Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. My son Jack and I love to decorate for the season and also plan an epic Halloween party. Every year I make new quilts, try new recipes, and find clever ways to sew for my party. I can’t wait to share some of those ideas with all of you!

Do you have a lot of scrap fabrics laying around? I definitely do! I decided to create a quilt pattern that uses just 2 colors (whatever colors you would like to use) to create a stunning quilt. In our example I used orange and black. I used up all sorts of Halloween fabrics that I had laying around. I also didn’t mind if some of my black fabrics had orange print on them or the other way around.

Here’s a look at what the quilt ended up looking like:

Scrappy Jack Quilt

This quilt is most striking from far away because that is when you can really see the design play.

I hope you enjoy digging through your stash to create this quilt. Here are the instructions:

scrappy-jack-miniDownload

I also love sewing with wool this time of the year. A black and cream color story are perfect for a more sophisticated Halloween and I love using toweling fabric and the background.

You’ll find the instructions for these pillows and witch hat runner here (the super cute mummy was an Indygo Junction pattern a number of years ago that I just had to make).

simply-spookyDownload

This year for our Halloween party I decided to make pillowcases for the guests to take home with them. I’ve made trick or treat bags and other small things over the years, but settled on pillowcases because they have a dual purpose. They can be used in their traditional format on your bed or you can attempt to get the most candy ever if you use them as your trick or treat bag on Halloween!

I created a fun printable tag and a little sign to hang by the pillowcases for guests to take as they leave the party.

I’ve included those printables for you to use as well.

sweet-dreams-tags-and-signDownload

My absolute favorite pillowcase instructions are from the www.allpeoplequilt.com website. It’s called the Roll It Up Pillowcase pattern, and I love that all of your seams are encased meaning no fraying threads as you wash your pillowcases!

This year I also tried a new drink recipe from www.thesweetestoccasion.com it is Caramel Apple Sangria. It was so easy to make ahead, which I love when you’re planning a party.

Check out the full recipe on her blog, but here are the basic ingredients:

5 ingredients

Produce

• 4 Apples

Condiments

• 1/4 cup Caramel syrup

Drinks

• 8 cups Apple cider, fresh

Beer, Wine & Liquor

• 1 cup Unflavored or caramel vodka
• 1 1 liter bottle White wine

Here is a link to her full recipe: https://thesweetestoccasion.com/2015/10/caramel-apple-sangria/

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of my Halloween magic for this year. I can’t wait to celebrate the holiday with my family and friends!

Moda Sampler Shuffle Week Three!

So I was cutting out a 2 1/2″ square and I caught myself thinking, “this is a pretty big square”. If you had asked me a month ago if I thought I would be sewing up blocks with squares smaller than 2 1/2″ I would have thought you were crazy.  I don’t do small… or I didn’t before.  Making the 6″ finished squares in the Moda Sampler Shuffle has already taught me a lot about sewing but also a lot about myself.  First of all, it’s always a good idea to give something a try before you swear it off completely. And second- don’t sweat the small stuff.

Here’s a look at the week three blocks (and yes that is snow behind them courtesy of today’s weather!)

Moda Sampler Shuffle week three

I have to admit I was a little intimidated by Block 7 when I first looked at the pattern.  All I saw was a lot of little tiny pieces and the dreaded flying geese.  I thought maybe I’d pick a busy fabric so that you couldn’t see my errors.  It worked, but I also found that this block isn’t as bad as it looks.

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 7

My advice is to take your time and pay attention to the details: accurate cutting, accurate piecing, and definitely accurate pressing.  And remember it’s okay to press your seams open when you find you have a lot of them meeting up in the same place.  Just be careful not to pull on the seams as you press.

And finally, I hearby give you permission to make this block and then toss it to the side and make a different block that you like better if it doesn’t turn out the way you want.  No one will ever be the wiser!

