Quilt Patterns by Doris: Offset Frame

Finished size 42″ square.  Download as a word document here offsetframe

The center squares are a good place to use large scale novelty prints. This is called the focus fabric.

Cut strips across the full width of 44″ fabric. Kit contents:
Color number 1 – focus fabric: One whole and one half strip 6-1/2 inches wide for centers. Four 2 1/2 ” strips for the borders.
Color number 2 – first frame: Three and a half strips 2-1/2 inches wide
Color number 3 – second frame: 4 strips 2-1/2 inches wide
Color number 4 – sashing: 7 strips 2-1/2 inches wide

42″ square

Color 1

Color 2

Color 3

Color 4

1. Sew the 6-1/2″ strips to the color #2 strips along the long edge with a 1/4″ seam. Make one and a half. Press. Slice at 6-1/2″ across.

2. Make 9.

3. Place the 9 blocks from Step 1 along the edge of the other color #2 strip, right sides together, and sew with a 1/4″ seam. Make two. Press seams. Slice between.

4. Make 9.

5. Make 9.

6. Then sew these to the color #3 strips on the side of the first #2 strip. Make two. Press seams. Slice between.

7. Next sew these to the other color #3 strips on the side of the second #2 strip. Make two full and use the leftover piece from step 3. Press seams. Slice between.

8. Make 9 like this and set 3 aside.

9. Sew six to color #4 strips. Press seams. Slice between. Save leftover pieces.

10. Make 9.

11. Sew two of the blocks completed in step 5 and one block set aside from step 4 together. Press seams. Make three.

12. Sew a 2-1/2″ strip of color #4 on the bottom of each. Trim and save leftover piece.

13. Sew these three rows together. Add another 2-1/2″ strip of color #4 across top. Press seams.

14. Sew the last #4 strip to the side as shown. Sew the four leftover pieces of #4 strips together and then to the 4th side of the quilt top.

Sew on two borders: Measure width of quilt. Pin top and bottom borders to quilt, right sides together with quilt, short edges extending a bit beyond quilt. Sew with a 1/4″ seam, then trim ends to match the width of the quilt.
Sew the next two borders: Repeat with two more strips.

Making the quilt sandwich: Press the fabric to be used for the quilt back. Lay out a piece of batting the required size (should be 44″ square) on a flat surface.
Place the pressed piece of backing fabric RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the batting.
Place the completed, pressed top WRONG SIDE UP on top of backing. RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
Smooth the wrinkles and center the top on the batting and backing. The top will be slightly smaller. Make sure the backing and batting are the same size or a bit larger than the top. Pin around the edges, through all the layers.
Starting on any edge and about one third in from any corner, sew 1/4″ from the raw edge of top around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 10″. Start with backstitching, pivot at each corner, and end with backstitching. Trim seams and clip corners. Turn carefully to right side, pulling corners as square as possible. Press lightly and stitch opening shut by hand or machine. Topstitch around the outer edges to make the quilt more durable. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.
Tying the quilt: Use all 6 strands of embroidery floss threaded through a needle. From the top of the quilt, push the needle through and back up 1/4″ away. Pull the thread, leaving about 4″. Wrap the threads in the right hand not once but twice around the other thread. Pull tightly. Tie again, wrapping the left thread two times around right. Repeat this in a pattern over the whole quilt. Every 3″ to 4″ is good coverage. Trim floss ends to 1/2″ to 1/4″.
OR machine quilt.

Your Offset Frame kids quilt is done!

Quilt Patterns by Doris: Rail Fence

Finished size about 42″ x 42″. Four colors in 100% cotton. Download as a word document here railfence

There are four colors in this simple to make quilt. One of the fabrics will also be used for the backing. Three fabrics are used to make the “rails” and the fourth is used for the border. You can use a fifth color for the backing if you wish. OR you can make it with three colors by using one of the rail colors as the border. Adjust yardage accordingly. Instructions are written for using four colors.

