“Brake Lights” Free Quilt Pattern designed by Sarah Fredette for Smiles too Loudy from Moda Bakeshop
Category Archives: Free Quilt Tutorials
Friday Funday: Free Pumpkin Quilt Patterns
Another Machine Embroidered & Quilted Mug Rug
If you recall, I posted a tutorial two weeks ago, showing how to make these machine embroidered and quilted mug rugs. The center does not have to be machine embroidered. You could replace it with a hand embroidered center or even a pieced block. I am having so much fun creating these small gifts! I hope you are, too!
Tutorial Tuesday: Picture Perfect Flying Geese
One of the first things I notice, when looking at a quilt, is the ends/points of the triangles (if there are triangles in the quilt). I am my own worse critic and have been known to rip out stitches a time or six before I am satisfied with the points on my flying geese.
My 1/4″ seam allowance is checked three and four times before, during and after I am working on a quilt project. I make sure to measure twice, cut once. Even with all of that, I still find that I occasionally cut off points of triangles.
Then I had a revelation. What can be done to keep from cutting off my triangle points?
RESIZE THE FLYING GEESE!
This concept isn’t that difficult to understand although it will change the finished size of your blocks and quilt just a tad.
ADD 1/4″ to the strip you are sewing your top square to. For example, with the tutorial below, the original size of my strip called for a 4 1/4″ x 8″ strip. Instead, I cut the strip 4 1/2″ x 8″. Follow the tutorial below to see how perfect your triangle points can be.
Fabric Requirements:
- ONE (1) 8″ square focus fabric
- FOUR (4) 4 1/4″ squares triangle/points fabric
- FOUR (4) 4 1/2″ x 8″ strips flying geese strips
- FOUR (4) 4 1/2″ squares block cornerstones
Tutorial:
ONE (1) 8″ square
FOUR (4) 4 1/4″ squares
Draw a diagonal like, corner-to-corner, on the BACK side of the 4 1/4″ squares
Line up the 4 1/4″ squares to the top corner of the 4 1/2″ x 8″ strips and sew ON the line you drew.
Cut off the corner of the flying geese block, 1/4″ inch FROM the sewing line.
Press your seam toward the 4 1/4″ square.
Repeat the process to sew the second 4 1/4″ square to the opposite side of the 4 1/2″ x 8″ square.
Trim off the corner fabric 1/4″ FROM the sewing line.
Press toward the second corner.
Using TWO (2) of the flying geese blocks, sew the 4 1/2″ cornerstones to the ends of both of your flying geese.
With the remaining flying geese, sew them to the right and left sides of the 8″ square. Press toward the center fabric.
Pin and sew the top and bottom (the strips with the cornerstones) flying geese strips to the center section of the blocks.
That’s all there is to it! Now go forth and create Picture Perfect Flying Geese!
Tutorial Tuesday: Star Light, Star Bright Table Topper
This tutorial is sponsored by Warm & Natural Batting® From The Warm Company™
This is a photographic tutorial. A link to download this pattern in PDF is available at the end of this tutorial. You need to download it so that you have the fabric requirements and cutting requirements for this quilted project.
Lay out complimentary fabric scraps and choose the appropriate number needed for this table topper.
When you cut out your Star Points, be sure to draw a diagonal line, corner-to-corner, on the BACK of your fabric.
Once you have your fabric choices, this photo above shows you the fabric cuts needed for this table topper (sans the 1″ Scrappy Bright Fabric as is noted in the PDF pattern).
Begin by making flying geese to create your Star Points. Sew ONE (1) Star Point to ONE (1) of the 4 1/4” x 7 3/8” strips ON the line you drew.
Next, trim off the corner of the White and Star Point fabrics 1/4″ beyond the sewn line.
Press the Star Points toward the Star Point fabric.
Repeat the same process as shown above, with another Star Point fabric sewn diagonally on the White fabric strip.
Again, cut the Star Point corner 1/4″ beyond the sewn line and press the Star Points toward the Star Point Fabric.
Now, sew TWO (2) of the Star Point strips to the left and right side of your center fabric.
Sew the 4 1/4″ White Cornerstones to the remaining TWO (2) Star Points and then pin them and sew them to the top and bottom of your Star.
This is a photo of the finished center of this table topper.
Next, time to add the White left and right borders to your center star.
Then sew the top and bottom White borders to the center star.
Create your scrappy final Border using the images above and the cutting requirements in the PDF pattern.
Sew the left and right scrappy borders to the center star and White border. Then pin and sew the top and bottom scrappy borders onto the center.
This is a photo of the finished table topper top!
Follow up with quilting the table topper as desired.
Finally, sew the binding onto your table topper and whip-stitch or machine stitch the binding to the back (or front, depending on your binding process) of your quilt project.
To download a PDF of this pattern, please visit this link:
https://www.bomquilts.com/2015/StarLightStarBright.pdf
TK Harrison is a member of The Warm Company’s Designer Endorsement Program.