BASKET

How to make a basket block.

This basket block came from Electric Quilt 7 and the basis for making my own quilt block.

1.

The photo is the rotary cutting page created for a 9-inch block. I modified the instructions some as I like a little edge room when trimming to size.

A

NUMBER OF PATCHES FOR "A"

BACKGROUND: 2 POT: 0 FLOWERS: 0

FINISHED PATCH SIZE: 2¼ x 4½

CUT SIZE: 2¾ x 5

B

NUMBER OF PATCHES FOR ”B” - needed for 2 squares, right sides together (background and pot and background and flower). For cutting, one inch is added to finished size of each patch.

BACKGROUND: 4 POT: 2 FLOWERS: 2

FINISHED SIZE: 2 ¼ x 2 ¼

CUT SIZE: 3 ¼ x 3 ¼

C

NUMBER OF PATCHES FOR ”C” - 2 squares, background and pot right sides together. For cutting, one inch is added to the finished size of each patch.

BACKGROUND: 1 POT: 1 FLOWERS: 0

FINISHED SIZE: 4 ½ x 4 ½

CUT SIZE: 5 ½ x 5 ½

D

NUMBER OF PATCHES FOR ”D”

BACKGROUND: 0 POT: 2 FLOWERS: 0

FINISHED SIZE: 2 ¼ x 2 ¼

CUT SIZE 2 ¾ x 2 ¾

2.

This is how the patches will look after the initial cutting. You can see the line drawn down the middle of the "B" and "C" patches. A background patch and eith er a pot or flower patch are put right sides together.

3.

Half Square Triangle. For me, this is the best way to make HST. Just make sure that your squares are cut one-inch larger than your finished size. Draw a line corner to corner of one of the squares (shown in blue). Sew 1/4-inch from each side of the drawn line. I do a little less than the 1/4-inch.

4.

I sew these by strip piecing, doing a bunch down one side and then turning around and sewing the other side. When completed, cut each square in half and press each open.

5.

T his shows the squares laid out ready to sew. I've connected the squares with a dark line to show what squares to sew together. There will be two squares left over that can be used in another block.

6.

The squares are laid out again and ready to join the next sets. I've grouped them in the order I use to sew.

7.

This shows the back and how I press the seam open. When you have four squares meeting in the center, there can be a lot of bulk. A good way to get rid of that is to cut into the seam on each side the of seam edge. - just beyond the edge at each side. Be careful not to cut the seam. Ir on one seam to one side. Press open the little square in the center. Press the other seam the opposite of the previous seam.

8.

9.

Finished block

A possible quilt idea that was also done in Electric Quilt 7. This is what I plan to make. A good use the the left over HST in some of the 9-patch squares.

Free Motion Quilting - A ROSE

I love to do free-motion quilting. For me it's the best part of the whole quilt process. I think if I had the space and money for a long-arm -----. Since I don't, I make do with my Bernina 440. This machine has the stitch regulator, which works wonderful giving nice even stitches.

A while ago, I came across an article in The Quilt Life magazine that had a demo by Judy Woolworth for making free-motion flowers (shown below.) I fell in love. I had to learn how to make these. Judy's were made using a long-arm. I wanted to make a simpler version of them on my home machine.


This is the process I use. Please note that the motifs shown below were drawn free-hand so they are not precise. In reality, when done free-motion on the machine, they are a lot neater. Also, my drawings are not cast in stone. They're to give an idea of what the motif looks like. It also helps to practice drawing the motifs on paper until the movements are very familiar.

The first time, I practiced on a pot-holder size fabric readied for quilting (fabric, batting, and backing pinned together.
I started at one end and stitched a flower shape motif in the center of the space. A nice thing about this practice is that you can make mistakes. A flower is not precise.

The next step builds the inside flower shapes. Just continue stitching around with curving lines going into the center. Once you are at the center, you have to come back out. This is shown below.Just start retracing your outline about one eighth inch next to the original. Closer is good, but try not to go over the original line. This is what it will look like when you are done. Did you notice the little heart shape. This takes you into the step that comples the flower.
Notice that I enlarged the petal shape on the outside petals. This makes them look more like a flower.

Now that the flower is done, something needs to be added to the rest of the block. I use circles and hearts. They are fast and fun.

Here is a sample of a square that is part of a current project.

Below is a sample of a square that is part of a completed quilt. Not the best photo, but it is one where the quilted flowers were used.
The completed quilt.