Charming Wonky Diamonds Quilt

I’m thrilled to be making my first appearance as a chef here at Moda Bake Shop! This project has been in the works for some time, but a new baby and a cross country move totally messed with my sewjo and time for blogging. We’re in our new place now, and I get to set up a new sewing space. I want you join me for a Sewing Room Clean-up Along as I get my space in order, so please come visit me at Sewing by Moonlight.

Because this design repeats the same shape, it would be easy to add in another charm pack and some more background fabric to make this larger, or leave off a couple rows to make it smaller. Because of the scrappy look, you could use charm packs from two different, coordinating fabric lines for the diamonds. Or you could make the background scrappy with white diamonds.

2 charm packs for the diamonds and border – Snap Pop by Sandy Gervais
3 charm packs + 4 additional charms for the background

2.5 yards for the quilt back
1/2 yard for the binding

*set aside 22 colorful charms for the outer border*
*set aside 6 background charms for the inner border*

Cut the remaining charms from your fabric collection into 8 sections. Using your rotary cutter, first cut the charm twice corner-to-corner to make four triangles. Subcut those triangles through the middle to make 8 pieces.

Cut the remaining background charms into quarter from edge to edge, resulting in 2.5 inch squares.

You will have 496 squares of background fabric and 496 triangles of colorful fabric.

Pair up each colorful triangle with a square of background fabric.

Place the triangle right side down on the square of background fabric so that the long edge of the triangle is off-set to the right side of the background square (see first photo below). The triangle must be at least 1/4 inch to the right of center so that when you sew the pieces together, your triangle will complete a 2.5 inch square. note: you do not have to place each piece exactly the same. Variable placement will make your diamonds wonky. Tilt some triangles slightly to the left or to the right. Place them farther to the right side of the the square. 

This is a great time to chain piece. Now trim off the extra bit of background fabric, and cut your triangles apart. Iron the seam open.

Now comes the tedious task of trimming 496 squares back to 2.5 inches. I lined up several rows on my cutting mat and trimmed several at a time with my rotary cutter. Just be careful that your squares don’t slip.

Match the squares into pairs so that the colorful corner triangles are touching. Sew them together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. 

*set aside 14 pairs to use in the inner border*

Sew the remaining pairs into units of 6 pairs, as shown in the photo below. Two pairs will form a diamond and the third will have a half diamond facing the edge. 

Use these 6-pair unit to make three block types, as shown below. You will need six of Block A, six of Block B, and three of Block C. Trim Blocks A and B to 12.5 inches square and Block C to 12.5 x 4.5 inches.

Sew each block type into rows of three, matching up the 1/2 diamonds on the edges to form complete diamonds.

Create the inner borders. This border will complete the half diamonds along the long edges. Cut the six background charms you set aside in half, then trim 1/2 inch off one end. You will have 12 rectangles 2.5 x 4.5 inches. 

Use 6 of these for an inner border on each long edge of your quilt. Alternate a half diamond pair with a rectangle of background fabric. Sew the borders along the edges, matching the half diamonds in the border with the half diamonds on the edges of the quilt top. 

Create the outer borders. Cut the 22 colorful charms you set aside in half. Sew 9 of the 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles together using 1/4 inch seam allowance at the short sides. Sew this border along one of the short sides of your quilt. Repeat with another 9 rectangles and sew that border along the opposite side. Now sew 2 border pieces made of 13 triangles each and attach them to the two remaining sides of the quilt. You will have an overhang of 2.5 inches along each long side. 

I used those two overhanging squares with a strip of the binding fabric to piece the back.

I knew I wanted to quilt this with the dogwood free motion pattern found at Oh Fransson! The grid pattern of the quilt top lends itself perfectly to this technique. But when it came to what thread to use, I was at a loss. I visited my friend and quilting mentor and she asked me one very simple question: “Do you want to emphasize your quilting or your piecing?”

Since this is a project for Moda Bakeshop, I wanted to highlight precuts and let the quilting be secondary. The solution was Aurifil 50 wt thread in a color numbered 2021, which is white, but not bright white (you might call it winter white) so it fades into the background without standing out against the bright colors of Snap Pop.

