Table of contents for September/October 2018 in Modern Patchwork

AT THIS MOMENT, I HAVE FIVE QUILTS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF “DONE-NESS” IN OPPOSITE CORNERS OF MY SEWING STUDIO. One is folded and put away in my storage cabinet. It is a fully pieced art quilt—intensely colored in blues, greens, and yellows—and is destined for a local exhibition. Destined, that is, as long as it is quilted and bound within the next two weeks. Another is a scrap quilt with lots of low-volume prints receding into the background, paired with my favorite bold and bright modern fabrics in the foreground. That quilt top has been itching to be basted for over a year. I even set aside the backing fabric, but then forgot what it was for and sliced into it for another project. Two more tops are partially pieced…

■ Say It Out Loud—I announced my plans to make the quilt on my blog, Leland Ave Studios, and on my Instagram account. When I got stuck, I shared my struggles and found support from the online quilting community. They encouraged me to keep working and not to give up. ■ Seek Guidance—Journaling and meditation were a consistent part of my creative practice. I wrote about my process and used the time for reflection to encourage myself to keep going even when I was unsure if I knew how to finish it. ■ Release Control—While I hoped the finished quilt would resemble the image of Lincoln on which it was based, I committed to the improvisational process rather than a perfect reproduction. I reminded myself to focus on the journey…

Ahh, linen. It brings back memories of that fabulous summer dress that turned into a wretched wad of wrinkles the minute you sat down. What would any self-respecting quilter want with linen? As it turns out, quilters are turning to it in droves. The fabric sold as “linen” in quilt shops is generally a blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton—and it seems to have inherited the best qualities of both natural fibers. What is linen made from? Pure linen is made from the stem fibers of the flax plant. As a fabric, linen both absorbs and releases moisture quickly, making it ideal for warm, humid days. Since the garments feel light and airy, linen is a traditional choice for summer shirts and dresses. However, because of the poor elasticity…

A well-made binding will protect the edges of your quilt, add to the overall design, and make it last longer. The following technique is for creating a French-fold binding, also known as a double-fold binding. PREPARE THE BINDING 1. Measure the perimeter of your quilt and add approximately 24". The additional length will accommodate the mitered corners and the finished ends of the binding, and give you a few inches to spare. 2. Cut enough 2 ¼ "-wide strips to equal the desired length. 3. Join the strips together using diagonal seams. To do this, place two strips, right sides together at right angles. The area where the strips overlap forms a square. Sew diagonally across the square. Trim the excess fabric ¼ " from the seam line and press…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 72" × 72" Finished Blocks: 36 (12") blocks 16–20 fat quarters* in a variety of blues (or scraps or a mix of both) for the block center 16–20 fat quarters in a variety of neutrals (or scraps or a mix of both) for the background NOTE: If not making a scrappy background, use 2½ yards of white or off-white. ⅝ yard binding (or scrappy binding to equal 300") 4 ½ yards backing Full-size batting Fabric-safe marker 12 ½ " square ruler * Fat quarter = 18" × 20" Fabric yardage requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. The deep blue prints and low volume neutrals in your fabric collection don’t need to languish: put them to good use with this charming and simple improv quilt. Made with the…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 42" × 54" ⅜ yard of3blueslight (Prairie Sky), medium dark (Pacific), and dark (Prussian) for strip sets ½ yard medium light blue (Astral) for strip sets and pieced binding ⅜ yard of3orangeslight (Papaya), medium light (School Bus), and dark (Flame) for strip sets ½ yard medium dark orange (Kumquat) for strip sets and pieced binding 1 yard white ½ yard for binding (For pieced binding as shown, no yardage is required.) 2 ¾ yards backing Twin-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are Kona® Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Color names are in parentheses. Inspired by Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s woven piecing techniques in her book MODERN QUILT MAGIC, this quilt features strip sets of color to create…

