Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop - Summer Blog Hopping

Welcome to my Summer Blog Hopping Square.

Summer Blog Hopping

 

You may remember, how could you forget? I took part in a New Quilt Bloggers blog hop this summer, and was part of Quantum Quilters. Everyone was reluctant to see this finish, it had been fun making some new friends, reading new blogs and getting lots of inspiration. The hosts, Yvonne, Cheryl, Terri Ann and Stephanie suggested we get together (in a virtual sense) and make some blocks for charity quilts. Some 60 of us opted in and the fun began.

Watermelon Fabrics from Fabri-Quilt

Fabri-Quilt were the sponsors and each of us were sent a pack of 6 fat 1/8ths of solid fabric in a variety of colours. Yes, I know, I have said before, how can anything 1/8th be regarded as fat, but in fabric terms it is. The colours were lapis blue, turquoise, red, light green, white and chartreuse. Collectively the colours were referred to as Watermelon. Our brief was to make a 12 1/2" unfinished square (12" finished) and to write up the instructions.

all cut and ready to go

Already this sorted the sheep from the goats, relatively speaking. The forum was full of things such as EQ7 which I gather is a quilting design computer program. As Sandra from Musings of a Menopausal Melon, said in her blog post, she has SQ1 (Sandra Quilts 1). That means I must have HQ1 (Helen Quilts 1, or even Havoc Quilts 1).

My trusty pencil and back of an envelope system soon got underway. This is what I came up with.

I called my block Summer Blog Hopping. I love modern variations of log cabin and also the grandmother's path block. What better than a block showing the pathways and wanderings of this summer's New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop. These wanderings from blog to blog have taken me places and to quilters all over the world, some for a moment or two and some for repeated visits. There were so many, over 80, I still intend to catch up on some blogs I may have missed out on. Now to the method.

Cut
chartreuse
1 x 3 1/2" centre block
1 x 1" strip

turquoise
2 x 1 1/2" strip

red
2 x 3/4" strip (I actually cut 1 1/4" and trimmed to size after sewing)

lapis blue
2 x 1 1/2" strip

light green
4 x 1 1/2" strip, or broader if preferred for improv cutting

white
5 x 1" strip

Now for the sewing. Basically log cabin throughout. Sew the first white strip to the top of the chartreuse, then the right, then the bottom and finally the left. Iron and trim after each seam. I leave a smidgeon of fabric extending at the beginning of each seam then trim that also.

Sew the strips of turquoise, as before, keeping the correct order of the sides, top, right, bottom and left, Iron and trim as before.

keeping the top to the top!

Sew white strips as before.

Sew red strips and iron. Trim red strip down to 3/4" (1/2" finished stripe)

trimming the red strip to size

Add lapis blue strip, top, left, bottom and right as before. Iron and trim.

Add white strip as before.

Add the narrow chartreuse strip. Trim to 1/2".

adding and trimming the chartreuse strip

Attach the final round, the light green. I added 1 1/2" but feel free to make this broader for improvisation sewing.

At this stage your square should be around 14", slightly bigger if you are using a broader green strip
Cut in two lengthwise, keeping the log cabin the right way up. I made my cut 6" in from the left.
Sew in a narrow white strip.

deciding where to place the white strips

placing the cut

the first cut is the deepest

adding the white stripe

Make a widthwise cut, again I went down about 6" from the top. Sew in the white strip taking care to match up the colours on either side of the strip. *

lots of pinning to make the sides line up correctly

At this stage your square will be 15" (hopefully!). Trim this down to 12 1/2" either making your square off centre, or trimming off an even amount on each side, or squaring off your square on the diagonal.

* If you prefer you, can cut on the diagonal before sewing in your white strips or choose not to line up the colours. Just make sure you have a workable square of 12 1/2" at the end.

I made a second square, just sewed strips of fabric together and cut and added the white strip again, then cut to 12 1/2".

the finished squares

Today is the last of the blog hop. It has been exhausting trying to catch up with over 60 blocks, so a couple of bloggers  have made Pinterest boards gathering all the blocks together. Go check it out, I've set a link to Twiggy and Opal.

The other blog links are listed here below, got the energy to check them all out, or cherry pick a few?

Monday, August 31st
Host – Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
Kelly @Quilting it Out
Martha @Once a Wingnut
Irene @Patchwork and Pastry
Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life
Andrea @The Sewing Fools
Bernie @Needle and Foot
Silvia @A Stranger View
Wanda @Wanda’s Life Sampler
Sandra @Musings of a Menopausal Melon
Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts
Jess @Quilty Habit
Diana @Red Delicious Life
Chelsea @Patch the Giraffe
Margo @Shadow Lane Quilts
Renee @Quilts of a Feather

Tuesday, September 1st

Host – Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Josi @Avocado Quilts
Stephanie @Quilt’n Party
Cristy @Love You Sew
Sarah @Sarah Goer Quilts
Shelly @The Carpenter’s Daughter Who Quilts
Jayne @Twiggy & Opal
Sharla @Thistle Thicket Studio
Adrian @Making It – Family Food Quilts Crafts
Julie @Pink Doxies
Sarah @123 Quilt
Deanna @Stitches Quilting
Carrie @The Zen Quilter

Wednesday, September 2nd
Host – Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

Hannah @Modern Magnolia Studio
Cindy @Stitchin At Home
Abby @Hashtag Quilt
Lisa @Sunlight in Winter Quilts
Carrie @Chopping Block Quilts
Eleanor @Cat Approved Quilting
Brianna @The Iron and Needle
Tish @Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland
Jan @The Colorful Fabriholic
Sarah @Smiles Too Loudly
Beth @Cooking Up Quilts
Leanne @Devoted Quilter
Liz @LizzyClips Design
Kim @Leland Ave Studios

Kitty @Night Quilter

and by no means least, my own day:

hosted by Terri Ann

Thursday, September 3rd
Host – Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination

• Robyn of Hoops & Thimbles
• Helen of Midget Gem Quilts - me!!!!!!
• Jinger of Trials of a Newbie Quilter
• Anja of Anja Quilts
• Kathryn of Upitis Quilts
• Mary of Quilting is in my Blood
• Emma of My Handmade Home
• Francine of Mocha Wild Child
• Dina of Living Water Quilter
• Deb of The Farmhouse Quilter
• Lori of SewPsyched!
• Amy of 13 Spools
• Denise of CrafTraditions
• Sandra of The Bias Edge
• Sandra of One Million Stitches

I would like to thank all the hosts, Yvonne, Jet Quilting Girl,  Cheryl, Meadow Mist Designs,  Stephanie, Late Night Quilter and Terri Ann, Childlike Fascination,  for all their hard work and also Fabri Quilt for their donation of fabrics. I wish the hosts all the best in making up the blocks into hopefully 3 or 4 quilts for children and teenage charities. 

Helen x