Wiggly Whimsy Quilt

Hello All! Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio back for another recipe! This time I combined two of my favorite precuts – a Charm Pack and a Jelly Roll to create this adorable lap quilt! It’s constructed very simply, but the design makes the fabrics appear to wiggle around. I love these types of quilts that are really easy to make, but look slightly challenging. Want to learn the secret to this simple wiggle? Let’s go!

You will need:

One Charm Pack for the Colored Squares (I used Good Morning by Me & My Sister)

One Jelly Roll of a Solid for the Background (I used Bella White #9900JR 98)

4 Yards of backing fabric (I used the Yellow with Flowers #22180 15)

5/8 Yard of binding fabric (I used the blue stripe #22184 16)

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 To get started, you’ll need to choose 37 Charm Squares. I used most of the colors and took out the lightest fabrics from the pack so they wouldn’t blend in with the background fabrics later on.

 From those Charm Squares, cut each one in half twice yielding 4 equal 2-1/2″ squares.

 Throw all of the cut squares into a bag and mix them up (I love this part!)

 From your Jelly Roll, cut 10 strips into 147 squares 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″. Also cut 98 pieces 6-1/2″ long from 17 of the strips. Set the rest of the strips aside for now.

 Now that most everything is cut that we’ll need, we can start the construction process. Reach into the bag of cut squares and pull out 98 of them. Make sure the colors and patterns are well mixed. Shake the bag from time to time if you think it needs it.

 Onto each of the colored squares, stitch a background 2-1/2″ square. Press all of the seams to the colored squares. Then separate the units into 2 piles of 49 pieces each.

 Onto one pile, stitch another background square. Press the seams to the colored squares.

Onto the remaining pile, stitch on another colored square. Make sure the colors and patterns in these pieces are well mixed. Press the seams towards the colored squares. You should now have 49 of each unit.

Onto each of the pieces made above, stitch a 2-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ background strip. Press the seams towards the background strip.

Then sew one of each type of units together as shown above. Press the seams towards the background fabric. You should now have 49 blocks, each measuring 6-1/2″ x 8-1/2″.

Stitch seven strips of the blocks together end to end as shown, seven blocks in each strip. Make sure the blocks are all pointing the same direction in the strips. Layout the strips and then…

Switch the direction of every other strip. This is how you get the random-looking pattern which no muss, no fuss.

To complete the quilt top, take 4 strips and cut each one in half, creating 8 pieces roughly 2-1/2″ x 22″. Sew 7 of these pieces onto the end of 7 remaining full length strips.

Trim each strips to measure 56-1/2″ long (this should be the length of your pieced strips). Stitch 6 of the strips between each of the pieced rows.

The final strip, cut in half lengthwise creating 2 strips 1-1/4″ x 56-1/2″. Sew each of these thinner strips on the outer edge of the quilt top. This will make your top finish at roughly 56-1/2″ x 56-1/2″.

To finalize prepping the pieces needed to finish the quilt, cut your backing fabric into 2 pieces 2 yards each and stitch them back together selvage to selvage. Cut the binding fabric into 7 strips x 2-1/2″ or whichever width you prefer.

One quilt, 56-1/2″ x 56-1/2″. Perfect for a lap quilt for anyone. With the selection Bella Solid Colors of Jelly Rolls, you could get a completely different look by switching the background and Charm Squares.

Since I chose to use Good Morning my Me & My Sister (Hi Barb & Mary!!!) I decided to quilt this with flowers all over.

Oh, and I love how the stripe worked as the binding. Now, I could’ve gotten a completely different effect by cutting the binding on the bias, but I’ll save that for another quilt (it gives this candy-cane effect that’s so cool!)

Sooooo, I know many of you have been showing your stashes here on the Bake Shop. Who has a Jelly Roll and a Charm Pack laying around begging to be used? (Me, I’m guilty) Remember this project one of those nights when you can’t sleep and the Local Quilt Shop is closed. You probably have most everything you’ll need to make this already!

For more tutorials like this one, head on over to my blog at rubybluequilts.blogspot.com. I’m working on all sorts of wonderful right now, and I’d love to share it with you.

Speaking of sharing, if you’ve made any of my tutorials, I’d love to see pictures! Go ahead and e-mail them to me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll be sure to post them on my blog! Have a great day!

Rebecca Silbaugh
{rubybluequilts.blogspot.com}

Santa’s Cookie Mat

Hey all, Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio back for another project! I know it seems too early to start thinking about Christmas. I hardly ever start my Christmas projects this early, but once I caught a glimpse of Blitzen by Basic Grey, I couldn’t wait to get started!

Now, here in Ohio it’s been hotter than normal, it’s been really dry and the grass is crunchy… I’m sure many of you are living in similar conditions right now. This is not the time to be thinking about winter and snow, but working on this project it did get me thinking about Christmas baking and Nana’s cookies. Lucky for me I stopped in for a visit to my Nana today and was sent home with a bag of those very cookies. Thanks, Nana!

This project is great for a designated place for Santa and Rudolph’s treats, but it can also be a table topper or small wall hanging to add a little flair to a space. Whatever fabrics you choose, the charm from the miniature pieces will be stunning.

For one Cookie Mat you’ll need:

1 Charm Pack of a Bella Solid (I used Porcelain)
1 Charm Pack of a Print Line (I used Blitzen by Basic Grey)
1 yard backing (red print above)
1/4 yard of binding (grey print above)

 Lay a charm square from each pack on top of each other right sides together and stitch down two opposing sides.

 Cut the squares in half parallel to the stitching.

Stitch down the newly cut side of each piece.

 Cut each piece in half between the stitching once again.

With a project that has as many seams this one does this close together, you can press all the seams to the print fabrics or you can press all seams open to reduce the bulk and make quilting easier later on.

 Here’s where you have options: You can sew two different strips from above together which will result in an contemporary scrappy look…

 Or you can sew together two strips from the same fabric together for a more traditional approach.

