Trifle Dish: Jewel Block

To make LAYER 5, use fat eighths and layer cakes. For a scrappy version, use a mix of charm square prints for the hourglass and flying geese parts of the block.

For EACH Jewel block, you will need:

Fabric 1/Background:

(2) 8½” x 1″ rectangles
(2) 9½” x 1″ rectangles
(2) 2½” x 2½” squares

Fabric 2/Jewel:

(2) 6½” x 2½” rectangles
(2) 4½” x 2″ rectangles
(2) 2½” x 2½” squares (for HSTs)
(4) 2″ x 2″ squares

Fabric 3/Flying Geese:

(2) 3½” x 2″ rectangles

Fabric 4,5/Hourglass:

(2) 4½” x 4½” squares

You will also need (2) 2½” x 8½” strips for the ends of the row to make it finish at 64″ wide

Block Dimensions: 10″ w x 8″ h (finished) / 10½” w x 8½” h (unfinished)

Suggested precuts: Fat eighths, layer cakes OR charm packs

Use a scant ¼” on all seam allowances. See the Scant Rant series for details.

1. Make Hourglass/quarter square triangle units with 4½” x 4½” prints. Use (2) 4½” x 4½” print squares to make (2) Hourglass units. (Only one Hourglass unit is needed per block – but the extra Hourglass can be used in the row.) Label one square Fabric A and one square Fabric B. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the Fabric A square. Layer the Fabric A square atop the Fabric B square with right sides together. Sew pairs together, stitching ¼” on each side of the drawn line. Cut the pair apart along the drawn line to make two half-square triangle (HST) units. Without moving the HST units from the mat, cut along the opposite diagonal. Match pairs of triangles together to sew the Hourglass block.

The Hourglass block should be trimmed down to: 3½” x 3½” unfinished.

2. Make Flying Geese Units. Use (2) 2″ x 2″ jewel squares and (1) 3½” x 2″ print rectangle to make (1) Flying Goose unit. Label the squares Fabric A and the rectangle Fabric B. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the Fabric A squares. Layer the Fabric A square atop the Fabric B rectangle with right sides together. Stitch on the drawn line. Cut the excess ¼” away from the drawn line as shown. Press the unit open. Place the remaining Fabric A square atop the unit from the previous step as shown. Sew on the drawn line again. Cut the excess ¼” away from the drawn line as shown. Press that triangle open.

Make 2 Flying Geese Units. Unfinished Block Size: 3½” x 2″ / Finished Block Size: 3″ x 1½”

3. Make four half-square triangle (HST) units by pairing 2 background squares with 2 jewel squares. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the background square. Layer the background square atop the jewel square with right sides together. Sew pairs together, stitching ¼” on each side of the drawn line. Cut the pair apart along the drawn line to make two half-square triangle (HST) units. Repeat the process, pairing the remaining background square with the remaining jewel square. Make 4 HST blocks total. The HSTs should be trimmed down to: 2″ (unfinished size).

4. Layout the Block. Layout the Hourglass unit, 2 Flying Geese units, the 6½” x 2 1/3″ rectangles, the 4 HSTs, and the 4½” x 2″ rectangles as shown.

5. Sew the Flying Geese units to the left and right sides of the Hourglass block. Then sew the HST blocks to the top and bottom of the 4½” x 2″ jewel rectangles.

6. Next sew the 6½” x 2½” jewel rectangles to the top and bottom of the Hourglass unit.

7. Sew the HST/jewel rectangle units to the left and right sides of the unit from step 6 to create the “Jewel” shape.

8. Finally, attach the background border strips by first sewing the 9½” x 1″ strips to the top and bottom of the block. Then sew the 8 1/2″ x 1″ background strips to the left and right sides of the block.

9. Make 6 blocks to complete the row. Add 2½” x 8½” border strips to each end of the row to make it 64″ (finished) wide.

1 row, measuring 64″ x 8″

Block design by AnneMarie Chany of {Gen X Quilters}

2012 in Review

Dec31

Happy New Year quilters and sewers! 2012 was a busy year at the Moda Bake Shop. 199 posts published! Click through to see the top ten projects from 2012.