Click on the link below for the pattern of Block 7 designed by Primitive Gatherings

my_sampler-shuffle-block07

Block 8 was my little ray of sunshine this week.  It caused me no headaches, was fun to make, and I loved picking out the fabrics I was going to use.  When I first looked at the Block 8 pattern I stared at it for about 5 minutes trying to figure out why in the world they had me cutting 4 squares 2″ of exactly the same fabric and then sewing them back together in a four patch for the center square.  In the end I think it’s because they recommended you use a jelly roll (which is only 2 1/2″) so you wouldn’t be able to get the 3 1/2″ square you need for the center.

Well, I’m not one to add work to my block so I did it my way and cut a 3 1/2″ square for the center of my block (instead of piecing the 4 patch).

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 8

I like the way it turned out better than piecing the center because otherwise I would have had to worry about the direction of my fabric design.  A helpful tip in sewing this block is to press your fabric towards that center fabric design wherever it is in your block.  Thank you Little Miss Shabby designs for this delightful block to make!

Click on the link below to download the Block 8 pattern

my_sampler-shuffle-block08

And finally Block 9…. don’t get me wrong it started out fine.  And actually I was quite proud of myself when I was all done with the block.  Then I took it over to put it with the rest of my completed blocks and realized it was way bigger!!!!!

What had happened? I couldn’t believe I was 1/2″ bigger all the way around.  There had to be an explanation for it to be so accurate and yet so not accurate.

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 9

So I went back to my pattern and took a closer look.  And then I saw it- Trim to 2″ x 2″.  I was supposed to trim each of my pieced half square triangle blocks down to 2″ after I pieced them the first time.  So I looked at my finished block and measured one of the pieced half square triangles to see how far off they were.  1 5/8″ instead of 1 1/2″- only 1/8″ off, but when you multiple that by four blocks in each row there you have my 1/2″.  Bummer!

On the bright side- what a great example of how being just a little bit off can multiple until your whole quilt is off.  Let’s just say I did it on purpose to teach everyone a great lesson in accuracy. As for the future of my block, I’m undecided. I may make a new one or maybe not- I might just trim 1/2″ from the block and create my own unique design. I guess you’ll have to wait until you see my finished quilt to see what I end up doing.

Click on the link below for the Block 9 pattern designed by Jen Kingwell. PS- it’s helpful to press your seams towards the dark fabric as you go.

my_sampler-shuffle-block09

Happy sewing to you all, until next time- Katie

Week Two- Moda Sampler Shuffle

Hello week two! How’s your sewing going? Did you get started yet on on the blocks for week one? I had a couple people ask me about fabric requirements.  I don’t have a great answer for this yet, but I do have a couple suggestions.  Moda recommended purchasing a layer cake and jelly roll to get a lot of variety in your prints.  Then you’ll need to add to this for setting squares and the border strips.  I’ve found in piecing the first 6 blocks that I am using a very small amount of fabric in these blocks.  I also want to wait until my blocks are all done before I decide what I am going to use for the setting squares.  The quilt is set with alternate blocks next to the pieced blocks.  I think I might use one fabric or many fabrics… that will have to wait until I can lay them all out and see what looks best. So, I’m just using 1/4 yard cuts from fabrics I like in the line For You & Modern Backgrounds by Zen Chic. I think part of the fun of this sew-along is that I don’t know what my quilt will look like until it’s all done.  I hope you can handle the mystery of it all, but if you really can’t search for the hashtag #modasamplershuffle and see if you can find any posts that include a picture of the finished quilt.

Here is a link to the final setting instructions in case you want to get an idea of how the quilt will be laid out in the end.

sampler-shuffle_pattern

Here are the three blocks that you get to make this week!

At first glance they all looked quite easy.  I thought maybe I was in for a quick sewing week and I was, but don’t let those simple shapes fool you.  There are a lot of ways to check your accurate piecing in these three blocks.

Block 4 was designed by V and Co and was pretty fun to make.  I enjoyed the simple design because it allowed me to see if my 1/4″ seam was correct.

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 4

This block will turn out better if you pay attention to which direction you press your seams.  Because of the layout of the pieces, if you press towards the dark fabric each time your seams will always alternate when it comes time to sew together your block.

