make a quilt Monday Archives

Make a Quilt Monday

Cut it Right to Make it Right

Had a very sweet email and she asked for information on how to read a ruler when I say cut a square 2 7/8″.
WHAT LINE ON THE RULER IS THAT!

Thanks for asking and here is ruler measurements.

Here is how I make triangles, How to make Quilt Block Triangles

The Red line is 2 7/8″

This is a lesson I didn’t think of! Happy Quilting

Thank you for stopping and for all your love and support.

At NO Additional cost to you Disclaimer, this quilt pattern post contains affiliate links. I receive a few cents if you click to my links and purchase
See all Beth’s Books Quilting and MORE
On Kindle and In Print
My Etsy Quilt Pattern Shop

Make a Quilt Monday

Learn to Make a Square, Triangle and Quarter Square Triangle Quilt Block

I always tell new quilters, “Learn to make a 4-patch quilt block and you can do anything in quilting. It all starts with a square.” Add learning a triangle and you are on your way to becoming a Quilter.
Both my square and triangle tutorials are here for you.

How to Make a 4-Patch quilt block.

Square
Cut 2 squares the same size (finished size of square plus 1/2 inch) example cut 2 ½ x 2 Good to good Fabric
¼ inch seam allowance, sew
Trim threads
Open and Press to the dark

How to Make a 4-Patch Quilt Block with The Quilt Ladies

1)sew seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance,

you may need to mark your machine with this measurement.

2) You can chain piece a few at a time

Cut thread and open your two squares sewn together

3)sew these two units together

Watch your color placement, sew good side of fabric to good side of fabric.

4) A 4-patch quilt square

How to make a Triangle and a Quarter Square Triangle Block. There are many ways to do these, this is the way ‘I” do them.

Triangles

Sew Good to good fabric, with a pencil draw a line corner to corner, this is
The line you measure your ¼” seam allowance from
Sew from edge to edge use a ¼” seam
Cut in half on the pencil line, trim threads
Open and press to the dark fabric,
There will be 2 blocks

Quarter Square Triangle

Cut 2 squares, 1 each color – your squares need to be cut 1 ¼” larger than the finished size you need, example you need a 4” finished square cut square 5 ¼” x 5 ¼”
On lightest color on the back, pencil mark from corner to corner.
Sew ¼” from the line, on each side of the line.
With scissors cut on each of the center line, open up, now move the match colors, draw a line corner to corner, pin and sew as before, you will have 2 blocks.

For Future Information here is all the cutting sizes which are used the most

Thank you for stopping and for all your love and support.

Make a Quilt Monday – NOW I started Choosing Quilt Colors

Fabric Colors from a Photograph

This may seem a bit strange, but I love the colors in this dress, it’s from a Vogue magazine probably 6-8 years ago, (LOVE IT) and it’s how I picked the colors for my quilt Pattern Book.

Last week we did color HERE
See all Make a Quilt Monday

I do have to say that after all these many years, I don’t over think color anymore. I have used some real dog of fabrics and when it’s all together…the quilt seems to work on it’s own.

quilt fabrics from a photo in vogue — Quilt Ladies Quilt Pattern Shop

Can you see it?

The purples, the pink/red sleeve, the green top
And a White added for the white Chair !

B Annie Quilt Pattern eBook by the Quilt Ladies

This is one of the quilt rows, choosing fabrics this way

The only color that just didn’t work for me was the black belt and I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I just left it off.

(Note: when piecing the blocks the dark green took the place of the black)

Here’s a look at one of the 16 blocks !

It worked !

http://www.shop.thequiltladies.com/product.sc?productId=78&categoryId=37

Meet Beth Ann:

Beth Ann is a Quilter and an Author who decided to self-publish her books and quilt pattern books

SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy

At NO Additional cost to you Disclaimer, this quilt pattern post contains affiliate links. I receive a few cents if you click to my links and purchase. These few cents help with my fabric collection and or obsession.
Beth Ann and as always, Thank you for making my dream a reality ! !
www.bethanndoing.com
www.thequiltladies.com

PDF Digital Download
B. Annie HERE

and NOW on KINDLE and in PRINT

Make a Quilt Monday

Basic How to Pick Quilt Fabric’s

COLOR is always on Quilter’s mind, And here is the way that I was taught in the 1990’s !

And it really works good for a basic color palette for a quilt. It’s the light, medium and dark fabric way, you can’t go wrong. Make a Quilt Monday

1) Start with one fabric. Take this one fabric and work from it. Is that one fabric, a dark, medium or light color?

This is a Dark

Pick your Quilt Colors by The Quilt Ladies

Add the light and medium.
Move and change it until you like it.

