You can use scrap fabric, cut into your stash, or put together an elaborate color plan.  Whatever your heart desires!  You can make your 9-patches any size you like, most commonly they will be made with 2.5 or 3 inch square blocks sewn together, but it is completely up to you!

Do we hear sewing machines out there?!  Let the sewing begin!

Barbara

One strategy Bonnie suggests is keeping a basket of 2 inch blocks near your sewing machine.  Instead of using a small scrap of fabric folded in half to start a line of sewing (which keeps thread from bunching up under the first patch sewn in chain piecing), begin a line of chain piecing by sewing 2 inch blocks together.  You can also end a line of chain piecing with more 2 inch blocks sewn together.  Randomly put light and dark squares together to build contrast.  You are actually working on two projects at once when you do this……

The leaders and enders technique is very useful in our 9-patch challenge. Keep working on your existing projects, but start  and end your piecing with the patches you will need to assemble your 9-patch blocks.  You will quickly accumulate the blocks you need for this challenge.  I am using 2 inch blocks, you can use any size you like!

By the way, have you started collecting setting ideas for 9-patches?  Keep this in mind as you read books, blogs, and magazines!  We will provide several setting ideas when we come together in December to complete the project, but your ideas are warmly welcomed!!

September 1 is just around the corner!!

Be sure to press the seams in alternating directions, so that one set has the seams pressed toward the center strip and the other set has the seams pressed away for the center stip.

Then I cut the strip sets into 2 inch pieces, butted the seams together, and chain pieced the 2 inch pieces together.

I pressed the seams toward the center and sewed on the remaining 2 inch pieces.

Voila!  9-patch blocks!  This method is very fast and produces lots of identical blocks.  If you get behind during the challenge and need to catch up quickly, try this method!

First, lay out your fabric in the pattern you want for your block. 

 Then lay the 3 center pieces over the 3 pieces on the left (right sides together). 

Pick up the first set of 2 inch squares and stitch down the right side, using a ¼ inch seam.  WITHOUT lifting the presser foot or snipping the thread, sew the second set of squares, keeping the thread intact.  Do this again for the third set of squares.

Lay the string pieced squares next to the remaining 3 squares of fabric and lay the fabric right sides together. 

Stitch these together, again, without lifting the presser foot or cutting the thread between the small blocks.  When this is completed, all nine patches of the block will be connected by thread.  Press the seams of the small squares so that they oppose each other.  (Press the top row toward the center square, press the middle row away from the center square etc.).

Then flip the top row of squares onto the center row, butt the seams together and sew. 

Again, without cutting threads or separating blocks.  Repeat for the last row.  Voila!  You have a nine patch block carefully pieced without pins!   String piecing is quick and accurate, give it a try!

Strip piecing next week……………

The first shop is The Mt. Pleasant Quilting Company in York, New York.  Barbara J. Miller is the owner of this adorable shop located between Batavia and Rochester, NY.  In the heart of dairy farm country, surrounded by fields and pastures, this shop started out as the attached garage to Barbara’s house and grew with an addition into the lovely shop it is today.  How nice to get up each morning and open the door to your garage and “walk” to work!  I LOVE, LOVE the fabric in this shop, along with all the great ideas!  (This s actually my second visit to this shop…….).  Barbara’s shop offers fun things for her customers, too.  There is a “shop hop” organized annually that takes a group of quilters by buss to three different shops in one day, starting with coffee and breakfast at Barbara’s, then lunch out and returning to The Mt. Pleasant shop for dinner!  New in the shop on this visit was wool felting kits – I bought several!

The second shop we visited was outside Pittsburgh, PA, in a lovely community called Allison Park.  ‘Having read about The Quilt Company and its owner, Karen Montgomery, in several magazines I had hoped to see this shop last year, but our travel timing didn’t work out.  So, I was determined to make it this year and we were not disappointed!  Karen and her husband custom designed this farm-house style shop.  It’s open, bright, and airy, with high ceilings for showing quilts and definitely a “destination” quilt shop.  Karen designs her own quilts and fabric.  She has a series of 10X16 inch pillow patterns that are seasonal themes and feature button embellishments.  This summer’s pillow is a beach scene with surf boards standing upright in the sand and the buttons are three pairs of flip flops!!  Too cute! The patterns include a snowman, firecrackers, etc. – all avaialbe on their website www.thequiltcompany.com .

