ModBlossom QAL-Week 5: Putting It All Together!

Welcome back to the last week of our ModBlossom QuiltAlong! This week is all about putting it together so whether you’ve just made a few blocks or all (12) blocks – I’ve got some different layouts to share with you.

There’s no companion video to share with you this week as the pictures below kinda say it all! So let’s get started!

Now that you’ve made Flower & Leaf Blocks it’s time to put them together. You’ll note that the pattern does not call for any sashing strips in between blocks but if you’d like to add one – absolutely, it’s your quilt and you can do what you want 🙂 – it will make the blocks “float”.

If you’ve made (6) of each block or a total of (12) – you’ll of course have way more layout options, but I’ve given you some ideas below if you’ve only made two or three of each so let’s take a look! Please note that these pictures DO NOT have the outer border – of course once you decide your layout add 3″-4″ outer border strips on all four sides of your quilt top which will again make the blocks appear to ‘float’ in the background.

Layout #1 – A Small Baby Quilt (6 blocks) – this will measure 36″ x 54″ without borders

Not pictured – you could also just place (4) blocks together in a four patch and have a nice sized baby quilt as well measuring 36″ x 36″ without borders.

Layout #2 – A Small Lap Quilt (9 blocks) – this will measure 54″ x 54″ without a border

Layout #3 – Large Lap Quilt (12 blocks) – this is the pattern cover quilt and will measure 54″ x 72″ without borders

Layout #4 – Large Lap Quilt “On Point”

Lay out the blocks “on point” – I love this version and just wished I had planned this out more to make additional blocks in other color ways – To fill in the side triangles, from your background fabrics, cut 19″ x 19″ squares – cut each background square in half diagonally to create 2 triangles; and then stitch the triangles on to the beginning and end of each diagonal row! Looks complicated but it’s not!

You could use this “on point” layout even if you made fewer blocks!

Layout #5 – Table Runner (5-8 blocks)

This will measure 18″ x (x)” without a border pending how long you want your table runner.

Of course you can also make large throw pillows from each block. I would plan on adding a small outer border and use a 24″ pillow form so the actual block is showing on the front of the pillow and is not being wrapped around the edges of the pillow form.

So whatever way you choose to layout your completed ModBlossom blocks – I hope you’ll share a few pictures with Carl and I of your finished creations! Thanks so much for stitching along with me!

This concludes out ModBlossom QuiltAlong – I hope you enjoyed it!

Look for more Colourwerx QuiltAlongs on our Colourwerx Facebook page or on our website under QuiltAlongs!

Until your next colour fix – happy quilting!  Linda & Carl xxoo

ModBlossom QAL-Week 4: Make the Flower Block

Welcome back to another fun week of making beautiful bodacious blossom blocks! This is Week #4 of the ModBlossom QuiltAlong and this week is all about making the Flower Block! I think you’ll find this week’s block goes together much faster than its counterpart: the Leaf Block from Week #3!

Here’s this week’s companion video. You’ll also want to follow along with the diagrams and steps in the ModBlossom pattern – you’ll find those on pages 8-12.

GATHER THE FLOWER BLOCK PIECES:
To make just (1) FLOWER BLOCK you will need the following units:
• (4) Template A (2 cut from each of your (2) coordinating fat quarters);
• (4) Background Fabric Template B Shapes;
• (2) 6″ squares (1 cut from each of your (2) coordinating fat quarters);
• (2) Background Fabric 6″ squares;
• (4) 3″ squares & (4) 1-1/2″ Flower Center squares;
• (4) 3-1/2″ Flower Cornerstone Squares (2 cut from each of your (2) coordinating cornerstone fabrics);
• (4) Background Fabric 2-3/4″ squares;
• (4) Background Fabric 2-3/4″ x 5″ strips

STEP ONE – Make Half Square Triangles:
We’ll be making half square triangle units (HST) from our 6″ squares and our 3-1/2″ Cornerstone squares.

1. Start by pairing up (1) 6″ Background Square to (1) 6″ colored square – make 2 pairs. Also pair up the 3-1/2″ Flower Cornerstone squares with one fabric color to the other in each pair – create (2) pairs.

2. Draw a diagonal line down the Wrong side of the lighter square in each pair.

3. Matching the pairs Right Sides Together, stitch a 1/4″ seam down both sides of that drawn diagonal line.

4. Cut each pair of squares apart on the line and press to the darker fabric.

5. Trim down and square up the HST units as follows:
— Flower 6″ HST – trim down to 5″ – make a total of (4);
— Cornerstone HST – trim down to 2-3/4″ – make a total of (4)

STEP TWO – Make the Cornerstone Units:
1. Gather the (4) 2-3/4″ HST Cornerstone units created above, the (4) Background 2-3/4″ squares and the (4) Background 2-3/4″ x 5″ strips.

2. Following the instructions and diagrams in the pattern on page 9, stitch the 2-3/4″ Flower Cornerstone HST to one 2-3/4″ Background square.

3. To complete the unit, stitch the 2-3/4″ x 5″ Background strips to the top edge. The unit should now measure 5″ x 5″. Make (4) units EXACTLY ALIKE taking note of the orientation of the Cornerstone HST. Trim and square the units if necessary.

STEP THREE – Stitch Template A to Template B:
1. Gather the (4) Template A and the (4) Background Template B.

2. Following the instructions and diagrams in the pattern on page 10, line up the notched ends of template B even to the edges of template A – pin in place – and stitch down the diagonal edge.

3. The unit should now measure 9-1/2″ x 5″. Make (4) units EXACTLY ALIKE. Trim and square the units if necessary.

STEP FOUR – Create the Flower Block & Snowball the Center:
1. Following the diagrams in the pattern on page 11, lay out the (4) template A/B units, (4) HST units and (4) 5″ Cornerstone units.

