Crazy Daisy Tutorial - BOEOM #7

HI There!

Welcome to another episode of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild BOEOM (Block Of Every Other Month) We are on block 7 - the Crazy Daisy!!!! This is a super cute block that is fun to make. As you can see below this is what my quilt top looks like. I have finished the top so you can see where we will be going from here. I didn't do a video this month...too much was going on and I just couldn't find the time to plan it out. An old fashioned picture tutorial will have to do.

Here are the Crazy Daisy blocks. One has a pieced center and one has an appliqué center. I think both are fun, you choose what you like best.

April I will show how to do the hump blocks. I am not wild about that name, so if you have a good one let me know. They are really fun and surprisingly versatile depending on how you use them.

So here is the finished block. I trimmed mine to 6 inches, you can trim yours smaller if you like. I also fussy cut the center, it looks great if you aren't fussy, but I felt the need to make it just a little more complicated. Its the way I roll.

I like to strip piece. So I cut my pieces as WOF (Width of Fabric) and make several blocks at one time since I am sitting there anyway. This set of instructions is for just one block.

You will need:

• One 6" x 6" background square
• Two 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles
• One 4.5" x 4.5" square of fabric you would like for your daisy
• One 1" x 1" square for the center of the daisy

Sew the two background rectangles to two opposite sides of the daisy colored square. Press the seams.

Sub cut the pieced bit into four 1" segments. There will be a tiny bit of leftover.

Cut the 6" background square in half diagonally.

Sew one of the petal pieces into the cut. Press the seams towards the background for this first petal. The rest of the  daisy seams will be pressed towards the petal pieces.

Cut the piece in half again on the diagonal.

Sew another petal piece into the cut and press the seams towards the petal piece. I think the block looks pretty great at this point. If you ever need an X block, here you go.

You can piece the center of the daisy anytime. Just cut one of the petal pieces in half and sew the 1" center into the cut. Press the seams towards the petals.

Cut the flower again in half through the center of the X and piece in another petal. Press the seams toward the petal piece.

Cut the flower piece in half one more time. The center of the last petal piece should nest perfectly with the previous piece. Here is a bad close up picture with pins (even though I don't really pin this block in real life).

This is what your Crazy Daisy block should look like.

Here is a picture of the seam side. I always think it is helpful to see the seam side. You can see how the first petal piece was pressed towards the background, but all the other seams are pressed towards the petals.

Last step is to trim the block. I trimmed the block to 6 inches, but you can certainly trim it smaller or even make it asymmetrical. You can do a lot with this block. The petals don't have to be even sizes, you can make them wonky or when you cut the block to piece the petals you can cut is crazy. That is fun too. I tried hard to make this one nice and symmetrical so you would all be impressed. In real like I make mine pretty wild.

OK, have fun making these! I would love to see yours on Instagram. Just tag them with #KCMQGboeom. Yay! Oh and lat me know if you have any questions in the comment section.

Cheers!
Tia

KCMQG Block of Every Month #6 The Improv Spike Border

Hey there folks!

Here is the sixth portion of the #KCMQGBOEOM. Improv Spike borders are awesome! They are really great looking and are quick and easy to make. I made a video, so the instructions are there. I have all the other videos on my Youtube channel and there are also links to them on my website. 

You can see how my version of the quilt is coming along. I am trying to figure out the last part that will be available next year. Between you and me I really just want to get one to the best part...the Quilting!!!!!!

Here is the video. I bet you will be able to see it better on Youtube, but I can't figure out how to make it bigger here. Oh well.

The Improv Spike can just be used as individual blocks too. 

Yay Improv Spikes!!!

xo!

Tia

KCMQG Block of Every Other Month #5 - The Wonky Star

HI there! 

Thank you so much for shopping from me this Holiday season. It really means the world to me. I am a tiny business and most of my time is spent quilting. I don't make time to market my shop and that has been a poor decision on my part. For those of you who have sought out my shop and bought fabric, patterns and things from me I truly truly thank you. 

xoxo

Hi There! Are you ready for the next Part of the KCMQG BOEOM?

 It is stars! I love stars. I always turn to these wonky little stars when I am feeling my quilting muse has abandoned me and I'm not totally sure what to make, but I feel like I must make something!

