Pat Sloan's I Love To Make Quilts

Free Block Wednesday! Block #15 & A Giveaway!

This week it's about a classic...  

Block #15 is the Rose Garden. From a single bush, to a formal rose garden, I don't tire of this classic. It's my mom's favorite flower when it comes in pink! I love all colors and have had a few rose bushes over the years. 

AND this month the giveaway is Sponsored by Olfa! So be sure to make the block and enter it at the end. 

Fabrics I'm Using BUY A KIT if you love the fabrics I'm using 

THE DOWNLOAD is ALWAYS at the end of my article HIGHLIGHTED IN PINK, so keep reading

This week I'm cutting the gray squares with my Gemini, then I have some tips below for cutting with your Olfa Rotary cutter and rulers.

• TIP - By fan folding I cut 8 squares at once.

** BUY A GEMINI Die Cut machine, I love mine! **

 

• I had a few questions recently about how I cut into fabrics from kits.  My main answer is to only cut what you will need. 
• For this project I started with no design and a set of FQs. Each week I make the block. So I'm very frugal and just cut for that block as I don't know where I want to use that fabric next. There is no pre-planned quilt for my Block Wednesday sew alongs. 
• I never cut any project edge to edge unless the pattern directions tell me to do that.
• This is what these fabrics looks like at this point and below I have some photos of how I went about cutting.

** OLFA Cutters

• I wanted to save the edge with the fabric line name, so I cut my strip just to that edge, then subcut the squares i need.  This is a trick you can use so you keep the name with the fabric.
• I still need a few more squares from this fabric so went to the top of the fabric to cut a new rectangle to cut squares from. I cut it a wee bit little longer than what I need. 

• Here is an example of wanting to include more of the butterfly image in the square. On the left I would have had less butterfly due to the seam allowance. 
• So i moved past the butterfly to get in all of it in the square.  

• From this odd section I'll cut the square I need
• So i cut out one larger section.
• I really love the Olfa rulers for this because they don't slide at all

** OLFA Rulers

** OLFA Cutters

• I'm able to cut the size square I need. 
• I will then take those 2 leftovers pieces and sew them together. I'll trim the sides straight and then sew more scraps onto it for a 2.5" square to go into my 2.5" scrap bin, the gray section of course!

• My favorite tool for trimming HST  is the Triangle Square
• Put the line of the size you want on the seam
• Trim both sides, press open

** Triangle Trimmer

This unit setting is the same rotation as the one above it in your layout pattern.

To take this shot I finally went out on the deck, and.. it started to rain, I had to be quick!

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Download Pat Sloan Block 15 A Flower Bouquet

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Project Tools & Tips

• To be sure you don't miss the next block, enter your email
• CLICK For prior blocks & the supply list 
• LIMITED NUMBER - Of the Kit with the exact fabrics I'm using!.
• Download Pat Sloan HST directions
• OLFA Rulers
• OLFA Cutters
• Triangle Trimming Ruler
• BUY A GEMINI Die Cut Machine**
• Die Box I'm using **
• Join my Facebook group!

GIVEAWAY This month is from my amazing friends at Olfa!

Make your block and enter it below by next Wednesday.

Winner is Frances, you've been emailed!

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CLICK to read  the legal sweepstakes stuff I'm required to tell you. 

An InLinkz Link-up

How about a little Scrap quilting fun + a Giveaway?

When I was asked to share my good friend Bonnie Hunter's Book 'String Frenzy' during her book tour I said heck yes! I've been sewing strips of extra fabric, strings of fabric, together for many years.  

Bonnie has such a wonderful eye for combining scraps into very effective quilts! You will love her book. So let's see what I selected to work on.

** BUY a String Frenzy for 20% off! **

I decided that I have a LOT of neutrals that are just not getting used. Some are pretty big pieces, others are 1/2 a layer cake square, or a part of a fat quarter that was left.

I decided that Bonnie's gorgeous 'Indigo-a-Go-Go' would use up the most lights. She make this quilt to use her African Indygo prints.  It really stretched those into a full size quilt with this pattern!

I've been making these type of strip units almost since I started quilting. I did one great big project that was part of a challenge and then toured to different shows a few yrs ago. It's very zen like to sew strips like this, I really love it! Another reason I was drawn to this quilt was the fact that I got to sew these units. 

Because I want my strips to stay in the background, I'm using fabrics that read tonal and don't have a lot of other colors in them

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As I had left over strips, I sew units to it to be used in the next strip unit, see below, it is an excellent way to use up leftovers!

I am EXCITED to use that strip of 'An American In Paris', I've had it awhile.

I decided to go with the pinky/red Figtree and the aqua Figtree fabrics. I have quite a bit of each and love them as a combo.

Lay out all the blocks so you like the placement.

Note that the direction of the strips in the aqua blocks. Some are horizontal and some vertical string placement. 

This little surprise is why I love doing these type of quilts!

I have the top of my office assistant loaded up with this project. That way I can pull it up next to my Baby lock Solaris!  

See how nice my Koala Studio table is, I love that my machine sits flush with the top and I have a comfy Koala chair to sit in.

I've decided the best way to do this is to make these 9-patch blocks. 

I'll mix and match the red and aqua in the blocks so that when I set them the Figtree fabrics will be scattered around. And it's more motivating to me to sew these big 9-patch blocks as I go rather than waiting until the end. 

The book has 12 quilts and tips of how to use your scraps. I love Bonnie's stories about each quilt too!

This is another of my favorites in her book, the pumpkin patch.. do you have a lot of orange to use up?

And Dawn's Early Light is so gorgeous with red/white & blue. 

** BUY yourself String Frenzy, you'll love it! **

GIVEAWAY - Leave me a comment telling me

Do you save scraps?

leave the comment by 6pm April 11. 

Winner is Nancy P who said "Yes I save my scraps, but now I have added saving scrap squares - thank you Pat Sloan. After being inspired by you, I now have baskets of 2, 2 1/2, 3 and 4 inch scrap fabric squares."

Book Tour:

• Friday, 4/5: C&T Publishing at ctpub.com/blog
• Saturday, 4/6: Pat Sloan at ilovetomakequilts.com
• Sunday, 4/7: Sandra Clemons at makeitblossomdesigns.com
• Monday, 4/8: Susan Arnold at quiltfabrication.com
• Tuesday, 4/9: Bernie Kringel at needleandfoot.com
• Wednesday, 4/10: Bonnie Hunter at quiltville.blogspot.com

CLICK to read  the legal sweepstakes stuff I'm required to tell you.