YOUR perfect patch

Create your own marvellous patchy makes by following all the basics and instructions. Don’t forget to show us what you achieve œ tag us! #BHGAUS

2020-07-23 -

QUILTING BASICS

Gather your supplies

• Rotary cu er

• Cu ing mat

• Square quilting ruler

• Long quilting ruler

• Matching sewing thread

• Sewing needle

• Thread

• Scissors

• Walking foot

Abbreviations

WS wrong sides together

RS right sides together

WOF width of fabric

HST half-square triangles

All measurements in inches

Usual WOF for quilting is 40-42in or 101-106cm

First things first

• Before you begin, read all the instructions for your chosen quilt through to the end. This will ensure you understand the pa ern and have everything on hand.

• All fabric should be 100% co on or linen, washed and ironed. You may want to colour-test coloured fabrics first to ensure they will not run.

• These quilts have been designed using imperial measurements. To maintain accuracy, our instructions are in inches, although the quantities of fabric are in metric measurements.

• Check all measurements carefully. All measurements given include a /in (6mm) seam allowance unless stated otherwise. Stitch with right sides facing and press all seams to the dark side.

• It’s useful when you are constructing and laying out your quilt top to use a design wall. This can be a piece of flannel, ba ing or an old sheet that you lay

your pieces on to view and move around, then fold up and put away when you are not working on the quilt.

Here’s how

How to finish

STEP 1 Cut and piece backing fabric to measure at least 4in (10cm) bigger on all sides than the quilt top. If you are having your quilt long-arm machinequilted by someone else, please ask them what they require in extra width and length with the backing and ba ing, as it can differ from the standard 4in.

STEP 2 Cut the ba ing to the same size. This allows for the amount of both fabric and ba ing to shrink when quilted.

STEP 3 Press seams to the dark side. Iron both the quilt top and back.

STEP 4 With right sides of fabric facing out, sandwich ba ing between the quilt top and backing. A convenient way to do this

is to lay the backing wrong side up on a large flat surface (you can tape it to secure). Place ba ing on top, then quilt top with right side up. Smooth all creases and tucks. Carefully pin or baste the layers together, working from the centre out.

Quilting

Quilt as desired: domestic machine quilting with walking foot, hand quilting or long-arm quilting. Trim quilt.

Binding

STEP 1 Projects in this issue specify the number of binding strips needed to finish the quilt. Join strips using a diagonal seam (see Diagram 1 below) to make 1 continuous binding strip. Press seams open.

STEP 2 Iron in half, WS (Diagram 2).

STEP 3 Beginning in centre of one edge, place binding strip against right side of

Cut and prep before you patch!

quilt top, aligning binding strip raw edge with quilt top raw edge. Begin sewing the binding in place at least 2in in from the start of the binding strip.

STEP 4 Stop sewing when you’re /in from the corner (Diagram 3). Backstitch then clip threads.

STEP 5 Remove quilt from sewing machine presser foot. Fold binding strip upwards, creating a diagonal fold (Diagram 4). Holding diagonal fold in place with your fingers, bring binding strip down in line with next edge of quilt top, making a horizontal fold that aligns with the quilt edge (Diagram 5).

STEP 6 Start sewing again at the top of horizontal fold, stitching through all layers. Sew around the quilt, turning each corner in the same manner. When you return to the starting point, join 2 ends. Press seams open. Sew final edge to quilt.

STEP 7 Turn binding over ach edge to the back. Hand-stitch binding to backing fabric, making sure to cover all machine stitching.

STARLIT

Finished quilt

99 / in or 253cm square Finished block

27in or 69cm square

Gather your supplies

• 3.5m x 112cm solid white fabric (blocks and sashing)

• 8.3m x 112cm solid navy fabric (blocks, sashing, border, binding)

• 8.3m x 112cm backing fabric

• Pencil

• 2.8m square ba¤ing

Here’s how

Cut fabrics

Cut pieces in the following order.

From solid white, cut: 18 – 4 /in squares 162 – 3/ in squares

9 – 3 / in squares

72 – 3 /in squares

52 – 2 / in squares

From solid navy, cut:

10 – 5/ x 42in strips for border

11 – 2 / x 42in binding strips 24 – 2 / x 27 / in sashing strips

72 – 2 x 9 / in rectangles 72 – 2 x 6/ in rectangles 18 – 4 / in squares 162 – 3/ in squares 36 – 3 / in squares 72 – 3 /in squares 144 – 2 / in squares

Assemble A units

STEP 1 Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each solid white 3/ in square.