Click on the link below for the Block 4 Instructions

my_sampler-shuffle-block04

Block 5 is one of my favorite blocks of all time! This one was designed by Kathy Schmitz Studios and is a great way to showcase a fun background print.

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 5

I must admit that those Easy Corner Triangles are one thing I have a hard time keeping accurate.  Especially when it comes to leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance around the outside of my block for when I sew the blocks together into my quilt.  I did okay on this block, but do have a suggestion if you also run into this problem.  In the pattern they have you sew two squares 2 1/2″ together using the Easy Corner Triangle method for the 4 corners.  You could sew together bigger squares to start with and then trim them down to a finished size of 2 1/2″.  This will help if your corners tend to want to pull when you press your triangles or if you have a hard time keeping it square when you sew.

Click on the link below for the Block 5 pattern

my_sampler-shuffle-block05

And finally Block 6- deceptively tricky thanks to the flying geese units for the star points. Here again, I always run into the problem of not having perfectly accurate points on my flying geese units.  I know many people also have this problem and that is why they prefer to make flying geese with one of the many rulers that are available on the market.  I’ve never been one to use specialty rulers so I don’t have a suggestion for which one you should use, but I’ve heard from many people who each have different ones they like.  Some examples include: Quilt In A Day Flying Geese Rulers, Flying Geese x 4 by Lazy Girl, and Flying Geese Ruler by Marti Michelle.  I may look into these, considering we need to make so many Flying Geese for the Inner Border on our quilt and get back to you!

Moda Sampler Shuffle Block 6

What I do love about this block designed by American Jane is the fun play of color thanks to the 4 patch center on the star.  I made sure to toss the direction of my pink fabric since I knew I didn’t want to try and have them all going the same direction.  Remember not to pull while pressing your block and you’ll have better luck with your triangles being the size you want.

Click on the link below for the Block 6 pattern

my_sampler-shuffle-block06

Don’t forget to sew some of your Flying Geese units each week so that you’re ready to put together your quilt when we get to the end.  We’re going to need 44 of them!! Until next time, happy sewing~ Katie

Moda Sampler Block Shuffle Sew-Along begins today!

Thank you so much for joining me on my first ever “sew-along”. I’ve been wanting to try something like this for awhile now but never found the time to develop patterns that could be posted for you all to use.  I was delighted when Moda Fabrics announced their Sampler Block Shuffle because they had done the work for me of designing 30 six inch block patterns that I get to share with all of you!  Here are the basics: I will post a new set of 2-3 block patterns every Friday from now until January 8th, 2016. Be sure to stop back each week to download and print the patterns.  I would love to see your blocks that you create so I hope you will use the #modasamplershuffle when you upload your images on Facebook or Instagram.  You can find me on both of those just look for Bay Window Quilt Shop on Facebook or @katiehennagir on Instagram.

Let’s get started!

Let me begin by saying I’m not usually too concerned with accurate piecing while I sew.  I’m not saying I don’t pay attention at all it’s just that I don’t worry if things turn out perfectly.  I’ve figured out my own tricks for making my blocks as perfect as possible. Things like where I need to mark my 1/4″ seam on my machine because my 1/4″ foot isn’t really exactly 1/4″. And, I’m aware of the thread that I sew with being either 50 weight or 60 weight so that it blends into my seam nicely and doesn’t add any bulk to it.  I also know that I need to pay attention when I press, making sure I don’t pull on my seams.  These tiny tips can make a big difference when it comes to whether or not your 6 1/2″ block is 6 3/8″ or even 6 5/8″.  I’m not going to try and solve every sewers problem through my computer, but I do hope you can pick up a few tips along the way that will help you with your accuracy while sewing.

