Brighten the Corners block construction

I played around with the construction of this block many ways before settling on the foundation paper piecing templates that ended up in the pattern.

One thing that I ask myself when designing quilt blocks and their construction is: How can I get accurate and consistent results? Recently, paper piecing has become my answer for many such designs. If I can avoid any "weird" sewing, I will! Of course "weird" sewing is subjective and many find paper piecing in itself weird! :)

Check out this 29 second video I put together showing how a Brighten the Corners block comes together so you can see for yourself the easy sewing methods:

I'll be honest, I made this block just for this video demonstration, but now I can't stop at just one! I love these fabrics too much and so now am working on a quilt. What can I say? I find this process very satisfying!

This time, I'm going to play around with taking my papers out after each block is constructed but before I sew the blocks together in the quilt top. I love being able to perfectly align the blocks with paper still in, pin, and sew on the solid template lines to ensure perfect points. But, the downside of keeping the papers in through whole quilt top construction (in my opinion) is that paper removal feels more tedious... maybe because there actually are more seams through the paper at that point. But, I'm pretty confident in my 1/4" seam, so I should be able to get good points without the paper for reference.

Let's be real. There is also that element of, "I just finished the last seam of this quilt top and now I'm DOOOOOOONE!" Rather than: "I just finished the last seam of this quilt top and now I have hours more of paper removal!" 

I still like to experiment to find the methods most enjoyable for me. It definitely won't be the same for all of us, but that's the beauty of having options and sharing those findings with people who speak your language, if you know what I mean. ;)

If you are interested in buying the pattern and trying this block out for yourself, it's available here:

Brighten the Corners pattern release!

The Brighten the Corners quilt pattern is here! And it's only $7 USD! 🎉

Named for the construction methods used (starting in the center and adding one corner of the block at a time), the name Brighten the Corners is a nod to one of my favorite albums. I couldn't help it—it's what kept running through my head even when making the very first block.

I love the simple elegance of the same star block repeated throughout this quilt with ample sashing set in-between, making each star stand proud.

This is a paper piecing pattern made with no y-seams or partial seams. The 18-page PDF pattern includes the templates you'll need and really great instructions (with pictures) throughout.

There are also great opportunities to make quilting designs stand out!

Read more details here.

EDIT: CONTEST NOW CLOSED.

Remember, I currently have a custom quilting giveaway for one special purchaser (to be drawn randomly), so buy before Wednesday, July 20th 2016 at 11:59 pm CST to get in on that action! Some restrictions do apply, so make sure you read up on the details here.

Custom quilting GIVEAWAY!

Brighten the Corners quilt pattern, made and photographed by Alison Gamm (quilted by me).

EDIT: CONTEST NOW CLOSED

I'm so excited to roll out this promotional giveaway and pattern!

I've been asking myself lately: How do I be completely me in the quilting world? By combining my love for designing quilts and piecing them with my love of longarm quilting. And by sharing my passions with you, OF COURSE!

SO! How perfect would it be to give away a custom quilting job to one purchaser of my new Brighten the Corners pattern?! I know! Exciting!

Here is how it will work: 

The Brighten the Corners pattern goes on sale tomorrow Friday, July 15. It includes instructions for one lap sized quilt 50" x 60" and is a steal at $7 USD! To be eligible to win the custom quilting job, purchase the PDF pattern by Wednesday, July 20. From the invoices, I will randomly draw one name to receive the prize and announce the winner Thursday, July 21.

A few things to keep in mind: 

This is a foundation paper piecing pattern. It is easy! I'd consider it a beginners level pattern. I give you pre-cutting instructions so that your fabrics will be just the right size when you paper piece with them. The pattern details really clearly through actual photographs and step-by-step instructions how to make the quilt block. There are no y-seams or partial seams. It's all straight sewing, baby! I've added some extra paper piecing tips as you sew along PLUS a few optional coloring pages!

The winner will have until December 31, 2016 to get the completed quilt top and backing fabric to me for quilting. The quilt top has to be the Brighten the Corners pattern or one made with slight adaptations to the pattern as in with size or other tweaks - I do want to spark your own creativity, after all! :)

I will provide the batting, the longarm quilting (we'll work together to come up with a plan) and I will also pay return shipping within the United States. International friends are eligible to participate, I just ask that the winning quilter pays for the difference between domestic and international shipping rates.

If you have any questions, just ask! I look forward to sharing this pattern and collaborating with one of you on your own fabulous version of this quilt!

Check back tomorrow when the pattern goes live! :)

EDIT! The PDF pattern is now live and can be purchased here:

I'm down with OPP

OPP: Other People's Patterns

I'll be honest, usually I'm so busy working on MY next thing that I don't make the time to test or buy OPP.

While I am still busy and making good use of my time advancing my own patterns, projects and tutorials, I've been having the BEST time following along with Eye Candy Quilts's Smorgasblocks quilt-a-long. Here's how my blocks are starting:

Anneliese of Eye Candy Quilts has pulled the best of FREE blocks from around the web to combine into this one quilt (being revealed week by week). My No Y Seam Feathered Star was the first block, the X blocks called Raspberry Kiss blocks from Wooden Spoon Quilts were second, and third were the Spinning Pyramid blocks designed by Jessee Maloney aka Art School Dropout for Robert Kaufmann! 

To see what's coming up next, you need to follow the Eye Candy Quilts blog or Instagram feed @eyecandyquilts!