2. Sew each quadrant together .

3. The quadrant should now measure 9-1/2″ x 9-1/2″. Make (4) units. Trim and square the units if necessary.

4. Select the (4) 3″ Flower Center Squares and draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each square. Do the same to the (4) 1-1/2″ squares for the inner Flower Center squares.

3. Following the diagram on page 11-12 pin a 3″ Flower center square in the center corner of each Flower Unit. Make sure the diagonal line is orientated the right way – refer to the pattern.

4. To ‘snowball the corner’ – stitch on that line – BUT HERE’S A TIP: I like to stitch just a hair to the right side of that line. That way when you flip and press that corner over to center, the tip will match the center corner exactly. If you stitch right on the line, you’ll find that thread and the fabric folding over take up precious seam allowance and the tip of the 3″ square will never meet or match the center corner of the Flower unit. By stitching just a hair over to the right of that drawn line, you’ll ensure that it will.

5. Once you have pressed the 3″ square over to meet the center edge of the Flower Unit, trim away excess fabric layers below leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance. Repeat the above on all (4) Flower units.

6. Repeat the above steps with the 1-1/2″ Flower Center Inner squares – snowballing each to the center corner of the Flower Units. Repress the snowballed seams of (2) opposing Flower blocks in the opposite direction so the center seams will nest nicely.

7. To finish your block stitch the units together to form 2 rows and then stitch the rows together to create the block. When complete the block should measure 18-1/2″ x 18-1/2″.

That’s it for Week 4 and wow! we are almost complete! Next week is our last week – in Week 5, we’ll put it all together ! So go forth and make more Leaf and Flower Blocks!

Feel free to ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures over in the Colourwerx QuiltAlong Facebook Group – here’s the link just in case:

COLOURWERX QUILTALONG FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

Until our final week together, happy #colouricious quilting!

xxoo Linda & Carl

ModBlossom QAL – Week 2 : Make the Templates and Cut Your Fabric

Welcome back! Today we start Week #2 of the ModBlossom QAL ! This week is all about making the template shapes and cutting your fabrics.

But first – if you’re just joining us, there’s still time to hop in!
Here’s what you’ll need to join in on the stitchin’ fun –
• The ModBlossom Pattern! You can purchase it in either paper or PDF formats buy clicking the links below….

Purchase the ModBlossom Paper Pattern here!

Purchase the ModBlossom PDF Pattern here!

WHAT YOU MAKE DETERMINES HOW MUCH FABRIC YOU WILL NEED
Now you need to decide what you want to make while you join me in stitching up these fun blocks over the next few weeks….here’s two options to choose from:

THE LAP QUILT: (which finishes at 62″ x 80″) is fat quarter friendly so all you need is a fat quarter bundle with at least (18) fat quarters plus background yardage of 3 yards.

• I Want to Make Just a Block or Two – If you’re unsure and just want to ‘dip your toes in’, making just a block or two of each leaf and flower version is a great fun, and you can always turn these large 18″ x 18″ blocks into pillows or a table runner when complete.

For just making a block or two – you’ll need to gather 6 fat quarters plus about 1/2 yard background yardage.

It’s time to start! Here’s this week’s companion video and I can honestly say, I think the video shows you a lot more tips and tricks for cutting than what you’ll probably get by reading this post:

Step One – Make the Template Shapes
Depending upon which format you bought the pattern in, (whether that be a paper pattern or an electronic PDF download) you’ll need to trace and cut out these template shapes to make each of the blocks we will be working on.

• Paper Pattern: Find the Pattern Insert and unfold. Then just trace the shapes onto template plastic or heavy card board and cut out.

SIDENOTE: Sometimes I like to make a copy of all of the pattern shapes – you can do this at Staples or an Office Depot.Then I use an adhesive spray (like 505 or a Photo Spray). I spray the adhesive on cardboard or a file folder- fuse my paper copies to the cardboard and then cut the shapes out.

• PDF Pattern: If you bought the PDF pattern, print out the last 4 pages of the pattern. Make sure your printer is set to 100%. Check the scale ruler on each pattern page for accuracy and adjust your print settings if needed. Then tape together where indicated the (2) shapes that make Template D. To complete your templates, either cut out each shape or trace the shapes onto template plastic or heavy card board and cut out. Or print extra copies and adhere as explained above to heavy cardboard using spray adhesive.

Regardless, once complete, you should have four template shapes prepared: Templates, A, B, C & D.

Step Two – Assign Duties to the Fat Quarters & Cut
If you’re making the Lap Quilt which requires (18) Fat Quarters + 3 yards Background, you’ll probably want to follow the cutting directions in the pattern on pages 1-4.

The cutting directions below assume you are making (1) Leaf Block and (1) Flower Block. However, if you want to make more blocks during the quiltalong just repeat the below (x) the desired number of blocks you want to make.

First, let’s assign our Fat Quarters their duties. Last week, I mentioned that you’ll want to pair up coordinating fat quarters. These pairs will either make flower/leaf petals, OR be the centers of the blocks OR be the cornerstones in the Flower Block. See the diagram below.

I’m stitching right along side you so here is how I paired my ‘Stitchy’ Fabric (designed by Christa Watson at christaquilts.com). I added the extra pair of orange Fat Quarters as I am making extra blocks.

Remember anything goes here and there is no right or wrong pairing so if it looks good to your eye, then its good to go!

Lap Quilt – If you’re making the Lap Quilt follow the diagram below to help you divide up the 18 fat quarters into pairs. Notice that a few pairings are only making either (1) Leaf Block or (1) Flower Block (and not both) and the remaining fabric will be used for Flower Centers or even Leaf Centers.

