next, you’ll make some more Half Square triangles – big ones this time. Always remember that you are free to cut out your pieces just a smidge bigger so that you have wiggle room to trim as needed.

And now we can sew all the units together 9-patch style. Follow the directions and make sure that all your flying geese are pointing inward toward the center square. This was one of those blocks where the seams can get a little bulky, so if you aren’t comfortable with that, remember that you can always choose to press any seams open to reduce that bulk. Otherwise, follow the pressing arrows and you should be just fine.

Block #12

This block is another repeat from month 1 and was known as block #21.

We start by making a simple 9-patch unit for the center like so:

Next, it’s some more of those flying geese we know and love so well. Two of the completed flying geese units will have an F square sewn to each side, and the other two will have the longer G rectangles sewn to the ends.

Now, all that’s left is to sew those to the center unit like you see above. Easy Peasy!

Block #24

For our last block of the month – our ONLY block in our month 9 installment that doesn’t have ANY flying geese! How did that happen?! We made this block previously in month 5 as block #9 in case you want to refer back.

Begin by making some Half Square Triangles as directed.

Now you’ll use those HSTs to make a simple 4-patch unit like so:

After sewing the E and B strips together, you’ll have everything you need to assemble the block.

Here is my block, laid out and ready to sew together.

How easy was that? Another four blocks in the books!

Do you all realize that we only have one more month of Irish Chain blocks, and one last month of four unique blocks, then we are ready to finish our quilt?! We are SOOOO close to the finish line!

I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, and quilt-filled month!

Until next time…

Kristin

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National Quilting Week Questions
3.15.2022
by
National Quilting Week has inspired us to explore our co-worker’s quilting journeys. 

Darlene is our Fabric Assistant and overall maven in the sewing room, and everywhere else for that matter. We asked her some questions about her quilting journey and here are her answers: 

 

How did you start quilting?

I have been sewing clothes and purses since I was in high school in the mid-’70s.  Quilting seemed so laborious at the time since all the instructions were to cut your templates from cereal boxes, trace onto your fabric and cut with scissors. I attempted it but soon lost interest.  Speed forward to the ’80s, I started working at Patagonia in Ventura Ca, and happened on a large quilt show.  I was amazed at the vendors selling rotary cutters and rulers with mats.  I just had to have a set! Although my first patchwork quilt with these new tools was a cover for my down comforter (which I made from a Frostline kit) it was made from 6” squares from fabric I had leftover from my garment making, fabrics from a sportswear company I worked for in Seattle and new fabrics from the quilt show.  I spent time arranging the scraps in a gradation from light to dark, much like the “watercolor” quilts designed years later.  After that, I started challenging myself with snails trails and log cabins blocks.  Then I discovered foundation miniature quilts… which was my next adventure in quilt making.
 

What is your favorite quilt-related project to date?

My favorite quilt would have to be the Wyoming Whirligig quilt I made in the early 2000s.  I made it as a replica of one we had when I was a kid.  Apparently, it got destroyed so I made another one.  It still needs to be quilted but I love the way it looks.

What does quilting mean to you?

Quilting is a colorful creative outlet for me besides the clothing I make.  Sewing and quilting construction comes very naturally to me, and I like to challenge myself to new patterns or blocks.  I love to put on my favorite music or podcast and sew for as long as I can. Watching all the fabric I cut into small pieces, come back to life in a new big, or small, quilt top.  The feel of the fabrics, the colors, the seams.  Hand stitching around the binding knowing that is the last step and when I make that last knot and bury the thread….I can crawl under it and take a nap.

What do you wish you knew when you started quilting?

I wish I had not bought so much fabric and learned to be more selective…once I buy fabric, it is hard for me to get rid of it thinking I might need it, just that perfect piece or color for a future quilt. 

What is your next project?

I have so many next projects…..I love traditional piecing, modern piecing, and fabric collage quilts.  I have a couple of each already started…so I have to finish one of those before I can start a brand new quilt.

What is your dream project?

The project I dream most about is one that has piecing, and applique, and might tell a story. I want it to be a medallion quilt with a center vocal point, then blocks and applique around it in borders.

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Bunny Bag!
3.10.2022
by

Hop into Spring with this adorable treat bag in the shape of a bunny! Perfect for stashing your candy and decorating. The pattern comes with a template and full instructions on how to make your very own bunny.  

This project can be completed in a day and can be made using 10″ precuts, a couple of FQs, or other larger scraps you may have. *You may need additional fabric for the drawcord.*

This pattern uses boxed corners so that your bag can be free-standing. If you have never made something with boxed corners, have no fear, the pdf has detailed instructions.

The Bunny Bag also uses a small opening in the liner to turn everything right side and keep the seams super neat.

What you need:

Rotary cutter

Ruler

Paper and fabric scissors

Sewing machine

Thread

Pins and/or wonder clips

Safety pin or bodkin

Enough fabric to cover the template
 
🐰🐰🐰
 
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 | Tags: _, Bitty, fabric, Free Patterns, fun, Get Organized!, gifty, holiday/seasonal, How-To, patterns, tutorials

Carrot Treat Bag
3.1.2022
by

Welcome Spring and Easter with this adorable treat bag in the shape of a carrot! 

