Bella Skill Builder: Block 5

Hey y'all! So, I'm a bit of a dolt - I made my blocks for the Bella Skill Builder two weeks ago and then completely forgot to post. Forgive me, it's been a long couple of weeks and I had friends over on the weekend for crafty time!

This block uses another new to me technique - making half square triangles with Triangles on a Roll!

Triangles on a Roll are fun and super-easy! It takes a little patience to get the paper pinned down in such a way that it is flat and not bunchy, but once it's all down, it makes the process much faster. I neglected to shorten my stitch length (again, I am a dolt) so I had a little bit more trouble ripping the paper off but still easy-easy!

For these blocks I used Moda Bella Solids in Off White, Spearmint, and Clementine. At the end of each post for this Quilt Along, I'll be posting links to my previous posts, so check them out if you so decide:

Introductory Post

Blocks 1A & 1B

Blocks 2A & 2B

Blocks 3A & 3B
Block 4

We are at the halfway point now! Woot woot!

Bella Skill Builder: Block 4

Hey y'all! It's that time again - more blocks for the Bella Skill Builder quilt along. Woot!

The blocks for this month were three easy and quick sets of flying geese! After last month's very time consuming pineapple blocks, this was a nice change of pace (especially since I had a bunch of other quilting I wanted to get done).

The method used for constructing these geese was new to me. I generally utilize the no-waste method, but these were made using the Small Flying Geese Ruler from Quilt in a Day. Right now it's a bit of a toss up as to which method I like more - using the method for this ruler was much faster, but it generates more waste then the other (i.e. some versus none). The waste amount really wasn't a lot, so...

For these blocks I used Moda Bella Solids in Off White and Flamingo (which I've realized going back through pictures is a really hard colour to get a decent shot of - the tone always seems different). At the end of each post for this Quilt Along, I'll be posting links to my previous posts, so check them out if you so decide:

Introductory Post

Blocks 1A & 1B

Blocks 2A & 2B

Blocks 3A & 3B

Next month, we'll be at the halfway point in the quilt along, so I'm going to try and get a picture of the blocks I have so far all laid out together. I'm excited to see how it's all coming together!

Bella Skill Builder: Blocks 3A & 3B

Hey y'all! It's time again for another round of blocks from the Bella Skill Builder hosted by Fat Quarter Shop.

This month's blocks (7 individual blocks in all) were pineapples and it was my first time making them. I love the look and how the colours seem to overlap, but wow (!!) so time-consuming! I'm also not enamoured with the amount of fabric waste these blocks generate; it's a good thing they look so neat!

I used the super-fancy Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool which made the process relatively easy and pain-free. For these blocks I used Moda Bella Solids in Turquoise, Clementine, and Flamingo. At the end of each post for this Quilt Along, I'll be posting links to my previous posts, so check them out if you so decide:

Introductory Post

Blocks 1A & 1B

Blocks 2A & 2B

New X-Plus English Paper Piecing Templates!

Hey y'all! How's everyone doing? Last year I made an X-Plus quilt for my friend Austin when he and his husband adopted a beautiful baby girl; as I was making the quilt I started thinking about how the X-Plus block could really lend itself well to English Paper Piecing. So I did what any self-respecting quilter would do and drafted my own templates.

And, because I couldn't keep the templates to myself once they were all done up, I've posted them to my Craftsy shop (for free) Templates currently unavailable due to Craftsy shakeup! The blocks finish at 10" square (which is another modification I made to the original X-Plus pattern) meaning that if you want to make a 40" square baby quilt, you need to make 16 blocks.

I made two samples (and had some lovely pattern testers make some more - which we'll get to in a later post); the first one I grid quilted and bound just for fun, and this second one... well, I haven't decided what to do with it yet. Maybe the beginnings of a brand new quilt?!

Now, what you can download from Craftsy is not a pattern per se, but is rather all the templates needed to make a block, so you do need to know the basics of EPP as there are no instructions included. The templates are spread across two pages and you need the pieces from both pages to make one block. That means that you can make as few or as many blocks as you want without having to worry about not having the right number of pieces.

If you decide to make a block, and you're on Instagram, please share using the hashtag #xplusepp - if you check it out over on IG you'll see other blocks that have already been posted - fun fun!