Step Three – Cut the Fat Quarters
1. Cut Pair #1 – Flower/Leaf Block Fat Quarters – Each Fat Quarter that is assigned to make Flower & Leaf Blocks is cut exactly the same.

• First make sure the Fat Quarter is a FULL 18″ x 21″. Lay the FQ on the cutting board with the 21″ side running vertically and the 18″ side running horizontally. Also gather template Shape A. Keeping the pairs together: cut the following from EACH Fat Quarter:

• 

• 

2. Cut The Background Yardage – this is assuming you are making just (1) Leaf Block and (1) Flower Block: – also gather Template Shapes B & C. Refer to the pattern on how to lay the Template Shapes on to the fabric strips and to cut the templates out of the fabric. Remember to cut Template B with the strip UNFOLDED!

3. Cut the Remaining Pairs of Fat Quarters – These are for the Flower centers, Leaf Centers & Flower Cornerstones so you could use scraps too!

• 

• 

That’s it – all cutting is complete and we are ready to go!! Next week for Week #3 we’ll dive right in and start stitching the Leaf Block. Also feel free to ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures over in the Colourwerx QuiltAlong Facebook Group – here’s the link just in case:

COLOURWERX QUILTALONG FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

Until Week #3, happy #colouricious quilting!

xxoo Linda & Carl

ModBlossom QAL – Week #1 – Gather Your Materials & Your Pattern

Hello!  And welcome to the ‘first week’ of our ninth Colourwerx QAL (quilt along) where we’ll be making these large 18″ bodacious blossom blocks called “ModBlossom”. This is a super fun quilt to make, and it’s a great project to scour your stash for fat quarters and scraps. We’ll also be learning a litlle curved piecing and fine tune our 1/4″ seam piecing along the way!

JOIN THE COLOURWERX FACEBOOK GROUP: First, I want to thank you so much for joining us here.   If you want to meet with other Colourwerx quilty friends and aren’t yet a member of our Facebook group, I  invite you to join our free QAL Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures of your finished projects so everyone can share in the fun!  Also feel free to share this invite and any other QAL news with quilty buddies and invite them to join along in the fun!

JOIN THE COLOURWERX QUILTALONG FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

COMPANION VIDEOS: Each week of the quiltalong, also look for a companion video to be posted within the blog post like this one below.  If you’d like to receive alerts to when the videos are posted and other neat tutorials and replays of our Fab Friday Live broadcasts, then subscribe to our Colourwerx YouTube channel right here!

If you’d like to view this week’s companion video to Week #1 of the ModBlossom QAL, view it here:

So this is Week#1 of the ModBlossom QAL – 
First let’s review our super easy going 5-week schedule!
• Week 1 (this week) we’ll gather our pattern and our fabrics together…
• Week 2 is all about precutting our fat quarters and background yardage as well as making the template shapes included ion the pattern…
• Week 3 we’ll be piecing the large Leaf Blocks and learn a little about curved piecing….
• Week 4 we’ll be piecing the super fun Flower Blocks and fine tuning our 1/4″ seam piecing…
• …and Week 5, we’ll be putting it all together!

Here’s another picture of both the Leaf & Flower Blocks we’ll be making during the QuiltAlong. Of course, if you want to make more of these blocks, you can!

Week #1 – GATHER YOUR PATTERN & MATERIALS —
Here’s what you’ll need to join in on the stitchin’ fun –
• The ModBlossom Pattern! You can purchase it in either paper or PDF formats buy clicking the links below….

Purchase the ModBlossom Paper Pattern here!

Purchase the ModBlossom PDF Pattern here!

Just a note on the pattern: The pattern is written assuming the sewist will make the large lap quilt on the cover – that would be (6) Leaf Blocks and (6) Flower Blocks. So when you receive the pattern and start to glance through it – you may find the directions just a tad confusing or overwhelming as it speaks to cutting and making (12) blocks total. No worries….if you’re just dipping your toes in and want to make only a few of each block, just look below for yardage requirements and check back in here each week for specifics!

Pattern Insert with Templates: Also, depending upon which format you buy, (whether that be a paper pattern or an electronic PDF download) you’ll want to review the Pattern Insert page. You’ll need to trace and cut out these template shapes to make each of the blocks we will be working on.
• If you bought the pattern pattern, just trace the shapes onto template plastic or heavy card board and cut out.
• If you bought the PDF pattern, print out the last 4 pages of the pattern. Make sure your printer is set to 100%. Check the scale ruler on each pattern page for accuracy and adjust your print settings if needed. Then tape together where indicated the (2) shapes that make Template D. To complete your templates, either cut out each shape or trace the shapes onto template plastic or heavy card board and cut out.

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE DETERMINES HOW MUCH FABRIC YOU WILL NEED
Now you need to decide what you want to make while you join me in stitching up these fun blocks over the next few weeks….here’s two options to choose from:

• I Want to Make The Lap Quilt (as shown on the cover) — I’ll be making this version as we stitch together using Christa Watson’s newest fabric collection called “Stitchy” from Benartex Fabrics. It’s a super fun collection and you can order these fabrics directly from Christa at her website www.christaquilts.com.

The lap quilt (which finishes at 62″ x 80″) is fat quarter friendly so all you need is a fat quarter bundle with at least (18) fat quarters plus background yardage of 3 yards. Here are some pictures of different versions of the Lap Quilt:

• I Want to Make Just a Block or Two – If you’re unsure and just want to ‘dip your toes in’, making just a block or two of each leaf and flower version is a great fun, and you can always turn these large 18″ x 18″ blocks into pillows or a table runner when complete.

For just making a block or two – you’ll need to gather 6 fat quarters plus about 1/2 yard background yardage.

