Catching Up...

You may remember I was trying to finish up some projects and start the new year with a clean slate. Well, the slate is still a little dirty, but I do have a few more projects that actually were bound at the very end of 2012.

My Ruby Strings quilt is done!

The back has some leftover "strings" and a nice red and gray fabric found on sale!

My Chevron quilt was nicely quilted by Annie, a friend from our St Louis MQG. You've seen this before, but it's nice to have it done. She quilted lovely, various designs in all the chevrons!

The back is again some leftover strips and I thought this zig zag fabric was a perfect choice.

And finally, this block made from Summersville got a border and some quilting to finish it off.

I also wanted to share my new cabinet with you. As you can probably guess, quilt storage is badly needed around here! I'm so thrilled with this cabinet, from Crate and Barrel. I've already put 7 quilts in it and there's easily room for 5 more. I just love a stack of quilts!

And you know one thing leads to another when you add something to a room. I decided to sew up some new pillows and used one of my absolute favorite Amy Butler fabrics of all time!

We're almost caught up! Next I have a few bag/pouch projects that were gifted. Then we'll be all caught up!  . . . Cindy

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Chevron Wrap-up

I've had a lot of questions about my original chevron quilt. Here it is still unquilted - yes, I've got a problem with that!

This was constructed just like I've described in the 3 previous posts. You'll notice when you cut your strip sets that you can actually get five 4 1/2" segments from each. That's what I did here and with 2 1/2" finished borders (3" cut) it finishes at 49" wide. I used 15 print fabrics and pieced them together in 3 sets (we did 2 sets in the baby size) and the quilt is about 57" long.

To increase the size of the quilt just keep adding rows. If you want to do more than 5 rows across, you will need additional strip sets.

You'll notice on my original, the top (and bottom) chevrons got chopped off. This is why we made the first and last print strips wider in the tutorial. Live and learn - I didn't like the chopped look.

You'll find more information about chevrons - such as varying strip width and colors on my earlier post:

How I Make Chevrons

Hope you make some! And let me know how it goes!

. . . Cindy

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Chevron - Part 3

Part 1 here

Part 2 here

Baby Chevron - Part 3

Assembling the Quilt

Trim the top of each of your chevron strips 1/4" from the point formed by the solid white, squaring it with the sides.

Trim the bottom of your chevron strips even with the lower point of the solid white strip, squaring it with the sides.

Measure along the center seam of one of your strips. Mine was 40 5/8".

Trim 5 solid white strips to that length. It's important that you trim them all the same size. This will square up the quilt and stabilize the bias edges. 

Rather than measuring the strips, I like to press, place the strips in a pile and lay them down the center seam. I then trim them all at the same time even with the chevron strip.

(If your white strips are not long enough, due to the width of your fabric, you may need to piece them together to get the proper length)

Pin and sew the white strips between each of the chevron strips and on each side. You may need to ease a bit to get them to fit perfectly. This is where your bias edge will come in handy because it will ease or stretch to fit the white strips exactly.

Tip: If one side is longer than the other, place the longer edge on the bottom or touching the feed dogs when sewing. That will help ease in the extra.

When you sew the strips together with the white strip in between them, the chevron seams will not line up. This is because of the 1/2" strip between them. In fact, you'll notice that the seam line will fall right in the middle of the white strip of the other row. (This will make more sense when you do it!)

Trim 2 white strips for the top and bottom borders. Sew and press.

Finally add the print outer borders. Trim 2 borders for the sides; sew and press. Trim 2 borders for the top and bottom; sew and press. If the width of your fabric is not quite long enough for the side borders, you should have enough extra fabric to add to the length.

Layer, quilt and bind! I chose to do simple straight line quilting on each side of the solid white seams.

Tomorrow I'll have some tips on making the quilt bigger and variations for the chevrons.

Comment or email me if you have any questions! . . . Cindy

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Chevron - Part 2

Part 1 here

Part 2 - Now on to the sewing!

Sew strips one through six together with a 1" white strip between each one and after fabric six. (You'll use 6 white strips).

Stack the strips as pictured by sewing a 1" strip in approximately 4" from the short end of strip #1.

