Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
RHAPSODY IN BLUE
Here’s how
Cutting fabrics
For pa erns, see opposite page. To make templates of pa erns, see Making and using templates, page 174.
Cut pieces in below order
From solid off-white, cut
• 24 – 2 x 21in strips
• 48 – 3/in squares
• 120 – 3 /in squares
• 96 each of Pa ern A and Pa ern A reversed
From assorted dark blue prints, cut
• 48 – 3/in squares (24 matched pairs)
• 96 of Pa ern B
From assorted light blue prints, cut
• 24 – 2 x 21in strips
From assorted medium blue prints, cut
• 24 – 3 /in squares
From indigo print No.1, cut • 7 – 2 x 42in strips for border
From indigo print No.2, cut
• 7 – 2 / x 42in binding strips
Assembling Block A
STEP 1 Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each solid off-white 3/in square.
STEP 2 Layer a marked solid off-white square on top of a dark blue print 3/in square. Sew together with 2 seams, stitching /in on each side of marked line (Diagram 1, below). Cut pair apart on drawn line; press open to make 2 trianglesquares. Each trianglesquare should be 3 /in square, including seam allowances. Repeat step for 96 triangle-squares in total.
STEP 3 Sew together a solid off-white 2 x 21in strip and a light blue print
2 x 21in strip to create a strip set (Diagram 2, below). Repeat step for a total of 24 strip sets. Cut each set into 4 x 3 /in-wide segments, for a total of 96 segments total (save the excess material for your scrap stash).
STEP 4 Gather 4 matching triangle-squares, 4 matching 3 /in-wide segments, and a medium blue print 3 /in square.
STEP 5 Referring to Diagram 3 (below), lay out pieces in 3 rows. Sew together pieces in rows and join rows to make Block A. The block should be 9 / in square, including seam allowances.
STEP 6 Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to make 24 A blocks in total.
Assembling Block B STEP 7 Referring to Diagram 4 (below), align a solid off-white A triangle and a dark blue print B triangle and sew together. Add a solid off-white A reversed triangle to make a star point unit. The unit should be 3 /in square,
including seam allowances. Repeat to make 96 star point units in total.
STEP 8 Lay out 4 star point units and 5 solid off-white 3 /in squares in 3 rows (Diagram 5, opposite page). Sew together pieces in rows, then join rows to make Block B. The block should be 9 /in square, including seam allowances. Repeat to make 24 B blocks in total.
Assembling quilt block
STEP 9 Referring to Quilt assembly diagram (right), alternate A and B blocks in 8 rows. Sew together blocks in rows. Press seams toward A blocks.
STEP 10 Join rows to make quilt centre. Press seams in one direction. The quilt centre should be 54 / x 72 /in, including seam allowances.
STEP 11 Cut and piece indigo print No.1
2 x 42in strips to make:
• Two 2 x 72 /in border strips
• Two 2 x 57 /in border strips
STEP 12 Sew long border strips to long edges of quilt centre. Add short border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams towards border.
Finishing quilt
STEP 13 Layer quilt top, baing, and backing and baste (see Completing quilt, page 175).
STEP 14 Quilt as desired. The quilt-maker machinequilted a star design in each A block, a feather design in the off-white background, and switchbacks in the border (see Quilting diagram, below).
STEP 15 Bind with indigo print No.2 binding strips (see Completing quilt, page 175).
For a touch of whimsy, mix up your patterns
For you to note
• Seam allowances are 5mm, unless otherwise stated.
• You may need to adjust cuing measurements, as they will depend on the thickness of your chosen notebook, which will affect the spine measurement.
• For a different size notebook, cut front and lining fabric pieces 2cm larger than your notebook, remembering to include the spine when measuring. • Sashiko thread is available from selected quilting shops, selected cra stores and suppliers of Japanese textiles and cra s.
Here’s how
STEP 1 From navy linen, cut one 25 x 35cm piece and one 18.5 x 32cm piece.
