More Community Quilts - this one from Bonnie Hunter

 An oldie but a goodie - first published in 1999 as a Community Quilt pattern. Find it on Bonnie Hunter's blog/freebie tutorial site:  Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Free Patterns!

Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Free Patterns!

SCRAPPY TRIPS in Bonnie's tutorial are 6 strips turning out a 12" finished square.

I’ve made this pattern in 6 step trips and it turned out well – the picture is on the guild’s Facebook page!

However, I had a hard time keeping the sequence of the strips in order so that I ended up unsewing and resewing far more than the pattern called for.  Therefore I am offering the following advice.  This won't make much sense if you have not read through Bonnie's free pattern linked above but if you are thinking of making this quilt with your leftover 2 1/2" strips it might prove helpful.

Today I am trying it in a 5 step version.  I have learned a few things about making this quilt that might be worth sharing.  I have found that keeping the strips in order so that removing the correct seams in the right sequence is more challenging than I thought it would be.

I have found a method this time around that is working really well, so I’m going to share it here (and with a link FaceBook as well as our website) to help others avoid the confusion and resewing that I did on my first effort.

1^st -   Alternating lights and darks works best – it doesn’t matter what color comes out on the full diagonal. Variety is good!

2^nd – I use a slotted ruler to cut the strip sets – saves so much time! I place colored stickers on the correct slots – so easy!

3^rd – once the sets are on the cutting mat, don’t disturb the sequence!
Place a pin within the seam allowance at the top of the first strip.
take the next strip and move the top seam allowance down one fabric and place a pin in that seam allowance. Continue along the strips inserting pins in all of the seam allowances that will be removed.

4^th – stack the strips IN ORDER and clip them all together in the middle of the stack so that the intended seam allowances are all in a line.

Now it is safe to remove the stitches in the designated seams.
Just unfold them - lay the strips on your design board and sew your block!

Strip sets bundled by block with stitching in top blocks removed - total of three blocks.

I use a plastic scrap box to keep my blocks flat until I have enough for a quilt top.

The strips are cut at 2 1/2" so the blocks finish at 10" square.

The version with 6 strips finishes at 12" square, but that size is too big for this box!

That's all for today.

Thea 

QCE Community Quilts Progressing in Leaps and Bounds

 

QCE Community Quilts – September Newsletter article

COMMUNITY QUILTERS - Please see the FACEBOOK posts for current pattern ideas. 

This month we will be concentrating on things to do with leftover 2 ½” strips. Mostly 4-patch blocks and several ways to use them! Bring some 2 1/2 " strips along on Sept. 26^th to play with.  Full width strips, leftovers from jelly-rolls, remains of bindings, and any other strips you have laying around. The ideas will work with a variety of strip lengths, widths, and accuracy (or lack thereof) so bring your strips and let’s make up enough kits to hand out for the guild members to take for the next few months.  You might not need to sew, but there will be lots of planning, pressing, cutting and sorting.

Many of the quilt kits include scrappy blocks – this is how they grow – feel free to grow your own!
These were made using the “straightening cuts” to square up fabric for the ‘real’ cutting.

1. Starting with the smallest bits of scraps - join together any two pieces, then add two more pieces all around. 
2. Next add strips as desired - until the block is about 4" across it can be wonky, but once it gets a little bigger you can square up the sides before adding the last four pieces around the outside - I save the wider strips (up to 2") for the last round to allow for easier intersections when joining rows.
3. Sewing in sets of 3 or 4 without cutting between blocks conserves thread.
4. Blocks should be "squared up" to 6 1/2" (6" finished size) for the quilt.
5. Blocks can be combined with alternate solid pieces when joining rows.
6. With 18 of each you can make a quilt center of 36" x 36" plus a border of your choice for up to a 42" square quilt.