This project can be completed in a day and can be made using 10″ precuts, a couple of FQs, or other larger scraps you may have.

If you plan to use 10″ square precuts ensure you have two of each square for the template. 4 10″ squares will only be enough fabric for the bag but you will need additional fabric or ribbon for the drawstring. Another option is to shorten the drawstring to 18″ if that works better for your scraps!


What you need:

Rotary cutter

Ruler

Paper and fabric scissors

Sewing machine

Thread

Pins and/or wonder clips

Safety pin or bodkin

Enough fabric to cover the template

🥕🥕🥕

Download the pattern and template here: Carrot Treat Bag Pattern and Template

 

 

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Ruby BOM – Month 7
2.7.2022
by

Hello friends!

This month we get to make another 4 unique blocks. Yay! And once again, some of them may look a little familiar. That’s because three of the four blocks for this month are ones we’ve sewn before. The only block this month that is brand spanking new is block #23. So I’ve decided to go a bit out of order for this blogpost and start with our new block for the month. Let’s dive in!

Block #23

This block begins with making some no-waste flying geese. By now, you know the drill on how to make these, but here are a few pictures to refresh your memories.

Once those are sewn and trimmed, I lay out everything for step 3 before I begin sewing the components together. I have a love/hate relationship with blocks that have the flying geese sewn outward to make a square in a square effect. I love using this block in designs, but sometimes when sewing it can be tricky to get those flying geese to match up in the corners and make a smooth-looking diamond shape in the block. So I really pay attention to how things are lining up as I’m pinning, and yes, I use LOTS of pins to keep everything in place for sewing.

Once you have the center section sewn together, it’s time to make even more flying geese.

 After those are done, I again lay everything out before I begin sewing. I always do this, and mostly it’s because way back when I first started quilting I would confuse myself and end up sewing things going the wrong way, so this helps me to see what I’m about to do before I start pinning. Because nothing is more aggravating than thinking you’ve finished sewing your block, only to realize that you did it wrong and have to rip it out. Ugh!

You can see in the picture below that I already sewed the F squares to the ends of the D/E flying geese. Sometimes I get ahead of myself!

Almost finished…

This block is also one that no matter which way you press the seams, you’ll end up with some bulk in spots. If this bothers you, feel free to press the seams open for steps 6 and 7. Personally, I just pressed the heck out of those seams according to my instructions. But if you want to adjust, by all means, feel free. Once your quilt is done, no one will see how you pressed anything anyway.

I really love how this block turned out. In fact, a loooong time ago, I even designed a whole quilt using this block as the base for my design.

Okay, now let’s go back to the beginning of the pattern and talk about the not-so-new blocks we’ll be making this month.

Block #2

This block is the same as block 15 from month 3, so you can refer back to that blog post HERE if you’d like a refresher. But it’s always good to see how this block comes together with the new fabrics, so I’m posting a few pics of how this month’s version comes together.

Here are the squares for the center 9-patch, ready for sewing.

After I made the 9-patch unit, I sewed the HSTs for the corners of the block.

Here are all the components of the block, ready to sew into rows.

Block #4

We originally sewed this block way back in month 1, and it was block #16, in case you want to refer back. The only slightly tricky thing about this block is making those quarter square triangle blocks, and making sure you’ve got everything in the right place as you sew and cut.

First, you’ll make your half-square triangles.

After those are done, you’ll pair up one of each kind and place them right sides together. They aren’t lined up in the photo below on purpose so that you can see how the Red Corsage II fabrics on the bottom and top units are to be on opposite sides. While I normally would trim my HSTs before sewing, when making Quarter Square triangle units, I always wait until I’ve finished them before trimming. That’s why you still see the tails in the photo.

If they are placed properly, you should be able to peel back the top unit and it should look like this:

I’ve skipped ahead a bit here, but this is what they should look like after you sew on either side of your marked lines and cut on the line. Now all you have to do is press them open and trim them to size.

Now you just have to lay the block out, sew the units into rows, like I’ve shown below, and then sew those rows together. Easy peasy!

I have always loved Ohio Star blocks. They are quick and easy, and just darling in quilts. The first quilt block I ever made in my whole life was an Ohio Star block, so maybe that’s why I adore them.

Block #11

Our last block for this month is another repeat from month 3 and was known as block #6 back then.

This block has lots of half-square triangles around the perimeter of the block, along with some more flying geese to make the center star points. The day I was working on this block I was listening to podcasts, as I tend to do while sewing, and got so engrossed in what I was listening to that I got a little carried away and kept forgetting to take pictures for all of you. Ack! So what you see below is what I have to show you. I’ll do better next month, I promise!

Here is the center star at about step 3, almost finished.

The top and bottom rows of the block are just about finished as you can see here:

And now the block is almost done!

This one is another personal favorite of mine, even though it’s a lot more work than the Ohio Star block. I really do need to make an entire quilt with this block. I know I would love it!  Perhaps I’ll make an FQ sampler…in my spare time haha! For now, I’d better just focus on getting this quilt finished, along with about 5 others that are partially done in my UFO pile. So many projects, and so little time!