Curved piecing is ubiquitous in modern quilts, but some quilters ignore it because they’ve avoided learning how to sew curves. Like many things, piecing curves takes a little practice. With these tips, you’ll soon be creating smooth curved seams like a pro! NOTE: These illustrations show the Drunkard’s Path block but these tips are true for all blocks with curved pieces. 1. Cut a convex quarter circle piece and a concave L-shaped piece from contrasting fabrics. Fold each piece in half. Finger press at the curved centers. 2. With right sides together and the L-shaped piece on top, align press marks and pin in the center of the block. 3. Pin the outside edges together with the straight edges matching. 4. You might find it necessary to add more pins…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 67" × 88" Finished Blocks: 18 (3"), 12 (4½ "), 9 (6"), 6 (9"), 4 (12"), and 2 (18") 5 yards white (Bright White) 1 ¾ yards blue (Bright Blue) for blocks and binding 1 ¼ yards green (Apple) 2 ¼ yards 108"-wide fabric (or 5 ½ yards 41"-wide) for backing Full-size batting Fabric requirements assume 41" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are Cotton Couture by Michael Miller Fabrics. Color names are in parentheses. This stunning quilt uses traditional Hourglass blocks set in a modern layout. Also known as Quarter-Square Triangles, the blue and green shapes float within the background. The large area of white negative space lends itself to some creative background quilting. The quilt design was inspired by the paintings…

To keep the midpoint of the Hourglass centered while trimming, mark the desired finished size of your block + ½ " (for seam allowances) on the corner of an acrylic ruler. [For example, to create a finished 6" block, tape off a 6½ " square.] Mark the center midpoint of this measurement on the ruler. [For a 6" finished block, the center point is 3¼".] Center the block under the marked midpoint and trim the first 2 edges. Rotate the block 180° and trim the remaining 2 sides.…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 42" × 48" 1 roll of 2 ½ " precut strips* Template A Template material 2 ¾ yards backing ⅜ yard binding Twin-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. * A precut roll of 2 ½ " strips with a good mix of light, medium, and dark value is ideal for this project and will offer the most variety. If not using precuts, you will need ¼ yard each of 6 darks, 5 mediums, and 4 lights. While arranging some half hexagons, Becky happened upon a triangle unit and continued to build upon the idea while experimenting with value. The resulting blocks reminded her of the triangular diamond cut known as a trillion. This quilt is created using half-hexagon units sewn with Y-seams and…

For the projects in this issue (unless otherwise indicated): ■ When piecing, use ¼" seam allowances. Stitch with the fabric right sides together. After stitching a seam, press to set the seam and then open the fabrics and press the seam allowance toward the darker fabric. ■ Yardages are based upon 40"-wide fabric after the selvedges have been removed. ■ Refer to Modern Basics: Time-saving Tips for the Modern Quilter for instruction on a variety of quilting techniques found in this issue.…

I think we all love choosing or designing a pattern for our next quilt. It’s fun to choose fabrics from our stash or go shopping. Piecing the blocks and putting them all together is so satisfying … but then it comes time to add the quilting. The quilting line needs to accomplish two things. First, it adds function to our quilt top and holds the layers together. A wall hanging needs to hang straight and not sag after being on display for a prolonged period. A baby quilt needs to hold up to regular washing. You get the idea. The second thing I’m looking to add with my quilting line is form or design. It should enhance the overall appearance of my quilt. Even simple walking foot quilting can be…

MATERIALS Finished Blocks: 24 (3") blocks 24 (5") squares in a variety of fabrics (such as a precut bundle of 1 collection) 1 ½ yards background Templates A and B Template material 11" × 27" pocket lining 11" × 27" lightweight batting or flannel Optional Spray starch or fabric stabilizer Hera marker or tailor’s chalk Fabric yardage requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are linens from the Forage collection by Noodlehead and Essex, both from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. This charming apron was inspired by a challenge to Modern Quilt Guild staff members at the very first QuiltCon. One of the necessities of working the show was to make and wear a quilted apron. Jen loves quarter circles and their gentle curves so she…

