Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot
Welcome to my first Block Tutorial. I have been excited for several weeks about today because it is my turn on the Quilting Gallery's Glorious Autumn Block Party!
The Party just started last week so if you haven't checked it out yet you aren't too far behind. Vicki Welsh had a great block post yesterday. She does great hand dyes too.
Tomorrow Barb at Bejeweled Quilts will have a block. Now if you like to shop for fabric there are Super Deals to be had each of the 15 weeks. Today Contemporary Cloth will be offering a special deal for you so check it out.
There are also some great GIVEAWAYS going on. You have to go to each blog to see what is offered. Mine is a sweet one and will have 3 WINNERS. More about that at the end of the post. Now without further ado let me introduce you to my new block...
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| Leaf Vase |
Since the theme of the Block Hop is Glorious Autumn I could not think of anything more splendid than the colorful leaves of Fall. (By the way the block is on my ironing board there is not any gray in it.) Now to download the block pattern just go here.
Today I'm going to share with you the process I went through to select the fabrics for the second Leaf Vase block I made yesterday. I had wanted to make it in batik fabrics ever since I designed the block. I made the one above to test the pattern and to show it in printed fabrics. I know everyone has different preferences in fabric and learning to choose fabrics that show off a block's design lines isn't easy for some quilters.
First I cut out the needed squares and triangles. Everything is either a 2 1/2" square or half square triangle unit so that's not hard. I debated over the fabrics and decided to lay everything out on a piece of batting.
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| First Layout |
It was OK but I like my quilts to have a sparkle. I really love the blue batik I'm using for the vase. It looks like a cut glass bowl full of water and reflections. The rusty green leaf on the right is good but the green leaf on the left is kinda flat and the orange top leaf doesn't pop.
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| Second Layout |
So I swapped the yellow and orange. That seemed a little better but the green leaf on the left just wasn't right and the orange one was still too flat.
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| Third Layout |
Trying a different orange really helped. My batik stash is mostly the without much texture so I am limited in what I could work with. I had picked up a few new ones last week. I finally spotted the blue triangle in the wrong place. Had you seen it?
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| Fourth Layout |
A new green does the trick! Now there is a sparkle! Would you believe the right and left leaf were from the same fabric? I just cut from different sections of color.
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| Fifth Layout |
The orange really looked good on top and I cut a few brighter yellow pieces for greater contrast in that leaf. Now on the sewing.
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| Sewn Triangle units |
I chain pieced the triangle units picking them up from the design layout on row at a time. Read the pressing instructions in the picture above. I didn't cut them apart until I was back at the design board and I could return them to the right spot as I trimmed the dog ears one by one. The color shading in the batiks had determined exactly were each one went. I like puzzles, can you tell?
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| Sewn Triangles on Layout |
Now flip vertical Row 2 on top of Row 1, Row 4 on top of Row 3, and Row 6 onto Row 5.
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| Paired for Sewing |
Carefully stack them from top to bottom and place them beside your machine being careful to not turn any of the stacks.
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| Time for Some Chain Piecing |
Chain sew them together. Return them to the design board to check the placement.
Only clip the threads between the stacks. Keep the rows chained together.
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| Flip Center Rows onto First Two Rows |
Chain sew the seams between Rows 2 and 3 the open them and add Rows 5 and 6.
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| Ready for Rows 5 and 6 |
Now just sew the crosswise seams. You don't have to cut the linking threads but you can if you want to. Using a few pins might be a good idea.
The Leaf Vase Block is together. Now to the ironing board.
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| Ready for a Good Pressing |
Click to enlarge the picture and you can see the direction the seams were pressed. I have a
tutorial on a neat Ironing Tip Here. Since this post is getting so long I made it separate. This simple tip will work with pressing seams in quilts too so be sure you check it out.
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| Nice Flat Seams |
Well, that's the wrong side isn't it? Ready for the big reveal?
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| Completed Leaf Vase Block |
How about a side by side portrait?
Which one do you like best?
Here are some ideas for quilts with this block. I hope you like this block. Please share pictures of any projects you make with it with me.
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Leaf Vase Wall Quilt
© Patricia Lines 2012 |
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Leaf Vase Tablerunner
© Patricia Lines 2012 |
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Leaf Vase Lap Quilt
© Patricia Lines 2012 |
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Now on to my Giveaway. I will use the Random Number Generator to select 3 Winners!
Everything is in just one picture but it will be divided between 3 people.
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| All 3 Prizes |
The Boo! Pattern goes with the 2 Batik fat quarters on the left. The Little Acorn Tablerunner Pattern goes with the 1 yard of Little Witches and Pumpkins on Purple and the Jack and Fraidy Cats Pattern goes with the 1 yard red print (there are little spiders in the leaves) on the right. I took the patterns out of their bags so they would photograph better but they are nice and snug back in them now. All these are new not used.
Drawing is open until midnight EST September 30, 2012. Winners will be announced October 1. GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.
How to win?
Leave me a comment about your favorite tree and what color it turns in the Fall.
Want a second chance to win? Become a follower and leave a comment that you are.
AFTER you leave your comments (don't pass up on your chance to win), you may just want to go over and check out My Designer Profile Post at the Quilting Gallery.
It's been a while since I gave an 'interview' and I had to think real hard about the answers to all the questions! LOL It comes after the Super Deal of the Day so you'll have to scroll down the page to find it.
Linking to Sew Happy Geek and Show Me How
