Month 1 - July 2011 - Star

Hello all,

If you are a member of the Frisco Quilt Guild, you are in the right place!!

If you are a cyber-friend, I'm so glad you found us.  Hope you enjoy the game.

General description of block:  This is a nine patch block with trisected corners. It resembles an Ohio Star with a Square in a Square center. It uses all five fabrics selected.

Cutting directions: (29 pieces)

FQG - dark and light are referring to your "kit" fabric. 

• Navy Pin Dot (dark)- cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.

• Kona Butter (light) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.

FQG - from your stash select some Red, White, and Blue scraps

• White (background fabric) -
• Cut 1, 5 1/4 square. Sub-cut this diagonally twice into 4 small triangles.
• Cut 2, 5 1/4 squares. Sub-cut these diagonally once into 2 large triangles each for a total of 4 large triangles.

• Blue (1st contrasting) -
• Cut 1, 4 ½ inch square.
• Cut 2, 5 1/4 inch squares. Sub-cut these diagonally twice into 4 small triangles each for a total of 8 small triangles.

• Red (2nd contrasting) -
• Cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this diagonally twice into 4 small triangles.

Piecing directions:

• Corners -
•  This part will make or break the secondary pattern.  Be very careful to follow these instructions completely.   Sew one dark and one light small triangle together to make a large triangle in which the dark side is to the right when the triangle is viewed with it's longest side down. Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams open. Make 4. Be careful to sew each set in the same order. The finished large triangles should be identical.
• Sew these large triangles to the large white (background) triangles to make 4 squares. Iron seams open. Trim to 4 ½ inches square.

• Sides -
• Sew 4 small blue (1st contrasting) triangles to small white (background) triangles making 8 large triangles. Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams toward the white (background) fabric. The finished large triangles should be identical.
• Sew 4 small blue (1st contrasting) triangles to small red (2nd contrasting) triangles. Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams toward the red (2nd contrasting) fabric. The finished large triangles should be identical.
• Snuggle seam allowances together (they should be going in opposite directions) and pin at seam. Sew large triangles, in pairs, to create 4, 4 ½ inch squares. These squares should have an “hour glasses” of blue (1st contrasting) fabric. The other two sides of the squares should not match each other. Being careful not to warp the triangles, pop center stitch and iron seams in a spiral. All 4 squares should be identical.
• Trim squares to 4 ½ inches.

• Block -

•  Row 1 & 3 - Corner square, with white (background) fabric to the right; side square, with red (2nd contrasting) triangle pointing up; corner square, with white (background) fabric to the left.
• Row 2 - side square, with red (2nd contrasting) triangle pointing to the left; blue (1st contrasting) fabric square; side square, with red (2nd contrasting) triangle pointing to the right.

Assemble rows to make one 12 ½ inch block (actual size, including future seam allowances.)

A quilt like this could be yours... 

Bring your completed block to the July 26th general meeting and enter the drawing.  You could win all of the blocks entered, left over kit fabric, and written finishing suggestions.  Imagine how awesome it will look in our Red, White, and Blue colorway.

FQG Sneak Peaks

July 2011

We're celebrating Independence Day! Build your blocks with red white and blue. We'll be setting them in...

Fabric selection for July 2011: Your fabric kit will contain Essential Dots Navy (SKU #8654-25) and Kona Butter (SKU #K001-1055)

August 2011

Time for summery fun... limeade, pop-sickles, and splashing by the pool. Your contributions are scrappy brights to match my plaid

Fabric selection for August 2011: Clifford's Puppy Days by Quilting Treasures and Puzzle Pieces by Moda

September 2011

Back to school with jewel tones!

Fabric selection for September: Alfabeto Italiano Cream Numeri Piccoli (SKU#CX4399-CREM-D) and Michael Miller's Jet Black (SKU#JETBLA-SBLK-D)

Where SKUs are provided - I purchased these fabrics from The Fat Quarter Shop at www.fatquartershop.com. I've provided the numbers in case you would like to use them to find coordinating fabrics. Pleas DO NOT PURCHASE THESE TO PUT IN YOUR GUILD BLOCKS.

August's fabric was purchased from Happiness is Quilting in McKinney Texas.

Month 0

I'm about to embark on a new adventure. 