HERE’S HOW TO THINK ABOUT YOUR FABRICS TO START PLANNING FOR WEEK #2
Start thinking about your fat quarters in terms of pairs.
• Each pair of fat quarters will yield the petals for (1) flower block and (1) leaf block. If you glance at the blocks below, notice that the (2) magenta fabrics are in both my Flower and my Leaf block.

• You’ll also need a pair of fat quarters for your Leaf Centers & Flower Centers (these could also be an variety of scraps varying in size from 3″ – 4-3/4″ squares;

• And one more pair of fat quarters for your Flower Blocks Cornerstones (the 2 greens pictured).

** If you’re using a Fat Quarter Bundle with at least (18) fat quarters – you have endless pairings and options.

So go forth, get the ModBlossom pattern, and raid your stash for fat quarters or grab that bundle off the shelf that’s just been yearning to be used!

That’s it for Week #1 – that was fun! And I can’t wait to see all of your fabric selections! Week #2 we’ll cut our fabrics and preapre our template shapes!

Until then, please be sure to email us at colourwerx@yahoo.com if you have any questions.  Or feel free to post questions or progress pictures on our Colourwerx QAL Facebook Group.

Until your next colour fix and next week’s QAL post ~  happy and bright quilting always!   

L&C xxoo

PaintBox QAL – Week #6 -Machine Quilting Your Top

Welcome back !!  It’s the final week of our PaintBox QuiltAlong and this is the week to finish off your quilt top.

Last week we pieced the triangles and also stitched the rows together to complete your quilt top.  You can review Week 5’s post right here!

This week, I’m going to share some insights, successes and some fails (at least for me) into machine quilting your Paint Box quilt top on your domestic sewing machine.

Full disclosure now! – I am “the world’s worst free motion machine quilter” (at least that’s what I think) and because of that – I own a longarm machine and 100% prefer my quilt tops machine quilted on my longarm with an overall pattern or for something fancier, sent to a professional machine quilter like  Teresa Silva of Quilting is my Bliss for some of her gorgeous free hand long arm machine quilting – however, I know that not everyone can afford long arm services or a long arm machine or may just prefer their tops not to be longarmed, so hence this week’s blog subject about quilting your top on your domestic home machine!

However before moving on and in case you are taking your PaintBox quilt to your favorite longarm machine quilter,  pictured below is the pantograph all over quilt design I use on most of my PaintBox samples – it’s called Monsoon and I love it!

On the other hand though sometimes a nice straight stitch will do the trick.

One of my favorite books out there for ideas on using your walking foot and  straight stitch machine quilting is Jacquie Gering’s “Walk” – I highly recommend this book as it’s a terrific reference on straight stitch machine quilting and is chocked full of different ideas and designs that you can quilt on your tops using just the walking foot and your straight stitch on your domestic machine.

The designs she offers range from very simple to very complex but all are accomplished with just a straight stitch and your walking foot (or even feed foot), and best of all no lowering of feed dogs or feeling totally out of control (my problem with the process).  Also the sequel to this best selling book, “Walk 2.0”will be released in May, so both books together would be a terrific reference pairing for your quilting library!

When I do choose to quilt my tops on my domestic machine, I prefer the control and regimented pace I feel when using my walking foot/dual feed foot, keeping the feed dogs up and just using my straight stitch across the top.  That doesn’t mean I don’t make a design though.  Here’s some “curvacious” quilting I just completed on this single ModCat wallhanging.  My feed dogs were up, I set my machine to the straight stitch and used my dual feed foot (which is similar to a walking foot).  I then gently moved the quilt top from side to side to create the gentle curves.

And some more quilting I did on a ModTiki – again nothing fancy – just straight stitch quilting and making a wonky chevron look.  Beautiful and looks fancier than it really is!

First things first – Get a plan!
You should have an idea of what pattern or stitch you might like to machine quilt on your quilt top before beginning.  I like to have a plan before I begin quilting.  Instead of marking your top and then erasing and marking and erasing, why not take a picture of your quilt top and print out the picture on your printer.??

Now you can draw on the printout your ideas for patterns or lines across the quilt top and see how you might like to quilt your top.  You can do this just once or print more copies and try out a whole bunch of different ideas.  Penciling in your quilting ideas before beginning will give you an idea of what the design will look like on your quilt top and also provide you with at the very least a starting point – a good thing!  Here’s a few examples of the quilting ideas and plans I drew before starting to quilt my PaintBox quilt top.  The first one is just some simple straight up and down gridding…..

….and the second drawing plan had simple diagonal cross hatching plus a squarish design within the blocks…

Basting Your Quilt Top with the Batting & Backing Fabric
Next get ready to make your quilting sandwich – meaning baste your quilt top with the batting and backing.  For this project, I spray basted my batting to my backing fabric and then again, spray basted the top to the batting.  This was my first time spray basting a larger quilt like this and I  used the 505 Temporary Adhesive Spray .  It worked great – no safety pins needed.

It did take quite a bit of patience though and I had to roll the batting (and then the quilt top) accordian style and work on only basting about 1 foot at a time.   I just kept smoothing and smoothing the fabric or batting across the surfaces and then gave it a really good pressing before starting to quilt the top.

If you like using fusible spray to baste your quilt – please check out Christa Watson’s tutorial on basting your top.  She actually spray bastes small to queen size quilts with her method, and machine quilts all of her tops on her domestic machine with no problems!

WATCH CHRISTA’S BASTING YOUR QUILT TOP TUTORIAL HERE!

Marking and the First Stitches to Stabilize
I chose to diagonally cross hatch my quilt top referring to my 2nd plan above.  I wanted to stitch a 1/4″ to either side of the seam lines so that it would be like a double stitch line, but I needed to mark in some of these lines first.  I did use my Frixion pen to make the markings BUT BUT BUT – I am fully aware that my pen markings may reappear sometime in the future  as this is the chance I take when marking my lines with the Frixion pen.  If you are not ok with this, please do use a washable marker or water soluble pen. 