The Moda Bake Shop’s Top Ten Projects of 2012:

1. Sunbathing Companion by Stella Rutherford | {The Golden Adventures of a Very Dark Horse}

2. Sophie Car Seat Quilt by Jennie Pickett | {Clover & Violet}

3. Cathedral Window Pincushion by Kim Niedzwiecki | {gogokim.blogspot.com}

4. Patchwork Chevron Quilt by Jeni Baker | {In Color Order}

5. Renaissance Waves Quilt by Karin Vail | {cascadequilts.com}

6. Owl Tag Along Toddler Backpack by Angela Pingel |{cuttopieces.blogspot.com}

7. Lucky Layers Tiered Dress by Anshu Jain | {Blooms And Bugs}

8. So Soft Washcloths by AnneMarie Chany |{Gen X Quilters}

9. Isosceles Picnic Quilt by Penny Layman | {sewtakeahike}

10. Four Squared Quilt by Polly Monica | {auntpollysporch.blogspot.com}

Wishing you a happy, safe, and sew-ful New Year,

So Soft Washcloths

Feb2

Hi there! This is AnneMarie Chany of Gen X Quilters and I am very excited to share an EASY tutorial with you today for these super soft washcloths. This is a fantastic quick and easy project for a baby or housewarming gift. Customized washcloths are a great and unique addition to any bathroom. Have any leftover layer cake squares from another project? This may be a perfect solution!

1 Layer Cake (10″ squares). I used Ten Little Things by Jenn Ski
1 yard of 60″ wide minky, terry cloth or flannel for the backing (Makes 12 washcloths)
Coordinating thread

1. Cut the backing fabric into (12) 10″ squares.

2. Select your favorite 12 layer cake 10″ squares. On each individual square, use a glass to trace a line onto the fabric to make a curve at each of the 4 corners.

3. Place one layer cake square on top of a backing square with right sides together. Pin in place. Repeat for all 12 squares.

4. Using the drawn curved lines, cut both the backing and layer cake square layers to round the corners.

5. Sew 1/4″ from the edge all the way around the square, leaving a 3″ opening for turning right side out. Backstitch when starting and stopping stitches.

6. Turn the layers right sides out and press.

7. Topstitich 1/8″ from the edge all the way around the rounded square, making sure to catch the opening you left for turning.

8. (optional) Add any embellishments, like an embroidered name or monogram at this point if you’d like.

9. Quilt as desired to secure the top and bottom layers together since these washcloths will repeatedly be wet and washed. This will help them hold up longer. I used a random all over stipple on all of my washcloths, but you could really simplify it by making a large X to get the job done.

12 super soft washcloths great for gifting!
(approximately 10″ in size with rounded corners)

AnneMarie Chany

{Gen X Quilters}

Tea Caddy

May11

Hi there! I am AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters and I’ve whipped up an adorable little Tea Caddy that is not only functional, but a great way to bring a little quilty decor to your kitchen or sun room. This is my first Moda Bake Shop tutorial, and I’m so pleased to share it with you today. Strawberry Fields was a natural selection for this project, the colors are beautiful and make me want to pour out a cup of tea to drink in the morning sun! Won’t you join me?

1 charm pack – Strawberry Fields by Fig Tree for Moda
1/3 yard white/cream solid
1 fat quarter (18″ x 22″) linen in natural
approximately 15″ x 23″ batting
approximately 15″ x 23″ muslin
1/4 yard polka dot print for binding and handles
4 – 1/4″ eyelets

1. Select 15 charms to be used in the half-square triangles (HSTs) for the front and the back of the caddy. Since these charms will be paired with white in the HSTs, it is best to choose the colors and brights from the charm pack instead of the lights and neutrals.

2. Each 5″ charm square should be cut into (4) 2 1/2″ squares. Cut all 15 charms to yield (60) 2 1/2″ squares.

3. Next cut (4) 2 1/2″ strips across the width of the fabric of the white solid. Each 2 1/2″ strip will then be cut into 2 1/2″ squares. You will need (60) 2 1/2″ squares of white solid.