Try this quilting pattern, or let your creativity guide you in another direction. Trim, bind (I tried machine binding for this one), and you’re finished. 

One quilt, 44 x 56 inches, perfect as a large baby quilt or a small throw.

Em Komiskey
{www.sewingbymoonlight.com}

Bitty Bunting Quilt

 

Everyone loves a bunting quilt! I was inspired to make this quilt from the trimmings of another quilt. I was using a pattern that calls for dog ear corners from 2½” squares. The resulting triangles looked like pretty bunting flags to me (considering that the fabric was Bonnie and Camille’s Marmalade, any excuse to not throw out even tiny scraps, right?) I kept them in a bin on my cutting table for a few days and the idea of using Moda Candy for tiny bunting flags popped into my head.

Moda Candy are perfect for this quilt since folding them in half allows you to create two-sided flags that look very cute waving about. There are lots of ways to attach the flags – use bias tape like I have or sew them all down first and add ric rac trim. I’ve also made bunting quilts with Perle cotton stitches standing in for the bias tape. Use what you have on hand. There is really no wrong way.

If you want to use a solid background instead of piecing the ombré background, simply start with a 1½ yard cut. I’ve also included a girly color option below.

Bunting:
43 Moda Candy pieces* (equivalent to 1 packages plus 1 more.  I used a mix of Lucy’s Crab Shack, PB&J, and Oh Deer!)
4 yd of ¼” double-fold bias tape in coordinating color
Background: 
¼ yd dark blue (Royal | Bella Solid 9900-19)
¼ yd cobalt blue (Bright Sky | Bella Solid 9900-115)
¼ yd bright blue (Capri | Bella Solid 9900-225)
¼ yd gray blue (Glacier | Bella Solid 9900-207)
¼ yd light blue (Blue Raspberry | Bella Solid 9900-84)
¼ yd white (White Bleached | Bella Solid 9900-98)

Binding: 3/8 yd preferred print (I used Silver | 9900-183)

Backing: 3¼ yd (I used bits of leftover blues and Lush Uptown | 26047-22)

*NOTE: You may use more or fewer pieces of Moda Candy, depending on how you swag your bunting across the quilt.

Alternative Fabric Choices:
For a girl version of this quilt, try using Shocking Pink | 9900-223, Popsicle | 9900-143,  30s Pink | 9900-27, Amelia Pink | 9900-166, and Parfait Pink | 9900-248 instead of the blues listed above.

 
1. Piece ¼ yd strips from light to dark to create ombré background. Trim the selvedges before you sew or leave them on and trim all of them at once like I did. Press each seam from light to dark.

2. Layer up with your backing fabric and batting and quilt.

3. Square up quilted background and set aside.

4. Time to sew the bitty bunting! Set your stack of Moda Candy next to your sewing machine. Fold the first Candy square diagonally from corner to corner to create a triangle. Press or pin to make it easier to sew.

Top stitch around the sides of the triangle. You can chain piece but be careful not to stitch your Candy pieces together.

5. Place one bunting triangle between your bias tape with the fold  facing away from the triangle point.  Top stitch along the opposite edge of the bias tape to close the seam.

6. Pin bitty bunting to quilted background so that it drapes from edge to edge.

7. You can attach your bunting by top stitching long fold of the bias tape OR use an invisible stitch to tack it down (that’s what I did).

8. Trim any loose threads and bind as desired.

A simple, sweet, and modern baby gift! Measures approximately  43″ x 51″.

Lisa Calle
{www.vintagemodernquilts.com}

Sunnyside Diamond Zig-Zag Quilt

Hi, I’m Janice Ryan and I blog about quilting and sewing at Better Off Thread.  I am really excited to be sharing my very first Bake Shop Recipe with you today. 