The September 26th Community Quilts Evening Sew-a-long at First Presbyterian Church in Greensburg might be the last ‘in person’ event for the Fall season.  I’m thinking it might work better as a ZOOM sewing event as the days will be shorter and the weather will likely be worse as we go into the winter months. This also has the added benefit of being in our own sewing spaces without needing to pack up and haul everything to the meetings – although it will be fun to do it again in the spring once the weather is more cooperative. The ZOOM links can be up all day and into the evening so members can drop in as they are available.

We are collecting quilts for delivering to Project Linus, hospitals and nursing homes. There are 17 quilts collected so far. Please bring your completed quilts or fabric/batting donations – batting scraps that can be cut to 10” squares (or larger) are especially appreciated. Quilt sizes: 36”x36”, 40”x 40”, 40”x 50” and up to Twin size.
Also, if you have a coupon or happen to be in Joann’s and get the sudden urge to donate batting, a twin is a better bargain than a crib.

There may be a need for “Fidget Quilts” for Memory Care Units, so start collecting ‘Fidget Fodder’ for a future project. Similar size to the placemat project we did last season. Links and posts will be added to the QCE Facebook page as well as the blog. Watch for more information in future Friday updates!

Any suggestions or questions? Call or text Thea at 724-516-1439 or email grannygoodstuff@ymail.com

 

Quilt Show & Tell Pictures

Show & Tell on Monday March 21, 2022

(sorry, no data available)

If any of these are yours and you would like info on your quilt included - please email info to me at grannygoodstuff@ymail.com

 

TUTORIAL from Quilt Company East Quilt Guild Sew Day - 2-19-2022

With so many guild participants and friends from far and near joining in on ZOOM, it seems appropriate to share some of the goings on with those unable to attend. The block of the day was very well received so let's put it here for future reference!

This block tutorial was presented as a Power Point slide show at the QCE Sew Day on Saturday February 19, 2022.

All guild members are encouraged to make a block for Community Quilts. Choose a variety of Black on White and White on Black prints for contrast. Note how blocks can be a Star, a Cross, or a big X.
You decide!

See the examples towards the end for ideas.

Notice how this block looks like an X?

Bright colors go so well with the black & white prints!  

Add the coordinating borders.

Here are Sally's blocks:

Thirty blocks make a twin size quilt approximately 77"x92"!

Please leave comments below 

- we love feedback. :-)

QCE Update 8/21/20

 

Facebook, Blog, Zoom, etc.

Hello Quilters! I’ve missed you all so much. It seems like forever since we’ve been together at Churchill for a regular, in person meeting.  It also looks like it will be a while longer until we can be physically together. To help us all keep in touch while we wait, we are and will continue to take advantage of whatever we can on the Internet. To aid in that social distancing requirement, most meetings will be held online. For your viewing pleasure, all guild members are invited to join our Guild Facebook page (if you have not already) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/122668044442741

Facebook also allows us to have albums where we can post pictures of our latest quilts and other projects. I have created albums where any member can upload, and albums for our 'special interest' groups such as Creative Quilters and the recent results of the Progressive Quilters as well as past meetings and monthly Show N Tell.   https://www.facebook.com/groups/122668044442741/media/albums

Also available on FB are files of various forms and documents such as the membership application form: https://www.facebook.com/groups/122668044442741/files

If you are not already a FB member, please send a request through the FB site so I can “admit” you to our private QCE page. There are several albums on our FB site where you can add photos of your latest quilts – you might want to use a ‘stamp’ or ‘label’ on your photo if you prefer not to post anything other than your photo.  For those who are concerned, you can view once you are admitted, but there is no obligation to post comments or photos. Also, if you don’t want to use your ‘work name’ you can let me know via text or email of your “QCE ID” which can be a slightly miss-spelled version of your name, or a totally fictitious name of your choosing, such as the “kwlt kween” id that my sons gave me many years ago.

Thanks for being a guild member, and please renew so you can take advantage of all the innovations that will be happening as we move into our electronic future, however long this situation lasts.

Here is one of my quilts waiting on the "to be quilted" line:

Please let me hear from you by leaving a comment below.