Happy Happy Quilt

Hello, everyone! It’s Crystal Hendrix from over at Hendrixville! I am bringing you another fun, quick, and simple happy quilt! This quilt will bring a smile to your face with it’s fun and bright colors! You can be as creative as you like and name this quilt with any line of fabric that uses an “H”….how creative can you get?

 

1 Jelly Roll Eat {Your Fruit & Veggies by Pat Sloan}
5/8 yard – 1st Border (43010 14)
¾ yard – 2nd Border (43040 62)
½ yard – Binding (43010 16)
4 yards – Backing (43010 107)



Special notes:
*Use a ¼” seam allowance throughout quilt.*
** WOF – Width of Fabric, RST means right sides together. WST means wrong sides together. **
***Images shown are using both the regular and batik style of the line. ***
This quilt is made up by a simple “H” style block. You will need to make a total of 56 blocks. 
Cutting Instructions:
Background fabric of block – 112 : 2.5” x 2.5”
Letter fabric of block – 112 : 2.5” x 6.5” and  56 : 2.5” x 2.5”
Border #1 – Cut 5 strips of 2” x WOF
Border #2 – Cut 6 strips of 4” x WOF
Binding – Cut 6 strips of 2.5” x WOF
Backing – Cut 2 : WOF x 66” 
For your background and letter fabric, I chose to keep my background a more neutral color and then chose to have my letter fabric to be all the same color. You can do this or you can make your letter be made up of different colors. I would suggest keeping your background a constant color so that your “H” blocks will stand out more. 
            
Block Instructions:
I’m a visual person so I liked to lay my blocks out in the desired pattern before I begin my sewing as shown below. You will assemble your blocks like the following:

Start by sewing your middle squares together to make a single column. Press open seams. 
Now sew together you 3 strips to make 1 block. Press open seams.
Trim your block down to 6” if needed.
 
Now you have your finished block! See how simple that is! But assembled all together it makes a neat effect! Finish making the other 55 “H” blocks.
Assemble Quilt:
We will be assembling this quilt in a 7 x 8 layout. When laying out the blocks, you will be setting down one in the normal “H” position and then add another one with a 90 degree clockwise turn or a “sideways H”.  See below:
Lay out your blocks until you have a total of 7 blocks. After you have a “sideways H” you will then add another “H” block. See below:
Create a total of 8 rows. Make sure that when you start you’re your next row that you have the opposite of the block above. See below:
Once you have sewn your rows together and have pressed the seams, sew the rows together to make your quilt top. Make sure to press your seams after you attach each row.
Borders:
 Now take your fabric that you cut for your Border #1 and make the following:
2 – 2” x 42.5” and 2 – 2 “x 51.5”
Sew the two 2” x 42.5” to the top and bottom of your quilt top and press seams. Then take your two 2” x 51.5” and sew to the side of your quilt and press seams.
Now take your fabric from your Border #2 and create the following:
2 – 4” x 45.5” and 2 – 4” x 58.5”
Sew the two 4” x 45.5” to the top and bottom of your quilt top and press seams. Then take your two 4” x 58.5” and sew to the side of your quilt and press seams.
You have now created your quilt top.
 Basting:
To assemble your backing, Use the following diagram for your guide. You will need to cut your fabric into two 66”xWOF” strips. Then you will take your second strip of 66” x WOF and trim it down to 66” x 20”. Sew the two pieces together and press open.
Sandwiching Your Quilt:
There are many different ways to sandwich your quilt, you can use any method you want or use the one that I used. In a large flat area lay the quilt backing down with the RST of the fabric facing the ground, so your WST will be facing up. Using masking tape, tape down the corners of your quilt and then approximately every 5”. *TIP* the more tape you use, the more secure it will be and easier to baste the quilt top to. Once your quilt backing is securely taped to the floor take your batting and lay it out on top of the backing. Arrange it to where you want it to be and then take your quilt top and arrange it on top of the backing and batting. Now pin (using safety pins) or basting spray to secure the quilt top to the batting and the backing. Once finished and you are satisfied with how securely sandwiched your quilt is, cut approximately 2” from the quilt top around the entire quilt.
Machine or Hand quilt as desired.
Binding:
 Once again there are several different ways that you can attach the binding to your quilt You may use any method you desire or you can do what I did. Take your 6 strips of binding and sew the ends together.  Press in half lengthwise. On any side of the quilt, in the middle pin the top of your binding down and then about 4” down pin it again. You will be stitching through all the quilt layers with the raw edges of binding matching the raw edges of the quilt. When you get to the corner, stop ¼” before the corner. Backstitch, remove the quilt from under your presser foot and fold binding upwards making sure the quilt top and binding are forming a straight line. (Image #1) Holding the fold in place, bring the binding down in the line with the quilt edge. (Image #2) Start stitching at the top of the fold and continue stitching the binding to the quilt, doing the same to the rest of the corners. When you get back to where you started, leave about a 4” strip of binding unsewn. Measure the binding to where you will sew the two end pieces of the binding together. Cut and sew ends together. Now finish sewing the rest of your binding down. Now trip the edge of your quilt so that all you have left is the ¼” seam allowance from your binding stitching. Turn quilt over and fold over the binding. Machine bind or hand bind making sure to miter your corners.
Now your quilt is finished!