MATERIALS Finished size: 50 ½ " × 50" Finished Blocks: 110 (4 ½ " × 5") blocks Fat quarter* ofsolidsindarkgold (Gold), gold (Curry), dark pink (Deep Rose), medium pink (Blush Pink), pink (Petal), light peach (Ice Peach), gray blue (Fog), light brown (Parchment), light sage green (Spring), mint green (Mint), yellow green (Pickle), light yellow green (Wasabi), and light gray (Ash) Fat eighth** ofsolidsindarkgray blue (Slate), dusty pink (Dusty Peach) (see tip in Cutting), gray pink (Rose), light blue green (Pond), pale blue (Breeze), pale gray blue (Sky), red (Cayenne), and sage green (Laurel) ½ yard ofsolidsinlightpink (Baby Pink), off white (Oyster), and green gold (Grellow) ½ yard for binding (For pieced binding as shown, no yardage is required.) 3 ¼ yards backing Twin-size batting * Fat quarter = 18"…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 50" × 60" ■ 4 fat quarters* off-white and/or low volume prints ■ ⅝ yard white solid ■ From each of the following 5 colorways, choose 1 fat quarter each of light, medium, and bold fabric for a total of 15 fat quarters: – Red – Yellow – Green – Blue – Purple ■ 3 ¼ yards backing ■ ½ yard binding ■ Twin-size batting * Fat quarter = 18" × 20" Fabric yardage requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are primarily from the Friedlander collection by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. This quilt uses bold, modern fabrics and a simple traditional shape to create a transparency effect based on the Gentleman’s Fancy block. The shapes are sewn in…

“My intent was to make one improvisational block for each day in January, using only my scraps. Originally, I thought I’d start with my bucket of blue scraps, make 3–4 blocks and then move on to another color. After 36 blocks, the blue bucket is still not empty! The background is also improvisationally pieced. When searching my stash for just the right fabrics, I spied my white/neutral solids scrap bucket. Full. (Remember the early days of modern quilting—when all our backgrounds were white and off-white solids? I made a lot of those. This bucket holds all those scraps.) I took these scraps and improvisationally pieced the backgrounds as well. I learned a lot during the making of this quilt. Mainly, that I’m not cut out for a block a day!…

1. To create the pieced binding as shown, sew 3 blue binding strips together with diagonal seams to create 1 continuous piece. Repeat with the orange binding strips. The blue portion of the binding will cover the lower right, orange/white half of the quilt and the orange portion of the binding will cover the upper left, blue/white half. 2. Working with the orange strip, start at the bottom left corner where the blue E and orange F blocks meet. Fold the strip in half lengthwise and lightly pin along the F and E blocks. Sew the binding, starting after this pinned orange portion and continuing up and along the Upper Left Half, mitering the corners, until near the end of the blue blocks. Stop sewing 8" from the orange/blue blocks…

Curved blocks precision cutting and sewing will make a difference in piecing success. Here are some tips for troubleshooting them. Smooth curves: Always sew with the L-shaped piece on top so you can see the fabric as it eases into the curved shape of the quarter circle as you sew. Off-kilter blocks: If the fabric is pulled when sewing, the block might stretch out of square. Try trimming the block to size, or pick out the stitches, press the pieces with starch, and sew again. Tucks: Sometimes small tucks may get sewn into the seam. If this happens, pull out the stitches around the tuck, ease the fabrics back together, and re-sew the open portion with a smooth curve. Save time: Making a single block can be time consuming. Batching…

Constructing Hourglass blocks two-at-a-time eliminates the need to work with numerous bias edges. Bonus! Sometimes you will have a few extra blocks to play with, as in this quilt. Make pillows from large blocks by adding backing fabric and a pillow form. Fancy them up a bit by adding a piped accent. That’s what I did with the 2 largest leftover blocks. Piece any remaining blocks together to create a small wall hanging or table topper. Use extra blocks for practicing quilt designs before quilting the entire project. Experiment with thread color, design, and density of quilting.…

MODERN PATCHWORK is packed with informative articles and beautiful projects for today’s quilters and sewists. The contemporary and fresh aesthetic of these projects pays tribute to the modern revival of patchwork, integrating traditional and innovative techniques. Feature article submissions To submit a proposal on topics related to modern quilting, send a detailed outline of your idea with related images, websites, or resources. Feature articles are up to 1,500 words. We are particularly interested in: Creative machine quilting: longarm, domestic, ruler-guided, free-motion Functional design hacks for tried and true techniques Exploring elements of design Innovative group quilts Working in a series Color theory Evolution of the Modern Aesthetic Project submissions What are we looking for? Distinctive and unpublished original projects in today’s fabrics to suit every room of the house. We…

Becky’s quilt is a magical blend of value and color selection. Becky mostly kept the blues and reds together but look carefully and you’ll see her whimsical addition of a red half hexagon in an otherwise blue strip unit here and there. Using a design wall gives you the option of reconfiguring your color and value choices before sewing everything together. Also notice Becky’s clever use of medium values—some of the darker mediums snuck into dark strip units while lighter mediums appear in some light units. This value play is an excellent way to add additional interest to a scrappy quilt.…