Amazing maker Richy Jr. from SpazzyCat Designs is also participating in the Smorgasblocks QAL with this start (his photo):

I can't tell you how much I love the dark background and seeing this kind of creativity applied to my pattern! I can't wait to see his pyramids. Follow him on Instagram to see more (@richyjr16).

That's all for now. OPP are fun and this has been a good mental break for me: to make instead of design/write/figure out. :)

Four tips for making the Modern Heart block even easier!

I wrote the Modern Heart block pattern and photo tutorial after making it approximately 4 times. :) There's nothing wrong with that or with the instructions. But as with anything, the more times I made the block, the more efficient I became.

I'd love to share these four tips with you to increase your efficiency AND your enjoyment factor!

1. If possible, use the same sewing machine presser foot for paper piecing and block seaming.

Normally when I paper piece, I keep my papers in until the quilt is all sewn together. I usually don't need my 1/4" foot at all because I just sew on the solid outer lines of each template when seaming. With this block, I think it's much easier to remove the papers before seaming the block parts together. When you remove the papers as you go, you also remove those solid sewing lines and it becomes important to be able to sew an unmarked 1/4" seam (as with traditional patchwork). 

When I began making this block, I used a special open toe foot so that I could clearly see the printed template lines of the foundation paper. When I was done with the foundation piecing parts, I switched the foot to my 1/4" foot to seam the parts together, therefore completing the block. 

Eventually, after switching the feet back and forth several times, I tried foundation piecing with my 1/4" foot and guess what happened?? It was perfectly functional and more than fine. I had a clear line of vision and everything came up roses. :)

If your 1/4" foot will simply not work for foundation piecing, another idea would be to do all of the foundation piecing for ALL the blocks and then seam them all together at the end, only changing your foot once. A little "batch processing" action won't hurt. Unless you really like the satisfaction of seeing each block to completion before moving on to the next one... like I do.

2. Trim each template down to the seam allowances (dashed lines) first.

All sides of template are trimmed including the 1/4" seam allowance.

If you're having difficulty with your fabrics not covering the entire section after stitching and pressing, you might benefit from trimming around the templates first. It'll give you a better idea of position from the wrong side of the papers if you have the perimeter well defined.

Keep in mind you will still have to trim the fabrics after the sewing is completed, so pre-trimming is an extra step. However, if this simple step prevents you from having to having to touch your seam-ripper, the extra step is worth it.

Another point worth noting is that when doing any trimming around a paper piecing template, I always trim by aligning the 1/4" mark of a rotary ruler with the solid line around the outer perimeter of the template piece. I do not align the ruler edge with the dashed line as there can be inaccuracies with the placement of the dashed lines in some cases and patterns.

3. Trim the fabric covering section A1 before aligning the section A2 fabric. (The same concept applies to Part B, as well.)

Another option to begin Part A or Part B is to trim the first fabric before adding the second fabric. I'll show you with pictures:

In the photo above, I've placed my A1 fabric right side up on the back side of the template paper and secured it with one straight pin.  You could also use fabric glue. I would use one securing method or the other when doing the trimming first. Placing the pin toward the bottom of the fabric and paper will allow it to stay more "out of the way" during the next step.

In this photo, you'll see that I'm following the trimming steps shown in the pattern—only—instead of trimming after a seam has been sewn, I'm trimming the first fabric before any sewing is done. This way, the angle will be in perfect alignment for the A2 fabric to be added. Actually, if you choose to follow this pre-trimming method, you really wouldn't need to cut the A1 fabric at a 45° angle at all. You could pin or glue the full 4" x 7" rectangle to the paper and trim the extra away at the exact angle in one shot.

4. Cut your fabric pieces bigger than given in the pattern directions.

People: we all have different levels of skill and experience! If you are consistently having trouble getting fabrics to cover their given sections, it might make a world of difference to cut your initial fabric shapes bigger than the dimensions given in the pattern.  For example, cut your A5 fabric at 5" x 7".  Sure, you'll have a little more waste, but if it helps you sew right the first time, that extra fabric is well worth it! We want this experience to be enjoyable! I'd much rather trim more away and have a little bit more waste than have to rip tiny stitches out of paper and try again. Can I get an AMEN?? :)

What about you? Do you have any other paper piecing tips to add? Please post your tip in the comments! The more I paper piece, the more I realize there is room for flexibility and adjustments, so don't be afraid to do what you need to do to have a great experience!

Layout option for Modern Heart lap quilt

My Modern Heart quilt is done and I wanted to share the details with you! It finishes at 50" x 60" which makes such a great size for a lap quilt.

I made the Modern Heart block (click the link for your free pattern) a total of 28 times for this size. Here's the breakdown: 4 blocks each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. I also made 4 rainbow blocks (using every given color). This block is perfect for raiding your scraps and using low volume fabrics!

I pieced the blocks together in 5 columns total.  There are 6 blocks sewn top to bottom in columns 1, 3 and 5. The 2nd and 4th columns begin and end with 5.5" x 10.5" background rectangles to offset them and 5 heart blocks in between. See the diagram below for the block placement of my finished quilt.

Since I had partial strips of my background fabrics leftover, I seamed them together to make the 4 - 5.5" x 10.5" rectangles used to offset the even columns.

Once all of the columns were sewn, I pieced them together to form the quilt top.

I quilted lines horizontally across the quilt top about 1/2" apart and bound with a fantastic black & white striped fabric.

I'm so happy with how this quilt turned out and hope you will give it a try!

FYI: There is a full video tutorial for this block if you've never paper pieced and want to tackle this versatile method! Visit my tutorial page for more information.