Either way, sew all strips together in pairs.

No matter which option you choose. Cut each pairing into 4 segments, each should measure 1-1/4″ x 3-1/2″. Either mix up the cut pieces for the contemporary version, or keep the same fabric pieces together for the traditional version.

Sew two cut pieces together alternating the solid and print fabrics. Pay close attention to the direction you sew these pieces.

If you sew them together with the solid fabric at the top as shown, feed them into your sewing machine the same way each time. It doesn’t seem like it’d make that big of a difference, but you’ll get mismatched pieces, especially if you press your seams in one direction rather than open.

Press all of the block halves and then sew them all together continuing to alternate the solid and print fabrics. Each block should measure 3-1/2″ square.

The number of blocks you will get will depend on your fabric choices. I only was able to get 76 blocks from my Charm Packs per Cookie Mat since I pulled out the almost white print fabrics.

 If you made the contemporary blocks, they’ll look like this…

 Or the traditional blocks will look like this…

 I used 72 blocks per Cookie Mat in an 8 x 9 setting. Lay out the blocks until you like the layout and sew them together. This is what the traditional setting looks like completed.

And this is what the contemporary setting looks like. If you are able to use more of the print squares, you may have enough blocks for an 8 x 10 setting. Play with your fabrics and see what comes of them!

Each of my Cookie Mats finishes at 24″ x 27″ with each block finishing at 3″ square. This means each of those little squares will finish at 3/4″!

If your seams aren’t perfect (and trust me many of mine aren’t!) don’t fret – once people get a glimpse of your Cookie Mat they’ll be so stunned by the appearance that they won’t notice a stray seam here and there.

Smaller quilt projects like this one may seem easier because they are small, but it’s not always true. I find some smaller pieces are harder overall since you don’t have as much wiggle room to “fudge” if needed. Try this project out before attempting a more complex miniature quilt to see if small is your style. It may be (mine seem to be getting smaller and smaller) but it may not and attempting small straight lines are much simpler than small pointed pieces.

Now to finish off this project you just need to quilt it, bind it (you’ll need to cut 3 strips of binding fabric) and enjoy! Just be sure to get it done in time for the “Big Guy”. As you can see Christmas came a little early this year…

I quilted mine with one of my favorite swirl patterns. For anything that I plan on placing items on (especially food) I tend to over-quilt them. With dense quilting there is less shifting and potential for spills. Plus, the swirls soften the overall appearance of this type of design. Just remember to have as much fun with the quilting as you did with the rest of the quilt.

I hope you enjoyed this and might be in the Christmas mood with me, even if just a little. Hey, if it means cookies from Nana, I’ll make Christmas projects all year round!

Which option did you like best? I can tell you, I thought I would like one style better than another before I get the tops finished, but once I was finished the other won over my heart.

Stop on over to my blog for other projects like this and other tutorials at:
RubyBlueQuilts.blogspot.com

Rebecca Silbaugh
{RubyBlueQuilts.blogspot.com}

You Zig I’ll Zag Quilt

Who’s ready for a large yet quick quilt out of a layer cake? Well, it looks like Paco is!

I’m Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio here for yet another tutorial using Moda Layer Cakes! This quilt goes together in a snap, plus it’s HUGE!!! I’m also going to show on my blog how to recreate this design using Charm Squares for a miniature version. Come on over and take a look! It’s darling! I’ve also got a giveaway going on, so stop on over and enter for your chance to win. How about we get quilting?

1 Layer Cake
Setting Triangles – 1 Yard
1st Border – 5/8 Yard
2nd Border – 2 Yards (if piecing) 2-1/4 Yards (if tearing along Straight of Grain)
Backing – 4-1/2 Yards
Binding – 3/4 Yard

Alright, I’m not doing laundry – seriously. I’m helping you out. You know how layer cakes come usually with the colors grouped together. Well, we don’t want that, so toss them one by one in your dryer and turn it on for a few minutes WITHOUT HEAT… It’ll mix all those squares so the colors are nice and evenly distributed. See:

It does all the work for you. Now just grab them one by one and stack them back together…

Now onto cutting, you will cut all layer cake squares the exact same way. I’m right handed so I cut all my squares as shown below, but if you’re a leftie, you can reverse the direction. Just make sure you cut out the same pieces and pay attention to the piece placement at the end…

Cut off a 2-1/2″ strip from the bottom of the square.

Trim this piece to measure 2-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ Set aside (you will make a pile for each piece cut, put it into a pile where the piece was cut from… You’ll see in the diagram below…)

Next cut a 2-1/2″ strip from the side of the layer cake square.

Trim this into a 2-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ piece.  Set aside.

Then cut another 2-1/2″ strip.

Trim also to 2-1/2″ x 6-1/2″.

Cut another 2-1/2″ strip.

Trim to 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″. Set aside.

One more 2-1/2″ strip.

Trim to 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″. Set aside.

Cut the remaining piece into 2 squares each 2-1/2″. Set aside.

Your piles should look like this. Each piece cut from the square and put back into roughly the same position. There are easier ways to cut these pieces, but for the directional prints, this makes your “rings” of the block look more cohesive.

Also, if you are confident enough to do it without mistakes, feel free to cut up to 4 squares at the same time.
 

Here comes the fun part, you have all the pieces cut out from all the squares (you’ll need at least 41 squares for this quilt), now mix them up.

Keep one “ring” the same, but mix the others by restacking the pieces. Maybe on one stack move the bottom half to the top, another move the top 1/4 to the bottom and move the bottom 1/4 to the top of the last “ring”. Keep the colors the same for each “ring” as shown above.

Time to rev up that sewing machine… Start sewing the lone squares to the square of the next “ring”. Press all seams for the blocks to the newest piece sewn.

* If you have to change a piece due to color, pattern, whatever – change the lone square, NOT the outer “ring”

Then sew to the bottom the companion to the 1st “ring”. Remember to press the seams toward the new piece.