Here is my ultimate accuracy kit:

The Perkins Perfect Piecing Seam Guide is a small ruler that has a hole in it for your needle and a 1/4″ seam allowance marked on the ruler.  Simply place it in your machine and mark where your scant 1/4″ seam is.  Aurifil thread is my favorite thread to piece with.  It is a perfect 50 weight thread that will disappear in your seam leaving you with a more accurately pieced block.  I use a neutral color in all of my piecing (although I even used red to piece my first blocks at home because I was out of a neutral and I didn’t want to use any other brand of thread in my piecing). Clover’s Patchwork Pins are so fine you won’t even know they are in your fabric.  You can sew right over them with no fear of hitting them with your needle.  I don’t pin much, but when I do these are my absolute favorite.  I’ve put together this little kit on our website too, so we can send one to you if you like! www.baywindowquiltshop.com

Block One

The first block in our shuffle was designed by Pat Sloan.  It features half square triangles and only two colors in her block.  The fabrics I’m using throughout my blocks are by Zen Chic for Moda- For You and Modern Backgrounds. The patterns will show you the blocks in gray-scale so that you can pick whatever fabrics you like.  They also give you a couple of options for color value placement.

With this block accurate pressing is important.  Have you ever noticed your triangles start to “rainbow” if you pull too much when pressing them?  It can happen really easily and it will throw off your block completely.  Be careful to only press down on the seam, don’t pull your iron across the fabric as that adds to the stretch.

In this pattern they have you trim your pieced blocks down to 2″. I am usually a bit too lazy to trim down my blocks.  I always figure I can eyeball it and get it pretty close.  With this block I decided to do what I was told and I trimmed a miniscule amount from each side to make it 2″.  I will admit this really helped when it was time to sew the 2″ blocks together into my finished block!  I think whenever you are sewing something small, every little bit makes a difference. It is easier to hide the flaws in larger quilts!

Click on the link below for the Block One Instructions!

my_sampler-shuffle-block01

Block Two

I loved making Block Two which was designed by Me & My Sister Designs.  Okay- maybe because it was a bit easier than the rest but I think it was also because you get to see more of the cool fabric I’m using.  My only tip for this block is to pay attention to which direction you press your seams so that you can alternate the direction when you sew the sections together.  Do this by bringing your block pieces over to your ironing board and figure out which way they need to go.

Click on the link below for the Block Two Instructions

my_sampler-shuffle-block02

Block Three

Can I just say when I first looked at Block Three I cringed a bit? Then I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I am doing this to learn how to piece better and also to try new things. It’s also a bit easier to swallow when you only have to make 1 block! So, here’s what happened when I sewed up Block Three designed by Sandy Gervais. The pattern shows you how to make something they call “Easy Corner Triangles”.  I’m usually a just look at the picture and don’t read the directions type of gal, but for the sake of doing what I’m told I decided to read (or kind of read) their directions.

Here is a link to their directions for making Easy Corner Triangles

my_sampler-shuffle-easy-triangles

You should download it and read it. BUT DON’T MAKE YOUR BLOCK THREE LOOK LIKE THE PICTURE IN THE EXAMPLE! I figured the instructions on the Easy Corner Triangles were showing me how I needed to make my Block Three unit.  WRONG! When I tried to sew my block together the pink diagonal piece was going the wrong way.  SOOOO, you should instead follow the diagram on the Block Three Instructions because that is showing you the correct direction for sewing your triangles onto the rectangle.  The Easy Corner Triangles instructions are just giving you an example in general. Aside from that it was actually pretty fun to construct and it really has a lot of different ways you can play with fabric placement for different looking blocks.

Click on the link below for the Block Three Instructions

my_sampler-shuffle-block03

Finally, I’m also going to include the instructions for making your Inner Border on the quilt.  It is made entirely of flying geese units, so you may as well sew a few as you go each week.  I found that I could use some of the scraps from cutting out my first three blocks for this.  I think I am going to use a variety of background colors and also not have them match.  You could do this, or use all one fabric if you prefer.

Click on the link below for the Instructions

my_sampler-shuffle-inner-border

So that’s it for this week.  Remember to stop back next week Friday for more blocks!  Happy sewing~ Katie