Sew strip #2 in approximately 1/2" from the end of the white strip.

Sew a white strip in approximately 2" from the end of strip #2.

Continue in this manner stacking 1/2" from the white strips and 2 " from the print strips.

End with a 1" white strip.

Press seam allowances toward the print strips.

Trim the edge by placing the 45 degree line of your ruler on any one of the seam lines.

Trim off the ends. You may have to move your ruler a bit for the length.

Cut a strip 4 1/2" wide from the clean cut edge. Repeat and cut 3 more for a total of four. Check the angle of each strip with the 45 degree line on your ruler. You may have to trim this up again as the bias edge relaxes and may not be a true 45 anymore.

You will have 4 units that look like this!

Tip: Your rows have bias edges which are very stretchy! Handle them carefully, trying not to stretch the edge.

Repeat the same technique with the second strip of fabrics one through six, stacking them in the opposite direction. Press these seam allowances toward the white strips.

Trim the edge using the 45 degree line.

And cut 4 units at 4 1/2" from the cut edge.

 Repeat the same steps from above with fabrics seven through twelve and five 1" white strips. Sew a white strip between each of the print strips stacking as above (you'll start and end with a print strip this time).

You can see that we created the rows in two units instead of one long strip set. This is because the whole strip set would be too long for your cutting mat. Now we have to sew them together.

Pin and sew the left side units with fabrics 1-6 to the left side units with fabrics 7-12. Because of the angle there will be a small triangle hanging off each end. The "V" formed where the fabrics meet will be right at the 1/4" seam allowance.

Join the right side units in the same way.

Sew the right side units to the left side units. You'll notice that with the seams pressed in opposite directions, they match up nicely. Pin at each intersection. Sew the center seam, being very careful not to stretch the bias!

Make four of these rows.

I think that's enough for today! Next we'll assemble the quilt top!

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Chevron - Part 1

Here's my version of a chevron quilt! You'll find the instructions in 3 parts:

Part 1: Fabric requirements and cutting

Part 2: Making the rows

Part 3: Assembling the quilt

Part 4: Wrap-up and making a larger quilt

If you have any questions leave them in the comments. I'll try to answer them there for all to see!

Baby Chevron Quilt

finished size 39" x 45 1/2"

Choose 12 coordinating prints and a border fabric.

Fabric Requirements:

(I've given you the exact measurement needed in case you want to work from a stash)

Prints

   Fabrics 1 and 12 (first and last fabrics): 9" or 3/8 yard

   Fabrics 2 through 11: 5" or 1/4 yard

White

   30" or 1 yard

Border

   10"-12 1/2" (depending on the width of your fabric) or 1/2 yard

Binding

 1/2 yard

Cutting:

Tip: Before cutting strips, be sure to straighten the edge of your fabric and make sure it is cut perpendicular to the fold. An easy way to do this is to use 2 rulers. Place the horizontal line of one ruler along the fold. Butt the second ruler up to the edge of the first. Remove the first ruler and trim. Now your edge is perfectly perpendicular to the fold!

Cut strips the width of the fabric.

From each of fabrics one and twelve, cut 2 strips 4 1/2".

From each of fabrics two through eleven, cut 2 strips 2 1/2".

From the solid white, cut 29 strips 1".

From the border fabric, cut 4 strips 2 1/2".

From the binding fabric, cut 5 strips 2 1/2".

Next up ~ sewing!

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Baby Chevron Quilt

You may have noticed in last week's WIP, I was working on another chevron quilt. Well, the quilt is done and headed off to Project Linus as my second donation to 100 Quilts for Kids.

I made my first one almost a year ago and since then it's had some buzz, been pinned a lot and has sparked many questions and emails for me.

I have a bad habit of making things and not quite remembering how I did it. (I do that with cooking too!) So in the making of this baby, I took some photos and actually wrote down some measurements. I'm in the process of writing the tutorial which will post next week in 3 parts. This finished quilt is 39" x 45 1/2". So stay tuned!

There's still time to give and be eligable for prizes. Just head on over to 100 Quilts for kids!

. . . Cindy

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