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| Machine Sewn Hexagons |
Below, you will find a tutorial for sewing whole hexagons by machine.
This is also part 2 of the Oblongagonalong Quilt Along instructions.
Full post: Sewn Hexagons
45 Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns
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| Jelly Roll Quilts |
If you've ever succumbed to the temptation of a jelly roll (and we're not talking about donuts), you're probably in need of some creative jelly roll quilt ideas to use up all those 2-1/2" strips you have been collecting! You'll find tons of projects you haven't thought of yet in this collection of 45+ Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns.
Full Post: Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns
Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns
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| Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns |
Jelly roll quilts are easy to make and stitch together in a flash. Here are a few of my favorite free patterns to help you stitch up a storm.
Full Post: Jelly Roll Quilt
The American Spirit Quilt - Free Pattern
The quilt has 12 blocks, each twelve inches square, with a three inch border. Finished size is
42x54 For a larger quilt you can make additional blocks or add different borders to expand it.
There are 2 star blocks, 4 striped blocks, 2 cross blocks, 2 tower blocks and 2 butterfly blocks.
All except the butterfly blocks can be cut and assembled from simple strips and squares. The
butterfly block pattern is included for paper piecing. If you prefer to use conventional piecing,
copy the block diagrams and add 1/4 seam allowance around each finished size area.
Use red and red prints, blue or blue prints, white or white on white prints and gold/yellow as the
main colors. The towers can be of a wide variety of colors.
Cutting and sewing instructions:
For the four Striped Blocks:
Cut eight pieces of red or red print 4 1/2 x 12 1/2. Hint: If you cut the strips 13 long and trim
the finished blocks, you won’t have to worry about getting each exactly lined up.
Cut four pieces 4 1/2 x 12 1/2 of white or white on white print.
For each block, sew red, white, red together along the long sides. Trim to 12 1/2 square.
Make four.
For the two Star Blocks:
Cut eight squares 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 of white or white on white print.
Cut four squares 4 1.2 x 4 1/2 of blue or blue print
Cut four squares 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 of white or white on white print and cut in half diagonally
Cut four squares 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 of blue or blue print and cut in half diagonally
Sew one triangle of white to one triangle of blue sewing along the diagonal using a scant 1/4:
seam allowance. Trim to 4 1/2 square. Repeat to make 8 total.
Assemble nine-patch as follows (refer to diagram for proper placement of the blue/white blocks):
Top row: white, blue/white, white.
Middle row: blue/white, blue. blue/white
Bottom row: white, blue/white, white
Make two nine patch star blocks.
For the Tower Blocks
Cut six pieces 2 1/2 x 12 1/2 of white or white on white. (note: you might want to start with
13 strips and trim them later).
Cut 74 pieces each 1 1/4 x 3 1/2 from multi-colored fabrics. We chose a variety of colors and
prints to symbolize the many different nationalities and ethnic groups affected by the tragedies of
September 11.
Sew 16 pieces together along the 3 1/2 side to make a strip 12 1/2 long. When selecting colors,
just make sure that the end colors are different on each, so your don’t get two floors of the
same color touching where the blocks meet. Repeat tower segments.
Sew the blocks together white, tower, white, tower, white, sewing along the long sides to form
blocks 12 1/2 square.
For the two Cross Blocks:
Cut eight pieces 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 of red or red print
Cut four pieces 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 of blue or blue print
Cut two pieces 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 of white or white on white
Cut four squares 3 7/8 x 3 7/8 of blue or blue print. Cut in half diagonally.
Cut four squares 3 7/8 x 3 7/8 of white or white on white. Cut in half diagonally.
Assemble as follows:
Part A
Stitch long red strip to long blue strip to white strip to blue strip to red strip.
Part B
Stitch one blue triangle to one white triangle using scant 1/4 seam, sewing along the diagonal.
Make four for each block (8 total)
Part C
Stitch one blue/white to the short end of one red strip. Stitch another blue/white to the other
short end of the red strip. (Check the diagram for proper placement of the blue/white squares
the goal is to put the blue in the outside corners of the block.)
Stitch one Part C vertically to the side of Part A. Refer to diagram.
Stitch one Part C vertically to the other side of Part A.
Make two of these blocks. You can use the center white section to write something a date,
your name, the name of someone or an organization you want to honor, a prayer. We recommend
using a Pigma Pen and pressing to heat set it. You may want to do the writing before you assemble the block, in case you want to change the written portion.