STEP 2 Layer a marked solid white square atop a solid navy 3/ in square. Sew together with two seams, stitching /in on each side of drawn line. Cut pair apart on drawn line. Press open to make two Unit A HST. Each HST should be 3 / in square, including seam allowances. (Diagram 1).

STEP 3 Repeat Step 2 to make 324 Unit A HST in total.

STEP 4 Refer to Diagram 2, lay out nine A HST in three rows. Sew together pieces in rows. Join rows to make Unit A. The unit should be 9 / in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 36 A units total.

Assemble B and C units

STEP 5 Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each solid white 3 /in square and 4 /in square.

STEP 6 Using marked solid white 3 /in squares and solid navy 3 /in squares, repeat Assemble A Units, Step 2, to make 144 B triangle squares. Each triangle square should be 2/ in square including seam allowances.

STEP 7 Mark a diagonal line perpendicular to seam line on wrong side of 72 B triangle squares.

STEP 8 Layer a marked B triangle square atop an unmarked B triangle square with each solid navy triangle facing a solid white triangle (Diagram 3). Sew /in on each side of drawn line. Cut pair apart on drawn line. Press open to make two small hourglass units. Each unit should be 2 / in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 144 small hourglass units in total.

STEP 9 Referring to Diagram 4, lay out four solid navy 2 / in squares, four small hourglass units,

and one solid white 21/in square, in three rows. Sew together pieces in rows. Join rows to make a centre unit. The unit should be 6/in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 36 centre units in total.

STEP 10 Sew solid navy

2 x 6/in rectangles to opposite sides of a centre unit (Diagram 5). Join solid navy 2 x 9/in rectangles to remaining edges to make Unit B. The unit should be 9/in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 36 B units in total.

STEP 11 Using marked solid white 4/in squares and solid navy 4/in squares, repeat Assemble A Units, Step 2, to make 36 C triangle squares. Each triangle square should be 3/in square including seam allowances.

STEP 12 Mark a diagonal line perpendicular to seam line on wrong side of 18 C triangle squares. Using marked and unmarked C triangle squares, repeat Step 4 to make 36 large hourglass units. Each unit should be 3/in square including seam allowances.

STEP 13 Lay out four solid navy 3/in squares, four large hourglass units, and one solid white 3/in square, in three rows (Diagram 6). Sew together pieces in rows. Join rows to make Unit C. The unit should be 9/in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make nine C units in total.

Assemble blocks STEP 14 Referring to

Diagram 7 for A unit orientation, lay out four A units, four B units, and one C unit in three rows. Sew together units in rows. STEP 15 Join rows to make a block. The block should be 27/in square including seam allowances.

STEP 16 Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to make nine blocks in total.

Assemble quilt top STEP 17 Referring to quilt assembly diagram, lay out remaining solid white 2/in squares, solid navy 2/ x 27/in sashing strips, and

blocks in seven rows.

STEP 18 Sew together pieces in rows. Press seams toward sashing strips. Join rows to make quilt centre. Press seams away from block rows. The quilt centre should be 89 / in square including seam allowances.

STEP 19 Piece and cut solid navy 5/ x 42in strips to make:

2 – 5 / x 99 / in border strips 2 – 5 / x 89 / in border strips

STEP 20 Sew short border strips to opposite edges of quilt centre. Add long border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border.

Finish quilt

STEP 21 Baste quilt top, wadding and backing. Quilt as desired.

STEP 22 Sew the binding strips together in one continuous length, then press in half along the length with WS. Aach to quilt.

CROSS HATCH

Finished quilt

75/ in or 192cm square Finished block

9in or 23cm square

Gather your supplies

• 16 – 9 x 21in pieces (fat eighths) or 183cm total assorted medium and dark prints (nine-patch units)

• 16 – 18 x 21in pieces (fat quarters) or 366cm total assorted cream prints (nine-patch units, blocks, sashing units)

• 2m total assorted blue prints (squarein-a-square units, sashing units)

• 50cm total assorted red prints (squarein-a-square units)

• 1m blue toneon-tone (sashing rectangles)

• 1.5m dark red print (border)

• 1m dark blue print (binding)

• 5m backing fabric

• 214cm square baing

• Lightweight tracing paper or other foundation material of your choice

Here’s how

Cu ing

Cut pieces in the following order.