My sister and I both learned the joy of creating handmade items from my mom.  Whether it was doll clothing, Halloween costumes, christmas cookies or homemade playdough, I have very fond memories of crafting with my family.   I am now the family quilter and my sister, Judy, is the knitter/crocheter.  She made my children their very first blankets, and those blankies have seen their share of snuggles and tears and games of tug ‘o’ war.  I wanted to make my sister a cozy quilt for snuggling under, with a good book, on all those rainy East Coast days (and there have been a LOT this summer.).  Since I live in California, I thought I would send her a little bit of sun and Sunnyside by Kate Spain was the perfect choice.  I love how the diamonds create a sunburst and make the colors dance around the quilt.  I hope my quilt adds a little sunshine to your day, too.

1 Jelly Roll- Sunnyside by Kate Spain

2 yards background fabric- Moda Bella in White

4 yards backing fabric

Please read all instructions prior to making this quilt! All seam allowances are ¼” unless stated otherwise.

Step 1: Make Diamond Panels

Separate your jelly roll into 4 sets of 9 strips each.  You will want 5 different colors in each set:

– color 1 = 1 strip

– color 2 = 2 strips

– color 3 = 3 strips

– color 4 = 2 strips

– color 5 = 1 strip

My sets were made up of the colors listed below:

Take your first set of 9 strips and sew them together into 3 sets of 3 (arrange them in the same order as the diagram above.)  Each strip will be offset 2 1/4″ lower than the previous one. Press seams open.

Tip: lightly starch your strip sets to keep them from stretching once they are cut on the bias.

Cut your strip set every 2 1/2″ at a 45º angle. Cut 10 strips.

Tip: I use the angle lines my normal quilter’s ruler to cut the 45º angle, but there are various specialty angle rulers that can be purchased.

Repeat for your 2 other sets of strips.

Sew one strip from each set together, matching seams.

You will now have one diamond panel.  

Repeat to make 10 diamonds panels and then repeat Step 1 on your other 3 sets of 9 strips.  You will have 40 diamonds when completed.

Tip: You can find a photo tutorial for making these diamond panels on my blog.

Step 2: Cutting Background

From your background fabric cut 10 strips 6 1/2″ x WOF (about 44″).

Starting at the bottom left corner of your strip, cut a 45º angle.  Make a 45º cut every 9″.  Each strip will yield 4 diamonds (background diamonds will be the same exact size as a finished diamond panel from step one.).

Tip: if you are feeling adventurous, you can layer 3-4 strips and cut them all at the same time.

Cut all strips until you have 40 diamonds.

Cut 10 diamonds in half, as pictured in the diagram above.

Step 3: Piecing the Quilt Top

Piece diamonds vertically into 10 rows, then sew rows together.

Your top is now done! Baste, quilt and bind as desired. I used my leftover strips and a few scraps to make my binding.

One 58″ x 65″ quilt…

perfect for snuggling under on a rainy day.

If you use this pattern, be sure to send me a photo!

Janice Ryan
{www.betteroffthread.com}

Fancy: A Jelly Roll Lap Quilt

Hi! My name is Keera from live.love.sew., and I am so excited to be sharing my first Moda Bake Shop project with you {!!}. This lap-quilt is so quick to make up, fresh and summer-y and super-satisfying in its end result. This quilt is perfect for both beginner quilters as well as seasoned wanting a quick project. 

The story behind this quilt is very simple. I was inspired by the vintage feel of Bonnie and Camille’s Happy-Go-Lucky fabrics. The prints in this line, especially the sweet and feminine florals, remind me so much of the vintage fabrics my grandmother sewed with when I was growing up, I couldn’t resist using for them for the quilt! I do hope you love Fancy as much as I do.  

 

1 Jelly Roll {Happy-Go-Lucky by Bonnie & Camille}                 

2 ¾ yardage {Bella Solids White}

4 ½ yards backing fabric {Happy-Go-Lucky Garden Aqua 55061 12 }

½ yard binding fabric {Happy-Go-Lucky Penny Navy 55065 17 }

Cotton/Bamboo batting {at least 75″ x 80″ – I used a Queen size which allowed a bit left-over}

step one:

Separate jelly roll strips and select 40 prints.

From solid white, cut:

36 – 2 ½” x WOF {width of fabric} strips; sub-cut these strips 7 times each into 4 ½” rectangles {252 total}.