I love to use ombre or gradient dyed fabric. I used Cotton+Steel Pigment Gradients for these stars. I think the different shades really add so much to my quilts. I used Navy and Marigold. The two different sizes really make the stars shimmer.

I have a Youtube video for you to watch if you want to. 

Wonky Stars are easy to make. They are basically a 9 patch block, and those are super easy right?

I used 2 different sizes, a biggish one and a little one.

The bigger one is made using 2.5 inch squares and the little ones are made with 1.5 inch squares.

You will need: 

8 background squares

5 squares for the star.

Cut 4 of the star squares in half diagonally, keep the 5th square for the center of the star.

Choose 4 background squares and lay 4 of the star points on the lower right corner pretty side down like the picture above. When you do this hold them down at the stitch line to make sure after you sew them the star points will cover all the triangle part behind the point. I don't always do this step, at this point in my quilt making life I can eyeball it pretty well so I don't check. If you are new to this type sewing do check. It will save you some frustration.

Sew them all down. If I am going to be making a bunch of stars I chain piece these puppies by the bucket full.

Flip over and press the star point down then trim away the extra fabric so there isn't a lot of bulk. This step will make it easier when it comes time to quilt your quilt.

Do the same thing with the other 4 star points. 

Same sewing 

Same pressing and trimming

The last step is going to be sewing the block together and trimming it to whatever size you want it to be. If its too small add some fabric, if its too big trim it down. Easy Peasy.

After you have made your stars you can make them into a border I used 13 large stars and 10 small stars. I knew I wanted my border to be 10 inches wide, so I added more of the Navy gradient dyed fabric to make the star segments 10 inches wide. Then I scattered them around the 2 sides of the quilt and filled in with more fabric. Not very fancy or precise, but that is how I work.

I used a bunch of the stars in this Menagerie Eclipse quilt too. Once you get going you will knock out a big stack and have so many stars you don't know what to do with them!

So I am making the next blocks already. Just to tempt you a little they will be spikes!

Have the best day!
Tia

KCMQG Block Or Every Other Month - #4 The Small Churn Dash

Hi there folks!

I hope you are all well and ready to make some great little quilt blocks. 

This is the 4th installment of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild Block of Every Other Month

Today I present to you the Small Churn Dash.  Isn't is so adorable? Daniella wanted to do Churn Dashes this month. The Churn Dash block is a classic in every sense of the word. I fussy cut the centers and I prefer the block on point, so I added the triangles on the sides. This is optional (as are most things right?) you can easily just omit the triangles and make it a traditional square block.

Here is the video Daniella and I worked on showing how to make the block. Daniella is the sweetest lady.

Here are Daniella's Churn Dash blocks as a table runner. Hers look like crosses the way she worked her colors and her HST (half square triangle) corner blocks don't have a specific background color. I love how you can make blocks look totally different just by color placement.

Here is how I have used the blocks in my quilt. I really am trying to NOT make a Medallion quilt, but the quilt seems to want to be a medallion. I do have a plan to force it into another configuration. I am really loving how this quilt is coming together. If you are following along I would love to see yours.

Cutting instructions:

• Center 2 1/4 inch square
• Churn Dash 3 1/4 inch square and 1 1/4 inch x 10 inch strip
• First background 2 1/4 inch square and 1 1/4 inch  x 10 inch strip
• Second background 5 1/2 inch square (this can actually be a 6 inch square that way you won't loose your points like I did)

* in the picture above I have already sewn my 2 strips together ready to submit into the pieces of the churn dash and background.

*the video will show me sewing around the 4 sides of the 3 1/4 inch squares and then cutting them in half diagonally twice as well.

Cut your second background in half twice diagonally

The corner HST blocks will be 2 inches. Submit the strip pieced part into 4 x 2 1/2 inch pieces and piece the block like it is show above.

Last sew on the 4 triangles pieces and trim the block to about 6 1/2 inches. Be careful with your pressing as the triangles are cut on the bias and tend to distort. I don't mind this as I can force them into the piecing easier, but some folks don't like this. It does;t bother me in the slightest.

Have the best day and let me know what your quilts are looking like! Ask questions below in comments if you have them. I may have left something out. Next time will be wonky stars...my all time favorite.

Cheers!
Tia

KCMQG Block of Every Other Month - Needle Turn Appliqué vine border

Hey there Folks! 