From assorted medium and dark prints, cut:

58 – 1 / x 21in strips

From assorted cream prints, cut:

47 – 1 / x 21in strips 100 – 3 / in squares

216 – 1 / x 3 / in rectangles

From assorted blue prints, cut:

32 – 2/in squares, cuing each in half diagonally for 64 triangles total

432 – 11 / x 2 / in rectangles

From assorted red prints, cut: 16 x 2/in squares

From blue tone-on-tone, cut: 36 – 3 / x 9 / in sashing rectangles

From dark red print, cut: 7 – 6/ x 42in strips for border

From dark blue print, cut: 8 – 2 / x 42in binding strips

Assemble nine-patch units

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam toward darker fabric. STEP 1 Referring to Diagram , sew together two assorted medium or dark print 1 / x 21in strips and an assorted cream print 1 / x 21in strip to make Strip Set A. Repeat to make 23 A strip sets total. Cut strip

These quilts are a work of art you can wrap yourself in

sets into 290, 1 / in wide

A segments.

STEP 2 Sew together two assorted cream print 1 / x 21in strips and an assorted medium or dark print 1 / x 21in strip to make Strip Set B (Diagram 2). Repeat to make 12 B strip sets total. Cut strip sets into 145, 1 / in wide B segments.

STEP 3 Sew together two A segments and one B segment to make a nine-patch unit (Diagram 3). The unit should be 3 / in square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 145 nine-patch units in total.

Assemble blocks

STEP 4 Referring to Diagram 4, lay out five nine-patch units and four assorted cream print 3 / in squares in three rows. Sew together pieces in rows. Join rows to make a block. The block should be 9 / in square including seam allowances.

STEP 5 Repeat Step 1 to make 25 blocks total.

Foundation piece Square-in-a square units Foundation-piecing involves stitching fabric pieces to a foundation paper with the marked side of the paper facing up and fabric pieces layered underneath. The resulting pieced unit is a mirror image of the foundation paper.

STEP 6 Photocopy the template to the correct scale (3 / in square), then use a pencil to trace the square-in-a-square foundation paern onto lightweight tracing paper 16 times, tracing all lines and numbers. Cut out each traced foundation paern roughly / in outside dashed lines to make 16 foundation papers.

STEP 7 With RS, layer a blue print triangle atop a red print 2 / in square; align edges. Top with a foundation paper. Sew on stitching line between positions 1 and 2. Repeat to add blue print triangles to remaining edges of red print square (Diagram 5) to make a square-in-asquare unit. The unit should be 3/in square including seam allowances. STEP 8 Repeat to make 16 square-in-a-square units

Foundation piece Sashing units

STEP 9 Photocopy the template to the correct scale (3/ x 9/in). Gather nine assorted cream print 1/ x 3/in rectangles (for positions 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25) and 18 assorted blue print 1/ x 2/in rectangles (for remaining positions). Working in numerical order and following the same process as square-in-asquare units, foundation piece a sashing unit (Diagram 6). The unit should be 3/ x 9/in including seam allowances. STEP 10 Repeat to make 24 sashing units in total.

Assemble quilt top

STEP 11 Referring to quilt assembly diagram, lay out blocks, remaining nine-patch units, blue tone-on-tone 3/ x 9/in sashing rectangles, square-in-a-square units, and sashing units, in 11 rows. Sew together pieces in rows. Press seams toward sashing rectangles and sashing units. Join rows to make quilt centre. Press seams toward block rows. The quilt centre should be 63/in square including seam allowances.

STEP 12 Cut and piece dark red print 6/ x 42in strips to make:

2 – 6/ x 75/in border strips 2 – 6/ x 63/in border strips

STEP 13 Sew short border strips to opposite edges of quilt centre. Add long border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border.

STEP 14 Remove foundation papers with tweezers or blunt edge of a seam ripper.

Finish quilt

STEP 15 Baste quilt top, wadding and backing. Quilt as desired.

STEP 16 Sew the binding strips together in one continuous length, then press in half along the length with WS. Aach to quilt.

LOG CABIN

Finished quilt

72 x 60in or 183 x 152cm Finished block

Each block 12in

Gather your supplies

• 4m equivalent of an assortment of brightly coloured spoed, striped, floral, and geometric coon print fabrics (patchwork squares)

• 2m red-and-white floral coon fabric, 158cm wide (backing)

• 188 x 158cm baing

• 75cm plain red coon (fabric, binding)

Here’s how

STEP 1 Cut 7 – 2.5in x WOF strips for the binding.

STEP 2 Cut strips of fabric 2in wide. These will be added from the centre outward to make the block, so will range in length from 2in at the centre to 12in at the outer edges. Decide roughly on the arrangement of the strips in the block.

