2015 New Block Blog Hop: Picnic Pinwheel

Welcome to the 2015 New Block Blog Hop! If you're new to the blog my name is Chels and I've been  blogging for about a year and a half. I am a full time teacher, so today is officially my first day back. Summer went by too fast, but I am savoring every last minute of this beautiful sunshine starting with this delicious Watermelon Summer Palette from Fabri-Quilt. Look below for links to other quilters  sharing their tutorials today. Now introducing ... 

Picnic Pinwheel Tutorial

MATERIALS & CUTTING:

Blue/Background: 4 - 4.5 inches square, 8 - 2.5 inches square

Chartreuse/Color 1: 4 - 6.5 by 2.5 inches

Aqua/Color 2: 4 - 4.5 by 2.5 inches 

Coral/Color 3: 4 - 2.5 inches square

Chartreuse/Color 4: 4 - 2.5 inches square 

  

**For this tutorial: all seams are sewn at a scant quarter inch, seams are pressed open, and diagonals are sewn using the Frog Tape Trick. RST = right sides together, 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start by taking the four 6.5 by 2.5 inch pieces and four 2.5 inch background squares. RST sew diagonally across the white square. Trim away extra fabric and press open. 

2. Next, take the four 4.5 by 2.5 inch pieces and four 2.5 inch background squares. RST sew the opposite direction you sewed the diagonal in step one. Trim away extra fabric and press open.

3. Use the 4.5 inch background squares and the 2.5 squares of color to make the corner piece. RST sew diagonally across the colored square. Trim away extra fabric and press open.

4. Using the last 2.5 inch color squares, repeat step 3 to the opposite corner. Trim away extra fabric and press open.

5. Putting RST sew together the 4.5 inch square and the 4.5 inch rectangle on all four pieces. Press open.

6. Next, RST sew the 6.5 inch rectangle on all four pieces. Press open. Now each quadrant of the design is completed.

7. Lay out the four quadrants, rotating as shown above.

8. RST sew together the top two quadrants and bottom two quadrants. Press open.

9. RST sew the two sides of the block together. Press open. 

10. Admire the finished block! 

The block will finish at 12 inches square, unfinished 12.5 inches square. If you have any questions or need clarification on a part please feel free to email or leave a comment below. 

Stay tuned on Thursday I am releasing my first quilt pattern using this block! Here is a little sneak peak. Being a first I am super excited to share with everyone. 

Until then check out these other bloggers who are releasing a new block tutorial today!

Host – Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

Kelly @Quilting it Out

Martha @Once a Wingnut

Irene @Patchwork and Pastry

Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life

Andrea @The Sewing Fools

Bernie @Needle and Foot

Silvia @A Stranger View

Wanda @Wanda’s Life Sampler

Sandra @Musings of a Menopausal Melon

Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts

Jess @Quilty Habit

Diana @Red Delicious Life

Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe

Margo @Shadow Lane Quilts

Renee @Quilts of a Feather

Meet Rosa

Ok, some you know from Instagram this little pug got adopted at the beginning of summer. Her name is Rosa! She is everything a Pug is supposed to be, snorting, snoring, little princess. Her main motivation in life is food, followed by her constant desire to get her belly rubbed. Rosa is quite lazy and not really a long walk dog, which will be great this winter! Her best qualities are she is sweet and very lovable. Rosa feels the need to become instant friends with anyone who walks through our doors! Her quirky and fun personality make everyday a new and exciting adventure. 

Welcome home Rosa! Hope you are enjoying your new home :) 

- Patch, Rosa & Chels

Round Trip Quilts: The Final Border!

Our Round Trip Quilts is nearing the end! This is Christina @Wips and Tuts autumn themed quilt. She said she wanted fall colors with a fall theme. I added in the left hand row. Nothing says fall like steaming hot mugs of cocoa and migrating birds.

Mary @ See Mary Quilt stole my idea of the foxes, when I saw this quilt and knew the theme I went out and bought the Fancy Fox pattern. So I was stuck moving on to Plan B! 

Mary left this little fox as an extra, so I had to include him as I loved his floral print face. If anyone knows what print this is, let me know!

Every one did such a great job following the theme of this quilt. Hopefully it's everything Christina wanted and then some. I am excited to get mine back too!  This whole project was so much fun :)

-Patch & Chels

Happy Aunt!

July was all about Christmas, so my aunt proposed that August be all about Aunts. Clearly she wants her quilt finished. I have to give her credit for being patient she first saw the fabrics I choose back in January. It was time to get this WIP finished.