Branching out, time to add the next piece. You will see we will make all of the blocks starting on the side, then sewing on the bottom, then back to the side, etc. etc.

*Remember if you must change a piece due to color, pattern, whatever – change the pieces already sewn, NOT the new “ring”

Then add the companion.

Last color…

And the companion. Yay, you should have at least 41 squares each measuring 8-1/2″ square.

Here’s an option – I was playing with this layout for the quilt, but I didn’t LOVE it… So I tried out this one:

And I liked the faux zig zag effect. I’m sure there are several options out there… Maybe there’s one you’ve thought of I haven’t! Try it out and let me know!

So this is what I decided on, an on point setting with 5 blocks by 5 blocks with all the holes in between filled with more blocks = 41 blocks needed. Now, about those edges…

You will need to cut 2 strips 13″ wide from your side setting fabric. From the first strip cut 3 squares each 13″. From the second strip cut 1 square 13″ and 2 squares  each 7″.

The 13″ squares will be your side setting triangles. Cut each one of these in half twice on the diagonal. (Sorry I was so excited to be making this quilt I forgot a picture! Can you believe it?!)

The 7″ squares will be your corner triangles. Cut these in half once diagonally as shown above.

* Disclaimer – these pieces have just been cut on the bias. Bias is a 4 letter word for a reason. If at all possible, try not to handle these pieces as much as possible once cut. The bias can stretch and go wonky, and that’s just not nice…

For each row, you will need to put on either a corner or side setting triangle to square up the quilt. As you can see the side setting triangles are bigger than the block – this is perfect. Everyone deserves a little wiggle room. Align a cut side with the block paying attention to the correct direction needed for that particular row. Align the cut corner of the triangle with the corner of the block, and just let the rest hang over the edge.

Once all side setting triangles are sewn onto each row, go ahead and sew the rows together. Then you can add the corner triangles.

Pin the center of the block as well as the center of the cut edge of the triangle. Align the pins and sew the pieces together.

Your edges should come out all nice and neat, but if they don’t – the side setting pieces were bigger than needed so you can trim the sides down (remember the wiggle room). If trimming, remember to leave a 1/4″ seam!

Now go ahead and add those borders, here’s what you’ll need:
1st border – cut 7 strips 2-1/2″ wide.
2nd border – cut 8 strips 7-1/2″ wide (if piecing)

And while we’re at it:
Backing – cut into 2 equal pieces 2-1/4 yards each
Binding – cut 9 strips of the width you prefer. I used to like 2-1/2″, then I discovered 2-1/4″ until I fell in love with 2-1/8″. It’s up to you, just cut 9 of them!

This quilt will finish approx. 75″ x 75″. Perfect for those cold winter nights to snuggle on the couch! Isn’t that just huge?! And to think most of it is from a layer cake – Score! Don’t you just LOVE quick projects?!

To soften the appearance of the design, I quilted swirls all over with a flower mimicking the border fabric every once in a while (you can see one to the bottom center)

I love this quilt and so does Paco, my crazy little Chihuahua. I got his seal of approval, but now I’m afraid I’ll have to fight him for it all the time!

Looks like I”m losing that battle already! How is it that a 5 lb. dog can steal all the blankets in my house? It’s a travesty, I swear!

Well, I hope you like this quilt as much as I do and remember that I will have a similar tutorial on how to recreate this design in a miniature using Charm Packs!!! Yay!

Also, don’t forget to enter the giveaway, come on over for your chance to win by clicking here.

Have a great day!

Rebecca Silbaugh

{Ruby Blue Quilting Studio}

Dueling Personalities Quilts

Have you ever had that struggle – you love a Fat Quarter Bundle, but aren’t sure what to do with it??? I have a solution for you – 2 quilts. I absolutely fell in love with the Mirage Batiks when I first saw them. But there was hot pink, lime green and brown… I was puzzled on how to take this luscious bundle and turn it into something cohesive. Then it hit me, why not separate the colors into their own personality and have 2 quilts? Two is always better than one!

I separated these fabrics into a bright quilt and an earth-tone quilt. Yu can split up the fabrics into 2 identical quilts or another way. Maybe one girl likes pink better while the other likes purple? Anyway you choose, 1 simple block will result in 2 quilts!

(Sorry for the blurry picture, it’s been hot and steamy here like in most of the USA as of late!)

For this quilt you will need 1 Fat Quarter Bundle (at least 40 fabrics, I used the Mirage Batik line)

For each quilt you will need:

3 yards background ( I used Kota Nautical #41000 59 and Kota Sweet Off White #41000 20)

3/4 yard binding (I used Kota Nautical #41000 59 and Mirage Marble Solid Brown #4503 35)

4-3/4 yards backing* (I used Mirage Spirals Midnight #4502 25 and Mirage Marble Solid Pear #4503 39)

* This quilt has a pieced back. If you would prefer just a solid backing, you will need 5-1/2 yards of backing.

Separate your Fat Quarters into 2 piles: one for each color style (mine were bright and earth-toned). Wash if you prefer (with these fabrics and the variety of colors within them, I washed the whole bunch using the Color Grabber sheets found in the laundry detergent aisle of your grocery stores – they’re like magic!)

Let’s get ready to cut:

*All seam allowances are 1/4″ unless noted.

* When cutting all Fat Quarters, cut through the selvages. In the pictures below I folded the Fat Quarter in half, folded edge towards me, selvage away from me…

Layout each Fat Quarter on the cutting mat as shown, straighten the left edge aligning your ruler with the fold of the fabric (or right side if you are left-handed) Each Fat Quarter will be cut the same way.

Trim the side leaving a nice clean starting point that is straight and even. 

First trim 2 strips 2-1/2″ wide. Leave these in strips.

Next cut a 4-1/2″ wide strip.

Cut this strip into (2) 4-1/2″ squares.

Lastly, cut a 5″ strip. Then cut this into (4) 5″ squares.

