Category Archives: Quilt Therapy Lesson

The Necessity of Quilt Labels

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I am fastidious about putting labels on my quilts.  Partly because most of my quilts are original designs, and I want folks to know the name I gave them.  I also know that a written record of the offering of a precious quilt is a great memory for the recipient.

Some of my past labels have been designed by myself or a friend and are found at QuiltTags.com.   I have been known, while in a rush to get a quilt out to the post office, to just use a fabric marker on the back of a quilt.  More recently, I have found a couple of friends with embroidery machines and they make my labels for me – especially those that the recipients are so very special to me.

Quilt experts say it’s essential to label a quilt.  Here are a couple of articles that deal with such:

Unfortunately, a quilt label doesn’t always tell the whole story behind a quilt.  For instance, I made and gave my sista/cousin’s first daughter a quilt based around a heart.  For her subsequent two more children, both quilts retained the heart theme.  And now, she has a fourth child – and I have designed a heart-based quilt for her, too (just waiting on color choices).  My choice of hearts was purely sentimental – her family had taken me in when I was a 15-year-old foster child with no home and the love I have for them is because of their selfless act.

Another instance of making a quilt and having a story behind it was this quilt, made for a friend’s son:

This young man not only graduated from high school, he also received his Eagle Boy Scout award.  Hence, the raw edge appliqued words and date are made from official Boy Scouts of America fabric.  HE knows the story of the quilt because I shared it with him and his family, but those types of things aren’t written on a tag – they’re great memories to share, but not written down anywhere for future reference or future generations.

I try very hard to explain a quilt in my correspondence with people I gift the quilt to….because behind every one of those loving stitches is a story – a reason for the pattern and fabrics chosen.  Hopefully, the thought and subsequent design is remembered and passed down to others, even without them being written on the quilt label.  The point is, each and every quilt I make is designed and pieced for a reason, for the intended recipient.  Make your quilt legacy count – both with a quilt tag/label and with written documentation of why or how the quilt came about.  The new quilt owner will be thankful and future generations will enjoy the lore of the love of a quilt.

Pin and Needle Holder Fun

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Before the holidays, I needed a few small but special gifts for some online friends of mine and decided to make pin and needle holders.  The original pin and needle holder came to me from my best friend in Iowa, who made it in her quilt guild.  A number of years ago, my MIL and I made some for her annual church bazaar but neither of us kept the pattern we’d created to make them.  When I tried to re-create the pattern, it didn’t work out so well.  SO, I had to punt.  I went into my kitchen and got a medium sized plate and used that as the outer edge guideline, adding the place where the snap goes to it to my template. 

This is SUPER SIMPLE to sew!  You cut a piece of felt the same size as your template with pinking shears.  Then, you cut the outer fabric about 1/4″ smaller than the template.  Once both are cut, pin them together and press the places where the folds will be.  Using a zig-zag stitch, sew on all of the pressed lines, then sew along the circumference of the project as well as the tab where the snap will be placed.

It took me about an hour to whip up five pin and needle holders, once the cutting was completed.  And, I did it with my youngest daughter so we had one-on-one time together – bonus!

Make a Barn Quilt Block Finishing Instructions

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Cutting for Finishing Your Quilt:

  1. Turquoise Fabric:  Cut SEVENTEEN (17) 2 1/2″ x 15 1/2″ strips for sashing (between the blocks)
  2. Dark Blue Fabric:  Cut SIX (6) 2 1/2″ squares
  3. Turquoise Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 2 1/2″ x 66 1/2″ strips for the left and right sashing border
  4. Turquoise Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 2 1/2″ x 53 1/2″ strips for the top and bottom sashing border
  5. Background Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 8″ x 53 1/2″ strips for the top and bottom border
  6. Background Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 8″ x 70 1/2″ strips for the left and right border
  7. Dark Blue Fabric:  Cut enough 2 1/2″ x WOF strips and sew them together to bind your quilt top.