This quilt took longer than I had expected because of a few hic-ups along the way. First off, this quilt started as a 5 by 5 arrangement but it was too small. I had to make up 11 more blocks to create a 6 by 6 arrangement. At the last minute I decided to go around the stars with some hand quilting. Yep, I sure do love my aunt! 

Although this quilt has taken longer than expected, it came out better than I expected. The Star Pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew is hands down my favorite. I have done this pattern using multiple color schemes and it always comes out great.

Another quilt is officially off the WIP list ... only 12 more to go! 

-Patch & Chels

HST Update

This year the New Hampshire Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a Modern HST Quilt Along. Of course, because I do nothing the correct way, I made my blocks 12 inches instead of 8 inches (who has time for those tiny HST??). This project is moving along quite nicely because I settled on 30 blocks instead of the 72 some of my (crazy) guild mates signed on for!

For fabrics I picked up a fat quarter bundle of Gypsy Caravan by Amy Butler, and paired each fabric with Kona Bone. Each fat quarter makes two blocks with some extra fabric for the scrap bin or for corner-blocks in the sashing (not sure about sashing yet). So far I love the colors in this line even though it strays from my typical colors. 

Only ten more blocks to go :) 

-Patch & Chels

2015 New Block Blog Hop {with Fabri-Quilt}

INTRODUCING ... 

Welcome to the 2015 New Block Blog Hop! The New Blogger Blog Hop has teamed up with Fabri-Quilt to have each of us come a with a tutorial for a 12.5 inch unfinished block to post on our blogs using the fat eights below. The hop will start on August 31st, so mark your calendars :) 

We are using the Watermelon Summer Color Palette: Chartreuse, Turquoise, Coral, Aqua, Lapis Blue, and white. This group of fabrics make such an awesome summer collection! Every tutorial in the hop is using the same colors, and sending the blocks along to make charity quilts. These are going to look absolutely stunning.

Stayed tuned for more information about the hop schedule! 

-Patch & Chels

Maine Adventures & Fabric

This past week the boy and I got to spend some time up in Acadia National Park, Maine. It was breath-takingly beautiful. Around every bend was another vista that was equal in beauty to the last. I included some of my favorite pictures, with over a hundred to choose from it was hard to narrow them down!

On the way up we needed to take a break from the long car ride and pulled into a Marden's just to "look around" and stretch our legs.  Forty-five minutes later I was smiling ear to ear with this load of fabric! He didn't know Marden's also carries high end quilt fabric for $4.99 (max) per yard. Oops. Pretty sure we won't be stopping at Marden's again to take a quick stretch!

While I was there I also got some generic backing fabrics to have on hand. The grey print is flannel so that one will make a super snuggly quilt. The other two just "go" with most of my stash. 

And ... here are some more of my favorite shots from Acadia! The park has amazing bike paths, harbors, light houses, coastal views, cliffs, a beach, and miles of hiking. One hike we did was straight up a mountain face, there was metal ladder rungs we had a to climb up. That part was scary but the view was amazing. My favorite part was the stone bridges along the carriage roads. Just amazing these were built a hundred years ago!

Hopefully everyone has been enjoying their summer! These next couple weeks I plan on getting some sewing done and relaxing before school starts back up. Ahhhh, where has summer gone! 

- Patch & Chels

Another Sew Together Bag

Lately my scrap bin has been overflowing, so I decided to make a scrappy project.  Too bad these little projects didn't make a dent! Guess I will need to make a larger project. Once I was about half way through this little set the boy decided it would be a perfect gift for his sister who also quilts. So Happy Birthday Sis. The bag was made in a scrappy manner so I could use as many of my favorite prints as possible. 

I am so happy about finally overcoming my fear of zippers because every time I make a new bag it becomes my favorite! All the contrasting colors actually play nice with one another. 

This week the boy and I are headed up to Acadia National Park in Maine.  I'm pretty excited to do some camping and hiking around the island. I will be sure to post the journey once I get back or follow Patch_the_Giraffe on Instagram! Any recommendations from those who have been?

- Patch & Chels

Michael Miller Challenge

This summer is going by too quickly! Summer school is already over and things are busy, busy, busy. I did get a couple minutes to sew the other day for my guild. These blocks will be going toward the New Hampshire Modern Quilt Guild's 2016 Quiltcon Charity Quilt.

We had to make six inch squares with wonky corners and "made" fabric. Our coordinators will be putting all the blocks and fabric together to make an improv quilt. I'm excited to see what they come up with!

-Patch & Chels