Here’s one last look at all the completed blocks. I love them, and I hope you do too!

I hope you enjoyed putting this month’s blocks together, and I’ll catch you all next time!

Happy Quilting!

 Kristin

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 | Tags: _, Block of the Month

How To Make and Send Quilted Valentines
1.26.2022
by
Quilted Valentines (or postcards) are so easy to make! 

Use your scraps or a block pattern you’ve always wanted to try and let’s send something handmade to our loved ones. 


What you will need: 
~5″x7″ finished pieced block to trim down to 4″x6″
~5″x7″ batting 
~5″x7″ backing fabric to trim down to 4″x6″ 
Quilting thread
Quilting ruler 
Rotary cutter
Cardstock or Bolt Boards 
Sewing machine or hand sewing needles
 

Step one: 
Create your pieced mini quilt. Pick a block you’ve always wanted to try, use scraps and foundation piece to finish around 4×6″.


We made a couple using Cluck Cluck Sew’s heart Pattern, as well as foundation piecing on scrap batting. We used Connecting Threads fabric from, Quartz Metallic Tonals, Chambray Tonals, General Store Volume 2, and our Color Wheel Solids. This is a perfect project to use pre-cuts as well, we used a 10″ Square precut for the ombre stripes. 
 

Step Two: 
Sandwich your batting between the block and backing fabric.  Spray baste to keep everything in place during quilting, or hand baste if you feel it needs it.
 


Step Three: 
Trim the block down to size. 4×6″ Is the standard postcard size but if you plan to hand-deliver it there is no limit! 


 


Step Four:
Time to attach your fabric to the cardstock or Bolt Boards. You want to make sure the card stock is sturdy enough to hold up during shipping, admiring, and reading! We spray-basted the paper to the back of the quilt and made sure all was lined up and fitting properly. Then, all you do is zig-zag stitch around the border. That’s it! It’s amazing how easy it is to attach and MAKE a homemade valentine! 
 
 
Step 5: 
Write your valentine note!
 
 
Step 6: 
Time to mail or hand deliver your postcard!
Postcards can be mailed as long as they are regulation size (4″ x 6″), no more than 1/8″ thick, and have the word ‘NON-MACHINABLE’ on it. Postage is currently $0.88 (as of January 2022). Or, speak with your mail person and make sure your postcard is in regulation. You could also put your card in an envelope and mail that as you normally would to prevent any damage during mailing. 

 
 
Let us know in the comments if you’re making a valentine this year!
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 | Tags: _, Free Patterns, gifty, holiday/seasonal, How-To, inspiration, Little Quilts, Mini Quilts, patterns, Quilt, quilt along, Quilt With Us, tutorials

Ruby BOM – Month 6
1.6.2022
by

Hi everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and got some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. Christmas time is my absolute favorite!

As for my family, we tried something completely different this year, and spent Christmas with our extended family on a Caribbean cruise, courtesy of my very wonderful and generous father. We had planned it way back in March, thinking we would be post-pandemic by now. We were a bit nervous to still go, but it all worked out well, and we had a blast! It was warm, sunny, and very relaxing. However, I must admit, it didn’t feel very “Christmas-y”. (Is that even a word?) We all agreed that as fun as it was, next year will be back to Christmas at home, complete with chilly evenings, lots of baking, and too many Hallmark movies.

Here’s a little snapshot of me and some of my family taken on Dec. 23rd.  You’d never guess looking at this photo that it was two days before Christmas, haha! Shorts, tank tops, and sunglasses don’t exactly evoke that cozy holiday feeling, do they? In case any of you are wondering, this was taken at the Chacchoben Ruins in Mexico. It was fascinating!

Ok, enough about me. Let’s get on with talking about this Ruby quilt.

This month we will be making ANOTHER five Irish Chain blocks. I know, not very exciting, especially since we’ve done this before. And we will do it again! Since I’ve already written not one, but two blog posts about sewing up this block, I don’t think any of you need me to do it a third time. Feel free to refer back to blogposts for Month 2 and Month 4 if you want a refresher.

After getting these 5 additional blocks made this month, you should have a total of 15 finished. This means, if you’re counting, we have 10 more to go before we’re done with them.

Here are my finished stacks to date: The left stack is just the Irish Chain blocks, and the stack on the right has all the unique blocks we’ve made thus far.

Since my design wall is currently occupied by another project, I decided to lay out everything we’ve done up to this point on my living room floor. As you can see, we still have some holes to fill in, even when I move some blocks around, as you’ll notice I did in the bottom photo. BUT, it is actually starting to look like a real quilt now, which is exciting.

And I must say, that the colors of this quilt do look quite festive, especially next to my Christmas tree. (Yes, I STILL decorated, even though I knew I would be gone. Did I mention I LOVE Christmas?)

So I guess finishing up this quilt over the coming months will help me feel like it’s Christmas all the time!

Until next time…Happy Quilting!

Kristin

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 | Tags: _, Block of the Month

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