New Strawberry Patches Quilt Pattern and Tutorial

Introducing a new pattern called 

Strawberry Patches!

The photo below is my mock up//practice quilt.  Grabbing what i have from my stash, testing strawberry shapes, adding a leaf, eliminating a seam or 2...deciding which way to press what...

All the things that go on behind the scenes...

Then the hardest part!  Writing instructions.  Hours go into that piece.  Sitting at my computer, blurry eyed after reworking, finding mistakes...so many numbers, words...does it make sense?  Did i forget an important part or measurement?  Did i write the measurement correctly?  

I called a couple quilting friends to tear apart every detail!  Jean is a retired math teacher and Susan retired from years of secretarial work.  A great combination for scrutinizing the pattern!!

In the final quilt there will be a chunky berry and a pointy berry.  
This is Jean's chunky strawberry in batiks!

The instructions are now complete with one minor omission.   The actual quilt!

The final quilt will look like the diagram below.  The brown I have chosen will make its debut in June.  It's from Renee Nanneman's new line called Pumpkin Patch Plaids.  You'll want to stock up!

I am making all my strawberries scrappy...30 different reds with a few brown toned pinks thrown in.  

Until the brown arrives, i'm not sure what greens i will use.  

And below is the background i have picked out...provided it goes well with the brown.  I can't imagine why it would not...cuz it's so darn cute!!

It's from Edyta Sitar's Little Sweetheart line called Bubbles.

And now for the Pictorial piece...

There are a couple places in the Strawberry Patch quilt that require an irregular triangle. I did not want to get into cutting templates (yuk) so i figured i could accomplish my goal through rectangles.

I can cut those!  Lol

The strawberries have a triangle in each lower corner.  One cut from this direction

And the other from this direction.
(if you stack two rectangles as shown in the first photo...and cut diagonally, you'll get 2 of each)

In the instructions, you will be asked to lay a triangle in the bottom corners of the strawberry fabric.  The right angles will match with the tall end of the triangle along the side with the shorter end along the bottom.  Like shown below.

This triangle placed incorrectly.

Place a little mark where the arrows are located (following the measurements in the instructions) and draw a diagonal line.

 Place the correct triangle in the correct corner

 With right sides together, line it up with the drawn line. Do a little flip test to make sure when sewn, it covers the entire corner.

Pin in place and sew 1/4 seam

Once sewn, flip it over and press...but do not trim yet.
Add the other triangle to the opposite corner and do the same.

Once both are sewn and pressed, it will look like this.

Flip the unit over to the backside and trim, making sure the strawberry fabric remains its original size. 

There will be excess fabric underneath

Trim to 1/4 seam under both triangles.

In addition to the strawberry triangles, there are also irregular triangles that create a diamond shape in the quilt.  The same principle applies when adding them.

Instead of waiting for the brown fabric to arrive and making the final quilt...Strawberry Season is upon us now!!
  
So I have listed Strawberry Patches in my Etsy shop in digital form for only $8.  View the listing for more color options!

It will not have an official cover, because i have no final quilt to photograph yet. And hard copies will not be available until i do. 
So take advantage of this opportunity to save a little $ and make your very own Strawberry Patch. 

Photo taken in the 1960's of our family strawberry patch...one of many Strawberry patches!

Farmhouse Love Quilt ** Fabric Requirements

How about some sweet Farmhouse fun!  

I've been working on this quilt for a few months and decided it would be a lot of fun to finish what I've started with you!

And just in time for Valentines!

Here's what you will need to get started on your Farmhouse Love Quilt

Black Gingham: 1-1/2 yards background for the heart blocks

Black Floral: 1-1/3 yards for stars and cornerstones

Red Floral: 2 yards for hearts, setting triangles, nine patches and binding

Cream: 1-1/2 yards for sashing and nine patches

Black Bees: 1-1/2 yards for outer setting triangles and border
Backing: 4 yards

All fabrics shown here are Created by Renee Nanneman, from her Riviera Rose fabric line and the Bees and Gingham are from her new collection called Beehive.  Isn't it all gorgeous???  