I also threaded my machine with a 90/14 Microtex Needle and King Tut 40 weight thread in the color of Alabaster.  This particular thread color is a wonderful variegated neutral and works marvelous with almost any fabric collection.

Since I don’t like to ‘fight’ with my quilt when I machine quilt I rolled up the sides of the quilt diagonally toward my first center seam lines to be machine stitched.  The first lines I stitched were what I call the “main veins” of the quilt.  Since I was cross hatching on a diagonal, the first seams I stitched were the long diagonal lines from top left to bottom right and vice versa thus stitching what you might call a large “X” across the quilt.

The main “veins” of the quilt have now been stabilized and I can now cross hatch and stitch my diagonal lines working always out from the center “main veins” of the quilt to the outer edges.

And I kept stitching and stitching……

…and stitching and stitching……

…and then I decided to stitch 1/4″ to either side of the vertical and the horizontal seam lines….

And I kept stitching and stitching……as you can guess, although simple to do, this process can take a long, long, long time.  Just cross hatching 1/4″ to either side of the seam lines on this 48″ square top took me almost 7 hours of straight stitching with just a few short breaks to stretch here and there.

Next I thought I would try my idea to machine quilt the ‘square within the square design’  I had drawn on my quilt top photo (see below) —

I marked a center square in the middle and tried out my idea…..

Well – time again for another full disclosure!  I hated it!  It just didn’t ‘sing’ to me and frankly I was having a hard time keeping the stitched squares even with the sewn squares –  it just looked sloppy!  😦    So out came the seam ripper and time to reconsider what to do next.

Eager to finish the quilting as I was now in hour 8 of machine quilting, I decided to carry on with the diagonal and straight seam quilting and halved the distance between those lines I already stitched.

The results as you see was a nice effect even though some of my stitching was a bit wobbly due to the evening wearing on and I was getting tired!

Life Lesson 101!  Which reminds me to remind you of one big life lesson – be kind to yourself – I have to remind myself of this all the time!  We are our own worst critics!  But let’s face it – we are not perfect and guess what – your machine quilting will likely not be either….its only fabric and it is a handmade item.  Also believe me on this one – your quilt top always looks 200% better after you remove all of your drawn lines (that you may or may not have stitched on when quilting your top) and after the quilt is squared down and trimmed.

Once I was completed with my machine quilting, I trimmed the batting/backing edges square to the quilt top and cut the binding from my remaining sashing fabric and sewed it on.

Viola!  All done and ready to grace our dining room table…

…or be taken on a nice picnic outside on this beautiful Spring day in our desert oasis!!

 

This now concludes our PaintBox QuiltAlong – send me your pictures so we can see your gorgeous PaintBox quilts!

Thank you so much for following along and for your continued support!  Look for more Colourwerx QuiltAlongs on our Colourwerx Facebook page or on our website under QuiltAlongs!

Until your next colour fix – happy quilting!  Linda & Carl xxoo

 

 

Paint Box QAL – Week #1 -Gather the Pattern & Materials

Hello!  And welcome to the ‘first week’ of our second Colourwerx QAL (quilt along) where we’ll be making our super fun Paint Box Pattern!

First, I want to thank you so much for joining us here and on our Facebook Colourwerx QuiltAlong Page.  Whether you’ll be sewing up the pattern along side us or just observing from afar, we welcome you and are overwhelmed by your enthusiasm so far – so thank you, thank you, thank you!

Also, if you want to join with other quilty friends and aren’t yet a member of our Facebook group, I  invite you to join our free QAL Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures of your finished projects so everyone can share in the fun!  Also feel free to share this invite and any other QAL news with quilty buddies and invite them to join along in the fun!

JOIN THE COLOURWERX QAL FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

Look for a companion video to be posted later this week…..

So this is Week#1 of the Paint Box QAL –  First let’s review the schedule!

As you can see it’s a 5-week QAL this time, but please know that you can take it at your own pace and join in anytime.  All of the videos and blog posts will remain here, as well as be posted on our website and social media pages throughout the year.  It’s free to join and we’ll be making the 48″ x 48″ quilt top.   Feel free to hop in anytime!

GATHER YOUR PATTERN, MATERIALS & TOOLS —
Here’s what you’ll need though to join in on the stitchin’ fun –
• The PaintBox pattern by Colourwerx – use the coupon code QAL at checkout to save 10% off the pattern! Yippee!

PURCHASE THE PAINTBOX PATTERN – PAPER VERSION
PURCHASE THE PAINTBOX PATTERN – PDF VERSION

•  A strip roll (or jelly roll) – choose a strip roll containing (40) precut 2-1/2″ wide strips – alert!  you’ll need to cut each strip to 2″ wide!!   If you’d like to “bust your stash” – Cut (40) 2″ wide x 41-43″ long strips from your stash;

•  Sashing Triangles & Binding  – choose two coordinating fabrics that match or compliment your strips – these fabrics make up the “sashing triangles” – the black and white striped triangles you see on the pattern cover.  You’ll need a 1-yard cut of each fabric.  Keep in mind that one of these fabrics will also be your binding.

•  A Speciality 90 Degree Ruler  for Cutting the Triangles – the Creative Grids Quarter Square Triangle Ruler CGRT90.  I really like the Creative Grids brand of rulers – first, they have a non-slip surface so it won’t slip while cutting and secondly, the measurements are clear and exact on the ruler to assist you in lining up your strips seams straight and true while cutting the triangles. We have these available for purchase in our Colourwerx shop and again, if you use the discount code QAL at checkout you’ll save 10% – double yippee!

