TIPS AND TRICKS: COMPLETING SUREFIRE, NEVER FAIL HST'S

This is a picture of an orphan block that was left over from a quilt I made several years ago for a customer. It is the jewelbox variation of Jacob's Ladder and it didn't take me long to decide to concentrate on this one since I had already done some prep work and am planning to make a total of nine blocks  -  54 inches square then, without a border, so  with the border it will be 60 inches square - the ideal size for a snuggle quilt to curl up under to read or watch tv on this winter's chilly evenings.

Here, I have selected the 4 blocks that come together in the centre of the block, and have set the remaining 4 identical blocks aside as they will be needed for the same block a bit later. The 16 inch block is completed by making 4 patches from 2 inch squares and sewing everything together with careful attention to detail.

Here is a picture of several already prepared HST blocks. If you enlarge the picture you will see that I handpieced as well as machine pieced - either works equally well, although later, piecing the 4 patches and then piecing the whole block I will probably rely on handpiecing - either way works but handpiecing works better for me. That's your choice.

Here, I have just cut a HST apart and using my thumbnail, I've finger-pressed it, being careful not to stretch that bias seam. It is now ready for piecing. I find my fingernail is gentler and more forgiving than a hot iron when dealing with something on the bias.

What do your HST's look like, what prints, what colours, what size? - maybe you can post about them and your plans for them, and questions you might have, and leave a comment to let me know so I can go have a look?

What project do you have planned for them?

Right now my big pictorial quilt is calling to me, I've finished some northern lights, an igloo and a polar bear, and now I'm working on appliquing an Inuit man carrying his kayak down to the sea to launch it. When I clear with the recipients I will publish a picture or two as I progress...... Just going to put more wood in the woodstove and then get back to the quilt......

Leave your comments and we'll go from there......

TALK TO YOU SOON! BIG HUGS! JANET

TIPS AND TRICKS: My SUREFIRE, NEVER FAIL HST'S

Jacob's Ladder - jewelbox variation

Before we get down to the nitty gritty of my surefire accurate, neverfail HST's I want to tease your eye with a few more HST beauties. Please accept my apologies for the poor quality of this picture - it was taken while
I was still using a first generation digital, and colour trueness wasn't its strong point! This is a quilt I made for a lady in Washington state using scraps and fat quarters.

Set Sail 36x46 inches - shop model from a kit
I chose to show you this one because one of the first quilts I ever made for sale, entitled "Ship of Dreams" was a red, white, navy and ochre variation on this one, and at the moment I can't find a picture of it. I must hunt through my pre-digital albums and do some scanning.

Janet's Indigo Basket

Ah! Much better! One thing I've learned is to photograph quilts outdoors for best colour results. This is my Indigo Baskets quilt which, although it doesn't strike you immediately, is basically a half square triangle quilt on point, with appliqued basket handles. A great quilt with very little effort. It was so much fun that there is another in the works. I'll bring it out later in a tutorial I think.

NOW FOR THE NITTY GRITTY!!!

TODAY (right now!) I want you to get out your quarter inch grid paper or your gridded template plastic, or promise to be really really accurate if you don't have either. Find your mechanical pencil or your fineline permanent marker. We're ready to start.
 SIZE: We will be making templates for HST's to finish at 2, 3, 4,5.and 6 inches and maybe 7 inches too - why not go for all of them - I think I will. And the reason I will is that long ago I learned the lesson of scale being essential to a quilt's size.
For example, if I am going to make a baby quilt, which I tend to size at 42x54 or 42x60, I am not going to make it from large blocks - I am going to size my blocks at less than 6 inches square. For a lap quilt which I size at 60x60 most of the time, we can go for perhaps 8 inches square; and for a double queen, I usually stop at around 10. I am currently working on a 96 inch square pictorial applique and have stretched the rule to multiples of 12. If you make a lot of doll sized quilts, you can settle for blocks that are no more than 2 inches square.
MAKE YOUR TEMPLATES: in order to be able to build in complete accuracy you will make your template fininshed size + 2inches on each side.
For example, your 2 inch finished size will yield a template of 6 square inches.
2 inches cut template at 6 inches
3 inches cut template at 7 inches
4 inches cut template at 8 inches
and so on......
Make at least the templates listed above for starters. If you make larger ones, try taping the template plastic together as the gridded plastic doesn't come that wide.
When cutting on the gridded line, try to cut very straight and right through the inner edge of the line to allow for greater accuracy, as a pencil width mark will take up some room.
Now you are ready to cut out your squares!!!
Now either mark all your light coloured fabric using a mechanical pencil on the wrong side, or mark all your dark fabric on the wrong side using a piece of white tailor's chalk or a white chalk pencil. Make sure you keep the chalk or chalk pencil's tip sharp so as to mark a thin line.
You can vary the sizes or make a supply all the same size - it's up to you.
 BEFORE YOU CUT OUT YOUR BLOCKS: carefully mark a diagonal line from opposite corners. Then mark another diagonal line on each side of this one and in a quarter of an inch, using whichever marker you used before.
Now you can cut out the marked squares. Then you will lay them right sides facing, on top of the other fabrics (either lighter or darker) that you chose.

TOMORROW:we'll sew a few HST's together and take a picture or two!

See you then!!
Hugs!
Janet



EDIT!!!!!!! And the winner is.........
number 9 generated by Random.org
and that is....marie in oregon!!! who left me her email addy - I need you to contact me, marie, with your snail mail addy

and you'll have your lavender sachets before you know it!

AND!!!!!!  I did say I would award a second giveaway prize if the entries reached 125. Now they only reached 122, but that didn't stop me - gotta love Random.org!!
MY SECOND WINNER IS.........Teresa (Westherbee ;) of Renton, Washington who has just started a blog.
Both gals should contact me with their mailing addresses and I'll get those lavender sachets on the way out to you on the west coast the first of the week.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU, DEBI, FOR HOSTING THE FALL INTO FALL GIVEAWAY - IT'S BEEN GREAT FUN!!

Make a note of my sister site's URL - http://www.funkybabymine.blogspot.com/  vintage handmade household linens - because I'll be announcing a giveaway over there next week