Lay them out in front of you.

How to Pick your Quilt Colors by The Quilt Ladies

Then add, a dark medium, a light medium, until you have the mix of what you like.

2) Choose colors and patterns you love. An average a twin size quilt will take me about a week to piece together, and if hand quilted another, 3-4 months. If tied or machine quilted 3-4 weeks, you have so much time and cost involved you have to love it.

3) Natural or background colors. These are the corner stone. More often than not the background color is your light color. Your background color helps bring the blocks together. It does not always need to be a light either, dark or medium work well to, any color can be used.

Pick your Quilt Colors by The Quilt Ladies

4) Color Wheel. I’m not a big fan of the color wheel, I do like when colors pops and on most of my quilts the start fabric is not the most prominent color used it in, it is just a starting point.

5) Make one block. This should always be done, a Quilters practice, cut only fabric for one block and live with it for a few days. Especially, if it’s something you’ve never tried before. Most times you will know right away if you like it or not.

6) Have fun. This is the best way I’ve found to pick colors, enjoy the process, your quilt will be fantastic.

Beth Ann's Quilt Art from The Quilt Ladies

Meet Beth Ann:
Beth Ann is a Quilter and an Author who decided to self-publish her books and quilt pattern books

SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy

Make a Quilt Monday, Patterns

Quilt Pattern with Freezer Paper

Always remember that quilting has been done for hundreds of years and all the new gadgets are great. You can still do things very simply and fill your sewing closet with new innovations as your talent grows. Here is how to do it simple on Make a Quilt Monday.

No need to purchase a rotary cutter and mat your first time out. Take your time and enjoy. My Quilt Patterns on Etsy, and NOW on Amazon

Things needed to start a quilt project:

A sewing machine that sews a straight line, borrow one or purchase one at a large chain store. No need to spend hundreds/thousands on a machine to straight stitch. OR Hand piecing can be done too. Everything is the same as a machine, but you hand stitch using the same ¼” seam allowance. I will share how to soon.

1)Graph Paper
2)Freezer Paper – Plastic coated paper, like the butcher’s wrap meat in. You can purchase it at your local store or if you ask they may give you some at your butcher counter
3)Glue stick
4)Iron
5)Gray thread
6)Ruler
7)Pencil
8)Basic sewing supplies, Scissors, thimble, sew riper, etc.
9)Needles – for hand piecing Sharps size 7-12, for quilting Between needles size 10-12
10)Sewing Pins
11) Fabric and Batting

Cutting – Rotary cutter, mat and ruler can be used if you have them. If you are new to quilting and are not sure you want to buy all these supplies try Freezer paper. It may be purchased at any grocery store. You will notice that one side is shiny, one not.

Draw the pattern pieces on to graph paper, the finished
size, Add a ¼ inch seam allowance around the entire outside edge –the cutting line, the – – – line. The – – – – will be the sewing line

How to Start Quilting with The Quilt Ladies

(example – 2 inch finished size cut square 2 ½” x 2 ½”) Cut pattern out

With a glue stick. Paste the pieces to the NON-shiny side of the freezer paper.

Cut the pattern out.

You can now iron the pattern to your fabric, shiny side down.
This pattern can be used over and over. It will leave no film on your

How to Start Quilting with The Quilt Ladies

fabric.

Here is how to make a quilt square –
Cut 2 squares the same size (finished size of square plus 1/2 inch) example cut 2 ½ x 2 1/2″ inch seam allowance, sew
Good side of fabric to good side
Trim threads
Open and Press to the dark

1)sew seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance,

you may need to mark your machine with this measurement.

2) You can chain piece a few at a time
Cut thread and open

3)sew these together

Watch your color placement, sew good side to good side.

4) A 4-patch quilt square

SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy

At NO Additional cost to you Disclaimer, this quilt pattern post contains affiliate links. I receive a few cents if you click to my links and purchase. These few cents help with my fabric collection and or obsession.
Beth Ann and as always, Thank you for making my dream a reality!
#bethanndoing #thequiltladies
www.bethanndoing.com
www.thequiltladies.com

Make a Quilt Monday – Fabric

Learn to Quilt

Let’s start at the VERY beginning of quilting, I’m starting a
Make a Quilt Monday for all, let’s quilt !

One of the best things about quilting is the Wonderful Fabric. Over the next few weeks, Monday will be our learning day. I will try and link everything, but if you can’t find, please just click on the side under search for Make a Quilt Monday

SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy

THIS IS THE WAY I Do Fabric, many ways, this is MY Way.