I hope you have all be doing well. I have been swamped with teaching, quilting and summer fun with my own family. I dropped the ball on getting this June's KCMQG Block of Every Other Month up on the blog. It has been up on the Youtube for sometime, but in case you are looking for it here on the blog I bet you were sad when you couldn't find it. It is an Appliqué border! Huzzah!!!! I like to do my appliqué as needle turn, but you certainly can do it as fusible or machine appliqué. If you know me, you know I am not a big rule follower, so you have permission to do it however you want. I just love the look of mixing patchwork and appliqué. I did 2 different videos for this border. One is kind of an overview and the other is more of a close up. Like you are sitting beside me and we are sewing together.

I chose hand appliqué for our summer challenge because I LOVE doing a little hand work in the summer. It is nice to have a little something to work on by the pool or in the car during road trips.

You can find the template pieces for the flowers and leaves HERE and on my website tiacurtisquilts.com

Strip Pieced Pyramid Blocks Tutorial

 Hi there!

I am here with the second installment of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild Block Of Every Other Month ( #KCMQGboeom) its a mouthful for sure! So this month we are doing strip pieced pyramid blocks. Anything strip pieced is awesome. It always looks like you worked really hard, but it actually really simple. I am showing how to make the basic block, what you do with it is up to you. I choose to use my pyramids in a border around the Lone Star block from February. You can do that, or here are some more options.

This is the way I used my pyramid blocks for my BOM. I used them as a border. You can use your blocks in many different ways though.

This layout is alternate pyramids

This is regular pyramids.

This layout is diamonds.

I made so very many pyramids that I have enough to make a whole quilt. I will be staggering my pyramids and adding a lot of negative space so I can play with quilting the heck out of it.

If you follow my video tutorial I would love to see what you make! I think these videos are pretty fun. Please let me know what you think. We have fixed the audio problem from the first video so that is good. Also, let me know if there is something you would like to see. I plan to add some long arm quilting videos as well but let me know if you would like to see a specific type of block or quilting design I can do almost anything and my mind is always so full it is hard to pick from the options.

OK,
Have a great day and happy sewing!

Cheers,
Tia

Lone Star Quilt Block Tutorial

Hi there! Welcome to the first block of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild Block of Every Other Month. For our first block we will begin with a classic. The 30 inch Lone Star Quilt Block. I have always loved a Lone Star quilt. They look so complicated and for ages I was intimidated by all the perfectly pieced diamonds. Well, folks they really aren't so hard! Let me show you some strip piecing magic and you can knock out a pile of these blocks too! I made a video tutorial on how to piece this block and to highlight the tricky bits. I know there are some sound issues, but bear with me and the next one will be better. Ask questions or make comments so I know how to improve. If you prefer to watch the tutorial on Youtube, my channel is Tia Curtis Quilts. I used to have quite a few videos, but I deleted them all because they were pretty cruddy. Next up will be wonky flying geese and a shopping bag.

Supplies:

(9) 2.5 inch WOF (Width of Fabric) strips of fabric
(4) 9.5 x 9.5 inch squares of back ground fabric.
(4) 6 7/8 x 6 7/8 inch squares of back ground fabric

Cut each square in half diagonally to equal 8 large triangles and 8 smaller triangles.

There are several ways to make these blocks. Two color blocks, 5 color blocks and 9 color blocks. Set up the strip sets as follows. I go over this in the video, but a picture helps heaps I think.

For a 2 color block choose a good contrasting pair. You will need 5 darks and 4 lights Set up the three strip sets like the picture above.
dark light dark
light dark light
dark light dark

For the 5 color block choose light, medium and dark fabrics.  You will need 2 mediums, 4 lights (2  different prints) and 3 darks. For this one the pink/lavender fabric are my lights and the aqua/periwinkle are my mediums. If this is the type block you would like to make set the strip sets up as follows.

medium light dark
light dark light
dark light medium

Finally the 9 color star. Choose nine different colors. Sort them into light, medium and dark. You will need 4 lights, 2 mediums and 3 darks. Set them up like above with the mediums as the center and star tips.

Medium light dark
light dark light
dark light medium

This is another picture that may be helpful. Sort your 8 star points into two sets of 4. Set up both right and left pointing star points. You need both directions to make an eight pointed star.

Watch the video for answers to your questions and feel free to ask questions either here or on youtube. I will answer as I can.

Good Luck with your blocks and have fun!

xo,
Tia