See all of that extra to the right? There is enough there that in case you goof (not that it ever has happened to me), you should be able to cut enough extra pieces. I’ve been there and hate having to scrounge for 1 small piece… But if you don’t goof – all of that can go in your stash!!! Yay for stashes! It’s like a little reward for you…

I used a small corkboard that I had around the house to stack all of my pieces on (it doesn’t let the pieces slip off).

One grouping of brights…

One of more neutrals…

Out of each “background” fabric cut:

(20) 2-1/2″ strips – leave in strips
(10) 5″ strips – cut into (80) 5″ squares

To make the Half Square Triangles for each block, mark the diagonal on one side of each 5″ “background” square.

Pair each marked square with a colored square (blue is the “background” for the brights, off white for the “earth-tones”) Sew 1/4″ from both sides of the drawn line.

Cut along the drawn line.

To reduce bulk when putting the tops together later on, I pressed my seams open on all Half Square Triangles.

There will be a small amount of excess on each unit made. Trim each unit down to a 4-1/2″ square.

This small step makes a HUGE difference later on. To read more about the importance of “Squaring Up” Half Square Triangles with a step-by-step guide, visit this tutorial on my blog here. Repeat for all Half Square Triangles…

Sew each of the 2-1/2″ strips from each Fat Quarter to a 2-1/2″ strip of “background”. Both colored strips will fit on one “background” strip. Press each style to the darker fabrics (for the earth-tone quilt, I pressed to the colors, for the bright quilt I pressed to the background).

Cut each strip set into (16) 2-1/2″ segments.

Pair matching segments, nesting the seams together (the pressed seams should go in opposite directions and meet snuggly together). Sew together until all pieces are paired.

Here’s another tip to reduce bulk: Clip the seam allowance (only the allowance, not the stitching!) in between the 2 seams. If you angle your scissors slightly, you can cut right between them.

Press the seams in the same circular direction as the first pressed seams (they will all go clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on the first seam). Notice mine are different for each quilt. This will make your Four Patches lay nice and flat from here on out!

Now time to make the blocks – Layout (4) Half Square Triangles, (4) Four Patches and (1) Coordinating 4-1/2″ Square as shown.

Sew the block together, first in rows, and then sew the rows together. Each block should measure 12-1/2″ square at this point.

Layout the blocks until you have a pleasing arrangement (5×7 setting – but wait, you have 40 blocks made… :] )

And the contrasting earth-tones…

Remember how I said this had a pieced back? Well, to prepare the pieced back, cut a piece 1-1/3 yards wide, a 12-1/2″ strip and the rest should be around 2-2/3 yards. Cut the first 2 pieces as shown above.

Layout your backing in this manner. The 5 remaining blocks will get sandwiched in between the 12-1/2″ strip. The 1-1/3 yard piece will get sewn back together into one LONG section (make sure the selvages are to the outside of the quilt) and the 2-2/3 yard piece will complete the backing section. Sew these all together and your backing will be slightly larger than the quilt tops (your quilter will LOVE you!)

Layer each quilt, it’s coordinating backing with some batting in the middle for not one, but TWO quilts!

Each quilt will measure 60″ x 84″ prior to washing. Each complete with it’s own personality!

They were blowing in the breeze on the clothesline…

Here’s a look at each one and the pieced backing. It adds an unexpected touch to the quilt that I just love!

So which fabrics would you choose for your personality?

Stop on over at my blog rubybluequilts.blogspot.com to see what else I might have up my sleeve and to chat. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com. I’d love to hear from you and see any pictures of quilts you have made from my tutorials!

Rebecca Silbaugh 

{rubybluequilts.blogspot.com}

Layered Valance

Hey there! It’s Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio, back for another recipe! This time around I have for you a tutorial on how to make your own valances. I was looking for the perfect curtains to match the new paint in my sewing room. And let me tell you, after searching and searching I finally got fed up enough that I decided to make my own. Now I can coordinate my window treatments with any quilts I decide to display. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

One jelly roll (I used Oasis by 3 Sisters – Very Yummy!!!)

One Yard of main fabric for pleated layers (I used #4044 11)

1/4 Yard of an accent fabric (I used the pink #4048 13)

Depending on the size of your windows and the number of valances you would like to make, you may need to alter the amounts of fabric needed. We’ll discuss this more in a minute.

I added some buttons onto my valance where the pleats meet, but you could also add ric rac, pom poms, lace, or any other kind of trim you desire. Applique would be adorable as well!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but this recipe does call for some math (just a smidge, not a bunch). To get started, you will need to measure the hardware for where your valance(s) will hang. First measure the width of the hanger and if it’s a curved piece like mine, you will need to measure the sides too.

Alright, here’s the incy wincy amount of math needed. Take the measurements:
(side x width x side = total width)

For example my window measurements are : 2.5″ x 49″ x 2.5″ = 54″

To calculate how many jelly roll strips you will need, take the total width and divide by 2. (54″ / 2 = 27).
I will need to choose 27 strips to get the width to cover my window.

Take those 27 strips and lay them out until you get a pleasing assortment that mixes the colors. Sew the strips together.

Once sewn, you will need to trim off the selvage edges to make a straight square edge.

Also, trim off 2 strips 5″ wide and set these aside for now.

Fold the remaining strip set in half, right sides together. It should now measure roughly 15″ x the calculated width. Pin the edges if needed.

Sew along the edge stitching all the way to the fold. Repeat for both sides.

Trim the corner. Do not cut through your stitching! Fold the piece inside out and press. If you need to finagle (technical term for fudge) your seams to the edge and pin them in place until you press, you can do so if it helps. Top stitch around all 3 closed edges. Do not topstitch the open side!

From your Main Fabric, cut 2 strips 2.5″ wide and set aside. Cut the remaining fabric into equal halves, approximately 15″ wide x WOF each.

Now, look back at your window measurements – you’ll need those once again. Just a smidgen more of math, promise!