Cutting guide for 42″ size using 44″ wide cotton. Wash fabric, iron, fold selveges together, press. Cut strips across the full width of the fabric. Kit contents:
Color number 1 (beige) Borders and Back: four strips 3-1/2 inches wide and one 43″ square for the backing
Color number 2 (purple): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Color number 3 (blue): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Color number 4 (pink): 4 strips 3-1/2 inches wide
Fabric preparation
Always launder fabric before using. This removes any sizing or other chemicals and pre-shrinks the fabric. Use a mild detergent and no fabric softener. Cut with rotary cutter and mat to the measurements as shown above. Decide which colors will go where and the order for the rails. Keep in mind that the outside colors will form the rails. Set aside the backing square and the border fabric strips. Press seams towards darker fabric, or press seams open, whichever is easier for you.

42″ x 42″

Color 1

Color 2

Color 3

Color 4

1. Arrange the 3 fabrics for the rails in stacks of 4.

2. Sew two together.

3. Make four.

4. Sew a strip from the third stack to each of these on the right side to form the rails as planned. Press seam toward darker color, or press seams open.

5. Make 4.

6. Stack these 4 units on cutting mat and align with horizontal lines on board. At this point you will know how even your seams are by how flat they lay. Measure for a common width “X”. Using rotary cutter, make a straight cut evening ends and removing selvedges.

7. Cut across 4 times to “X” measurement as shown. Ideally this should be 9-1/2″. It will probably be less. You now have 16 rail fence blocks.

8. Sew Blocks Together Lay the blocks out in 4 rows of 4, rotating each one 90 degrees to form the rails as shown. The same color will be either on the top or on the left side of each block when correctly placed. Make two beginning with a horizontal row, and two beginning with a vertical one. Press seams toward horizontal one, or press seams open.

9. Sew the Rows Together: Lay out the 4 rows alternating them as shown.

10. Flip the first row over the second, placing right sides together, align and match opposing seams. Sew with 1/4″seam.

11. Press seam in either direction, or press seam open.

12. Flip these over row 3 and sew.

13. Press seam.

14. Flip row 4 up over these and sew.

15. Press whole unit.

Borders: Pin top and bottom borders to quilt, right sides together with quilt, short edges extending a bit beyond quilt. Sew with a 1/4″ seam, then trim ends to match the width of the quilt. Repeat with two more strips on sides.
Making the sandwich: Press the fabric to be used for the quilt back. Lay out a piece of batting the required size (should be 44″ square) on a flat surface. Place the pressed piece of backing fabric RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the batting. Place the completed, pressed top WRONG SIDE UP on top of backing. RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
Smooth the wrinkles and center the top on the batting and backing. The top will be slightly smaller. Make sure the backing and batting are the same size or a bit larger than the top. Pin around the edges, through all the layers.
Starting on any edge and about one third in from any corner, sew 1/4″ from the raw edge of top around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 10″. Start with backstitching, pivot at each corner, and end with backstitching. Trim seams and clip corners. Turn carefully to right side, pulling corners as square as possible. Press lightly and stitch opening shut by hand or machine. Topstitch around the outer edges to make the quilt more durable. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.
Tying the quilt: Use all 6 strands of embroidery floss threaded through a needle. From the top of the quilt, push the needle through and back up 1/4″ away. Pull the thread, leaving about 4″. Wrap the threads in the right hand not once but twice around the other thread. Pull tightly. Tie again, wrapping the left thread two times around right. Repeat this in a pattern over the whole quilt. Every 3″ to 4″ is good coverage. Trim floss ends to 1/2″ to 1/4″. OR machine quilt.

Rickrack Road Quilt

Materials list
for the blocks
13 – 18″ x 22″ fat quarters
assorted pink, teal, tan, green, brown and yellow prints

19 fat quarters assorted beige prints

sashing and binding 2 1/3 yards

4 1/4 yards for backing

The quilt is 69 1/2″ x 77 1/2″

from each of the coloured fabrics cut – 9- 5″squares (need 112)

from background fabrics cut 112 – 6″ squares

From the floral cut 5 – 6 1/2 x 77 1/2 sashing strips

4 – 2 1/2 binding strips

Use a pencil to draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the colored 5″ squares (draw lightly or put sandpaper under fabric to prevent stretching). Align a marked square with one corner of a background 6″ print (connector corner). Sew on drawn line and trim excess, leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance (you will have 1/2 square triangles left over). The unit should be 6″ square. Repeat to make 112 pieced unites. Lay out four pieced units in pairs. Sew together each pair; press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 11 1/2 ” square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 28 blocks.

closeup of Rickrack Road Quilt

Rickrack Road Quilt

Quilt group at Avery’s house.