Purchasing fabric is fun, please, always buy the best fabric you can afford and what you like. For quilts you will use 100% cotton fabric. Fabric will cost between $6 and $17 per yard. If you are just purchasing for a maybe project, I do most cuts 1 to 2 yards. If you have a quilt pattern, follow the recommendations, but as I say in my books, “Please think of purchasing more fabric than needed, as a pattern designer I have no idea how you will cut and use your fabric.”

I recommend for a new quilter to purchase charm packs, these are pre-cut 2 1/2 inch or 5 inch packs. (They go larger but start with these sizes and DO NOT WASH)

Purchased cotton yardage, wash, dry and iron your fabric before starting any project. Please think of purchasing more fabric than needed, a pattern designer has no idea how you will cut and use your fabric.

When talking about fabric it always brings up the conversation of washing fabric. Here is what I do,

I wash and dry all my fabric BEFORE sewing cutting and piecing a quilt. You only have to pull out one finished quilt from the washer and see bleeding to know you must/should wash all fabric.

Cotton fabrics bleeding means, the dyes used on the fabric will become loose when washing. It’s said that it’s common is cottons, but all fabrics can bleed. Dyes will/can stain other fabrics in a prewashing, the biggest problem is the dye transfer after a quilt is finished.

When cotton fabric is made it is stretched on a loom, pulling the fibers straight. A stabilizer is applied to keep fabric straight and that is what you are washing off. Washing allows the fabric to relax and return to a more natural state. A dryer lets the fabric relax or shrink. All cotton fabrics are different you cannot know the amount any fabric will shrink.

Knowing a cotton fabric will not bleed and not shrink is worth a bit of time for the perfect quilt in the end.

When prewashing quilt fabric, I use my daily machine washer detergent, the same type that will be used when the complete quilt is washed. Same with the dryer, use the setting that will be used when the quilt is completed.

With 100% cotton fabric after washing and drying you will need to clip away all the threads that have twisted. If fabric is wrinkles you can shake it to smooth out more wrinkles, or press the fabric with a dry iron.

It’s a habit for me to wash/dry as soon as I purchase fabric. You will develop YOUR way of caring for your quilt fabrics.

When using/cutting the fabric I will press and starch it BEFORE any cutting and square up the fabric so that all cuts with a rotary cutter are straight. I use what I use for clothing as my starch just plain old Niagara brand, it makes it just a bit stiff and will washed very easily.

All this being said,
“I do not EVER wash contest quilt fabric before sewing, or quilting the quilt.” That is just me, you do YOU !

SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy

At NO Additional cost to you Disclaimer, this quilt pattern post contains affiliate links. I receive a few cents if you click to my links and purchase. These few cents help with my fabric collection and or obsession.
Beth Ann and as always, Thank you for making my dream a reality ! !
www.bethanndoing.com
www.thequiltladies.com

Had a very sweet email and she asked for information on how to read a ruler when I say cut a square 2 7/8″. WHAT LINE ON THE RULER IS THAT! Thanks for asking and here is ruler measurements.

I always tell new quilters, “Learn to make a 4-patch quilt block and you can do anything in quilting. It all starts with a square.” Add learning a triangle and you are on your way to becoming a Quilter. Both my square and triangle tutorials are here for you.

How to Make a 4-Patch quilt block.

How to make a Triangle and a Quarter Square Triangle Block. There are many ways to do these, this is the way ‘I” do them.

Triangles

Quarter Square Triangle

This may seem a bit strange, but I love the colors in this dress, it’s from a Vogue magazine probably 6-8 years ago, (LOVE IT) and it’s how I picked the colors for my quilt Pattern Book.

Last week we did color HERE See all Make a Quilt Monday

I do have to say that after all these many years, I don’t over think color anymore. I have used some real dog of fabrics and when it’s all together…the quilt seems to work on it’s own.

PDF Digital Download B. Annie HERE

COLOR is always on Quilter’s mind, And here is the way that I was taught in the 1990’s !

Things needed to start a quilt project:

All this being said, “I do not EVER wash contest quilt fabric before sewing, or quilting the quilt.” That is just me, you do YOU !

Had a very sweet email and she asked for information on how to read a ruler when I say cut a square 2 7/8″.
WHAT LINE ON THE RULER IS THAT!

Thanks for asking and here is ruler measurements.

I always tell new quilters, “Learn to make a 4-patch quilt block and you can do anything in quilting. It all starts with a square.” Add learning a triangle and you are on your way to becoming a Quilter.
Both my square and triangle tutorials are here for you.

Last week we did color HERE
See all Make a Quilt Monday

PDF Digital Download
B. Annie HERE

All this being said,
“I do not EVER wash contest quilt fabric before sewing, or quilting the quilt.” That is just me, you do YOU !