If you have sides to your window hardware, take that measurement and add 1/2″ to it. (2.5″ + .5″ = 3″) Cut a strip the width of this measurement from each of the 2 larger Main Fabric pieces. ( 3″ x 15″).

Then take the straight width measurement of your window and divide by 2. (49″ / 2 = 24.5″). Add 1/2″ to that calculation to get the measurement of the to front pleats needed. (24.5″ + .5″ = 25″) Now cut a segment the length of this measurement from each of your 15″ pieces. (25″ x 15″)

Fold each of the pieces just cut in half right sides together so they’re only 7.5″ x measurements from above. Stitch along the two 7.5″ edges on each piece, trim the corner fabric, turn right sides out and press. Then topstitch as you did with the larger pieces strip segment for each of these pieces. Set aside.

Now cut 2 strips 2.5″ wide from your accent fabric. Sew these two strips together into one long 2.5″ wide strip.

* Depending on your hardware, if you have a decorative end that may be larger than 2″ tall, you may need to adjust this measurement to make sure your valance will fit onto the hardware.

Sew the accent strip onto one of the 5″ wide strips cut from the jelly roll segment. Trim any excess so the accent is the same length as the jelly roll strip.

Fold the strip in half right sides together and only stitch from the seam to the fold. Do this on both ends. Trim the corners, and fold right sides out. While pressing, make sure the un-stitched areas of each end are folded in and pressed to match the sewn areas.

Topstitch only the sewn parts of this piece stitching along the top (folded) edge, the two sides, and stitching in the ditch (along the seam) of the accent fabric. (Stitching in the ditch along the accent fabric seam will form the pocket for the window hardware, don’t forget this step although I missed getting a picture of it somehow, I apologize. I must have just been in the groove and sewing away!)

Now this part is a bit tricky, but just remember to breathe and go slowly. You’ll be fine. Top stitch the folded seams where the arrow shows. You will need to do this for all four seams (2 per end), this will enclose the seams and then your hardware won’t catch on it while you’re attempting to hang your valance.

 Remember those 2.5″ strips from the Main Fabric? Sew those together forming one long 2.5″ strip.

Trim the selvage off one edge and fold over wrong sides together 1/2″ and press. Fold the raw edge into the crease and press again for a double 1/4″ hem. Topstitch the edge as shown. Measure the width of your jelly roll piece to be sure and add .5″. Trim the 2.5″ wide strip to that measurement and fold in the opposite end and topstitch as you did with the first one.

Now comes the fun part. Time to layer! Layout your jelly roll strip with raw edges opposite you.

Next lay the main fabric pleats, 2 larger pieces in the center and 2 smaller pieces on the outsides. Align the raw edges from these with the raw edges of the jelly roll strip.

(If there’s a small gap in between the pieces that’s fine, just don’t overlap these pieces!)

Place the 2.5″ main fabric strip on top of these right side down and pin all the pieces together aligning the edges. Press the 2.5″ main fabric strip up.

Now place the smaller jelly roll and accent piece onto the valance aligning the raw edges and making sure the accent piece is going to be touching the main fabric.

Pin in place and press. The valance is done, but…

Remember that other 5″ strip from back in the beginning? If you have longer curtains you are going to be putting in the same window, you could use this strip for coordinating tie-backs. Press the strip in half wrong sides together.

Open it up to see the crease.

Press one side over to the crease.

Press the opposite side to meet the first at the crease.

Press in half where you originally had it at the crease, enclosing all edges. And pin if needed. Trim in half and topstitch. If you want to fold in the edges to finish them off, do so before topstitching. Or if you have pinking shears, use those to trim the pieces in half to bet the same effect as the jelly roll edges.

One valance, approximately 20″ long and covering the width of your window with pleats at each corner and the center. Add buttons or any other embellishments you’d like before you hang it up, I put a button at each pleat.

This is what it looks like during the day with the sun shining, it almost gives it a stained glass window feel.

Or at night, the colors still show off beautifully.

This is the view of my sewing room where it hangs. Please don’t mind the mess, it’s just a sign of works in progress and once I get the perfect lace curtains, the coordinating tie backs will look wonderful.

I hope you like this recipe and if you have any questions or would like help on how to figure out what you will need to fit your windows, please e-mail me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com.

I also have made some other curtains for my house as of late, so hop on over for tutorials on those and to see what else I might be cooking up at my blog, rubybluequilts.blogspot.com.

As always, I would love to see your version  of this recipe so e-mail it to me and I will post it on my blog or add it to the Moda Bake Shop Flickr Group!

Until next time!

-Rebecca Silbaugh

{Ruby Blue Quilts}

Sew As You Go Scarves

Hey, it’s Rebecca Silbaugh again and I’m back for another batch of baking! This time around I’ll be showing you a great way to use jelly rolls and some fleece for quick scarves. You can create many of these to give as gifts with just one jelly roll!

I don’t know about you, but I live in the Snow Belt and it’s cold here. I don’t leave the house this time of year without a scarf on… so why not make it fun to show off your favorite fabrics?

Come on over to my blog (rubybluequilts.blogspot.com) for other ideas and tutorials, even yummy recipes!

  

* One Jelly Roll

* A minimum of 3/8 yard fleece for EACH scarf

* Matching thread if desired (I used an off white since there are so many colors in the fabrics)

* Usual sewing supplies (scissors, rotary cutter and mat, thread, etc.)

* Two rulers (I’ll explain later)

Alright, let’s bake! Also, keep in mind all stitching will use a 1/4″ seam unless noted otherwise.

 

 For an adult size scarf, trim each of your jelly roll strips into 6 1/2″ segments.

 For a child’s scarf (or a thinner one) trim the jelly roll strips into 4 1/2″ segments.

 Mix up all of the trimmed pieces (one batch per size if you’re making both adult and child sized scarves).