 Karen’s Golden Triangles quilt had just been featured in McCall’s Quilting America Quilts Hometown Favorites (Spring 2010) magazine and was displayed in the shop with pattern and kits available.  Karen writes a blog off her shop’s web page and tells of her travels and quilt projects. She is the originator of the 9 Patch Project on Facebook.  There are nice places for lunch or ice cream near the shop and it’s located next to the golf course where the US Women’s Open golf tournament will be played. A lovely area just 11 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.  Put it on your must see list!

Importantly, support the independent quilt shops!  They keep our passion alive!

We are going to borrow an idea from The Quilt Company, a cute quilt shop outside of Pittsburgh, PA.  Starting September 1, we challenge you to make one 9-patch block per day for 3 months!  That’s right, 3 months or approximately ninety 9-patch blocks!!  We encourage you to send us photos of your blocks and keep us up to date on your progress.  We will give lots of ideas of how to make and design your 9-patches leading into the challenge in August.  We will also give you lots of 9-patch ideas on how to build your nine patches into a quilt pattern you will enjoy!  Most important, we will give a prize for the best 9-patch quilt design at the end of the challenge!!

You can use scrap fabric, cut into your stash, or put together an elaborate color plan (e.g. I thought about making my blocks with one uniting color – changing the second  color each month, so that I would have 30 blue and white patches, 30 blue and red patches, and 30 blue and yellow patches…….).  You could do darks and lights together or work in low contrast colors.  Whatever your heart desires!  What I REALLY need to do is get my scrap therapy boxes out and use all those 3X3 inch blocks I cut long ago…..!  You can make your 9-patches any size you like, most commonly they will be made with 2.5 or 3 inch square blocks, but it is completely up to you! 

Beginner quilters can do this and experienced quilters can do this – it’s for everyone!  So, start thinking about your color choices and mark your calendar!  We start September 1!!  The kids will be back in school, vacations will be over, and fall will be upon us – what a great way to get back into actively quilting every day, with a project that can be easily managed alongside your other quilt projects!!

Barbara

 There are several methods to create half square triangles:

 1. Cut Then Sew:  With your rotary cutter and ruler, slice each square from corner to corner to make two triangles of each color.  Layer color 1 on color 2 with right sides together and stitch a 1/4″ seam along the long side.  Repeat with the second pair of triangles.  Press seam toward the darker fabric and trim points.  You now have two half-square triangles that measure 2-1/2″ on all sides.  They will measure 2″ when sewn into the block and then into the quilt.  This method works fine, but you do have to handle stretchy bias edges.  If you use this method and your half-square triangles turn out to be not exactly the right size, you might want to give Method 2 (below) a try.

 2. Sew Then Cut: You can make perfect half square triangles by sewing squares of two different fabrics together. The trick is to know how to calculate the finished size of the block.

     1. First, determine your finished block size. Then you add the “magic number” of 7/8″.

     2. If you want a 4″ (finished size) half-square triangle unit, you need to cut two squares that measure 4 and 7/8″ each.

     3. Place the two squares together and mark a line diagonally from corner to corner. Sew ¼ inch on either side of this line.

     4. Cut along the diagonal line and open the blocks and press the seam toward the dark fabric. Trim. Two nice half square triangles! Very quick and precise  and stretch along the diagonal of the triangle is minimized. (My preferred method!)

3. Diagonal (Bias) Method – makes many half square triangles quickly! This method requires a triangle ruler, worth the investment.

      1. Cut two layers of fabric into bias strips, using the size table below.

Width of bias strips (inches)	Finished size of square (composed of two half square triangles)(inches)
1.5	1
2	1.5
2.25	2
2.75	2.5
3	3
3.25	3.5
3.75	4
4	4.5
4.5	5
4.75	5.5
5.25	6

     2.  Without separating the fabric layers, sew a 1/4 inch seam along both outter edges of each pair of bias strips.

     3.  If your finished square is 3 inches, and using the triangle ruler, place the 3 inch line along the sewn seam and cut along each side of the triangle with your rotary cutter. Move from bottom to top of the strip, to minimzr fabric waste.

