See

• improv / free form quilt block number 1
• improv / free form quilt block number 2
• improv / free form quilt block number 3

Materials

Matching fabrics in 4 solid colours plus some white. Choose colours with good contrast.

Block size

The finished block measures 10 ½ in.

Instructions

Start creating wonky log cabin mini blocks.

Choose a colour for the centre and cream for the surrounding pieces.

Make interesting pieces with different angles and trim after you get one complete row.

Once you finish the mini block, you will need to trim again.

Trim like below.

Continue to make mini log cabin blocks in the same fashion using different centre colours.

Then cut a 12 and a half inch square and p lace your mini log cabin blocks on the square in a kind of row so when we will be able to cut a strip following the position of the mini blocks.

Pin them in place.

Using the rotary cutter start cutting strips following the placement of the mini blocks.

Then, using each mini block, cut a piece of green fabric which is the size of the mini block width minus one half inch to make up for the seam allowances.

Stitch the mini log cabin blocks to the green fabric.

Place the  strips next to each other to see if you need to trim any of the strips to match the next strip before sewing.

Sew all strips together and you’ve completed the fourth block.

This is the third block in a series of 6. The blocks will be used to make a quilted bedhead.

See improv / free form quilt block number 1 and improv / free form quilt block number 2.

Materials

Matching fabrics in 4 solid colours plus some white. Choose colours with good contrast.

Block size

The finished block measures 10 ½ in.

Instructions

Start with two 12 ½ inch squares in contrasting colours.

Using the rotary cutter, cut both triangles in half in a curve like below.

Then cut the white piece into strips again using the rotary cutter or a pair of scissors.

Now start adding strips in other colours in between the white strips. To cut wavy pieces and sew them neatly, place the colour piece underneath the white strip and cut the colour strip along the white strip edge.

Important: Make sure the colour strips you cut are at least one quarter inch longer than the previous white strip.

Sew strips together.

I ended up with a shorter piece so I added an extra green strip at the end.

The width of the bottom piece now matches the top’s. Now we need to trim the curved top edge.

Place the bottom piece just under the top piece like in the picture and cut along the colour edge using a rotary cutter.

Now you are ready to pin both pieces and sew them together.

Pin both pieces.

Stitch along the edge and then make some cuts along the seam like in the picture so that when you iron it flat, seams to one side, the block will lay flat along the seam.

Iron flat and then trim it to 10 ½ inches square.

Here is the trimmed block!

This is the second block in a series of 6. The blocks will be used to make a quilted bedhead.

See improv / free form quilt block number 1.

Materials

Matching fabrics in 4 solid colours plus some white. Choose colours with good contrast.

Block size

The finished block measures 10 ½ in.

Instructions

Cut a rectangle at least 12 ½ long by 11 ½ or even a 12 ½ square. I started with a smaller piece and I had to add some fabric around the block to make it up at the end.

Now, using a rotary cutter cut the rectangle or square into strips. Wavy strips make for a nicer effect.

Then make some cuts along the strips.

Now make a cut next to the first cut to obtain a small rectangle or square and put aside.

Use the triangles you cut out to cut another piece of fabric. See picture below for an example. Here I added just ¼ seam allowance though I should in fact have added ½ allowance. If you add ½ allowance on each side your initial rectangle doesn’t need to be bigger.

Do this for each white piece to be replaced.

Place each piece where it will be stitched.

Mix the colours a bit.

Now start stitching each strip individually. And then all strips together.

I added an insert in a different colour between two strips to break the even design a bit.

Continue to stitch all strips and iron flat.

My seam allowance errors I made earlier made the block too small so I added an extra strip at the top and squared the block on the left.

The block is complete.

Now you just need to square it.

This is the first block in a series of 6. The blocks will be used to make a quilted bedhead.

Materials

Matching fabrics in 4 solid colours plus some white. Choose colours with good contrast.

Block size

The finished block measures 10 ½ in.

Instructions

Cut a 12 ½ x 12 ½ in square.

Cut the square in smaller squares/rectangles. An example is below.

Now start cutting each rectangle/square in half and add a strip of a contrasting colour to join back together.

Iron flat.

Cut joined piece in half again.

And join back again using the same contrasting fabric.

Continue to do the same and try and use strips of fabric which are uneven for a different effect.

Now we have 2 squares completed.