For the two butterfly blocks, use the paper piecing pattern. Make two. If you prefer conventional
piecing, make templates from the finish lines on the paper piecing diagrams and add 1/4 seam
allowances. There are four six inch sections. Assemble them as shown in the diagram.
These paper piecing patterns each make a six inch block. Assemble the four to make one butterfly
block. You will need to make two butterfly blocks for the quilt. The Gold or Yellow is the
background fabric used in all four segments. The top wings are shown in the diagram as a blue
and gold print.
For the two Star Blocks:
Cut eight squares 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 of white or white on white print.
Cut four squares 4 1.2 x 4 1/2 of blue or blue print
Cut four squares 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 of white or white on white print and cut in half diagonally
Cut four squares 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 of blue or blue print and cut in half diagonally
Sew one triangle of white to one triangle of blue sewing along the diagonal using a scant 1/4:
seam allowance. Trim to 4 1/2 square. Repeat to make 8 total.
Assemble nine-patch as follows (refer to diagram for proper placement of the blue/white blocks):
Top row: white, blue/white, white.
Middle row: blue/white, blue. blue/white
Bottom row: white, blue/white, white
Make two nine patch star blocks.
For the Tower Blocks
Cut six pieces 2 1/2 x 12 1/2 of white or white on white. (note: you might want to start with
13 strips and trim them later).
Cut 74 pieces each 1 1/4 x 3 1/2 from multi-colored fabrics. We chose a variety of colors and
prints to symbolize the many different nationalities and ethnic groups affected by the tragedies of
September 11.
Sew 16 pieces together along the 3 1/2 side to make a strip 12 1/2 long. When selecting colors,
just make sure that the end colors are different on each, so your don’t get two floors of the
same color touching where the blocks meet. Repeat tower segments.
Sew the blocks together white, tower, white, tower, white, sewing along the long sides to form
blocks 12 1/2 square.
For the two Cross Blocks:
Cut eight pieces 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 of red or red print
Cut four pieces 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 of blue or blue print
Cut two pieces 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 of white or white on white
Cut four squares 3 7/8 x 3 7/8 of blue or blue print. Cut in half diagonally.
Cut four squares 3 7/8 x 3 7/8 of white or white on white. Cut in half diagonally.
Assemble as follows:
Part A
Stitch long red strip to long blue strip to white strip to blue strip to red strip.
Part B
Stitch one blue triangle to one white triangle using scant 1/4 seam, sewing along the diagonal.
Make four for each block (8 total)
Part C
Stitch one blue/white to the short end of one red strip. Stitch another blue/white to the other
short end of the red strip. (Check the diagram for proper placement of the blue/white squares
the goal is to put the blue in the outside corners of the block.)
Stitch one Part C vertically to the side of Part A. Refer to diagram.
Stitch one Part C vertically to the other side of Part A.
Make two of these blocks. You can use the center white section to write something a date,
your name, the name of someone or an organization you want to honor, a prayer. We recommend
using a Pigma Pen and pressing to heat set it. You may want to do the writing before you assemble the block, in case you want to change the written portion.
For the two butterfly blocks, use the paper piecing pattern. Make two. If you prefer conventional
piecing, make templates from the finish lines on the paper piecing diagrams and add 1/4 seam
allowances. There are four six inch sections. Assemble them as shown in the diagram.
block. You will need to make two butterfly blocks for the quilt. The Gold or Yellow is the
background fabric used in all four segments. The top wings are shown in the diagram as a blue
and gold print.
Assemble the quilt as follows:
Top Row from left: Star, Stripes, Stripes
Second row: Cross, Towers, Butterfly
Third row: Butterfly, Towers, Cross
Fourth row: Stripes, Stripes, Star
Add three inch borders of blue or blue print. You can miter the corners or do straight pieces.
For a three inch border cut two pieces, 3 1/2 x 42 1/2, and two pieces 3 1/2 x 48 1/2.
Sew the 48 1/2 pieces to the two long sides of the quilt. Sew the 42 1/2 pieces to the top and
bottom. For mitered corners, add three inches to each length of border fabric.
Add batting, backing, quilt or tie, then bind.
Folded Hexagon Stars - Tutorial
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| Folded Hexagon Stars |
Learn how to create stunning Folded Hexagon Stars with this comprehensive tutorial and get a free pattern to make your own unique creations. These versatile hexagons can be assembled to form a beautiful centerpiece mat, a practical table runner, or a cozy lap quilt. For the table runner, you can incorporate Insul-Bright and cotton wadding, allowing you to safely place hot plates on the runner without damaging your table. However, if you're making a lap quilt, you won't need Insul-Bright. To access the free pattern PDF file, simply follow the link below. Happy Quilting!