From selected binding print fabric, cut:

7 each – 2 ½” x WOF strips

step two:

Match two prints together, to make 20 strip sets, in preparation for stitching.

step three:

With right sides together, stitch the 20 strip sets along the long edge. Press towards darker 

print. 

step four:

Sub-cut these strips 13 times, into 2 ½” rectangles {diagram a}: Set aside leftovers.

step five:

Match one white rectangle with one print strip set right sides together. Stitch along the long edge

{diagram b}. Press seam towards prints. Repeat for all remaining strip sets {252 in total}.

step six:

To assemble each fan block you will need:

– Four strip set blocks {diagram c}.

step seven:

Lay out four strip set blocks in a fan formation {diagram d}. Sew the top two strip set blocks

together, taking care to ‘nest’ seams. Press seams towards one side. 

Repeat for bottom two strip set blocks {diagram e}. 

Complete the fan block, joining these two pieces together and stitching along long edge 

{diagram f}. Press seams to one side.

step eight:

Lay blocks in a 7 block by 9 block layout as desired.

step nine:

Assemble quilt top in rows. Sew blocks in each row together, repeating for each row and 

yielding 7 fan block strips, each with 9 blocks {diagram g}. 

step ten:

Join each row along the inside edge producing your 7 block by 9 block quilt top.

  

step eleven:

Layer quilt top, batting and backing and baste with safety pins.

step twelve:

Quilt as desired. Trim excess.

*fancy was machine quilted using free motion quilting in a floral/clover pattern.

step thirteen:

Sew 2 ½” binding strips together end to end to form one long strip. Press seams open. Press

strip in half with wrong sides together.

step fourteen:

Using a quarter inch {¼“} seam sew your binding strips to the front of your basted and quilted 

piece with raw edges together. Start along one side leaving a tail of about 6-10 inches. Sew 

along until you reach ¼” from the corner.

step fifteen:

Take your quilt and turn, lift your strip straight up and then bring it back down to align raw edges 

{diagram h}. Continue sewing your binding strips. Repeat for the next three corners.

step sixteen:

When you reach the beginning of your binding, stop sewing and match and trim the two tails of 

binding strip, so it will sit neatly along the quilt edge. Unfold your strips and with right sides 

together, sew your two tails together {you may need to wrangle your quilt a bit to do this!}.

step seventeen:

Re-fold sewn strip and lay flat against side of your quilt and sew in place.

step eighteen:

Turn binding strip to back-side of your quilt and hand-sew in place.

* in the case of machine binding complete all above steps, however sewing the binding strip to the BACK of the quilt in step 14, and turning to the front of the quilt, and machine stitching in step 18.

One lap quilt measuring about 60″ x 75″.
*larger quilt tops can be made by making more strip set mini-blocks in steps four to seven. 

Keera Job
{www.livelovesew.com.au}
{keera(at)livelovesew.com.au}

S’more Mountains Jelly Roll Quilt

Hello!  I’m so glad to be here with you today. Camping has a special spot in my heart.  My Dad designed camps for a living.  Yup, there is someone who gets paid to do that job….or there used to be.  Dad designed camps all over the USA for the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts, and the Presbyterian Church.  If there is a spot in our great country near and dear to your heart my dad could tell you all about it…intimately.  That was his super power!  When I introduced him to my husband, years ago before G was even my fiancé, Dad knew where his folks lived….literally.  He could describe the house and the yard.  He had been past it a hundred times on his way into the Sierra Nevada National Park…en route to one camp or another.  It tickles me pink to know that he had such a profound influence on people.  It is like having a little bit of my daddy with me every where I go.

S’more Love, by Eric and Julie Comstock is perfect for making a quilt to enjoy by the camp fire…or to enjoy in your RV… or living room long after the trip is over.  It would look great in a little boy’s bedroom.  The line is filled with whimsical characters and vibrant colors.