I really hope you guys like the templates and can't wait to see what you make!

Bella Skill Builder: Blocks 2A & 2B

Hey y'all! So, it's the beginning of a new month and that means some new blocks for the Bella Skill Builder!

This month's blocks feature Orange Peels - which is something I have never attempted before! So, since I've never tussled with these blocks, I decided to test out two different methods. Why not, right?

The first set I did utilizing the larger of the Orange Peel templates. For these ones, I decided to use the fusible interfacing method outlined in this tutorial. While I liked the turned under edges you get with this method, I found that I had a hard time getting nice sharp points. It was also a bit more time consuming because there are more steps involved. This method also gives a slightly puffier look because the fabric itself isn't fused to the background.

For both blocks that utilized the smaller Orange Peel templates, I used fusible adhesive. I don't have any tutorials to point to since I love fusible for sketchy applique and have used it a bunch! This method is definitely faster and everything is nice and sharp because the peels are simply cut out and fused. A lot of people don't like the look of this type of fused applique because they think it looks "unfinished" but I adore it actually!

As I mentioned before, I'm switching up the colours for this quilt. So for these three blocks I used Moda Bella Solids in Boysenberry, Marigold, and Clementine. At the end of each post for this Quilt Along, I'll be posting links to my previous posts, so check them out if you so decide:

Introductory Post

Blocks 1A & 1B

Patchwork Tulip Block

Hey y'all! I'm back with another fun little block to share! Remember, a couple of posts ago, I shared a picture of how I was keeping my Bella colours organized using my Scrappy Project Planner? Well, here's another fun thing about this planner - it includes scrappy quilt projects too! FQS has decided to tackle each of these scrappy blocks and asked if I'd like to sew along too and, of course, I said yes! My block is the Patchwork Tulip.

For fun, I went a little crazy with my colour choices! For the tulip head, I selected various shades of dark purple and raspberry, and two grades of orange for the stem. The Tula Pink fabric I used for the leaves, actually contains some of the same dark purple and raspberry shades so I thought it was a fun pairing. I chose three different white-on-white neutrals for the background fabrics.

This block came together very quickly without a lot of fuss. I loved being able to dive into my scrap bin to select some much loved scraps for this one.

You can find the Scrappy Project Journal on the Fat Quarter Shop website. I've never been very good at keeping track of my projects and planning things out ahead of time, but I've enjoyed using this so far for the Bella Skill Builder.

Bella Skill Builder: Blocks 1A & 1B

Hey y'all! Welcome back for the first blocks for the Bella Skill Builder. In case you missed the introductory post, this quilt along runs from February to September this year and will feature new blocks at the beginning of each month.

The first set of blocks are kaleidoscope blocks that can be made using either a spiderweb ruler or the template included in the free pattern. I totally messed up the trimming on the B block (the one featuring four kaleidoscopes) which is why it looks a bit wonky, but oh well, I'm okay with it! The Bella Solids used this time around include Turquoise, Marigold, and Off White.

You can find the main Bella Skill Builder page on the FQS blog. This page will be updated each month with the new block patterns and video tutorials, you can also find links for all of the other bloggers hosting posts for the quilt along. I'm really excited to see how this one tuns out since I switched up all of the colours - it will be like a little surprise every month!

Bella Skill Builder: Introduction

Hey y'all! So, this week kicks off the Bella Skill Builder Quilt Along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop. I've been asked to quilt along with everyone and I'm pretty excited! There are nine block sets, and each block set will be released as a free pattern through FQS on the first of the month for the next nine months; you can also buy a kit to make yourself a quilt in the original colours.

Because it's how I roll I decided to change up the colours I'm using...

Ohhhh, pretty! In order to keep my colour swap outs clear, I used my Lori Holt Scrappy Project Planner to keep some swatches handy.

All of the colours I've selected are Bella solids from Moda, and they include Boysenberry, Marigold, Clementine, Flamingo, Turquoise, Spearmint, Bluebell and Off White.

I'll be posting my first set of blocks this weekend, so come on back then to see them! I haven't participated in a quilt along in a very long time and I'm happy to get in on this one - I love learning new skills and using new tools.