This time just cut a large rectangle in 3 pieces like below and join back together as we did earlier.

As you can see the block starts taking shape.

Cut another square in 3 pieces and substitute one of them for another colour as per picture below.

Now we have all the rectangles/squares done, let’s put them back together.

You can use here other fabric colours so that it doesn’t look all the same.

To close large gaps you can use different strips of colour.

And here is the finished block. The next step will be trimming the block to 10 ½ in which I’ll do later when all improv blocks in this series are completed.

Now you just need to square it.

Just in case you missed any of these tutorials last year, here’re the links again. They were the most visited tutorials in 2011.

1. Charm pack tote bag with inside pocket tutorial
2. Tote bag tutorial
3. Notebook cover tutorial
4. Kid’s draughtsman’s pouch tutorial
5. iPad slip cover with wrap around pocket tutorial

More information about how I am making this quilt.

View all the blocks I have done so far.

Flower Garden Path

Flower Pot

Four Winds

Friendship

Friendship Block

The Pink Chalk Team selected 5 favorites in 3 categories, and… this is the exciting bit… my Patchwork Christmas tree softie tutorial was selected as one of 5 in Category 3: Deck the Halls (Holiday Decorations). My trees didn’t win the competition but I enjoyed participating. Congratulations to the winner!

Materials

• fabric scraps for front, back and binding
• embroidery floss
• 14 ¼ inch elastic band

Download eye mask pattern (pdf).

Cut pattern out, place on the facing fabric and draw around it.

You can use any marker as the line will not be visible after you add the binding.

Using matching embroidery floss, stitch around the edges of the designs or in whatever pattern you like.

Detailed embroidery.

I only stitched on some of the designs.

And I used a variety of stitches as well as colours.

When finished, make a sandwich with the backing, batting and the facing fabric. Pin to hold together.

Stitch around the eye mask one quarter inch from the marked line.

Now you have the sandwich stitched together, it is time to trim the fabric.

Cut around the stitching line leaving a bit less than one quarter inch allowance.

Cut a 20 inch long bias strip.

Stitch the binding in place.

Fold the bias tape around the other side of the eye mask when done and pin.

At this stage insert the elastic band.

Pin in place.

Stitch by hand and you’re done!

-

These are called quilted Christmas ornaments and you can make them in different ways.

I followed Random Rambling’s tutorial but there are others you can follow such as Project wedding or the one on Make Stuff. Plenty to choose from. You can watch a video which clearly demonstrates how to make a ball from beginning to end. You don’t have a polystyrene ball? Use a CD instead of a ball to make this ornament!

I have made a number of them and I can say that:

• using 2.5in squares instead of 3in squares for a 3 inch ball achieves better results
• high contrast fabrics and colours work better
• they make great Christmas presents
• they are great craft projects to make with children
• they are a good way to relax and get into the zen zone

In this part we’ll be finishing the bunting.

Firstly we will be making flags with the message MERRY XMAS.

Download the typography (pdf), print it and proceed to fuse it to the flags as you did in Part 1. You will need to transfer R and M twice as there’s only one copy of each letter in the download.

Cut 9 flags and fuse the letters to the flags.

Cut 9 triangles of one sided fusible interfacing and iron to the back of each flag.

Then draw the inside lines of each letter to make it 3D as per pattern.

Stitch around each line and around the edge of each letter as per picture below).

Now you will need to add some backing to each flag. Cut 13 triangles in a matching fabric or calico.

Place front and back flags right sides together and stitch around 2 sides leaving the top open to turn inside out. Trim the pointy end of the triangle before turning inside out.

Turn inside out and push the corner out with a pointy blunt instrument. Iron flat.

Top stitch each triangle around 3 sides leaving a one quarter seam allowance.

Trim the open end of each triangle.

The triangles are ready to be placed on a string.

Making the string

The strip of fabric we need to place the triangles in is 140 inches long.

The width of the strip is 1 ½ in wide.

Fold the strip of fabric in half and iron, then fold each side inside again and iron.

Fold the strip in half and pin it in the middle. Use this mark to place the first flag.

After pinning the first flag, continue to place a flag on each side leaving 3 ½ inches separation between flags.

After all flags have been pinned, top stitch along the strip.

Fold both ends of the string to make a hook as per picture.

Stitch.

All done.