Randomly choose three segments (two for child size) and stitch them together to make a block. These blocks will be used for the horizontal striped blocks in the scarf. Depending on the length and style you choose, this will determine how many blocks you will need to create.

Try and mix the colors and fabric patterns to get a nice assortment. I was making a bunch of scarves, so I made many of these blocks.

The next step is to choose your fleece. Like I said I was making a bunch of these for all of the ladies in my family, so I tried to make each one out of a different color fleece. It helps to roll the fleece selvage to selvage to reduce bulk.

Choose 2 segments and lay them right sides together on the fleece a short distance from the selvage, and centered within the width of the fleece. Sew these together along the right edge starting and stopping your stitching even with the fabric edges. Backstitch (or use a locking stitch if your machine is equipped with one) at the beginning and end of each edge to secure the stitching. Trim back any loose threads once stitched on both the top and bottom.

Fold the fabric on top open and finger press into place. The nice thing about using fleece in this step is it basically acts like a design board so it will grab onto the fabric and no iron pressing needed! You can pin the pieces in place until the next piece is stitched, but it is not necessary.

Add a third piece onto the scarf repeating the steps above.

Now grab one of the blocks made earlier, and line it up with the right edge of the pieces already stitched into place. Make sure the lines of stitching are running perpendicular to the pieces stitched already. Stitch into place. Trim your threads again.

Finger press the block open and continue alternating 3 individual segments and one pieced block (starting and stopping with 3 individual segments). For a normal adult scarf, I would alternate 4 groups of individual segments and 3 pieced blocks.

A child’s scarf is similar at the beginning and ending with 2 individual segments and a smaller block to alternate. Depending on the age and height of the child, I would suggest beginning with a standard of 4 groups of 2 individual segments and alternating with 3 pieced blocks. I would then adjust this to the specific child to determine if it needs to be lengthened or shortened.

Once all of the pieces are stitched onto the fleece, top stitch around all edges to finish off the quilting. Since the other pieces were quilted as you went, there is no additional need to quilt further. However, you may choose to do so. Trim any threads once again.

Since fleece is a polyester material, it may stretch and get “wonky” on you (actually it will). It’s just a matter of how much. That’s why I suggest a minimum of 3/8 yard of fleece per scarf. This allows for slight stretching and will allow for more options in the next steps.

Trim the edges of the scarf however you desire. The one shown in the pictures below was trimmed close on either side and left long for fringe on the ends. You can have fringe on all sides or just three sides if you prefer. Some can be longer, some shorter. It’s up to you. If you wish to trim it close, I suggest leaving at least a 1/4″ of fleece around each edge of fabric.

To trim the fringe, place one ruler along the edge of your fabric (you can line it up with the edge of the fabric, it doesn’t show it here but I did it in other scarves and liked the result better). Match the markings even with the dimensions of the scarf. This will act as your guide/ruler in the next step.

Line up a second ruler even with the first, matching the desired width of fringe cut you would like. For this scarf I cut fringe at each 1/2″ along the edge. Cut with your ruler carefully up to the first, the first will stop your cutter from cutting too far in to the scarf. Just go slow and breathe. Do not rush through this stage.

Keep moving along every mark cutting up to the first ruler. Since your cutter is round, it will not cut all the way to the ruler. My cutter is a 45mm and it left about a 1/2″ uncut gap in front of the first ruler. Obviously a smaller cutter may cut closer, but just be careful.

Separate the fringe and you’re ready to be styling in your new scarf!

 

Depending on the size and length of scarves made, the total you can get out of one jelly roll varies. If you follow the suggested lengths I’ve provided above, you should be able to make 11 adult scarves OR 16 child scarves, OR a combination of the two. I have a few options below…

Emma is showing off a child’s scarf made like I demonstrated above. I only used one individual segment on either end to get the right length for her, and trimmed the edges close leaving the ends long with small fringe.

With Maggie’s, I took another option using the child’s size segments and individually sewing all of them on like a piano key border. For this little fashionista-in-the-making, I cut the fringe with two sizes alternating 1/4″ and 1/2″ cuts on all four sides with all fringe the same length, for a different look from her sister’s.

Claire got a traditional adult scarf using the techniques demonstrated. The ends have a small, thicker fringe and the sides are longer and cut thinner.

Mine is the same as Claire’s with longer fringe around all edges. Pair these up with an adorable hat, some warm gloves, and enjoy the snow while it lasts! (I can’t believe I just said that!)

Add some fashion to your winter wardrobe and make some for family and friends! You have to stay warm, but your style doesn’t need to suffer! Included in the printable instructions is a page with other options and dimensions.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and please e-mail me with any pictures of scarves you’ve made! I’d love to see them and share the photos on my blog. I’m gonna be cooking up a storm, so hop on over to my blog and see what other tutorials and recipes I’ve made.

Rebecca Silbaugh

Ruby Blue Quilting Studio

rubybluequilts@gmail.com

rubybluequilts.blogspot.com

Spun Sugar

Hi all! I know many of you may have the same line of thinking that I do when I see a fabric line that I just adore – I love Jelly Rolls, but they’re too small of a cut for large print fabric. I love charm packs, but sometimes I need more. I LOVE Layer Cakes, but sometimes I just want more (it’s not bad to be greedy over fabric, is it?) And that’s how we come to this, enough love to go around with a Fat Eighth Bundle. You get just enough of the line to LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

With just one Fat Eighth Bundle, a border print, and a Main Backing fabric, you too can make one twin size quilt. No extra binding, no extras of anything else, you get it all and then some out of the Fat Eighth Bundle! Want to see how? Follow along…

* One Fat Eighth Bundle (I used Sugar Pop by Liz Scott)

* 2 yards for Borders (I used #18060 21)

* 4 yards for backing (I used #18064 12)

That’s it, now moving on…

 

Choose 35 Fat Eighths to become the blocks, pieced border and binding. Set 5 Fat Eighths aside to be used in the backing of the quilt. (Try to use whatever fabric you’re using for the backing in the quilt top and the border fabric in the back of the quilt)

*Important note: the following instructions are for the 35 Fat Eighths to be used in the quilt top. Cut each of these pieces exactly the same following the diagram in the top corner of the pictures. The yellow highlighted piece is the one being demonstrated in each photo.