STEP 2 For the patchwork spine, cut two 3.5 x 56cm strips, plus two 23 x 32cm pieces for pockets, from the red paerned fabric. Cut two 3.5 x 56cm strips, plus one 32 x 45cm piece for lining, from the white paerned fabric. (If you prefer a plain spine, cut one 32 x 11cm piece of fabric.)
STEP 3 Tape the larger piece of navy linen to a cuing mat so that it’s centred on the gridlines with a 25cm edge at the top. Using a ruler and white pen, draw a vertical line in the centre and 2 more lines, 7cm on either side. Draw another 2 lines in the centre of these to give five vertical lines 3.5cm apart.
STEP 4 Mark 9 horizontal lines across the fabric, in the same way with the same spacing, making a centred grid of 3.5cm squares.
STEP 5 Cut out a 6.5cm circle template from card. Use this to draw circular lines on fabric with white pen, placing the circle over the grid and drawing around so each grid square has 2 curves, as shown.
STEP 6 With 1 strand of sashiko thread, start sewing Running stitch (see diagram, above right) along gridlines, securing thread with a knot at the back of your work. Gather a large number of running stitches on needle in one go. Stitches should be twice as long as the gaps between each stitch. As a guide, you should have 5–6 stitches per 3.5cm section. Work all the straight lines, then stitch the curves.
STEP 7 When finished, press gently with a steam iron to remove any remaining marked lines.
Assembling notebook cover
STEP 8 Take your chosen spine fabric. If making it from patchwork, sew red and white strips together
RUNNING STITCH
alternately. Press seams to one side. Cut into 3.5cm strips. Turn every other strip and, matching seams, sew together with right sides facing, making a checkerboard pa ern. Press seams open. Trim length so piece is 32 x 11cm.
STEP 9 Trim your embroidered linen piece to 17.5 x 32cm, centring the sashiko. Sew the sashiko piece to the right of the spine panel and the remaining navy linen piece to the le of the spine panel. Press seams towards darker fabric. This forms the outer cover (45 x 32cm).
STEP 10 Fold your 2 pieces of red fabric in half to form 11.5 x 32cm pieces with wrong sides together and press. These are your pocket pieces.
STEP 11 Place lining right side up. Add the pocket pieces to the outer edges, aligning the raw edges so the folds are towards the centre. Fold baker’s twine in half, placing the fold so it extends just outside the seam allowance on the right edge, halfway up. Coil the twine ends loosely in the centre of the lining so they will not get caught in the seam. Place outer cover piece on top, right side down with the sashiko side away from the folded end of the baker’s twine.
STEP 12 Pin all around, leaving a 15cm turning gap along the bo om edge. Make sure the bulk of twine is still in the centre of your fabric, away from seams.
STEP 13 Sew all the way around, remembering to leave the 15cm gap. When sewing over the folded twine ends, reverse backwards and forwards a few times to secure it firmly. STEP 14 Snip corners, turn right side out and press. Turn under the raw fabric edges of the opening and slipstitch closed. Insert your notebook.
STEP 1 Use dressmaker’s pencil to trace the Cloud design (diagram, above right) onto tissue paper. STEP 2 Place traced design on fabric and tack in place. Keep your stitches small and neat to stop tissue paper moving. For larger designs, it is helpful to tack across middle of the paper as well. Trim any excess tissue paper, as needed. STEP 3 Starting at base of design, follow the outline by weaving the needle in and out of the fabric along the pencil lines, taking care not to pucker the fabric. When turning corners, don’t pull thread through completely – leave a tiny loop on the back Subscribe to prevent at www.simplysewingmag.com puckering. STEP 4 Continue working across design in a logical order. Finish threads by weaving through the back of your stitches on wrong side of fabric. Once complete, carefully tear away tissue paper— hold the stitches as you do this to prevent them being pulled by the tissue paper. STEP 5 Press wrong side of embroidery. Centre it in a hoop and tighten in place. Trim away any excess fabric.