PURCHASE THE CREATIVE GRIDS TRIANGLE RULER HERE

•  Optional for the QAL – Backing Fabric : 3-1/2 yards

WANT A FABRIC KIT INSTEAD?? 
Both Colourwerx and our good sewing pal, Christa Watson from Christa Quilts have put together a special fabric kit for the Paint Box Quilt Along! Both of these kits are offered at a discount for a limited time!

BRIGHT AND COLORFUL GRIDWORK KIT FROM CHRISTA QUILTS: Christa’s kit features her bright and geometric new fabric collection called “GridWork” (pictured on the left) and she’s offering a discount on this – use the code PAINT. (This kit does not include the pattern).

PURCHASE CHRISTA’S GRIDWORK FABRIC KIT

GORGEOUS JEWEL BOX BATIK KIT FROM COLOURWERX: If you love those jewelled toned batiks, then this Colourwerx Jewel Box batik fabric kit featuring Island Batik fabrics is the perfect kit for you.

 

PURCHASE COLOURWERX’S JEWEL BOX BATIK FABRIC KIT

START THINKING ABOUT COLOUR PLACEMENT–
While you’re gathering your fabrics, pattern and tools this week, it’s time to start thinking about color placement on the Paint Box pattern.  Part of the fun of making the Paint Box pattern is that when it is finally assembled and finished,  lots and lots of secondary designs pop up and its hard to figure out where the individual block starts and stop.

Here’s a quick slide show of the five Paint Box patterns I’ve made so far so you can see different colour combinations at work:

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When I start a new Paint Box quilt – I first start thinking about dividing my (40) fabric strips into five colour groups which will contain eight (8) strips each.

One of the easiest ways to figure out colour placement is to actually colour in a black and white diagram of the quilt top.   It may take a few passes but once you settle in on colour placement, the actual sorting and stitching together of your strips will go so much faster.

Here’s an example of how I planned out the Paint Box quilt  you see on the pattern cover.  This one uses Christa Watson’s of ChristaQuilts new fabric collection, Gridwork.

Now it’s your turn to start thinking about colours.  Use this handy black and white diagram below  to assist you in planning your colour placement for your Paint Box quilt.  You can use crayons, colored pencils or markers – whatever works for you. I’ve shaded in the the sashing triangle fabric areas – these strips will be cut from your two complimenting 1-yard cuts of fabric.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE PAINT BOX LINE ART HERE

That’s it for Week #1!!  Next week – Week #2: we’ll be Sorting the Strips into Groups and Cutting – woohoo!

Until then, please be sure to email us at colourwerx@yahoo.com if you have any questions.  Or feel free to post progress pictures on our Colourwerx QAL Facebook Group.

Until your next colour fix and next week’s QAL post ~  happy and bright quilting always!    L&C xxoo

 

New Colourwerx QuiltAlong Starting January 28th – Making PaintBox

Carl and I are super excited to announce our next Colourwerx Quilt Along starting on January 28th!   Yes, by popular demand, we’ll be making the Paint Box pattern together.  This is a very easy to piece yet fun quilt to make and I’m so happy that the Facebook Colourwerx Quilt Along Group chose this one for our second quilt along!

WHAT’S A QUILT ALONG?   First, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of a “quilt along” – here’s how it works!

The quilt along is almost like a virtual sewing party or taking a virtual sewing lesson without leaving your home.   Everyone is invited to join in and you can sew along with me each week as I post lessons, tip and tricks or you can just observe from afar or just take the project at your own pace!  Anything goes!  As with all of my quilt alongs, all the videos and blog posts will remain accessible to you for many years after the quilt along has completed so you can jump in at anytime.

You can check our our last quilt Along – making the ColourMaze quilt by clicking here!

There is no cost to join in on the quilt along – and all you need is the pattern, a triangle ruler and to gather materials.  The Paint Box Quilt Along will begin on January 28th and will last 6 weeks – here ‘s the schedule.

You can also view my Introductory video by clicking here –

HOW TO JOIN IN? – You can choose to follow along week to week here on the Colourwerx blog or by joining our free Colourwerx Quilt Along Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your progress and of course, post pictures of your finished projects so everyone can share in the fun!  You can also  share this invite and any QAL news with other quilty buddies and invite them to join along in the fun!

JOIN THE COLOURWERX QAL FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

Materials to make the Paint Box quilt are as follows:
1.  ThePaint Box pattern by Colourwerx- you can purchase the paper version or a PDF – and if you use the discount code QAL at checkout you’ll save 10% – yippee!

PURCHASE THE PAPER VERSION OF THE PAINT BOX PATTERN
PURCHASE THE PDF DOWNLOADABLE VERSION OF PAINT BOX PATTERN 

2.  You’ll need a speciality triangle ruler – specifically the Creative Grids 90˙ Triangle Quarter Square Ruler CGRT90 -we have these available for purchase in our Colourwerx shop and again, if you use the discount code QAL at checkout you’ll save 10% – double yippee!

 

PURCHASE THE CREATIVE GRIDS TRIANGLE RULER HERE

3.  Fabrics Needed:  One 2-1/2″ strip roll with at least (40) strips (or cut from your stash (40) strips) plus two 1-yard cuts of coordinating fabrics.

HOW ABOUT SOME FABRIC KITS?  Both Colourwerx and our good sewing pal, Christa Watson from Christa Quilts have put together a special fabric kit for the Paint Box Quilt Along! Both of these kits are offered at a discount for a limited time!

BRIGHT AND COLORFUL GRIDWORK KIT FROM CHRISTA QUILTS: Christa’s kit features her bright and geometric new fabric collection called “GridWork” (pictured on the left) and she’s offering a discount on this – use the code PAINT. (This kit does not include the pattern).