For the past four years I have been a member of the board of directors of the Frisco Quilt Guild.  It has been fun, but now I am ready to step along side my friends and help row the boat instead of stear.

My new job, effective June 2011 is to run the block of the month program.  In our guild this means that everyone makes the same block and then puts it in a pool.  The winner of the pool gets all of the blocks for that month.

 

Traditional setting of block of the month...

 

Trying to set BOM squares can be a challange

I want to take this to a new level.  I've won the blocks a couple of times, and I have to say it is grand, but there is always a bit of a puzzle as to how to put them all together.  My solution is "Quilty Friends."  I designed this BOM a couple of years ago for my best friend.  There are 12. 12 inch blocks...actually, there are a few more but that is another story...and they fit together either as multiples of the same block, or as a sampler quilt.  Either way - no more worries about how to set your collection.



Set in rows with sashing...and some extra sashing for the block that was made too small.

If you would like to join myself and the ladies of the Frisco Quilt Guild you are welcome to.  This is what you will need:

Fabric Requirements...

• For the top
  • 5 colors: 1 dark, 1 light, 1 background, 2 contrasting/complementary mediums
  • Yardage:
    • dark - 1 1/2 yards (includes outer border of quilt)
    • light - 1/2 yard
    • background - 1 yard
    • 1st contrasting: 1 1/4 yards (includes inner border of quilt)
    • 2nd contrasting: 3/4 yards
• For the back
  • 3 yards

When picking out your fabric think of these things...

The following are pictures of the quilts Kelli and I made.  Use them to help you sellect your fabrics.

A VERY GOOD example of the contrast you are looking for.
  Dark and light pinwheels stand out against the tan background and the pink and blue mediums.



 Make sure that your light fabric and your background fabric are very different.  This will help the secondary pattern emerge.

 

BAD!! example of contrast.
The polka dots in the pinwheels and the background are too close.
The background and the tan beach are too close.

 Make sure that your medium fabrics neither blend into the background nor the dark and light. 

 

Introduction

Kelli is a dear friend of mine. I've known her for a long time, although it probably isn't as long as it seems. She is the sort of friend who is so ingrained in who you are that there couldn't possibly be a time when you didn't now them. We all know that there is always a before. For Kelli and I, it was before I met you, and before I became a long-arm quilter and before my youngest boy started school. It was before a lot of things, but not before God knew I would need a special little sister.

Kelli asked me to design a block of the month for her. Her requirements: 1) It must be beginner friendly; 2) It can not require special tools; 3) It must be interesting; and 4) It can be made using scraps. I didn't think twice before I said yes. This is the program that I am sharing with you. I call it "Quilty Friends."

"Quilty Friends," was made to share with friends. It was also designed with the thought that blocks in a sampler quilt should blend together as equal parts of a larger body. They should play well together, like good friends. Additionally, the blocks are designed to be versatile, replicating well. Each square can stand on it's own - something we should be able to see each month when our blocks are gathered together.

Using this program, Kelli and I made sampler quilts. We selected yardage for the entire project at the beginning and made the quilt one block a month for year. This time, I'm taking those blocks, and changing them around just a bit. Each month you get a block pattern, color theme, and a fabric kit (Only for members of the Frisco Quilt Guild.) You provide the fabric necessary to complete the block, and a little of your time.

If you are a member of Frisco Quilt Guild in Frisco TX, bring your finished block to the next guild meeting and your name will be put in a drawing to receive the whole batch. The winner gets the blocks, written finishing suggestions, and whatever kits are left over. Participation is necessary to win.

If you would like to quilt along on your own, making the original sampler quilt, yardage requirements, as well as color helps will be posted here as well as on the Frisco Quilt Guild web site www.Friscoquiltguild.org, and Facebook page. Facebook page.

A final note: Each block measures 12 inches finished. It would help my planning and the guild's finances if we practice good stewardship. Please use the digital versions of my directions whenever possible. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If for some reason you take a fabric kit and do not end up using it, please return it. I will make sure that it gets to the winner of that months swap.

To give you a head start, here are the color themes for the first few months:
July - Red, White, & Blue
August - Summer Brights - tangerine, lime green, aqua, purple
September - Back To School with classic jewel tones