Ann's Scrappy Quilt Part One

Anne's Scrappy Medallion Quilt - Part One

This is a quilt done by one of my customers, Anne. It is another fantastic way to utilise scraps - especially those 5 inch charm squares we all collect - or off cuts which can be converted to 2-1/2 inch squares. This month we will start with the major block. There is a surprise centre medallion, the pattern for which will come in July's Craft Corner. This photo had to be taken over my quilting machine - due to wet weather couldn't take any outside shots - hopefully it might be fine tomorrow and I can give you a total view next month.

This scrappy quilt has a finished size of 63 inches x 87 inches and could be made wider by adding more blocks. To make a quilt this size you will need 14 x full blocks, 12 x half blocks and 4 x quarter blocks. Grab a heap of odds and sods from your stash and start sorting!

The instructions which follow are for the full block. We have chosen really bright vibrant colours with cream as the background but any combination would work well. It just depends on what you have in your stash.

For each full block, you will need to cut the following:

	16 x 2-1/2 inch squares - any colour - any pattern or tone on tone
	12 x 2-1/2 inch squares - preferably a light or pastel colour (we have used a cream) for the background
	4 x 3 inch squares - patterned
	4 x 3 inch squares - cream

Play at setting out the colours so they flow from one to the other - if you look at the samples here, you can see that you can pick one colour, e.g. the yellow in the bottom left hand corner and this flows into the next square and into the one after - the top left hand corner has picked up the green from the third square. Continue is this way for the four strips of four little squares. Where possible try to make the colours flow across as much as you can. It isn't always easy to do this so if it doesn't work, just go for a good contrast like in the bottom right hand corner - the main thing is that the colours don't scream at each other!

Join the strips together - two little squares at a time. For the triangles - cut the 3 inch squares in half - both the plain and the patterned.

Join one plain with one pattern. When all little squares are joined - both the strips and the triangles, press with a warm iron and make sure the 1/4 inch seams are all going one way.

On the left - The four strips of squares - ironed - ready to be sewn into a bigger square. On the right the 8-1/2 inch square sewn together and composed of the four strips.

The little triangles that started life as a 3 inch square will need to be trimmed marginally to make a 2-1/2 inch square. Use your rotary cutter to line up the diagonal and trim the edges. On the right you will see the tiny scrapings which have been trimmed. This might not be the perfectionist way of making a 2-1/2 inch square but it works and is a lot easier than any other method I have found.

Now we need to make the outer border for the 8-1/2 square. For this you will need to add two rows - one top and the other bottom. Take two triangled squares and join to form a "V". The cream fabric will be on the outside and the patterned on the inside. Take two of the cream background fabrics and add one to each end of this little two block strip.

Make up all the triangled squares in this manner. Sew two of these new strips to the 8-1/2 inch square - see photo on the left above. When that is done, press and add the other two sides - so you end up with a block like the photo on above right.

A-tip - Pin through both layers at the point where the seams are to join - make sure your pin is right on the stitching line of both the top and bottom layers - this will give you the perfect match for joins at corners.

Now you have made one complete full block - 13 more to go. You also need 12 half blocks and 4 quarter blocks. I am sure you can work out how to make the half and quarter blocks but if you need help, don't hesitate to email me for assistance. Next month we will attack the central medallion - so don't sew any of the blocks together until you get the next edition.

Until then, happy stitching and happy travelling when you can!

Chrissy