PURCHASE CHRISTA’S GRIDWORK FABRIC KIT

 

GORGEOUS JEWEL BOX BATIK KIT FROM COLOURWERX: If you love those jewelled toned batiks, then this Colourwerx Jewel Box batik fabric kit featuring Island Batik fabrics is the perfect kit for you.

PURCHASE COLOURWERX’S JEWEL BOX BATIK FABRIC KIT

That’s it!!  I hope you’ll join us for some colouricious fun as we start our next Quilt Along !!  I can’t wait to start making this quilt with your guys!  Until January 28th – please be sure to email us at colourwerx@yahoo.com if you have any questions.  Or feel free to post a question on our Colourwerx QAL Facebook Group!

Until your next colour fix ~  happy and bright quilting always!    L&C xxoo

Paint Box – New Pattern Preview

It’s time to once again start highlighting each of our new patterns that were just released at the Houston International Fall Quilt Market 2019.  First on the list is Paint Box.  You can purchase the pattern in paper or PDF format right here in our Colourwerx shop!

Paint Box  was designed by Carl and the first version was specially made for Island Batik using our second signature batik collection with them called ‘Jewel Box’ designed for us by Kathy Brett Engle! As we preview more new patterns in the coming weeks, you’ll see this gorgeous collection of batiks used with each of our new designs!  You can view the whole ‘Jewel Box” fabric collection by clicking here!

This little ‘Paint Box’ quilt has quickly become an all time favorite of mine to piece from beginning to end.  Let me explain why….

First off – gathering the materials is so – so – so simple – all you need is  (1) 2-1/2″ strip roll with at least 40 strips and two 1-yard cuts of coordinating fabrics – that’s it!  From those materials, you’ll be able to make the 48″ x 48″ quilt top plus your binding.  Throw in 3-1/4 yards backing materials and you are set!  (This pattern is also a great stash buster so you could choose to cut the forty strips from your stash!)  I used for my second ‘Paint Box’ version the fabulously rich jewel toned Me+You Rainbow assortment of batik strips pictured above!

You will also need the Creative Grids 90˙ Quarter Square Triangle Ruler (CGRT90).  You can purchase the ruler from your favorite quilt shop or right here in our Colourwerx shop!
Next sort the strips from your roll into groups – here’s where the fun begins 🙂  – you can sort by color, design, or just because – anything looks great!

Once you’ve cut and sorted your fabrics, its easy strip piecing and lots of it – but it goes fast!   I love this step in the process – although I still have to concentrate on my 1/4″ seam, I find strip piecing of this nature very relaxing and easy going.

Next a little pressing and some fun cutting of triangles using the Creative Grids 90˙ Quarter Square Triangle Ruler.   And voila!

Lay out the triangles according to the pattern, sew triangles units together to form blocks, sew blocks together to form rows,  sew rows together and you’re done!   It really is that simple!

To date, I have made five versions of our Paint Box pattern, including the two versions mentioned above.

Here’s another version and this one graces the pattern cover because it truly came out so #colouricious!  This version uses Christa Watson’s newest fabric collection from Bernartex Contempo Fabrics called ‘Grid Work’.  You can view  the whole collection by clicking here and purchase these fabrics in Christa’s shop by clicking here.

Christa’s new fabrics are full of pure color and fun geometric designs so the combination of her “GridWork’ fabrics and the Paint Box pattern created a dynamic and fun quilt for sure!

We also made two versions for our friends at Free Spirit Fabrics, using of course, the new Kaffe Fassett Collective also coming to your local quilt shops and available in February 2020.

So go ahead and give it a try -it’s really so much fun!
Purchase the Paper Paint Box Pattern here!  Purchase the PDF Paint Box Pattern here!

And also be sure to check back into our Colourwerx shop as we will have kits for most of these versions coming real soon!

And of course, by all means – please do send us a picture of your completed Paint Box quilts – we always love to see and share all of your beautiful creations made using our Colourwerx patterns!

Carl and I are so thankful for your support and wish you happy and bright quilting always!  Until your next colour fix~ L&C xxoo

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Quilt Market Fun!

It’s been a whirlwind these last few weeks (in fact the whole year!) but I  finally found time to sit down and share with you our experience at the recent International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas.  The International Quilt Market took place October 26th-28th (always over my birthday wouldn’t you know it!) and is THE PLACE to see all the new fabrics, patterns and products by shop owners and industry professionals before they arrive in the shops some six months later.

We didn’t have a booth this time around but rather chose to “be free” and able to roam the show floor – this was a first for us and very liberating!  As always, Market is full of seeing old friends, meeting new ones , super fun antics and just an all around generally inspiring, terrific quilty experience!

We debuted six new patterns for Quilt Market – You can see them below in the slide show, and we’ll highlight each of these new patterns  in future blog posts, but all are available for order in our Colourwerx shop right now!

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We had several versions of our new quilts displayed with various companies throughout the quilt market floor.

First, we collaborated again with our good friends at Island Batiks and five of our quilts were displayed in a special preview window at the front of the Island Batiks Booth (slideshow below).  All of these quilts were made using the new and super gorgeous Jewel Box Batik Collection designed by Kathy Brett Engle for Island Batiks and coming to a shop near you in February 2020.   Check out the fabrics in the link above! Just lovely!!

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We also collaborated again with our  partners at Free Spirit Fabrics and always welcome opportunities to make our new patterns using Kaffe Fassett’s newest fabrics or other beautiful collections coming soon.  Here’s our PaintBox pattern in both the Warm and Cool colorway of Kaffe’s new fabrics- arriving in shops in February 2020 and we will also have kits available too.

We  also made our new Waterfall pattern in Martha Negley’s newsest fabric collection called Veggies – I am super in love with the rich jewel tones of Martha’s newest collection and the vegetable designs of carrots, beets and cabbage are to die for – it partners super well with all things Kaffe and I just love it .