Patchwork blocks such as Hexagons or Tumbling Blocks have three seams that intersect in a “Y” shape and cannot be assembled with continuous edge-to-edge stitching. Y-seam construction requires starting and stopping ¼ " from the edge of the patchwork in order to create blocks that lie flat and do not pucker. The following technique simplifies Y-seam construction to “dot-to-dot” sewing. With a little practice, it will become second nature! SIMPLE Y-SEAM CONSTRUCTION 1. Using a sharp pen or mechanical pencil, mark the point where the ¼ " seam allowances intersect on the wrong of each piece. This dot indicates where to start and stop sewing. 2. Align 2 of the pieces, right sides facing. Sew a seam from “dot to dot” being sure to back stitch at the beginning and…

Have you ever found yourself stuck on a work-in-progress and not sure how to move forward? Perhaps this will sound familiar: you’re worried about cutting into a fabric that you love a little too much; or maybe, you’ve cut out all of the pieces for your project, but the pieces have curves and the project seems hard, so you put them in a zipper bag and stuff them in a bin full of other unfinished projects. Or maybe this: you’ve finished a quilt top but now it sits, in a pile unfinished, because you’re just not sure how to quilt it. We’ve all been there. And frankly, perfectionism is ruining your SewJo. The truth is, perfectionism walks hand-in-hand with anxiety. We don’t normally associate quilting with “walking on the edge”…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 40" × 40" Finished Blocks: 16 (10") blocks ½ yard off white (Pearl) ⅜ yard dark teal (Baltic) ⅜ yard sage green (Asparagus) ⅜ yard coral (Flamingo) 1 yard brown (Oak) for blocks and binding 2½ yards backing Crib-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are the Designer Solids collection from FreeSpirit. Color names are in parentheses. A tiled floor provided the original inspiration for the design of this small quilt. Curved lines stitched with a walking foot add movement to the finished project for a good-looking and functional quilt. You can almost feel a lovely ocean breeze! CUTTING Measurements include ¼ " seam allowances. From off white, cut: – 5 (2 ½ " × 40") strips. From…

Ironing Mats These 100% wool ironing pads absorb heat from above and radiate it from below. This makes your ironing experience so much easier; as it heats from both sides, you press any seam more effectively and with less effort. With design and function in mind they are sleek and attractive, featuring rounded corners to help with wear and tear. We love the crisp press we achieve with these mats. The mats are available in a variety of sizes, but all are a full ½ " thick for maximum pressing power; shown here are the midi and small versions. $39.99 (Midi), $19.99 (Small) • Wooly Felted Wonders woolyfeltedwonders.com Quilty Socks Showcase your quilty pride with these fabulous socks by Moda. Featuring quips such as ‘Put the Pedal to the Metal,’…

This optional pieced binding is a little extra effort but it provides a flow across the quilt top that is very desirable. The pieced binding is created from the 1½ " strips set aside in the cutting step. The goal is to match the binding strip to the predominant color of the edge, changing it all along the quilt to match the next color. Some strips are only as large as 1 block, while others are longer and span 3–4 blocks. For instance, the top right edge of the quilt features 2 green gold strips and 1 light yellow green strip. Due to the predominance of the green gold color, the quilt shown was bound in a green gold strip along those 3 blocks. 1. Place each binding strip on…

Flying Geese blocks are made up of the ‘Geese,’ which is a large, centered triangles in the unit, and the ‘Sky’ which are the triangles on the sides. There are several ways to make Flying Geese blocks, but if your quilt pattern calls for several in the same color combination, this method can’t be beat. There is absolutely no wasted fabric, and no need to work with unstable bias edges. The Geese section begins as a single large square and 4 smaller squares make up the Sky. 1. First, to determine the size of squares to cut, write down the size of the finished block. For our example, we’ll use a 2" × 4" finished block. For the large Geese piece, cut a square the desired finished width of the…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 81" × 81" 6 yards white (White) for background 1 yard black (Black) for blocks and binding ¼ yard tan (Wheat) for blocks 7 ½ yards 40"-wide backing (or 2 ½ yards 108"-wide); white is recommended to avoid show through Queen-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are Kona® Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Color names are in parentheses. Cool neutral squares arranged in a subtle grid make this bed-sized quilt the perfect addition to a modern home. The mid-century color palette and simple quilting is a pleasing combination for sophisticated modern living. CUTTING Measurements include ¼ " seam allowances. Label pieces as they are cut. From white, cut: – 14 (6 ½ " × 40") strips.…