Putting Your Quilt Together:

  1. Sew the sashing strips, row-by-row, to the completed blocks.  Remember to add the Dark Blue squares between each block in the sashing.
  2. Sew the rows together, using the above image as a guide.
  3. Sew the left and right sashing strips to the center of the quilt top.
  4. Sew the top and bottom sashing strips to the center of the quilt top.
  5. Sew the left and right Background Fabric border to the sashing strips.
  6. Sew the Barn Quilt Block #1 (7 1/2″ finished, 8″ unfinished) to the ends of the top and bottom Background Fabric strips.
  7. Sew the top and bottom border to the quilt top.
  8. Quilt as desired, then add the binding!
  9. Completed quilt top should be 69″ x 86″.

 Congratulations!

You have completed your Barn Quilt, brought to you by Quilt Therapy!

Make a Barn Quilt Block #7

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This is the fifth block you will make – the instructions are for ONE (1) block but you will need TWO (2) blocks for the quilt shown above.  The blocks are 15″ finished and 15 1/2″ unfinished:

Cutting Instructions for ONE (1) Block:

  1. Background Fabric:  Cut FOUR (4) 5 1/2″ squares
  2. Background Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 5 7/8″ squares – draw a diagonal line, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time on the back of each of these squares
  3. Turquoise Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 5 7/8″ squares
  4. Blue Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 3 3/8″ squares – then CUT each square diagonally, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time
  5. Medium Purple Fabric:  Cut ONE (1) 3 3/8″ square – then CUT the square diagonally, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time
  6. Light Purple Fabric:   Cut ONE (1) 3 3/8″ square – then CUT the square diagonally, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time

Putting the Block Together:

  1. Using the Turquoise Fabric and a Background Fabric 5 7/8″ squares, right sides together, sew 1/4″ on EACH SIDE of the line you drew, then cut the half-square triangles apart ON the line you drew.  You will end up with TWO (2) half-square triangles.  Repeat so you have FOUR (4) half-square triangles.
  2. Sew a Light Purple Fabric triangle to a Medium Purple triangle on the side, repeat to make two triangles you will sew together in the center.
  3. Sew the Blue Fabric triangles onto two opposite sides of the Medium & Light Fabric square, press toward the Blue fabric and then sew the remaining Blue Fabric triangle to the two opposite sides of the Medium & Light Fabric square, pressing toward the Medium & Light fabric to create your center square.
  4. Sew the individual rows together first, using the image above as your guide.
  5. Finally, sew the rows to each other so you end up with a Shoo-Fly block!

Remember, the instructions above are for ONE (1) block.  You need TWO (2) of these blocks for the quilt top.

 Stay Tuned Tomorrow for the Finishing Instructions!

Make a Barn Quilt Block #6

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This is the fourth block you will make – the instructions are for ONE (1) block but you will need TWO (2) blocks for the quilt shown above.  The blocks are 15″ finished and 15 1/2″ unfinished:

Cutting Instructions for ONE (1) Block:

  1. Background Fabric:  Cut FOUR (4) 5 1/2″ squares
  2. Background Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 5 7/8″ squares – draw a diagonal line, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time on the back of each of these squares
  3. Pink Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 5 7/8″ squares
  4. Bright PinkFabric:  Cut TWO (2) 1 3/4″ x 2″ strips
  5. Bright Pink Fabric:  Cut ONE (1) 2″ square
  6. Purple Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 1 3/4″ x 2″ strips
  7. Purple Fabric:  Cut ONE (1) 2″ square

Putting the Block Together:

  1. Using the Pink Fabric and a Background Fabric 5 7/8″ squares, right sides together, sew 1/4″ on EACH SIDE of the line you drew, then cut the half-square triangles apart ON the line you drew.  You will end up with TWO (2) half-square triangles.  Repeat so you have FOUR (4) half-square triangles.
  2. Sew the center rows with your Bright Pink Fabric and your Purple Fabric together as shown above, then sew the rows together to create your center square.
  3. Sew the individual rows together first, using the image above as your guide.
  4. Finally, sew the rows to each other so you end up with a Shoo-Fly block!

Remember, the instructions above are for ONE (1) block.  You need TWO (2) of these blocks for the quilt top.

 Stay Tuned Tomorrow for the Next Block Instructions!