4. Mark a diagonal line across all 60 white solid squares on the wrong side of the fabric. This is your sewing line.

5. Place one 2 1/2″ white square, right sides together with one 2 1/2″ print square from your charms. Sew along the diagonal line. Chain-piecing works well here. Sew 60 units.

6. Cut 1/4″ away from your sewn line to create a seam allowance. Repeat for all 60 units. This will create one HST unit. Press the seam allowance toward the print.

7. Choose 30 HST units to be used for the front of the caddy. Layout your HSTs in 5 rows, with 6 HSTs in each row.

8. Sew HST units together one row at a time.

9. Then join the rows together to complete the caddy front. Repeat steps 7-9 for the back of the caddy with the remaining 30 HSTs.

10. Sew the front and back pieces together, making sure to sew the bottom edge of the front to the bottom edge of the back. This will ensure that when you fold the caddy in half, both sets of HSTs will be right side up when the caddy is closed for storage.

11. Cut the batting and muslin slightly larger than the quilt top (caddy front and back sewn together) – approximately 15″ x 23″. Layer the muslin on the bottom, then the batting, and then the quilt top to create your quilt sandwich and baste.

12. Quilt as desired. I used an all over stipple pattern because I didn’t want to detract from the beauty of the HSTs! After you’ve completed the quilting, trim the excess batting and muslin, and square up the quilt sandwich to prepare for binding.

13. But wait… Don’t forget we need to sew the inside lining of the caddy with the pockets for storing the tea bags! Cut the linen to be the same size as your quilt sandwich (20 1/2″ x 12 1/2″).

14. Choose 12 of the remaining charms for the inside pockets of the caddy. Cut each of those squares into 3″ x 5″ rectangles.

15. Fold each rectangle in half widthwise to make a rectangle 3″ x 2.5″ and press to make the pocket.

16. Fold the linen in the half widthwise and press to create line dividing the top half of the caddy from the bottom half. We will eventually sew along that line. But now, it will help you place the tea bag pockets.

17. Arrange the pockets on the linen into 4 rows. Each row should have 3 pockets. Pin the pockets in place with the fold at the top of the pocket. We will sew around the 3 other sides to secure. When arranging your pockets, take note of where your caddy will fold in half. Make sure to place the pockets far enough away from the bottom fold so the tea bags inside will not interfere with folding. Also leave space for the eyelets at the top and bottom of the caddy.

18. Sew around the right, bottom, and left sides of each pocket, leaving the top (fold) open for the tea bags. Use a top stitch 1/8″ from the edge.

19. Pin the linen to the quilted layers – making a 4 layer quilt sandwich. Stitch across the center of the quilt widthwise to secure the linen to the quilt.

20. Now it is time to sew the polka dot binding onto the 4-layer quilt sandwich. Cut (2) 2 1/2″ strips across the width of the fabric to use for double-fold continuous binding strips. Here is a great tutorial if you are not familiar with making double-fold continuous binding and mitered corners.

21. Almost there! Use a pen to mark the holes for the eyelets at both the top and bottom of the caddy. I spaced my holes about 3″ in from the left and right sides, and about a half inch down from the top binding.

22. Use an eyelet plier kit or the punch tool that comes with some eyelets to install four eyelets at the locations you marked your holes. Make sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for installing and if you can, practice on a scrap quilt sandwich first. It is a little nerve wracking punching holes in a quilt you just spent so much time on making pretty – so make sure you know how to install the eyelets first!

Here is a close up of the eyelets from the front. Classy!

23. The last thing to do is make the straps. Cut (2) 1 3/4″ x 20″ strips from the polka dot fabric used for the binding. Finger press the short end 1/4″ under wrong sides together and sew a top stitch at both ends to secure.

24. Fold lengthwise in half, right sides together. Sew 1/4″ seam on both straps. Turn right sides out using a safety pin if needed. Press.

25. Tie a knot in the ends of the straps as you thread them through the eyelets. Done!

One adorable tea caddy to impress your guests! The caddy measures approximately 21 1/2″ x 12 1/2″. Each pocket fits 1-3 tea bags, so this would nicely display some of the sampler packs. Hope you enjoy this project!