Begin by straightening the edge of the fabric and then cutting a long strip from the side. Cut this piece the length of the fabric and make it as wide as you make your binding strips (usually 2 1/4″-2 1/2″ wide). I’m cutting mine 2 1/4″ wide. Set these aside for now.

Straighten one shorter edge of the fabric and trim two segments 3″ wide from this end.

Cut each segment into two 3″ squares. Keep these in sets of two matching squares.

From the remaining fabric, cut a strip 2 1/2″ wide and one 3 1/2″ wide.

Trim each of these strips into a 9 1/2″ and a 4 1/2″ length.

Keep all four pieces cut in this step together in a set. Put aside for now.

Of the border print, cut six strips 2 1/2″ wide and eight strips 6 1/2″ wide.

Pair contrasting sets of the 3″ squares, creating 35 pairs (one for each block). Remember, contrast is key!

(If you are planning on using an angling tool to make Half Square Triangle blocks – highly recommended – skip the next step)

Otherwise for each paired set mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the lighter fabric squares. (I forgot to take pictures of these steps – sorry. But, for a how to guide on Half Square Triangles visit my blog and read my tutorial on how to accurately make Half Square Triangles step by step).

Match two of the contrasting squares from each set (one light, one dark) right sides together and sew 1/4″ from both sides of the drawn line (or use the angling tool for this step)

Cut along the drawn line or from corner to corner. Press to the darker fabric. Continue to keep the sets together.

Each Half Square Triangle unit should measure 2 1/2″ square. If they do, “square” or “true up” your piecing.

Sew together two of the Half Square Triangles from each set as shown above. Repeat for all of the sets, making two identically sewn pairs. Press the seam in the same direction as the other seams.

Rotate one of the pairs from the set and nestle the seams together.

Pin to secure the piece and stitch together.

Cut a slit in the center of the seam allowance (not through the stitching) and press the seams all circling in the same direction. This will help your block lay nice and flat and reduce bulk in the process. Repeat these steps to make all 35 pinwheels.

Match each of the pinwheel blocks with a set of the last four cut pieces from each Fat Eighth. Remember once again, contrast is key!

Stitch a 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ piece on one side of the pinwheel and a 3 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ piece on the opposite side. Press away from the pinwheel.

Sew a 2 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ on one side of the block and a 3 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ piece on the opposite side. Once again press away from the pinwheel. Make all 35 blocks the same.

Layout all blocks until you have the colors balanced in a way that is pleasing to you.

Begin twisting the blocks so the pinwheel is anchored in a corner. The arrows above show which corner the pinwheel should be anchored in. (This way, there are virtually no seams to line up besides the ones created when sewing each block together. It is VERY forgiving if you should happen to make a mistake…not that it ever happens…) If you notice, every other block is anchored in the same corner.

Sew on the first border consisting of the 2 1/2″ strips cut earlier.

Choose 13 of the long strips cut and set aside earlier from the Fat Eighths to be used for the next border. Cut each of these strips into two or three random lengths.

I then threw mine into a clean paper bag and randomly drew them out one at a time to sew into one long chain.

The chain will be quite long. Press all of the seams in one direction.

If you sew this border onto the quilt always with the seam towards you (like in the picture above) you will not have to worry about the seam flipping positions on you and it will make it much easier to attach the next border.

Sew this pieced border onto the quilt, one side at a time.

Sew the last border onto the quilt using the 6 1/2″ wide strips cut earlier.

Remember these five fabrics we set aside at the beginning? Now it’s their turn to be used. Trim these prints (like the border strips) into random lengths anywhere from 9″ x 9″ – 9″ x 15″ or so. Also trim the backing fabric into two equal length pieces approximately 72″.

Sew the random pieces into another large pieced strip. Trim this strip to match the length of the larger backing pieces. (measure to get it exact or really close)

Sew the pieced strip in between the two backing pieces. Press away from the pieced strip.

With 16 of the remaining long strips from each Fat Eighth, stitch these together to make yourself a scrappy binding to match the quilt. Press the length of the strip in half, wrong sides together making one really long strip.

Quilt however your heart desires, this is what I happened to do on mine. Attach your binding and…

Voila! One absolutely adorable (or handsome if made for a guy) twin size quilt!

Complete with a pieced back to add a little flair. (You either have to add this pieced strip in the back or get an additional piece for backing as 4 yards will not be enough, but once you see this, why wouldn’t you want to add the pieced strip in? Plus you already have the fabric for it in the Fat Eighth Bundle!)

You can see how using the strips in many parts of the quilt ties it all together.

And the quilting just finishes it off.

Wouldn’t this just be perfect for a growing kid?


Stop by my blog and say hi! or e-mail me if you have any questions about this tutorial. I’d love to see any pictures of your version of this quilt. You can e-mail them to me and I’ll post them on my blog or you can add them to the Moda Bake Shop group on Flickr. Until next time!

Rebecca Silbaugh

Ruby Blue Quilting Studio
{rubybluequilts.blogspot.com}

Blissful Confection

I’m feeling a little scrappy, how about you? I love using layer cakes to achieve a quick lap size quilt without the fuss of collecting a bunch of different fabrics. One layer cake, a couple borders, and voila! All the look I love of a scrappy quilt, with just a portion of the work. This will look great with any fabric line, but will especially shine with lines that have larger prints, like Bliss. Remember to be scrappy, have fun with it, and enjoy!

1 Bliss layer cake
1/2 yard: 1st border
1-1/4 yards: 2nd border
4 yards: backing
2/3 yard: binding          

Begin by separating the squares into 4 piles, one for each of the cutting instructions that follow. Make sure you have a nice mix of each color in each of the piles.