• 1 Jelly Roll
• I used S’more Love + 4 2 1/2″ x width of fabric (wof) strips
• 1 1/4 yards dark fabric for distant mountains and inner border
• I used Bella Chocolate #9900-41
• 1  yards light fabric for distant sky
• I used Bella Feather #9900-127
• 1/4 yard for corner stones
• I used Campfire star bursts #37075-13
• 2 yards for outer border
• Yardage is required for fussy cutting the stripes in S’more Love
• I used Multi stripe #37070-11
• If you do not fussy cut you only need 3/4 yard
•  1/2 yard for binding
• I used Campfire star bursts #37075-13
• 4 yards for backing
• I used Aspen green with cars on it #37071-14
• Various scraps for applique
• I used scraps of Home Town by Sweetwater, and Pezzy by American Jane 

Helpful tools:

• 9 1/2″ square quilting ruler.

• 6, 3/4″ diameter buttons to use as tires for applique trucks and campers.

This quilt is made from 42, 9″ finished blocks – two sets of 21 each.

Cutting Directions:

• From Dark Mountains fabric
• Cut 11, 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares (for distant mountains)
• Cut 3, 10 1/4″x width of fabric (wof) strips
• Sub cut  wof strips into 4, 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares each for 12 squares
• Cut 7, 1 1/2″x wof (for inner border)
• From Light Sky fabric
• Cut 11, 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares (for distant sky)
• Cut 3, 10 1/4″x width of fabric (wof) strips
• Sub cut wof strips into 4, 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares each for 12 squares
• From Corner Stone fabric
• Cut 4, 4″x 4″ squares (for corner stones)
• Cut 2, 2 1/2″ x wof (to supplement jelly roll strips)
• From Outer Border fabric
• If fussy cutting –
• Cut 2, 4″x 65 1/2″ strips along length of pattern
• Cut 2, 4″x 56 1/2″ strips along length of pattern
• from fussy cutting scraps
• Cut 2, 2 1/2″ x 42″ strips to supplement jelly roll
• If NOT fussy cutting –
• Cut 6, 4″ x wof strips
• cut 2, 2 1/2″ x wof strips
• From binding fabric
• Cut 7, 2 1/2″ x wof strips

• Tips for working with Jelly Rolls:
• Run a lint brush over the raw edged sides of the jelly roll before unwrapping it, otherwise you will have little fluffy lint fuzzes all over the place.
• Iron strips flat before sewing.
• GET STEAMED!!  It will help to realign the fibers is you use steam when you iron.  They will relax and loose the curl that has been forced into them by being rolled up

 

Sewing Directions:
LARGE STRIPED TRIANGLES:

• From jelly roll (+ 4, 2 1/2″ x wof strips cut from corner stone and outer border fabrics)
• Randomly sew 11 sets of 4 strips together along the long edge
• Iron seam allowances open
• To open seam allowances place the sewn strip on a hard surface (like a cutting table or desk)  Spread the larger pieces of fabric to the sides, right side down, then use your finger nail to nudge the seam allowances apart.  The  use STEAM to set the seams open.

• Each strip set should measure approximately 42″ x 8 1/2″
• Using the lines on your ruler cut 45 degrees from the corner of the first strip set.

• Turn ruler over and make second cut on strip set at 45 degrees from the last edge cut.

• Continue in this manner across set for 4 large right triangles per set
• Because you will be working with biased edges the pieces will have a tendency to stretch.  Do the best that you can to keep things square, but don’t worry too much about it.  These triangles are large enough to be squared up when you get to the final step of block construction. 
• Repeat process with remaining strip sets for a total of 44 large right triangles.
• NOTE: As you only need 42, you will have two extras.

MOUNTAIN BLOCKS:

Mountain Block, Right Facing – make 21 NOTE – This is a drawing.  In an actual block the striped pieces may be different widths.

Mountain Block, Left Facing – make 21 NOTE – This is a drawing.  In an actual block the striped pieces may be different widths.