Full post: Folded Hexagon Stars
Spiral Block Tutorial
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| The Photo by © Karen - The Recipe Bunny |
The spiral block is a simple but elegant design that you can create with some basic cutting and sewing skills. You can find a detailed tutorial with all the measurements and instructions at the link below. This block is perfect for adding some movement and interest to your quilts. I hope you have fun making it.
Full post: Spiral Block
Teeny Tiny Zipper Pouches - Free Pattern
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| Teeny Tiny Zipper Pouches |
This quilt tutorial is available for free...
Full post: Teeny Tiny Zipper Pouches
Butterfly Inspired Quilt - Step by Step
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| Butterfly Inspired Quilt |
This quilt Step by Step is available for the family ever after blog
Full post: Butterfly Inspired Quilt
Scrap Jar Stars - Tutorial
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| Scrap Jar Stars |
I'm a big fan of upcycling and transforming old stuff into new treasures. I think it's a great way to save money and be creative at the same time. That's why I was so excited to make these adorable little stars from my scrap fabric stash. I named them my Scrap Jar Stars because they look like they came out of a jar of colorful candies.
Full post: Scrap Jar Stars
Salt Air Lattice Quilt - Tutorial
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| Ų„Salt Air Lattice Quilt |
This quilt tutorial is available for free...
Full post: Salt Air Lattice Quilt
Winter Blues Table Runner - Free Quilt Tutorial
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| The photo above © Sandi - A Legacy of Stitches |
For this tutorial, I began with a pile of mostly blue and white snowflake/snowman themed fabrics. I keep them in a fabric covered box with a lid. I have this thing about "color-coding". The navy fabric with snowflakes that you see in the background is what the box is covered in and so when I want my snow-themed fabrics, I just grab that box. Same for Valentine fabrics which are in a box covered with heart print fabric, St. Pat's in green and so on.
From the fabrics you see in the photo above, I chose several that were in the same blue colorway. Isn't it amazing how there can be so many "color-ways" in fabrics? Blue is blue until you are looking for just a certain blue and then you find you have almost none of it in your stash. This usually means a trip to the fabric store.............but not for this project. I was determined to make it only from fabrics I had in my sewing room stash!
Here are the requirements for this project.....
FABRIC:
1/2 yard fabric that will be your borders and the backing fabric plus miscellaneous fabric scraps for the center block and side panels. Left-over bits from charm packs and jelly rolls work well for this project. Left-over 12-1/2" blocks can also be used for the center of this table runner!
SUPPLIES:
Coordinating thread
Batting 17" x 30" - This can be scraps left over from a larger project and any batting will work. I personally like either Warm and Natural or Quilter's Dream Poly for table runners.
TOOLS:
Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler.
Scissors
and your Sewing Machine!
Once you have selected your fabrics, you can begin to cut. Feel free to change your mind and switch fabrics if needed. I did!
I had always liked the blue and white glittery plaid that you see on the left, so I chose it for my borders. I liked the fat quarter that had those big snowflakes on it but had never found a project that could use them. I found a few other snowflake prints and I was ready to go.
Cut the following pieces:
For the center block, cut four 6-1/2" white squares and sixteen 2" squares of blue fabric.
Cut sixteen 2" x 5" strips in assorted fabrics for your side panels.
Cut the following strips from the fabric that will be used for borders.
Cut 4 strips that measure 2-1/2" x 12-1/2"
Cut 2 strips that measure 2-1/2" x 29-1/2"
Note: at this time, you may also cut your backing piece which will measure 16-1/2" x 29-1/2"
Step 1. Sew the 2" blue squares to the corner of each 6-1/2" white square. Look closely at the photo and you will see that you sew across the square so that a corner triangle is formed.
Step 2. Fold blue fabric back to corner to create a "Snowball" block. Press.
Step 3. Place your four blocks together and make sure your corner triangles will match up fairly closely. :-)
Step 4. Sew the two top "Snowball" blocks together, then sew the two bottom "Snowball" blocks together. Seams on this project are 1/4". Press the seam open on each of these sections. Then sew top section to bottom section and again, press seams open.
The photo above shows how the seams look when pressed open. This makes for nicer quilting when the project is finished. I generally press seams open on small projects as they lay flatter and quilt so much easier this way.