STEP 3 Take one of the fabrics that will be at the centre of the block and cut a 2in square. Cut the second centre square in a different fabric.

STEP 4 Sew the two squares together. Press open.

STEP 5 Pin another length of fabric RS along one long edge of pressed unit and aach it in the same way. Trim the edge level with the first pressed unit aer sewing. Press seam open.

STEP 6 Aach another strip across the two pieces just joined. Again, trim the edge level aer sewing and press the seam open.

STEP 7 Keep adding strips in the order shown in the diagram. Remember to press the seam open each time, and measure the total width of the piece periodically to ensure that the seams are accurate.

STEP 8 When you have added the final strip, press the block and trim to 12in square.

STEP 9 Repeat Steps 1–5 to make 30 log cabin blocks in the same way. Arrange the blocks in six rows of five blocks each. Sew the blocks together in horizontal rows, pressing the seams open each time, then sew rows together to complete the quilt top. Press quilt top.

Finish quilt

STEP 10 Baste quilt top, wadding and backing. Quilt as desired.

STEP 11 Sew the binding strips together in one continuous length, then press in half along the length with WS. Aach to quilt.

LIKE THIS QUILT?

Find more in A Passion for Quilting by Nicki Trench, published by CICO Books, $25 from bookstores.

HAPPY COMFORTS

Gather your supplies

• Various print fabrics for clamshells, 66 pieces each 3 ¡/£in or 9cm square

• Background fabric 15in or 38.5cm square

• Two pieces of fabric for cushion back each 15 x 10in or 38.5 x 25.5cm

• Card 3in or 8cm square

• Glue stick

• Aluminium foil, about 50cm

• Matching coon thread

• Variegated DMC Coon Perle No.8 in pink, orange and green (optional)

• Cushion insert to fit

Finished size

14in or 36cm square

Here’s how

Preparing the templates

STEP 1 Copy the clamshell card template provided, cut it out and glue it to the 3in square of card. Carefully cut around the paper template so you have an exact card template.

STEP 2 Copy the clamshell fabric template provided and use it to cut out 66 clamshells from your printed fabrics.

Preparing the clamshells

STEP 3 Tear or cut a piece of aluminum foil about 5in or 13cm square. Place one of your fabric clamshells right side down onto the foil square. Place your card template on top of the wrong side of the fabric. Wrap the foil tightly around both fabric and template, pressing the foil down around the curved edge of the card template.

STEP 4 Using a steam iron on its highest seing, press this foil parcel on both sides. Leave to cool slightly.

STEP 5 Carefully open up the foil, release the fabric and remove the template. You should now have a perfectly turned over, curved seam. Press the curved seam again from both sides.

STEP 6 Take the background fabric and press a /in seam around each side to give you a seam guideline.

STEP 7 With the right side up, place the top edge of the first clamshell onto the top le-hand corner of the background fabric and pin it in place within the seam guidelines.

Making up the cushion cover

STEP 8 Using matching or neutral thread, sew the top curved edge of the clamshell to the background fabric. Use tiny, even stitches to catch the curved edge of the clamshell and longer stitches behind.

STEP 9 Repeat Steps 3–5 with your next piece of clamshell fabric, but re-using your foil piece from before. Pin the next pressed clamshell, right side up, next to the first clamshell. Use your card template to help space the clamshells accurately. Sew in place as before.

STEP 10 Repeat with another four clamshells until you have a full row of 6 clamshells.

Building the clamshell rows

STEP 11 Repeat the steps above for your next row of clamshells. The first clamshell will overlap on the le-hand side.

At this stage you might like to prepare a full row of clamshells at a time and pin in place before sewing. Use your card template as a guide for placing clamshells in each row. You can also use a ruler to line up your rows.

STEP 12 Continue adding one row aer another until you have 11 rows. Press and then trim the overlapping clamshell fabric to the size of the background fabric.

Quilting

STEP 13 Add hand quilting before finishing your cushion. Quilt at the boom of each clamshell in alternate rows of orange, pink and green.

Making up the cover STEP 14 Take one of the pieces of cushion back fabric and turn over 1.3cm twice on one of the long edges. Pin and then sew in place to hem. Repeat with one of the long edges on the other cushion back piece and then press. If you would like to add buonholes to your cushion back do this now, otherwise you can just make an envelope opening without any fastenings. STEP 15 Place the two back pieces on top of your cushion front, RS, overlapping the back pieces.

STEP 16 Pin and sew all around using a 1.3cm seam. Snip corners, turn right side out and press. Insert the cushion pad to finish.