• Gather
• 11, dark 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares
• 11, light 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ squares
• 42 large, striped right triangles
• Make 21 half square triangles (HST)
• Draw a line diagonally across the wrong side of each light 10 1/4″x 10 1/4″ square
• Align one light square atop one dark square with right sides together
• Sew 1/4″ to each side of the drawn line
• Cut on line to make 2 HST
• Iron seam allowances open.
• Cut each HST in half diagonally, perpendicular to the seam to make 2 right triangles each (mirror images of each other)
• Repeat process with remaining squares, but do not cut the last HST in half for 42 bi-colored large triangles.
• Sew one striped triangle to one bi-colored triangle
• The striped triangles will be bigger than the bi-colored triangles.  I did this on purpose so that the cutting would be easier.  I found trimming after the weird blocks were made more accurate than trimming stretchy triangles.
• Align the triangles along the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle), with right sides together, pin!
• Sew along the hypotenuse to make one large square-ish shape. 
• Iron seam allowances towards the striped triangle.
• Trim to 9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ square – be sure to keep the center of the square where the hypotenuse and the seam of the bi-colored triangle meet.
• Repeat with remaining triangles for 42 blocks.

Assemble Center of Quilt:

• Gather 42 Mountain blocks
• 21 right facing
• 21 left facing
• Arrange 7 rows of 6 blocks each
• 3 rows – left, right, left, right, left, right – notice how they make 3 striped peaks

• 4 rows – right, left, right, left, right, left –  only two striped peaks here

• Sew blocks together ironing seam allowances towards the left facing block
• Sew rows together
• It will help to keep your quilt square if you
• Pin the rows together, making sure that the seams from each row line up with the seams to the next.
• Sew the rows together with the white (sky fabric) on the top.  It is cut with the weave of the fabric and will not stretch as much as the edge of the striped mountains.
• Start with a right left right row
• Alternate rows
• End with a right left right row

Add Borders:

• Gather
• Center of quilt
• 7, 1 1/2″x wof (for inner border)
• 4, 4″ x 4″ corner stones
• Outer border strips
• Inner Borders
• Sew 2 sets of 2, 1 1/2″ strips together along the short side.
• Iron seam allowance open
• Attach to long sides of quilt top.
• Iron seam allowance toward the border.
• Trim excess.
• Sew remaining strips together, along the short sides, to make 2 pieces long enough to fit short ends of your quilt top.
• Attach to the short sides of quilt top.
• Iron seam allowances towards the border.
• Trim excess.
• Outer Borders
• Measure the sides of your quilt top – record below
• ________ top (short)
• ________ bottom (short)
• ________ left (long)
• ________ right (long)
• Cut 2 strips to fit the left and right sides as recorded above.
• Attach to quilt top
• Iron seam allowances towards the outer border
• Cut remaining strips to fit the top and bottom as recorded above.  (Remember you are going to add a corner stone in the next step…your strip will be shorter than the edge of your quilt at the moment.)
• Add corner stones to the ends of each strip.
• Iron seam allowances towards the strip.
• PIN strip to top, right sides together,  matching up seam at corner stones with seam of long borders.
• Sew in place.
• Iron seam allowances towards the outer border.
• Repeat process for bottom edge.

Your top will look something like this now.

Add Applique:

This is totally optional.  The mountains do not need the applique to be a finished quilt.  Look at the picture above.  I think the quilt would be perfect just like this.  However, I wanted to play with the fun characters in S’more Love. 

I found some wonderful drawings on Moda’s swatch pages for this line.   I cut and pasted and enlarged the images until I got what I wanted, then turned them into an applique. 

I added a little bit of dimension by adding an extra piece of batting between the appliqued pieces and the core of the quilt.  (This is an old technique called Trapunto)  I like the way it makes my cars and RVs pop.



Finish Quilt:  Layer and Quilt as desired.

A perfect spot to dream about the next camping trip – 63″x 72″ big enough to cover a camping cot, or the skinny pull out bed in your RV. 

I quilted mine in Vickie Malaski’s Animal Tracks pattern.

I’d love to see your quilts.  Please share a photo of your finished quilt with my group, Tops to Treasures on Flickr.

Cindy Sharp
{topstotreasures.blogspot.com}

Quilts with Stories

There is a story behind just about every quilt. Whether it’s the basic stuff like searching for the perfect binding fabric or the big stuff like the wedding quilt you made for your sorority sister or for your cousin who was diagnosed with cancer. The month of August will be dedicated to sharing the stories behind the quilts. We’d love to hear your stories, too, so feel free to link up below. This link party will be open all month long.

Live long and sew on,