Continuing on with our collaboration and great friendship with Christa Watson of Christa Quilts.com – I was thrilled when she asked if I would make our new Paint Box pattern in her new fabric collection called GridWork.  Of course I would!  Here’s the finished version and of course a cute picture of Christa & I in her colorful booth at Quilt Market. Her new fabrics, GridWork will be coming to your local quilt shop in February!

We also formed a new relationship with Windham Fabrics and their popular fabric designer, Carrie Bloomston.  You all know Carrie by her popular fabric design, Love Newsprint that we sell in our Colourwerx shop right here!

Carrie’s fabric collections are always full of whimsical motifs and adventures and mostly have a collage look with super beautiful color palettes of magentas, turquoises and golds.  Her newest collection “Wish” was fabulous and fun and we were thrilled to make our ModBlossom quilt for display in her booth!  Carl and  loved meeting Carrie and also love her new Wish fabric collection which will be coming to shops in the Spring!

Last but not least and perhaps most exciting, because we were free to roam the show floor, we were finally able to share our fabric design portfolio with many of the fabric companies’ design directors.   We can’t say anything just yet, but Carl and I were super pleased by the positive feedback we received regarding our fabric designs and are excited to explore this additional design avenue in our business! Look for more news on this in the very near future! 🙂

Until your next colour fix – thanks as always for following along and Happy Fall!  L&C xxoo

 

Abstract Garden Blog Hop & Giveaway!

WINNER  WINNER! 

Congratulations to Allison!!  Molly (our Beagle) selected Comment #72 – Allison in Alabama –  with the Random # Generator  as the Winner of our Colourwerx/Abstract Garden giveaway!  Hurray, and congratulations to Allison.  And thank you to everyone who played along!

Hey y’all !  Today is our day on the Abstract Garden Blog Hop and we couldn’t be more thrilled that Benartex Fabrics and designer, Christa Watson asked us to join in on the fun! To find out more about the Abstract Garden Blog Hop and Christa’s inspiration behind this fab fabric collection, check out Benartex’s Sew in Love (with Fabric) blog and Christa’s blog here!

We’re one of the last stops on the hop so first let me say – there are giveaways!!! Yippee!  Christa and the nice folks at Benartex are giving away an Abstract Garden Fat Quarter Bundle and we here at Colourwerx are also throwing in a pattern pack of the three patterns we used when making the projects you see here: ModCat, Mini ModDog & Disco.

Here’s how the giveaway works: Just leave a comment below and we’ll select a winner Saturday morning.  It’s that easy!   Back to the hop….

Abstract Garden is the new signature collection of designer extraordinaire and Colourwerx good friend, Christa Watson of Christa Quilts.    The collection is super modern, fab, fun and bright – just my cup of tea!  Last year, when Christa mentioned that her Abstract Garden Fabric Collection was coming out soon, I jumped at the chance to make her a few projects to display in her booth at the Fall Quilt Market. Here’s a picture of the finished projects…

Christa is also always so generous with her fabric!  Here’s the assortment of fabulous fabrics Christa sent out to me.  Check out the #colouricious tones and those fabulous mid-mod designs (can I get a ooooo and an ahhhhhh please!), ….not only did Christa send me  fat quarters of the entire collection of Abstract Garden, but she also included some fabrics from her first 2 collections, Modern Marks and Fandangle – and yes, I do have big plans for these other fabrics soon! 🙂

Now – what projects to make for Christa??  Well that was easy – what could be better than a ModCat and Mini ModDog out of Christa’s super modern fabrics!!

I made the ModCat trio first – this is the wallhanging version of our popular ModCat pattern.  First I needed to divide the fabrics she sent me into three colorways – I decided to make a yellow/orange, blue/aqua, and purple/pink cat.  After wonky strip piecing the fabrics together, I cut out the cat shapes and then appliqued stitched around the cat eyes before fusing everything to the background fabric.   Hint – hint!: By stitching around the cat eyes first, I have more control over my stitching and it’s easier to control the zigzag around the smaller shapes.

I had a lot of scraps left over so next I made (2) Mini ModDog pillows for her booth – these are always so much fun and work up quickly – I made Christa a girl and a boy dog pillow!!.  Again first I machine quilted the background, then wonky strip pieced the the fabrics together, cut out the shapes and appliqued stitched the pups to their fabrics.  These came out super cute if I do say so myself!

Finally, I worked up for Christa my Disco pattern in her new collection. I placed this version of Disco on the back of my pattern cover!    I just love it!

Also on today’s blog hop are Tara and Stephanie – check out their links below and hop on over to their blogs!   And be sure to check out Benartex’s blog tomorrow where they’ll present a virtual trunk show of Christa’s Abstract Garden quilts.  Here’s the full list of my fellow bloggers and the quick links to their blogs ….

Monday 
Benartex Blog – Intro & inspiration about my designs

Tuesday
Sherry Shish from Powered by Quilting
Lee Monroe from May Chappell

Wednesday
Annie Unrein from Patterns by Annie
Pam and Lynn from The Stitch TV Show

Thursday

Linda Sullivan from Colourwerx (YOU ARE HERE!)

Tara Miller from The Quilt District

Stephanie Kendron from Modern Sewciety

Friday

Benartex Blog – Virtual Trunk Show of my Quilts

Finally – go ahead and leave a comment below to enter our giveaway!  Molly the Beagle – office manager in charge – will randomly select a winner on Saturday morning! 

And be sure to ask your local quilt shops if they have Abstract Garden.  If not, check out Christa’s online shop to order some of these great fabrics for your stash!

Happy quilting and until your next colour fix~Linda & Carl