Cut 8 cakes into 8″ squares.

Trim 14 cakes into 9 pieces each (3″ squares).

Trim 10 cakes into a 5-1/2″ strip and a 3″ strip. Cut each of these strips into a 5-1/2″ segment and a 3″ segment.

Cut the last 10 cakes into a 3″ strip and a 5-1/2″ strip. Cut the 3″ strip into 3 squares 3″ x 3″. Cut the 5-1/2″ strip into a 5-1/2″ square and a 3″ segment.

Cut the first border fabric into 6 strips 2-1/2″ wide.

Cut the large border fabric into 7 strips 5-1/2″ wide.

Separate all of the cut pieces into piles for each size. Feel free to mix the colors within each pile (or you can do my favorite thing – shake up each pile in a paper bag – one for each size)

* You do not need to do anything with the 8″ squares. Set these aside for now until you layout the quilt top.

For block 2, randomly select three 3″ squares. Sew these together in a chain. Make 42 chained units.

Sew 3 chained units together, creating a block. Make 14.

For block 3, sew a 3″ x 5-1/2″ segment onto a 5-1/2″ square. Remember it’s random! Make 10 of these block halves.

Stitch a 3″ square on the end of a 3″ x 5-1/2″ segment. Make 10.

Pair the two block halves together matching seams. You should now have 10 of these blocks.

Block 4 will begin by sewing a 3″ x 5-1/2″ segment onto a 5-1/2″ square. Make 10 of these groupings.

Once again, randomly pick three 3″ squares and piece them together in a chain. Make 10 chains.

Sew the two units together to create the last 10 blocks.

Layout the top, twisting and turning the blocks as you go.

Add the borders. Then quilt, bind, and enjoy!

One nice lap sized quilt finishing 59″ x 67″. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. For more ideas like this one, stop on over at my blog {rubybluequilts.blogspot.com}. I’d love to see what you’re working on and to show you what else I have been up to. Also, I’m having a little giveaway at the moment so stop by and enter to win!

Rebecca Silbaugh
Ruby Blue Quilting Studio

Charmed Living Runner

Hi all! I’m Rebecca Silbaugh from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio. I’m pleased to introduce you to my Charmed Living Runner design. This is my first project for the Moda Bake Shop (Thanks Moda!) and I could be more excited to share it with you. It’s a great project to make for you or as a gift. With the variety of charm packs available, you can make this out of any fabric and it will look spectacular. Also included are optional applique instructions. Feel free to change the applique to suit your fabrics or leave it out entirely.

I hope you enjoy this pattern and have as much fun making one as I have. For more information on who I am and what other patterns I have designed, please check out my blog at rubybluequilts.blogspot.com. Also, for wholesale inquiries or more information on where my patterns are sold, please e-mail me at RubyBlueQuilts@gmail.com.

* 1 Moda charm pack
* Backing – 3/4 Yard
* Binding – 1/4 Yard

If you decide to add an applique embellishment to your table runner you will need:
* 16″ square scrap for the flower petals
* 4″ square scrap for the large flower center
* 2″ x 4″ scrap for the small flower center
* 6″ square scrap for the leaves
* 1 Yard Green 1/2″ ricrac for flower stems
* Threads to match

Begin by separating each of the charm squares into piles. There will be a pile for each piece that will need to be cut. This is a good planning step to make sure you distribute the colors.

You will need one pile with 3 squares, one with 18 squares, one with 11 squares, and one with 8 squares. Keep in mind it might be helpful to use smaller prints in the pile with 11 squares since they will be cut the smallest.

Cut each of the 3 squares from the first pile into 4 equal 2-1/2″ squares.

Trim the next 18 squares to 5″ x 4-1/2″ pieces. Re-trim each of these into 2 pieces measuring 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″.

Cut the next 11 squares into 9 pieces, 1-1/2″ square each.

Cut last 8 squares into 2 pieces each: 1-1/2″ x 5″ and 3-1/2″ x 5″. All of these pieces will be used in the borders. Set them aside for now.

Pair together two 1-1/2″ squares at random, designating one as a “light” and one as a “dark”. Make 48 pairs pressing the seam to the “dark”.

Match two of the pairs shown above. Offset the “darks” to create a scrappy four patch. Do this for all pairs, creating a total or 24 four patches.

Sew a 2-1/2″ square to the side of a four patch. Make 12.

Sew a 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ strip along the bottom of each of the 12 units from above.

Stitch another 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ strip along the side of each block being made.

Sew each of the remaining four patches onto the end of a 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ piece. Make 12.

Sew the strip segment made above along the bottom of the block. Repeat this step for all 12 blocks. Each block should measure 6-1/2″ square.

Stitch all of the blocks together in a 3 x 4 setting, rotating blocks as you lay them out.

Pair each of the border pieces (set aside earlier). Alternate fabrics, designating one as the “dark” like we did making the four patches earlier. Four small pieces need to be “darks” and four of the bigger pieces need to be “darks”. Press seams toward the “darks”.

Alternate the small and large “dark” pieces by sewing 4 units together side to side. Make 2 borders. Each border should measure 4-1/2″ x 18-1/2″.

Stitch the borders along both ends of the runner. At this point you can choose to embellish the runner with applique or leave as is.

This is the same runner once the applique has been added.

Here’s a close up of the applique along the bordered edge of the runner. Now all that’s left is to quilt and bind! Quilt as elaborate or simple as you like (I usually “over-quilt” my table runners in case I want to set “stuff” on it. It seems to help the “stuff” from being wobbly. Less wiggle room!)

One table runner measuring 18″ x 32″, perfect for anyone! It’s so quick and easy I can promise you that once you’ve made one, you’ll want to make more! For color options of this pattern, please visit my blog at rubybluequilts.blogspot.com.

If you create one of these incredible table runners, please e-mail me at RubyBlueQuilts@gmail.com and I will post your picture on my blog! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed my tutorial!