I can also picture this quilt in soft pinks and 

grays.  Can't wait to see what you do!

    

So go gather up some fabrics and come on back Monday!   I'll be posting cutting and piecing instructions for the heart blocks. There are 12 (in case you can't count..Lol).

You will have until the 15th of January to make all those blocks, before we move on to sashing.  

That's like, 9 days...you can do it!

I must warn you ...don't jump ahead on the sashing if you get done early....you'll defiantly want to see the cutting instructions.

It'll all happen here...so tell your Facebook and Instagram quilting friends to come on over and make Farmhouse Love too! 

Let's wrap our world in some quilting kind of Love!

~karen

How to use Print Friendly**  
If you would like to use the 'print friendly' button at the bottom of this post or any post, i recommend clicking on the Post Title first (so you only print the post you want...and not the entire blog).  
Once the print friendly option is open on your screen, the post can be printed in a number of pages.  You can select just the pages you wish to print.  Page numbers will be listed at the bottom of each page.  You'll want to select 'All' or 'Custom'.  
Only want to print one page?...click 'Custom' and select the desired page number... example:  only want to print page 3?  You'll want to enter 3-3.  Want to print pages 3-6?  The enter 3-6, etc...  

         

Freebie Broom Block Border!

Revisiting an old friend!  

Made this quilt in 2016 using Lori Holt's snowman block, now found in her Vintage Christmas book.  

I created these little brooms to use in my border.  

The Broom Block can be found as a freebie in a previous blog  post...or you can purchase a 2 page instant download for only $2 in my Etsy Shop.

Don't forget to follow along with my on Instagram too!  @laughyourselfintostitches

Simple Christmas Craft Tutorial

This is such an easy craft to do...for any occasion!  

I came across this darling snowman fabric by Urban Chiks and just had to do something quick and easy with it!  

Coupled with Holly's Tree Farm fabric by Sweetwater I set out to make a few Christmas cards.  

What do you need?

1. Blank cards with envelopes.  Mine measure 4-1/2" x 5-1/2".

2. Fussy cut a favorite fabric motif...(the snowman is cut roughly 2-1/4" square, and some are rectangles) and cut a secondary fabric larger than the snowman/batt, for inside the card's cover.

With pinking shears, 'pink' the secondary fabric.  

3. Place a piece of batting scrap underneath the fussy cut motif and cut it about 1/4" larger.  I use Hobbs 80/20 batting scraps.  

4. Place small dots of Roxanne Glue Baste-it on the under side of the batting and adhere it to the front of the card.

No need to glue the fussy cut piece in place...it stays just fine on top of the batting.  Besides, you don't want to see any glue coming through the fabric.

5. Place a few dots of Glue Baste-it on the secondary fabric and stick to the inside of the card...making sure it covers the the snowman on the front.

6.  Set your sewing machine stitch length approx. 2.5 and sew around the motif's edge.  Mine is sewn in about 1/8".  

It doesn't have to be perfect either...you can trim the batt if you like after it's been sewn on, but i like the unevenness...i think it adds charm.

I might add...i don't back stitch, i make a few stitches over the beginning stitches and call it good.

How cute are these???

Would be great for gift tags too...Or bundle a few and give as a gift! 

If you make some of these cards....head over to my Instagram account @laughyourselfintostitches and tag #stitchncards for all to see!  

I'm Always inspired by your creativity!
~karen 

How to Make a Quilt Sleeve using Prairie Points!

If you've not tried this sleeve method...it's worth a look!

 Begin with an 8-1/2" square (can be less depending on the size of the quilt or hanging).

 Place the raw edge of the triangles along the edge of the quilt.

Sew less than 1/4" from the edge, so the binding will cover your stitching!

Once the Prairie Point Triangles are sewn into place, take a tacking stitch to secure each point.  Slip your rod behind the Prairie Points to hang. 

Add a button if you like!

It's that easy!!!

Have a wonderful Father's Day...

I picked a handful of wild flowers from our family farm this morning and presented them to my dad.  Other than a hug and lots of love, what else does one need when they are 87?  

This is where i grew up and my parents still live there today. 

 Photo was taken last week by my sister in law.