     4.  Open along the sewn line and press the seam toward the darker fabric.

4. Gridded Fabric: I just learned this method from Annie Smith!  This method involves marking a grid on the wrong side of one of the fabrics that you’ll be using in your half-square triangles.  Using a 2″ finished size for example.  Cut a 8″ x 12.5″ rectangle from each of the two fabrics that you will be using for your half-square triangles.  With a ruler and a pencil (or your favorite marking method), draw a line 1″ from the left short side.  Draw another line exactly 2-7/8″ from the first line.  Continue until  five vertical lines are drawn.  Next, draw a line 1″ from the bottom (long) side.  Draw another line exactly 2-7/8″ from the first line.  Draw one more line 2-7/8″ from the second one and your grid is completed.  Now draw diagonal lines through each square as shown below.  With right sides together, layer the marked fabric on the unmarked fabric.  Stitch a 1/4″ seam on both sides of each diagonal line as shown below.  Using your rotary cutter and a ruler, cut apart on the drawn lines.  Press the seam allowances toward the darker fabric and trim points.  You will have sixteen half-square triangles!

Wow! Impressive technique, right? Very helpful when you need to mass produce half square triangles.

To advance your quilting skills, try a quilt patten that requires HST to produce beautiful quilts! And for those of you who are “afraid” of stars, I suggest you push yourself to learn methods 2 or 3, because you need HSTs to make “stars”. You will be amazed how easy these methods are.  When you are comfortable with these metods, try methods 1 and 4. If you get confused, write the Blog or come into the shop, we’re glad to help!

Barbara

Three shops were in Marietta, a suburb about 20 miles from downtown.  The “Tiny Stitches” shop is similar to our Thimble Pleasures in fabric selection and quilt design choices.  They had just completed a customers’ quilt show in the shop and I got to see all the beautiful quilts from their patrons!  What a delight!  The shop was also featured in the spring edition of America Quilts magazine, as one of their 16 Hot Shops!  Owner Maetha Elliott was not there the day I visited, but I want her to know that her staff was friendly and inviting!  We chatted and they told me about their shop and helped me find the fabric I needed.  This shop sponsors lots of events and clubs that create a quilt community among their patrons.  I will definitely visit the again!

The second Marietta shop, Little Quilts, is located in a house and is very cutesy with lots of antiques and a large selection of wools and historic reproduction fabrics.  I found these wonderful towel kits in the shop (that I will tell you about in another Blog entry).  There is so much to look at in this shop; you have to plan lots of time for your visit!  They also carry children’s fabric, contemporary Kaffe Fassetts,  Moda, and batiks.  Again, the staff was friendly and chatty.  It was fun to look at all the “little quilt” patterns in addition to all the other quilts in this shop.  The third shop in Marietta, Red Hen Fabrics, is located in a red barn-like building near the historic town center.  The shop has one room with three long arm quilting machines that patrons can rent by the hour!  If you like to look at big, historic Southern houses, visit the Historic downtown area before returning to Atlanta!  Nice little places for lunch, too!

The fourth shop I visited was in Decatur (near Emory University), Intown Quilters, Inc.  One of my personal top 10 quilt shops (you know Thimble Pleasures is #1!), this shop is filled with brights and contemporary fabrics – boasting the largest selection of Kaffe Fassetts I have ever seen. There are always new quilts on display with seasonal themes…..last week the theme was summer with some very cute beach fabric! They also carry some beautiful French children’s fabrics, lots of notions (have you seen the jumbo rick rack??) and lots of great books.

All in all, a great shop hop day.  Remember to patronize the small independent quilt shops when you travel (and where you live).  Like, Thimble Pleasures, they offer quilt classes, a sense of community, and friendly service that you won’t find in the online shops!  P.S.  If you don’t have a “quilt shop finder” (aka. GPS) – get one and call ahead before you go to be sure the shops are open!!

Over four years ago, sisters Lynda Remmers and Annie Moody were at a sewing getaway with friends. While Lynda digitized a wall hanging for her family room, Annie worked on a crazy quilt pattern. Some late nights were spent discussing the possibilities of this new quilt technique. Lynda went home and began teaching the technique to her customers at Sewing Concepts in Woodstock, Illinois and Annie, an Educator with Janome America, Inc. began teaching it across the United States. Everywhere Annie went, her students wanted to know where they can get more patterns and Lynda’s customers couldn’t wait to see what she came up with next. Lynda and Annie decided these patterns needed to be shared with everybody and they were inspired to design more.

 Annie Moody, Co-founder

 Lynda Remmer, Co-founder