Step 5. Lay out the side strips in a design that pleases you. I had originally chosen to alternate four fabrics, but found I needed another lighter fabric. Sew the strips together into two strips with eight 2 x 5" strips in each side panel. Press seams open on these strips, too.
Step 6. Your center block and side panel strips are complete. It's time to add the borders/sashing. Lay out the pieces and make sure you like the placement of all your fabrics.
Step 7. Pin a 2 x 12-1/2" strip to each side of your center square. Then stitch in place. Remove pins and press. At this point, I now press the seam away from the center block.
Step 8. Pin side panels to the strip that you just stitched to the center square. Stitch and press. Then pin remaining 2 x 12-1/2" strips to edge of side panels. Stitch and press.
Step 9. All that remains to create the table runner top is to add the top and bottom borders/sashing. Pin and stitch the top strip in place. Then pin and stitch the bottom strip. Press and your top is complete.
Step 10. Place the pressed table runner quilt top on your batting. My preferred method is to use Quilt Basting Spray so that my top does not move around when quilting.
If you double-click and enlarge this photo, I believe you can see that I also stitched around the edge of the quilt top. In this case it is so that I will stitch along the same line in this plaid fabric. At this point, I'll share that as much as I loved that fabric, it was awful to work with. It was not "on the straight-of-grain" and I had a hard time getting pieces that aren't skewed. I thought I had all straight pieces and had cut two diagonally and two horizontally when cutting the 2 x 12-1/2" strips. Then I discovered that the plaid squares aren't quite square so I had to use a piece that is skewed on the right side border.
Pinning and sewing on the straight line as much as possible helped this project come out a little better than it was looking mid-way through the stitching process.
Step 11. I used white muslin for the backing. I wanted to use blue fabric, but there was no length of the "right blue" in my stash so I opted for white. Sometimes I sew pieces together to create a backing but I wanted a solid backing for this piece. Place the backing fabric over the top of your finished table runner top. Pin and then stitch around almost the entire perimeter of the table runner, leaving a 6" opening on one side. I like to leave my openings on the bottom edge of any project.
Step 12. With the table runner pieces sewn together, it's time to turn the table runner "inside-out" or is it "outside-in"? :-) Anyway, you know what I mean. I use my Purple Thang, a little tool that I bought several years ago and am so glad that I did! If you do not have one, check your local quilt shop and see if they carry them. It's a great little tool!
Step 13. When the table runner is completely turned out, press carefully and then slipstitch the opening closed.
Step 14. Time for a little quilting. You can do this by hand or machine. I like these extra long pins when I'm quilting small projects. They make the piece lie flat which makes stitching easy.
You can see in the photo, that I am "stitching-in-the-ditch". I chose to do that on the side panels because I really liked the fabrics and wasn't sure I wanted them covered by lots of stitching. In the photo below, you can see that I "stitched-in-the-ditch" around the center square and then I stitched just inside the edge on each of the "Snowball" blocks. It's all done but I may go back and add some hand-quilting in a silvery thread. I'm thinking some curly-Q stitches over the side panels and maybe some snowflakes in the "Snowball" blocks.
I'm going to leave it just as it is right now, because my "winter blues" have been stitched away and because Minnie says she's ready for a nap and wants to use it. I can let her borrow it for a bit because she was so thoughtful to never say a word when I got upset over that skewed plaid fabric. LOL!
FABRIC:
1/2 yard fabric that will be your borders and the backing fabric plus miscellaneous fabric scraps for the center block and side panels. Left-over bits from charm packs and jelly rolls work well for this project. Left-over 12-1/2" blocks can also be used for the center of this table runner!
SUPPLIES:
Coordinating thread
Batting 17" x 30" - This can be scraps left over from a larger project and any batting will work. I personally like either Warm and Natural or Quilter's Dream Poly for table runners.
TOOLS:
Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler.
Scissors
and your Sewing Machine!
Once you have selected your fabrics, you can begin to cut. Feel free to change your mind and switch fabrics if needed. I did!
I had always liked the blue and white glittery plaid that you see on the left, so I chose it for my borders. I liked the fat quarter that had those big snowflakes on it but had never found a project that could use them. I found a few other snowflake prints and I was ready to go.
Cut the following pieces:
For the center block, cut four 6-1/2" white squares and sixteen 2" squares of blue fabric.
Cut sixteen 2" x 5" strips in assorted fabrics for your side panels.
Cut the following strips from the fabric that will be used for borders.