 

This pattern produces a quilt approximately 54” x 60”. You can use this as a nice throw on your couch or do what I do and add it to my “living room quilts”. I keep it in the living to display the season as well as to give my kids a nice quilt to snuggle up with while watching a movie.  Whatever you decide to do with your quilt I am sure you will enjoy it!
To see other quilts that I have made for the Moda Bake Shop and others please visit me at my blog: Hendrixville.blogspot.com. There you can see my wild autism family and many of my different projects.  Please feel free to send me any questions or pictures (I would love this) of any quilts that you have made using one of my different tutorials.
Crystal Hendrix

{hendrixville.blogspot.com}

Retro Table Topper (Unlined)



22 light/medium Layer Cake squares (10″ x 10″)
7 dark Layer Cake squares

10 or more 10″ lengths of rickrack in a variety of widths; 5 3/8 yards of jumbo rickrack for outer edge


For my sample, I used pinking shears to finish all the seams. If you own a serger, this would be a great serger project. Seams are 1/4″. Press between steps.

From the 7 dark squares cut a total of 40 strips that measure 1 1/2″ x 10″. Cut 4 of the light/medium squares to measure 5 1/4″ x 10″. You may want to lay out all the squares on your design wall to determine which 4 to cut.

On your design wall or work table, lay out all the squares and strips as shown, with the  5 1/4″ pieces at the top and bottom of Columns 2 and 4. The 1 1/2″ strips are placed at the upper and lower edge of each square and at only one edge of the 5 1/4″ pieces, as shown in the photo.

Sew the squares and strips together to create the 5 columns. Pink the edges of the seam allowances and press. Don’t sew the columns together yet.

If you’ve opted for adding rickrack, topstitch 10″ pieces to the top of the seams where the 1 1/2″ strips join. I didn’t sew rickrack between EVERY pair of strips, but it would be cute that way. I was using whatever scraps I had that matched!

After adding the rickrack, sew the 5 columns together. After sewing, pink the seams and press.

Fold under 1/4″ around the outer edge of the Table Topper and press. Topstitch a scant 1/8″ from the pressed edge. The raw edge will be hidden by the jumbo rickrack.

Beginning several inches from one corner of the Table Topper, lay the jumbo rickrack UNDER the stitched edge of the Topper, leaving a 2″ tail where you begin sewing. Topstitch through all layers 1/8″ from the first stitching.

At the corners, fold the rickrack diagonally to make it “turn” the corner. When you’re a few inches from where you began adding rickrack, take the Topper out of the machine (clipping threads), and determine where you need to make a seam in the rickrack so that it fits the remaining un-sewn edge. After sewing this seam, trim away the extra rickrack and press the seam open. I applied Fray Block® to the rickrack seam. Finish topstitching the rickrack to the Table Topper edge.

This pattern is a variation of a crib quilt in my new pattern “Baby Days”, available at quilt shops or from www.seamsndreams.com.

Option:
Rather than hemming the Table Topper as explained above, cut a backing piece a little larger than your Topper–this may require sewing 2 pieces of fabric together. Place it right sides together with the Topper and sew around the edge (Table Topper edge as a guide), leaving a 6-8″ gap for turning. Trim the backing to match the top, clip the corners on the diagonal, and turn the Topper right side out. Press. Add rickrack around the edge as directed above.


46″ x 47 1/2″

Happy sewing!

Kara Schorstein
{www.seamsndreams.com}