Embrace the partial seam and get the look of complicated piecing with straight line construction! By using this technique, strips surround the center square, unlike Log Cabin or Courthouse Steps which are sewn to the sides, then the top and bottom. Partial seam construction opens up design possibilities. 1. Align strip 1 to the center square, right sides together. Sew about half way, leaving the remainder of the seam open—a partial seam. Anchor the stitching with a few back stitches. Remove the piece from the sewing machine and press the sewn portion only. 2. Place strip 2 along the side of the block that is completely sewn. Sew the full length of the seam as usual. Press. 3. Add strips 3 and 4 in this manner. At this point all…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 48" × 60" Finished Blocks: 4 (20") star blocks 1 ¼ yards white 1 ½ yards green ¾ yard gold ⅜ yard gray ½ yard binding 3 ¼ yards backing Twin-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. Autumn in Minnesota means the summer humidity clears up and the stars start peeking out of the shadows so brightly on crisp, clear nights that you don’t even need a flashlight. This simple quilt honors these stars with asymmetrical color blocking which instantly gives a modern look to a classic block. CUTTING Measurements include ¼ " seam allowances. Border and sashing strips are exact length needed. You may want to make them longer to allow for piecing variations. Label pieces as they are cut. From white, cut:…

Individual Hourglass blocks can be sewn using separately cut triangles. But using this simple two-at-a-time method, you can avoid all that cutting and bias-edge sewing. Also known as the Quarter-square Triangle, this block is constructed using two Half-square Triangles—more blocks with less fuss! 1. Cut 2 squares 1 ½ " larger than the desired finished size of the block. 2. Using a ruler, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the lighter square from the upper left to the lower right corner. 3. With right sides facing, pair the darker square with the marked light square. 4. Stitch ¼ " on each side of the drawn line. 5. Cut along the drawn line, creating 2 HSTs. 6. Press the seam allowances either open or toward the darker fabric.…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 44" × 62" ¼ yard of2printsforblocks 1 (5") square of2contrastingprintsfor blocks ½ yard for block borders 2 ¼ yards for background and binding 2 ¾ yards backing* Twin batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. *2 yards for backing if using pieced inset. See Finishing instructions. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are from the How Do You Do? Collection by Keiko Goke and Designer Solids (Harvest Gold), both from FreeSpirit Fabrics. Lazy afternoons still bring back memories of chalk marks on the sidewalk indicating a lively game of hopscotch. This quilt is a softer replication of simpler times. CUTTING Measurements include ¼ " seam allowances. E and F rectangles are exact length needed. You may want to make them longer to allow for piecing…

MATERIALS Finished Size: 56" × 56" Finished Blocks: 16 (14") blocks ⅞ yard white 1⅜ yards light blue ¾ yard dark blue ⅞ yard gray ½ yard binding 3 ½ yards backing Twin-size batting Fabric requirements assume 40" usable width of fabric. NOTE: Fabrics used in the quilt shown are Painter’s Palette Solids™ by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Sandra has a longtime love of shadow quilts, superimposed images, and blocks that appear to float on a quilt top. This quilt satisfies all three! Choose two values of your favorite color, add a third subtle color for the large plus shape, and create this simple quilt that packs a punch. CUTTING Measurements include ¼ " seam allowances. Label pieces as they are cut. From white, cut: – 5 (4 ½ " × 40")…

Handle the block components carefully. The pieces contain bias edges and may stretch. Always anchor the stitches at the beginning and end of the seam with a few back stitches. Precision matters. Sew an accurate ¼ " seam and do not sew beyond the dot into the seam allowance. If puckering occurs, pick out any stitches that are in the seam allowances. Press the seams in 1 direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) in order to fan the intersection and reduce bulk where the 3 seams meet. Practice makes perfect! This is a technique used frequently in Hexagon, Star, Tumbling Block, and other quilt patterns and becomes easier with practice!…