Cut 4 strips that measure 2-1/2" x 12-1/2"
Cut 2 strips that measure 2-1/2" x 29-1/2"
Note: at this time, you may also cut your backing piece which will measure 16-1/2" x 29-1/2"
Step 1. Sew the 2" blue squares to the corner of each 6-1/2" white square. Look closely at the photo and you will see that you sew across the square so that a corner triangle is formed.
Step 2. Fold blue fabric back to corner to create a "Snowball" block. Press.
Step 3. Place your four blocks together and make sure your corner triangles will match up fairly closely. :-)
Step 4. Sew the two top "Snowball" blocks together, then sew the two bottom "Snowball" blocks together. Seams on this project are 1/4". Press the seam open on each of these sections. Then sew top section to bottom section and again, press seams open.
The photo above shows how the seams look when pressed open. This makes for nicer quilting when the project is finished. I generally press seams open on small projects as they lay flatter and quilt so much easier this way.
Step 5. Lay out the side strips in a design that pleases you. I had originally chosen to alternate four fabrics, but found I needed another lighter fabric. Sew the strips together into two strips with eight 2 x 5" strips in each side panel. Press seams open on these strips, too.
Step 6. Your center block and side panel strips are complete. It's time to add the borders/sashing. Lay out the pieces and make sure you like the placement of all your fabrics.
Step 7. Pin a 2 x 12-1/2" strip to each side of your center square. Then stitch in place. Remove pins and press. At this point, I now press the seam away from the center block.
Step 8. Pin side panels to the strip that you just stitched to the center square. Stitch and press. Then pin remaining 2 x 12-1/2" strips to edge of side panels. Stitch and press.
Step 9. All that remains to create the table runner top is to add the top and bottom borders/sashing. Pin and stitch the top strip in place. Then pin and stitch the bottom strip. Press and your top is complete.
Step 10. Place the pressed table runner quilt top on your batting. My preferred method is to use Quilt Basting Spray so that my top does not move around when quilting.
If you double-click and enlarge this photo, I believe you can see that I also stitched around the edge of the quilt top. In this case it is so that I will stitch along the same line in this plaid fabric. At this point, I'll share that as much as I loved that fabric, it was awful to work with. It was not "on the straight-of-grain" and I had a hard time getting pieces that aren't skewed. I thought I had all straight pieces and had cut two diagonally and two horizontally when cutting the 2 x 12-1/2" strips. Then I discovered that the plaid squares aren't quite square so I had to use a piece that is skewed on the right side border.
Pinning and sewing on the straight line as much as possible helped this project come out a little better than it was looking mid-way through the stitching process.
Step 11. I used white muslin for the backing. I wanted to use blue fabric, but there was no length of the "right blue" in my stash so I opted for white. Sometimes I sew pieces together to create a backing but I wanted a solid backing for this piece. Place the backing fabric over the top of your finished table runner top. Pin and then stitch around almost the entire perimeter of the table runner, leaving a 6" opening on one side. I like to leave my openings on the bottom edge of any project.
Step 12. With the table runner pieces sewn together, it's time to turn the table runner "inside-out" or is it "outside-in"? :-) Anyway, you know what I mean. I use my Purple Thang, a little tool that I bought several years ago and am so glad that I did! If you do not have one, check your local quilt shop and see if they carry them. It's a great little tool!
Step 13. When the table runner is completely turned out, press carefully and then slipstitch the opening closed.
Step 14. Time for a little quilting. You can do this by hand or machine. I like these extra long pins when I'm quilting small projects. They make the piece lie flat which makes stitching easy.
You can see in the photo, that I am "stitching-in-the-ditch". I chose to do that on the side panels because I really liked the fabrics and wasn't sure I wanted them covered by lots of stitching. In the photo below, you can see that I "stitched-in-the-ditch" around the center square and then I stitched just inside the edge on each of the "Snowball" blocks. It's all done but I may go back and add some hand-quilting in a silvery thread. I'm thinking some curly-Q stitches over the side panels and maybe some snowflakes in the "Snowball" blocks.
I'm going to leave it just as it is right now, because my "winter blues" have been stitched away and because Minnie says she's ready for a nap and wants to use it. I can let her borrow it for a bit because she was so thoughtful to never say a word when I got upset over that skewed plaid fabric. LOL!
Happy sewing!
Fold'n Stitch Leaf Topper Pattern
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| Fold'n Stitch Leaf Topper |
This Quilt pattern is available to download
Download Pattern: Fold'n Stitch Leaf Topper
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