Snail Trail Quilt Pattern by Doris

42” x 51”

download the instructions as a Word document

Border: 5 – 3 ½” strips
Color 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on: This quilt needs a total of 15 – 3 ½” strips to make the pattern. It can be in as many colors as you wish. It is a great way to use up odd strips. You should use at least 5 and as many as 15 different fabrics. Spend some time deciding how they will be arranged.

STEP ONE

In the drawing below, an equal number of strips and colors (5 strips in 5 colors) are laid out in a repeating pattern. In the lower drawing an odd assortment is laid out to balance the colors. Move them around until you are satisfied. When you are happy with the arrangement, sew the strips together with consistent ¼” seams. Press the seams open.

STEP TWO
Take this very large strip set and fold it right side in, the long way in half, bringing the raw edges together. Sew this seam, turning the strip set into a tube. Lay the tube on the cutting mat.

STEP THREE
Smooth it out and make a clean cut across one end, evening out all the strips. Slice across at 3 ½”. You should get 12 slices. They will be in rings.

STEP FOUR – EQUAL COLORS
In the case of equal colors it doesn’t matter where you start unpicking the seams. Unpick the seams between any #5 color and #1 color. Next between a #1 and #2. Then # 2 and #3, #3 and #4, and #4 and #5. Repeat until they are all in strips and lay them out to make the pattern as shown.

UNEQUAL COLORS
Choose a color to run diagonally from the top left corner. Unpick the seam that connects it to the next square. Lay this out flat so that your chosen color is first across the top. On the next ring, making sure the order stays the same, unpick the stitches to make this color second. Each ring should move this color one spot down as shown.

STEP FIVE
From here on it doesn’t matter if the strips are odd or not. After you have all the strips laid out to form the pattern, sew the rows together aligning the seams. Press seams open.
STEP SIX – BORDERS
Cut one border strip in half. Add one half strip to each of two other border strips for side borders. Pin side borders to quilt, right sides together with quilt, short edges extending a bit beyond quilt. Sew with a 1/4″ seam, then trim ends to match the length of the quilt. Sew remaining two strips on top and bottom of quilt. Trim ends to match the width of the quilt.
STEP SEVEN – MAKING THE SANDWICH
Press the fabric to be used for the quilt back. Lay out a piece of batting the required size on a flat surface. Place the pressed piece of backing fabric RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the batting. Place the completed, pressed top WRONG SIDE UP on top of backing. RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!
Smooth the wrinkles and center the top on the batting and backing. The top will be slightly smaller. Make sure the backing and batting are the same size or a bit larger than the top. Pin around the edges, through all the layers.
Starting on any edge and about one third in from any corner, sew 1/4″ from the raw edge of top around all four sides, leaving an opening of about 10″. Start with backstitching, pivot at each corner, and end with backstitching. Trim seams and clip corners. Turn carefully to right side, pulling corners as square as possible. Press lightly and stitch opening shut by hand or machine. Topstitch around the outer edges to make the quilt more durable. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.
Tying the quilt: Use all 6 strands of embroidery floss threaded through a needle. From the top of the quilt, push the needle through and back up 1/4″ away. Pull the thread, leaving about 4″. Wrap the threads in the right hand not once but twice around the other thread. Pull tightly. Tie again, wrapping the left thread two times around right. Repeat this in a pattern over the whole quilt. Every 4″ is good coverage. Trim floss ends to 1/2″ to 1/4″.
Your Snail Trail quilt is done!

One-patch quilt

The next one I did is a one-patch quilt. I was inspired by Let it Snow. Tumbler quilt 38″ x 48″. Cut template out of cardboard or a plastic place mat. Make a tumbler template any size. Just make sure that the left and right sides of the template are mirror images of each other, and it will make a tumbler quilt! I look for pictures of tumbler quilts in magazines or on the internet and measure the tumblers – approximately, then made my own template. It doesn’t have to be exactly equal to the picture. Some tumblers are tall and skinny. This one is more short and fat. A typical size for charm quilts is 3 ¾” high x 4 1/8” along the base.

Cut strips of fabric and use the template to cut out shapes.

Sew rows together using a half template on the ends.

These two quilts bring my total made for charity this year up to five. Here is a quilt I designed myself. The center is a “big block.” This was fun and easy. Just take any block, enlarge it and use it for a kids quilt.